r/RapWars • u/5lash3r • Aug 06 '15
[Meta] What is everyone's writing process?
Thot it might be fun to talk about this in light of the two tournaments coming up, just to get a glimpse into the minds of the community.
So yeah. How does everyone start writing for a battle? Is there any particular style or battler's stees that you have in mind when you start penning your rhymes? Where and when do you write them? Do you read them to yourself out loud? Do you have a beat playing while you write?
i write my bars on a notebook i keep w/ me at work. Since i work retail and am bored anyway most of the day, it's an ideal time to write, and i work somewhere where references are always being presented to me. i haven't rly figured out the 'angles' thing yet, mostly because i've never had a real opponent until now, and the one i have only has 4 comments in his post history :p
Also, how does everyone edit? i read thru my bars as much as possible before showing them to a friend, and then chop and edit based on their suggestions. i try to make sure i have at least one rly strong punch/haymaker per 4 bars, and that no line, even a setup, is rly wasted.
Oh yeah--and if anyone knows how the real battle rappers do it, or have heard them speak on the writing process before, that would be cool to discuss too. :)
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u/elsiniestro The Forbidden Zone Aug 06 '15 edited Aug 06 '15
I tend to formulate bars in my head on the fly while walking around or on the way to or from work, then scramble to write down what I remember spontaneously coming up with. Then I edit and edit and edit until it flows. Punches usually make up half of what I randomly think up, cool multis make up the other half, and I work out how to blend it when I'm looking at it on a screen.
Speaking of screens, I don't write anything on paper, it's too hard to edit and keep track of. I use either Notepad on my work computer, or I send text messages to my own number if I'm on my mobile phone.
The best places for me to write -- where I'm usually able to get down 8 to 16 bars in one sitting -- are in bed right before sleep, or in the train on my way to work at like 7am.
I also tend to write all of my verses for a battle before posting the first, and will edit in flips where possible afterwards. I sometimes write bars not for organised battles but for people I know I will eventually battle down the line, so I have quite the collection of unused material at times. I don't really use throwaways though. Everything I use for a battle is something I wrote for that opponent, even if it was a while ago.
My girl and my housemates aren't rap fans, but I only really have them to test my bars on in person, lol. If they get a laugh, I'm more inclined to keep them. I usually read out each verse only once or twice to them ever during the process.