Reddit reviews Song Maps: A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics

Review this and spend 10 minutes "writing a song" the way a child would not caring how good it is. Don't try to put any clever words or fancy sounding modifiers/adjectives in it -- don't even try to make it rhyme. A line or two per verse will suffice. When you're done you will have a song you could build upon. But the goal of the exercise won't be to come up with a song you'll use. You'll simply see if you can make a basic song by following one of the plot outlines on that web page. Since a child can make up a story, I assume that all of us can do that.

If you don't have anything to say, people may not want to hear it as much as if you have something to say and good music to go with it. Note how in each plot outline example on that web page, things "change."

Novelists, movie script writers and playwrights keep people coming back by saying things that change over time. They tell real stories that have a narrative arc which can almost be like a formula. But as you've heard, a song doesn't have to have an obvious story to engage listeners. It can consist of nothing of dialog where the singer talks to someone else.

How well you learn to have something to say and how you say it will probably impact the way people in the future review your song on sites that rate lyrics. They teach classes devoted to nothing but engaging listeners with stories and words so there's a lot you could learn in the future. CW and folks songs have lots of stories in them and great songwriters know how to tell them well.

For now, you might see what you think of song plots because even if you decide not to use them, they exist in real life. You may have lived one. Then, check out YouTube for videos that explain more. A goldmine of tutorials exist on YouTube that cover all kinds of songwriting topics.

You might also check out the Song Maps book. The author shows you how to write a song that tells a story. Here is a free overview of a map he calls "Gradual Reveal." As you'll see, there's a method to song construction that employs techniques used to take your listener on a journey from point A (the beginning) to point B (the end) ..

>**Excerpt - "**Gradual Reveal is a brilliant alternative to Timezones, Places and Roles if you want to tell a story without being specific about any of them. I love this Map because it enables us to create a deliberate sense of anticipation and suspense until the payoff, which is saved for later in the song, e.g. the Bridge or last line of V3. It also enables us to paint a picture that starts with a blur and ends up in HD Quality before landing the payoff. "

Note the word "deliberate." That sounds like a deliberate methodical process that a movie scriptwriter might try to do to make his movie more engaging. Audiences may never even know it's happening.

This link should take you to the "Read Inside" section of the book where you can preview part of it at Amazon. A child can tell a story, but it may not be one people will pay money to see in a theater. There are things you can learn, just like novelists to, to create great stories. Show, don't tell is a popular one. You'll read about it in that book as well as lots of other places that teach writing - even in college writing classes.

SamyieYouTube mentions a technique that writers ranging from bloggers to sermon writers use. That's brainstorming / freewriting. Note how he says "it doesn't have to be good." That's the same attitude you might take if you try the 10-minute songwriting challenge based on a song plot you choose. Your task when writing a real song will be to balance coming up with ideas with constructing a story / song which has a structure (verse chorus, etc). Not only that, you have to throw in meter, rhyme, hooks, pitches and patterns as well. But it helps to eventually know where you're headed when writing -- starting with a song plot is one way - not the only way - to do it.

There really isn't a sure fire way to write and I think both of your approaches are good. I started reading this book https://www.amazon.com/Song-Maps-System-Write-Lyrics-ebook/dp/B01FIJKZNY . Though I don't completely write this way, it really helped me find a faster way to finish songs with specific themes. Hope it helps.