Whether you write rhymes or raps,
poetry, blogs, articles, stories, or novels, the following quotes are profound
and inspirational enough to help you become a seasoned writer simply by the
message these quotes convey from one of my all-time favorite rap artists, Tupac
Shakur.
1. “Don’t believe everything you hear. Real eyes, Realize, Real lies.”
I had an English teacher in High School, who was a Rolling Stones’ fan, who told us on several occasions, as if to drill it into our heads, “To question everything you hear.” Her concept goes hand in hand with Pac’s quote. To be a better writer you have to decipher fact from fiction to report the truth, even if it’s your own personal perception you are exuding. For someone else to adopt it, you have to support it with evidence - indisputable proof. Common sense definitely has to come into play, and yet still, that may not be enough. In researching anything, you can often find two opposing viewpoints posing as the truth. Then what? Perhaps a picture is worth a thousand words… Or perhaps there is a gray area.
2. “Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.”
Without imagination, even reality is mundane. If you can’t conceive it, how can you believe it? This ideology is embedded in the concept conveyed by The Secret, based on the law of attraction, which claims that one’s thoughts can change the world directly. Writing that is not infused by imagination, which is directly tied to creativity, is simply uninspiring. We want to be wowed, moved, changed -somehow. We want magic not actuality. We want to be removed from our current existence and be introduced to a totally new feeling or vibration, outside of our current realm.
3. “…If I upset you don’t stress; never forget, that God isn’t finished with me yet.”
Every good writer who has something meaningful or thoughtful to say, will undoubtedly offend someone at some point, whether intentionally or inadvertently. Eventually a writer may even say something totally preposterous and absurdly untrue and hurtful. That’s okay, because a good writer will learn from their feedback and their mistakes to improve.
4. “People die but legends live forever.”
A good writer is legendary. Think about all the greats, -all the deceased writers whose works are still being read, from William Shakespeare to Langston Hughes. As a writer you should strive to make your works renowned and historical. To do this, check out: 10 Tips to Being A legendary Writer. https://medium.com/@PoeticMC/10-tips-to-being-a-legendary-writer-2589b1a4404f
5. “We all grow. We’re made to grow. You either evolve or you disappear.”
A good writer has to change with the times, be it writing style or keeping abreast of what’s popular and trending. To stay current there are an abundance of things one can do, check out: 10 Tips on How to Stay Current as A Writer. https://medium.com/@PoeticMC/10-tips-on-how-to-stay-current-as-a-writer-499b20027a42 With writing consistently you can only become a better writer, so more often than not your writing evolution is inevitable, but it still helps to know what’s hot right now and even more importantly what will be trendy in the future; but even more significant and beneficial, is knowing what is classic and timeless and will transcend or be welcomed in any time or era, across all generations.
6. “I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.”
This quote is significant to any good writer’s purpose in writing, -to evolve change. If your hypothesis or message can evolve or inspire the mind of anyone who can ignite change, then a seed has been planted, which is all any writer could ever hope to do for their audience, to have made an impression or help improve another’s life with their point of view.
7. “Is it a crime, to fight, for what is mine?”
Debate, speculation and theory, -all elements utilized by writers to convey their ideas, despite the negative reception it may elicit, but none the less it is the writer’s way of exercising their right to freedom of speech. A good writer tries to leave little wiggle room for discussion or deliberation by addressing counter arguments before they even arise. It’s no wrongdoing, it’s simply disputing one’s belief. What are we without our beliefs? Discover for yourself. https://poeticmc.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/what-are-we-without-our-beliefs/ or https://medium.com/@PoeticMC/what-are-we-without-our-beliefs-b35b4ec15559
8. “There’s nobody in the business strong enough to scare me.”
It is my essential belief that we as writers are never in competition with each other because we are all individuals that bring something totally different to the table. Even at a potluck, you may have two of the same dishes, but just like a finger print, they ultimately taste different, as maybe the chef went heavier on the spices on one dish than the other. We all bring something new and fresh to the table, so I simply can’t be intimidated by the next writer, who more than likely has another writing style, genre and audience than I do. I see other writers as resources, -someone to learn from or network with. There is enough readership to go around for everyone. People generally have a wide array of genres and writing styles they enjoy. For example, I enjoy Rap, Rock and R&B, and in each genre, I have a plethora of artists I love, -the same applies to the writing arena. If anything, it would be beneficial to find common ground with the next writer in order to fan share or garner exposure.
9. “I don’t see myself being special; I just see myself having more responsibilities than the next man. People look to me to do things for them, to have answers.”
The key here with this quote that relates to writers, is to have answers. People read for entertainment, information, to gain knowledge, wisdom, an escape, inspiration and the like, -but it all adds up to answers. As writers we aren’t special, we just have a strong opinion or perhaps something to say that is so intrinsic in our being that if we don’t get it out, it will eat us up inside. As writers we also have responsibilities, check them out here: 10 Responsibilities Writers Should Take Note Of. https://medium.com/@PoeticMC/10-responsibilities-writers-should-take-note-of-89790b4d2b3e
10. “The realest people don’t have a lot of friends.”
