What can David Gray teach us about writing?
Photo courtesy of Jason Tang.
In March of 2002, my then-girlfriend — who was away at school while I was toiling away at my first entry-level job – used to send me links to songs by an unfamiliar British musician named David Gray during nightly marathon instant messenger sessions.
As a rule, I didn't own any albums by emotive singer-songwriters. But as we wore out the keys on our keyboards, I was inextricably drawn to the words this singer from Liverpool put to music, and I found myself nodding in understanding at the tinny music emanating from my crappy computer speakers.
While my girlfriend and I talked about anything and everything under the sun (or, in this case, the moon) Gray's music found a frequent spot in my playlist and eventually became the soundtrack for our relationship.
We broke up three months later.
But like that glorious, heady high smokers get when they take that first drag in the morning, I had no plans to give up the feeling I got when I listened to his music, so I fed the addiction instead of dealing with nasty withdrawals.
Today, he is still one of the handful of musicians whose new albums I buy without hesitation. And, like his music, I like to think I have matured in the last seven years. Now I have a deeper admiration for his ability to say what he wants to say without purposely convoluting the meaning to sound smarter.
While listening to his new album a few nights ago, I realized his music exemplifies everything a writer should be. And since I struggle with my writing, I thought this could be beneficial to anyone who uses words to make a living or bare their soul.
1. Be passionate. Your audience can tell when you phone it in. If you're not writing about something that stirs your very soul, it's going to come out in your words. Unless you are paid well to write refrigerator manuals, find a topic that brings out your best and write like there's no tomorrow. Your audience will come back for more.
2. Don't be afraid. Take a chance. Take an idea that is so far out of left field you're sitting in the bleachers, and devote some time to it. You might be surprised with the outcome, and find a new perspective in the process.
3. Be emotional. My favorite aspect of David Gray's music is the amount of sheer emotion he puts out. You can tell the subject matter of his songs is personal, and it comes out when he's on stage screaming and sweating and putting his all into his performance. If you can draw the reader in to your experience, you've captured one mind.
4. Be personal. I would be shocked if there isn't something in David Gray's past that informs 90 percent of his tunes. Whether it be a lost love or a long goodbye, he's drawing on it when he sings. Your upbringing and life experiences will try to sneak into your writing. Let it. That's what makes us who we are, so why should your writing lack your personality?
5. Give it your all. I know you can say this relates to all four ideas, but it does stand alone. When you're writing something — whether it's a bylined article, blog post, or personal journal entry — don't hold anything back. Writing allows us to express ourselves; our very livelihood hinges on the written word. Why would you waste it?
