Originally Posted by: SongmanOpinions are like butt holes.
Everyone has one.

Yes, he is correct. Songs have been written about times in history, etc. And there are times these songs are very successful without the writer ever experiencing them. However, I do not believe a writer of song, book, or just a poem can't honestly convey pain, death, love, sorry, whatever, without ever experiencing it. You can tell a story, but can you tell of what the holocaust was really like without experiencing it? I don't think so.

Whatever you do, do not stop writing.

Songman, you and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this. IF the context that you as a writer are incapable of capturing feelings without the experience, then there would be no fiction. None. No movies. And most songs that have been a success would have never been recorded. Your local bookstore would have one giant Autobiography section. The true talent of a writer is his ability to capture and relate those things. Of course, it's hghly unlikely that Raven was in the Holocaust but he understands death and horror. Did you see the people leaping from the Twin Towers on 9/11? Remember those feelings? Recall that gutwrenching, soul sucking emptiness when you saw the Towers fall? When you heard about the planes hitting the Pentagon and the heros on the flight over Pennsylvania? Now, those were powerful images and truly horrible day in World History. If you saw those images, you can imagine the absolute horror those victims dealt with. No, you can't taste the death that they did, but you can imagine. And you, as a writer, can relate what you imagine. I can't remember the name of the actual song, but Neil Young wrote one that was quite popular for a while about what happened on Flight 93. He wasn't there. But it was a powerful song.

Although I do agree, never stop writing. It's an evolving process. I'm a better writer now than I was when I started years ago and hopefully I'll better in the future. But no matter, I will keep trying. It's not about the success you have professionally, it's about the success you have personally. :)