CharliGirl

I think it really boils down to practice. Even the greats were not good at the beginning! Staying active on sites like this and reading books on the subject can help. When I feel discouraged, I pick up my ukulele or go to the piano - just playing for the sake of playing seems to renew my motivation as a writer. It reminds me why I want to be able to create lyrics.

I love writing songs, but have had a really hard time staying focused and motivated lately. My recent stuff is scrawled half finished in my notebook, and I honestly don't know where I was going with it in the first place. Writing is something I love doing and I don't want to give it up...I just can't seem to do it lately. Any advice on how to get through this evil phase?

I usually start by writing the lyrics--I just set them to a beat and go with it (I nearly always begin with the chorus). The melody eventually comes to me once all of the lyrics are completed. The way I see it, many well written lyrics can sound good in several music styles, so I don't like forcing a song to any one genre until I am convinced as to where it belongs musically.