It’s 3:37 AM and I am awake.  Insomnia…, again.  Frustrated and exhausted though I am, this is when I write.  I do this partly as my insomnia is often triggered by a flow of thoughts and ideas (and perhaps a bit of stress!), and I’ve found that picking up a pen and paper and strumming a guitar is preferable to wrestling with the sheets. I occasionally recall my days as a procrastinating student, where I’d put off writing that looming paper until the 11^th hour and then pull an all-nighter.  As we all know, and as my sage parents frequently reminded me, the procrastination and the dread were the real torture of this approach.  Yet, in many ways, I don’t think it could be helped, as I needed to cull through the flow, that desperate stream of consciousness, to find the angle upon which I could expand.  To be fair, I would always contemplate the assignment a good bit before I put pen to paper, so to speak; but, regrettably, I became truly accustomed to being a last-minute writer—this article notwithstanding!  

In the course of honing my all-nighter technique, I did observe that there is something magical about the wee hours of the morning for me.  Indeed, there is a peacefulness and relative lack of distraction that is quite conducive to thinking.  Yet, beyond the veneer of eerie calm, there is an undercurrent of activity that reminds you that you are not alone: the pervasive, distant hiss of traffic on a freeway, audible  almost anywhere in Atlanta at any hour; the sound of crickets, or the jarring simian whoop of a nearby Barred owl; the periodic chorus of whirring appliances in the kitchen; the centering tone of an errant wind chime; or possibly the sense that the day is well underway elsewhere in the world.  One feels special to be awake and active in such hours of the day; and, for me, this means of coping with insomnia has proven time and again to be an interesting and somewhat unwelcome source of inspiration.

When writing songs, one must pay great heed to inspiration, wherever and whenever it may come.  However, inspiration is rarely enough on its own, and the process of crafting the song can be a real challenge!  For the uninitiated, there is often a sense of wonder with regard to the finished product that I believe correlates to some mental image of a songwriter simply divining their song in a flurry of mystical motivation, as if they stumbled across the winning ticket to the artistic lottery.  It is true that some songs come quickly—dare I say, almost effortlessly—but these instances are exceedingly rare for most writers!  The much less romantic reality is that songwriting, like any other craft, is real work, and thus requires discipline and a significant investment of time.  (Along this line, I regard myself as a songwriter more than a guitarist, as I’ve always been more inclined to dedicate my energy to refining written ideas than running scales and doing musical pushups!)  Yet, this doesn’t mean that the process can’t be fun and accessible to all who endeavor to create something of their own!  

In many respects, creating a song is much like assembling a puzzle—the pieces are all there, you just have to order them by trying things and occasionally stepping back to glean perspective.  Eventually, you develop an eye or a knack for the process, and perhaps you then attempt more complex puzzles.  In songwriting, the fundamental pieces are melody and lyrics, or the tune and the poem/message.  It can be argued that all music, including written song, is derivative, in that we cannot escape the fact that our ideas are to some extent informed by both our exposure to other music and our life experiences.  Indeed, any observant listener will note recurrent themes in writing and melody; and, whether or not they freely admit it, any artist that we admire was inspired and influenced by a contemporary or someone who came before.  Interestingly, as a given artist hits their stride, they can become influenced by their own material and end up writing songs that are very similar to previous works, though one could also paint this as “developing style.”  

Thus, as an aspiring songwriter, it is very helpful to study, learn, and emulate the songs of others.  Whenever I speak with developing songwriters, I find that they often have one piece of the song puzzle in hand, but they are stymied when it comes to the other piece (by the way, this happens to the most experienced songwriters, too!).  In such instances, I relay one of the most common songwriting tips—try to fit your piece into someone else’s puzzle.  For instance, if you are for struggling to find a melody for your lyrics, try putting your words to an existing song, and vice versa.  Unless you are very irresponsible, you needn’t worry about plagiarism, as there will almost assuredly be some incongruity between your ideas and the existing form of another artist’s work, which is the whole point.  In the effort to make your ideas fit, you will be forced to change the existing melody or lyrics in some way. This tinkering will likely lead you down new paths to something novel, and your vision of the puzzle will invariably change as a result.  

Where lyrics are concerned, I’m reminded of Jason Isbell’s remarks in his interview with the notable novelist, George Saunders, where Jason stated that the difference between an unremarkable song and a great song was the avoidance of cliché.  Which is to say, you should aspire to be creative with your lyrics; yet, above all, be sure to make the message genuine! Balancing creativity and authenticity can be a challenge, but I recently came across another songwriter’s tip for generating lyrics that I found inspired in and of itself.  He suggested that one should write down a stream of consciousness—anything and everything that came to mind, no matter how ridiculous—and then walk away for a good while.  Upon returning, simply read through all of the stream and highlight any phrase or word that is interesting.  These lyrical nuggets can often propel the writing process by generating a unique angle or perspective on what is frequently commentary on common life experience.  If nothing else, this stream of consciousness approach is a good exercise to keep you in the habit of consistently writing, which is critical!

Whether it is a roadblock in the melody, where you just don’t know what the next phrase should be, or an enticing lyric that just doesn’t seem to lend itself to expansion, tuning into inspiration and developing ideas can be the most maddening element of creating a song.  Everyone’s methods differ, and only time will tell which techniques and conditions will work best for you.  When it comes to flushing out your ideas, I adhere to the advice of Richard Thompson, writer of ’52 Vincent Black Lightning (and so many other fantastic songs), which is to take walks while cogitating on lyrics or melodies.  The rhythm of your pace (and indeed that of the world around you!) has a strange ability to cement the ideas running through your mind.  Try to enjoy and contemplate all the sensory information that you encounter, as some of it might be a source of inspiration. Recite the words or hum the tune again and again while you walk, and your song will take shape. Incidentally, pay no mind to anyone who might regard you as deranged—after all, it can be a little fun to act like the proverbial crazy artist in public!  

At its core, songwriting is a poetic form of expressing your emotions, a very healthy and effective means of catharsis, and occasionally an antidote for insomnia.  With this in mind, I contend that every musician should give it a try!  Sure, initial efforts might be weak; but, I’m here to attest that, with perseverance and the occasional bit of guidance from teachers and peers, your songwriting will gradually become more distinctive and gratifying.  Remember: never give up, avoid the ordinary, take pride in your artistic efforts, and you will undoubtedly grow as a songwriter!  -  L. Petsch, March 2020