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Writing a song is something that will take time regardless of your experience and expertise. There are many things to consider when you write songs and this is by no means an exhaustive list. We all continue to learn and improve throughout our lives.

Ideas to assist in improving your lyric writing at a glance:

• Research
• Brainstorm your song topic (consider more than the obvious)
• Song structure
• Be prepared to capture ideas whenever and wherever (note pad or voice recorder)
• Avoiding writers block (experience new things to stimulate thought)
• Engage your audience
• Seek the honest opinions of others
• Improve your skills (writing workshops, forums and discussion groups)
• Leave the lyrics for some time so you can review them later when they are ‘fresh’ to you

First it’s important to research the genre of song you are writing. Consider how the songs are written, what is being said and how it is being put forward. Are there keywords used commonly? What is common between all these quality songs?

Try and apply this knowledge when you begin writing your song.

Songs must be carefully constructed. It’s very useful to consider at depth your song topic. List keywords and think about more than physical attributes. Emotions and feelings are also vitally related to the topic you are writing about. The more words you can list and the more brainstorming you do, the better the end product is likely to become.

Another aspect of song writing that should always be considered is the general structure of the lyrics. Song lyrics often include verse, chorus and bridge. The chorus is most often repeated throughout the song while the bridge (a section in the song that is different from the verse and chorus) breaks up the monotony of the song, giving the listener a break from the ‘normal’.

It is always wise to be prepared to capture ideas whenever you get them. You may be jogging and suddenly BAM! The idea hits you, so it’s always essential to have a means to record your song ideas.

A notepad and pencil will work well, although a voice recorder (perhaps a cheap MP3 player) for many is an easier way to take notes.

Then of course, there are the inevitable times where ideas don’t come to you freely. Many of us have experienced the frustration of ‘writer’s block’. New experiences often stimulate new ideas and vigor for writing. So get out there and play a sport you’ve never played, visit a new place or just do something out of the ordinary and see what happens!

Any good song lyrics must engage the audience, so think about how you believe the audience will react when hearing the lyrics. Ask friends and other professionals what they feel and think about when they read / hear the lyrics. The more input others have the more likely you are to have the desired effect when writing.

Consider double meanings when you write and be sure to avoid cliches and tacky over used lines and phrases. The more unique and interesting your wording the better.

If it’s unusual it’s likely to capture attention, so be original but ensure that it suits your intended audience.

Like any skill, writing can be improved by learning more about it. Attend writing workshops, join appropriate writing forums and learn from discussion groups. It’s amazing what you can find out and then apply to your writing!

Asking questions of others is fine, but sometimes you may not have even known the question was out there in the first place, so the learning becomes even more valuable and may never have taken place if you had been involved in the activities just mentioned in this paragraph.

MOST IMPORTANTLY ensure you work on it and be very thoughtful about how things are worded. Every word counts, so don’t just accept it, improve it. Use a thesaurus to widen your vocabulary and refine the message you are communicating with your audience.

Once you are happy with your song and you have sought feedback it’s time to look at the overall message you are giving to the listeners. Compare your song lyrics to those in a similar genre. Are they comparable? Are they interesting? Do they make you want to listen? Are your song lyrics giving out the message you intended?

Seek opinions other than your own and be open to their feedback both good and bad. It’s hard to hear that your songs isn’t as good as you think it is, but hey, that’s life and it’s better to find out now and refine it or just start again than to feel like an idiot later when telling others about this ‘great song’ that obviously is pathetic!

After all this it’s time to take a break from what you’ve written. Leave it for a few weeks. Try not to think about it. Seeing it ‘fresh’ will let you make a better judgment on its quality. There have been many times when people have thought they have a hit and leave it for a few weeks only to find that their song is NOT what they thought it was!

Give it time…

If you consider what’s been mentioned above you are much more likely to produce top quality song lyrics. As with anything of a high quality it takes time and practice but the more you do the better you’ll get!

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