Hi, I thought I'd thow in my 2 cents. I'm taking songwriting lessons right now...at first I too, thought how difficult could it be, but I've learned that although there aren't any real rules, there are some very specific guidelines that you need to follow, especially if your looking at having the songs pitched and produced. The recording industry is cut-throat, and if you at least follow the guidelines, half of the battle is already won.
The first thing I'd suggest is always carrying around a small notepad with you so that you can write down phrases that you hear people say, or when something inspiring pops into your head. Or, a small cassette recorder is great too.
One thing I learned, is that you have to come up with the title of your song first. From there, you can keep your idea focused and you won't find yourself all over the place.
After you have the title, sit down and start writing everything that comes into your mind that has to do with that title, such as words, phrases, your feelings etc., even if those things aren't the words you want to use in the song...those ideas will lead you to what you eventually want to say. After that, you have to determine what structure you want the song to be...verse/chorus or verse/bridge...there are other variations, but these are the main ones. The title that you've picked will pretty much dictate which one you need to use.
There's a lot that goes into putting your song together, and the above is just the tip of the iceberg.
It's a good way to start, and I also use a booklet that my instructors wrote, who are platinum award winning songwriters, that tell you step by step how to set up your lyrics, structure & music.
If anyone is interested in the name of the book, it's not expensive, please send me a message, and I'll pass on the info. I don't know if I'm allowed to post that info on here or not.
If you have this guideline, there's no way you can get writer's block, or know what to write next. The book is terrific. It's helped me a lot.
Hope some of this helps.
Connie
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