When writing a song a few different things come to mind: a melody to like, what you are feeling, a message you are trying to get across, a catchy phrase you have in your head and a few other things. I am going to share my process in writing song lyrics and hopefully it will help.
The 1st thing I do is log into an app that I find helpful in the process. I use the app songwriter. This app has ways to help you when stuck by giving you words or phrases to inspire your creation. You can add notes, record something, or add your ideas in a special spot to help you with your process. I don’t leave my songs digital once they are complete and I am satisfied with them. I physically write them out into my song book. I currently have so many song books.
The 2nd thing is to decide what you want to write about. Some of the things I write about are feelings of fear/love/anger, adventures, regrets, who I am, being held back, heart break, fairy tales, memories, faith, memorials, personal experiences and who I want to become.
The 3rd thing is to decide what form you are writing in ABAC, AABA, Verses & chorus.
The 4th thing is to start with the chorus or refrain. This is the part of the song that is catchy and will repeat several times. I tend to put my main message in this area because it will be repeated and then the story or additional information in the verses.
The 5th thing is to write the opening and verses. This is where you will really take the person on the journey in your mind. You set up what you want them to feel in the chorus but here is where they will go to feel that way.
The 6th thing is to write a bridge or closing. This is where the journey ends so at this point you just wrap the song up into a nice little bow. Give them one last chance to feel what you want or leave them with the message.
Having all these steps gives you the outline but the thing I can’t give you is the inspiration or a reason to make something feel open and vulnerable. Music is something that makes me vulnerable and every song I write is a part of me which one day will be shared whether I am ready for it or not. You should love what you write and care for it and every step of the process. It is okay mid song to just start over and toss it out, the number of times I have done that is crazy. I think about it as my songs from the past have shown me where I have been and where I want to go.