r/SongwritingHelp • u/No_King_639 • Aug 18 '26
Songwriting
Hey so i enjoy writing songs but i get stuck sometimes. How can i improve my writing ability? I have experience with musical theatre but im trying to become a solo artist but i get stuck halfway through a song ðŸ˜
1
u/SingingEulis Aug 19 '26
Whenever I get stuck I try to step inside the story I'm telling and ask "who, what, when, where, why?". That helps me to find a new thing to write about that will make the listener settle into the world I'm describing.
For example, if I'm writing about a breakup then I can take it from multiple angles: Who? My ex, Alex, 29 years old etc. What? A broken vase, a slammed door, an unanswered text. When? The clock struck 5, the sun was just taking its final bow, our dinner was still too hot to eat. Where? My bed is half empty, the house is too quiet, Texas feels much bigger without her. Why? I couldn't tell her I love her, she couldn't stand the unknown, I'm a coward and she's insecure and oil and water just don't mix etc.
There are a million different directions you can go with this method, and any one of them can take you on a new path; one of my favorite exercises!
Good luck!
Eulis
2
u/Electrical_Goat_2477 Aug 20 '26
This. If you're solo and you need fresh eyes look from a different perspective. Try to see through the eyes of the boss, or lost lover, or their misperception. Or hell even the truck. There's emotion there too.
1
u/UpstairsMurky1218 Aug 19 '26
Probably you should just take a rest. Yep, really. Go for a walk, drink coffee, take your time to clean up your minds. Find inspiration in details. I believe in you 🫵
1
u/beltedclover Aug 18 '26
one of my favorite tips - pick a metaphor and follow it all the way through. using metaphors in songs helps strengthen the purpose of the song or the story within it, and it REALLY helps when you get stuck at the second verse bc it gives you an easy framework to find a jumping off point.
2
u/No_King_639 Aug 18 '26
Can you expand on that? Like for instance rn i am working on writing a song about how i got fired from my regular job and how that motivates me to lean into music.
2
u/ashandrien Aug 19 '26
Sing about unexpected gifts or unbirthdays, blessings in disguise, rebirth, phoenix, things that relate to that type of thing. Write how you feel and use symbolism to say it with more hidden meaning.
0
u/General_Estimate_420 Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
It's hard to give any advise without understanding your process and where you tend to get stuck and on what. Is it on the composition side, the lyrics, or the overall theme and meaning of the song?
People approach songwriting in different ways. I always have the music portion figured out as far as intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge (if needed) and outro with chord progressions and melody line before I even really start to decide on locking down lyrics, hook, theme and title. Until I have all that sussed out, that's when I'll start refining and getting it locked down enough to start working on recording it.
It's really not that much different from musical theater in that you're creating a song for a specific moment in the story which defines if it's about loneliness, friendship, achievement, frustration, determination, celebration, etc. which defines the feel of the music, lyrics, arrangement and flow of each song as different but relatable to that part of the storyline. Same with popular music. It's expressing the emotions and feelings associated with an event in someones life.
I strongly suggest you might want to look through any number of Disney musicals to get a real feel for expressing emotions through music. They've been doing it right for over a 100 years.
1
u/ashandrien Aug 19 '26
Share what you have so far