Neither do good writers. Not everyone is a fan if you are a good and effective writer. You can’t woo or please everyone, and neither should you. It’s good to get under someone’s skin every now and then to ensure you are effective as a writer. Controversy sells a lot more often than the heart-warming stories there is a lack of on the news, which is all for a reason. Will people tune into the good, like they do the bad? Everyone stops and slows to see a road accident, but how many will slow and stop for someone who may need a jump start, -case and point. People flock to bad news like a moth to a flame compared to that of the good or non-controversial news. Thus, bad news, controversial writers -who keep it real, don’t make a lot of friends.
11. “We can never go nowhere unless we share with each other.”
A big part of the writing process, to actually connect to a reader, is being vulnerable, sharing intricate and sometimes private moments and experiences, that others can relate to on some level or empathize with. Only then can you as a writer go places, -as in reach a larger audience or be a vessel for change.
12. “If God wanted me to be quiet he would’ve never showed me what he does.”
Writing is a calling, whether you have the talent for it, a way with words, a passion for it, love of it, or know just what to say, that readers want to hear.
13. “Whatever you see you gotta keep a sense of humor; you gotta be able to smile through all the bullshit.
Writing is an industry that means rejection time and time again, it’s good to keep a sense of humor and not give up. It’s such an overly saturated arena in this day and age, it’s hard to be heard through all the noise, but your audience doesn’t have to exceed that of Michael Jackson’s for you to flourish or succeed.
14. “Don’t leave this world without giving it your all.”
Writing, -good writing will keep you alive past your days. Review quote # 4. A good writer will pour out their soul, blood, sweat and tears…
15. “Even the genius ask questions.
Good writers are curious and stay curious. They even ask the rhetorical questions to make a point. They want to stretch your brain and your belief system, to make you even question yourself, to know if your understanding and faith is secure or can be compromised. Check out 10 Questions Writers Should Ask of Their Audience to Challenge Their Thinking. https://medium.com/@PoeticMC/10-questions-writers-should-ask-of-their-audience-to-challenge-their-thinking-d6e540443607
16. “Don’t live to fight, fight to live.
If we look at writing as a form of fighting, which it is and clearly could be if one writes for social reform or to bring about change or awareness, some writers do live to write, opposed to writing to live. If we wrote in order to live, meaning made our existence depend upon it, how much more consistent and brilliant at it would we be? How many more lives could we influence or inspire? How much more potent and prominent would we be as writers?
17. “Out of anger comes controversy, out of controversy comes conversation, out of conversation comes action.”
Writing -good writing, reads like a conversation in some instances, fluid and engaging. When a writer is angry enough about an issue, they then become passionate enough to say something, which would come across as controversial -for when we say things out of anger, we don’t necessarily censor our words, they are infused with rage and “hateful speech” or even passion -right? Then comes the communication, which then inspires action -when someone is inspired to make a change or do something to settle the conflict -so to speak, based on that conversation.
18. “Do everything you can to make it around the system, over the system, or out the system.”
Writing is another mechanism to get around, over and out of the system in the sense in America we are blessed to have freedom of speech, of course, we do have the freedom of expression, but it does not mean that it is without consequence. As we all know, many who have exercised this freedom did end up silenced (to death) a lot of the times, be it Martin Luther King, Jr. or even Malcolm X. I use these two prolific and inspiring writers and speakers as an example because no matter what side of the coin you are on, if the topic you rally for is a controversial one, the same outcome is imminent. I say this to remind writers to tread lightly. Freedom of speech is your inherent right, but it comes with immense responsibility. What are you willing to sacrifice for freedom of expression?
19. “When you do rap albums, you got to train yourself. You got to constantly be in character.”
Writers no less have a Writer’s Voice, and even fiction writers are constantly changing hands in the face of every character they must convey in their stories. One of the golden rules one of my college professors in English Literature conveyed to us was, that you should never write the way you speak, and even though this was in relation to essays, I find more often than not, it applies across the board.
20. “I would rather be stricken blind, than to live without expression of mind.”
Ain’t that the truth? Need I say more? If this isn’t a mantra of every writer, I don’t know what is…
21. “Pay no mind to those who talk behind your back, it simply means that you are 2 steps ahead.”
It’s best to refer to quote # 10 in regard to this quote. Haters as I will refer to those who talk behind your back or ridicule your work, are essential to every good writer. You have to appreciate haters the same way you would a fan. Haters are motivational fans, think about it: they took the time to read your work and gave their honest review. How many positive fans may have lied to you and only read the first paragraph? A bad review or backlash should motivate you to be better next time if their criticism is constructive. It should cause you to evaluate whether you have bias or didn’t cover all your bases. If it isn’t constructive, well at least your hater took the time, wasting precious moments of their life, to be crass, and it fell upon your deaf ears, -no harm, no foul. Check out: Critics, Haters and Constant Debaters, Why You Ought to Love Them. https://letterpile.com/personal-essays/Critics-Haters-Constant-Debaters
