Tag: writer’s block

No More Writer’s Block

At one point in my career, I had to write three to four songs a week for a television series. Writer’s block was simply not an option. If I failed to turn in my songs on time, the show came to a swift and expensive stop! Early on, I learned an important lesson: Writer’s block is not about a lack of creativity; it’s about identifying and solving a problem so you can get on with things.

Problem 1: TROUBLE GETTING STARTED

There are few things more intimidating than starting a song. Maybe all you have is an idea or a theme. Every time you think about getting to work on it, you feel overwhelmed. next thing you know, you’ve got writer’s block. Solution : Break down the initial process into a series of steps and do them one at a time.

1. Begin by finding a title you’re interested in.

Look for short phrases that resonate emotionally for you. You don’t have to make it up out of thin air. Watch TV shows and films, listen to people talking, take down phrases from news shows or the Internet. (Try the “Title Generator” in the links section at the end of this newsletter!) A short one-to-five-word phrase that grabs your attention should do it for you.

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Songwriting Habits: Make Them Work For You

Habits: We all have them. Good habits, ones like exercising or flossing, can be a big plus, helping you improve your life without even thinking about it. Bad habits—well, we all know what those are and we’ve all got ’em. They can be a drag on your life and keep you from achieving  your goals.

As in life, so in songwriting. There are good songwriting habits that can help you achieve your goals faster, and bad habits that can cause you to write the same unsuccessful song over and over.

Have you ever noticed yourself falling into the same melody, chord, or lyric writing habits in song after song? This is songwriting by rote; doing the same things over and over without thinking about them. Often it means you’re writing the first thing that occurs to you. It could be a chord progression or melody style you heard in the music you grew up with. It became so ingrained that it now feels natural and spontaneous.

Sometimes we mistake this for our “authentic voice.” But it’s no more authentic than brushing your teeth he same way every day. It’s just what comes out of you first.

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