It’s funny that after hearing a song that seems so perfect, many people get the impression that it was written in the way they heard it...
...in a short flash of inspiration.
And even though we know better, we can be overly critical of our songwriting too soon in the process.
Johnny Mercer said he used to write for the wastebasket. Write just to write. Only edit once you have enough material to work with. 🗑✍
And if you follow the Speed Songwriting Method, you can quickly write a song in a single sitting.
But you still shouldn’t expect to use every word and note you write. That’s why you should write for the garbage can.
Because when you apply the 80/20 rule to your songwriting, only 20 percent of your writing will make the cut while 80 percent will go into the wastebasket.
So if the average words per song are between 100-300 words, you need to write 500-1500 words — not a very difficult task when you look at it that way.
**In fact, I get emails all the time from people telling me they don’t have time to write. Yet, they just found the time to write 50 words or so on the subject of having no time.
Anyway, the Lyric Triad flips the 80/20 rule. More of your writing will make the cut and less will go into the wastebasket. (The “Lyric Triad” is a writing tool that I give you in my video course.)
BIG PICTURE: Stop trying to write the next timeless masterpiece.
You’ll end up judging your work too soon. Just figure out what it is that you want to communicate and then write, write, and write some more.
Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is the result of good work habits. -Twyla Tharp
Start some good songwriting habits by following this link: Write Songs For The Garbage Can
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Great reminder to keep creating and sometimes magic happens! Thanks very much for your inspirational influence!
I am really enjoying what I am learning here and thanks for creating this community.
Namaste