I wrote some stuff on paper...now what?

Ive got about 5 pages worth of words ive written down over the last few months. Im reluctant to even call them lyrics because at this point i have no clue on how to approach singing what ive wrote. This is my problem. I write stuff with the intention of trying to write my 1st actual song but i quickly lose patience after i get stuff written down. I cant get over that hurdle of figuring out how to sing it. Its like i lack the ability to create a melody out of it.

I have the same problem.... When I write something, it has a certain rythem or cadence and I can't quite imagine a melody to the words.

Try writing a melody without any words first. (or even just a few bars to get started). From that melody you can either bring in some of the ideas and words that you have already written, or write some new words....

For me, once I get just a little combination of a few words and music together, it starts to flow more easily.

Keep on writing

Hmmm...

Not having actually ever finished a single song myself:

How about trying to catch the mood?

I mean, if the story`s all self-experienced, you should try to pay attention to something like "the smell of dead leaves as she spun away" or whatever. (profound or what? )

What`s the lyrics about? How angry? And above all, what`s your voice like? (what does the band sound like)

Strum you guitar (or go to the piano) and find a single passage that "fits". Not rhythmically, but feel-wise. And TAKE IT FROM THERE.

I mean, a sequence of two chords is where every single song starts. Not counting groove-based drum-beats of course, that`s more rhythmically motivated. Like with the lyrics in the backseat.

I dunno, does that make sense?

About the melody itself - it`ll come once the chords are in place. Humming, jamming, theory... lots of ways to find a melody. But if you`ve got an established framework(progression), a melody WILL emerge.

You know what's strange is that the most memorable song I ever sang (Bass player's lyrics) was based off of oddly written lyrics, where there was no real rhythym or meter (or whatever you call it) to them. He wrote a bass part to a song and wrote some lyrics to the side without thinking of a vocal melody whatsoever. I had to figure out a way to place these in an out of place rhythm -it took alot of creativity -but you know what? Even with cover songs surrounding it -it was the one song people were singing to themselves after shows. -Now thats when you know you have a successful song -when people are humming or singing it after shows -WHEN THEY ACTUALLY REMEMBER THE LYRICS! I've found that the most originality seems to come from this method and can help make a song stand out in a crowd.

you keep them as notes for ideas when you do have a melody. the problem with the way most people approach writing is that once it's down on paper they assume they should just try and shove the words into melodies where they don't fit. The greatest poets, novelists, and lyricists all shared one common skill - revision. The best art needs to be reworked, revised, rewritten in order to achieve perfection. There's no such thing as a perfect lyric, first attempt, without having the music that it will eventually be fit into.

5 pages of stuff written down? You could probably supply the entire musical population of harmony central with lyrics for the next 50 years with those five pages.

Here's one I sung to my children while driving them to school

Driving with daddy to school. Oh were driving with daddy to school. Oh, were driving with daddy to school today. And we think he's a retarded jerk. Yes, we think he's a retarded jerk. But were driving to school with daddy. Even though he's not real smart. Oh, were driving to school with daaaaaadddddyyyy! And we wish that he'd roll his window up.