Build An Effective Writing Routine
Taking time to write on a regular basis is key to growing as a songwriter. But as important as reserving time to create, is using that time in ways that expand our understanding of our craft. Similar to practicing an instrument, some activities encourage growth more than others. We might be drawn to running the same section of a song that comes more easily to our fingers, avoiding the parts that don’t. Without addressing the tough parts, we find we bump up against the old limitations of our skillsets, never growing past them.
Writing a song a week is a common goal songwriters set, thinking it will result in growth in our writing. Certainly, it has its benefits - we get used to writing despite how we feel, and invite inspiration more frequently. We also train ourselves to not fear the act of writing, or the act of writing something ordinary or uninspired. We make way for every idea to come out, so that ideas worth their salt have a chance to show up, too.
No question, writing lots of songs is key to seeing our songwriting improve. But like the training of a professional athlete, there are some activities that can help to hone specific ‘muscle groups,’ toning and strengthening, exponentially increasing our skills and our own satisfaction of the results, too. How we spend our time writing can also bring joy to the writing process, knowing we’re leaning in to some of the areas we’d like to see improve so our songs fly higher and farther.
Whether you have an hour or just 10 minutes to write nearly every day, you can choose from the activities below to design your own routine. Some of the activities will be more challenging than others, due to the fact that we all approach writing differently because of our skillset, our desired outcome, and what elements are key to the music we create. A lyric writer may prioritize lyrics because they come with ease, or are critical to the kinds of songs they desire to make. Or, we may write some lyrics first because they are typically the element that takes longer to get just right. Or perhaps the song came as a concept rather than a musical theme. Whatever is the case, trying different exercises can help to understand your unique approach, your skills, and the areas you might avoid because they come with greater difficulty.
Try doing the same exercise several days in a row before moving on to something else. This encourages new layers of understanding as you practice the activity within several song ideas. Depending on the amount of time you have, you might choose a few activities, or just one. Regular writing, no matter for how long, is better than inconsistent writing. A little every day can go a long, long way.
Short Activities (10-15 minutes)
Write with descriptive language about an object, place, or memorable moment using taste, touch, sight, sound, smell, and movement
Generate a simple, 3-chord progression and quickly record it
Generate a 1, 2, or 4-bar vocal melody and repeat it four times, and quickly record it
Sing a word or phrase to a melody. Notice the tempo, and now slow it way down, singing the words again. Pay attention to what they seem to mean at that tempo. Now speed the tempo up significantly. Again, notice what the words mean, allowing for a change in message. Describe the change, and choose the meaning you think is more powerful and write it down.
Journal about a pleasant memory from the distant past
Longer Activities (30 Minutes+)
Listen to music you enjoy, and copy the rhythm and groove as the basis for an original song. If there’s time, play the groove as a simple 2 or 4-bar chord progression. Keep it simple, perhaps only playing the bass note of each chord.
Write a chorus lyric using words and phrases lifted from any journaling, or story-writing that is yours or is not your own.
Write a four-line lyric section in which the rhythms of the lines basically match. Prioritize rhythm instead of quality of content. Then, sing it out loud, using the exact same melody for each line.
Outline a concept you have for a song, describing in one sentence the basic idea for each verse, chorus, and bridge or pre-chorus.
Take a walk and dictate into your phone various thoughts that surface in your mind. Don’t be concerned whether they are song-worthy. Later, look over the thoughts and lift concepts, words or phrases that could be seeds for songs.
Make associations with each word of a title you’d like to write. Consider what the title is asserting, and the opposite of what it is asserting. Write down images, thoughts, and feelings, letting your mind run wherever it wants to go. For example, if your title is ‘Slow Burn’, consider words like ‘drag, relax, content, and ‘crackle, ash, and sizzle’ as associations, and ‘fast, swift, impatient’ and ‘chill, ice, smoking’ as opposites. Let the ideas take you to possible verse and chorus material.
Play a chord progression typical of your style. Then, remove half of the chords, leaving only a few. Stretch these chords out over the original number of bars, and consider this your new chord progression. Adjust the groove to accommodate the new progression if you’d like.
Over a single chord, sing a melody for a verse. Wait to introduce a new chord until very late in the section, and only if you feel you must. When you feel it’s time for a new section, play a chord you haven’t yet played. Let this chord be the first chord in the section. Sing a little melody for this new section, keeping the chord progression as simple as possible. Record what you’ve got when 15 minutes are up.
Sing a little 2-bar melody over a medium tempo. Repeat it. Next, sing two short melodies back to back that are only 1 bar long. End the section with the first 2-bar melody. Record what you’ve got and set it aside.
Find a book with descriptive language and lift 30 nouns, 30 verbs, and 30 adjectives that seem interesting to you. Look at your lists, and begin colliding the various words against each other, two at a time. Nouns and adjectives can be collided like ‘clouds (nouns) sail (verb).’ Nouns and nouns can be collided like ‘a whisper (noun) of ‘paint (noun). Adjectives and nouns can be collided like ’salty (adjective) lips (noun). When an interesting metaphor occurs, write it down for later use.
If you find yourself needing support as you take on a consistent writing routine, I’d love to have you join me in our month-long program, The 30-Day Songwriter.
Stay Creative,
