Songwriting and poetry tips and advice?

[janaraujo]

I want to start songwriting and start peotry. I want to write a poem and turn it into a song about me getting over a girl i used to like and how its made me stronger. Any tips and any advice?

[BlackBelt]

think 'big picture' for the overall outline of the song, but take us to a place in the verses where we can empathize with that moment that you are sharing with us. Make it personal, but make it relevant to someone who is listening that doesn't know you and her (I know, easier said than done).

 

Make your hook apply to more than just you and 'sally-jane-whats'er-name'. Stay away from very specific things...like "SallyJane, that oblong cancerous looking mole 2 inches to the left of your C4 vertabrae is just the thing that gets my enlarged heart to go into arythmia..."

 

it's a fine line. You need to tell your story, but you need to have other people relate in some way to what you're saying.

I guess that's why its called an art.

Good luck and let us know how it comes along.

[peanutroad]

Read. And read and read. The way to 'get' poetry (and lyrics) is to familiarize yourself with it. Pay attention to what works for you, what seems right, and learn how to do that. Don't worry about being unoriginal, at least at first, and feel free to borrow ideas and techniques! Once you get that down, you can (maybe) move on to being more personally creative.

 

And of course listen. And listen and listen.

 

It's a craft, like any other, and can be learned with practice. Without practice and a knowledge of what you're doing, you'll probably just turn out bad 'personal' poetry.

[Hoppy Shimko]

You should always say what's in your heart. When you read back over something, and think to yourself " that's too private, I can't say that'...that's when you've created art. You've revealed a part of yourself and laid bare the pain/joy/anger/epiphany of your life. Never be afraid of exposing yourself in public.