Letter No. 31 [songwriter interview]
Dear Friend,
I just finished a book from the library—-a little gem, honestly, that I found by browsing, called The Secrets of Songwriting: leading songwriters reveal how to find inspiration and success by Susan Tucker. She interviews thirteen songwriters, and I did find it inspirational and relatable.
I decided to use some of the questions she asked for this letter, and share my songwriting story. :)
How did you get into songwriting?
Well, I’ve always been more of a musician than a songwriter. I started composing music before I started taking lessons, when I was around five. As I grew older, I started to record my pieces on whatever I had available—my point-and-shoot camera, and now my phone, usually on GarageBand or the voice memos app. It wasn’t until probably college that I started writing songs as well. I wrote worship songs for church, because I would do special music. I was just teaching myself how to play guitar, so I would write a song for that Sunday’s special music, and play it that week, and I grew that way. I started writing about what I was feeling or what was happening to me too—mostly just an extension of the instrumental music I was composing. I of course didn’t have a piano in my dorm room, so it was nice to have another instrument I could play when I needed that release in the evenings after long days. After college is when I started getting serious about songwriting and the idea of releasing music. I started reading books about other songwriters, and listening more critically to the songs I loved—trying to figure out why I liked them, what worked.
What is creativity?
I think it’s our natural response as humans to the beauty God has given us in life—nature, human interaction, music, art. It’s just each person’s unique way of reflecting that, I think. I believe it’s a gift from God too.
Do you have a writing room or special place where you feel the creativity flows more easily?
Not really. I often write in bed though, in the morning as soon as I open my eyes or in the evenings. Evenings are good times for me, especially for creating melodies. I find writing in the car helps too—I go to this lake where I feel at home at, and I sit in my car and speak out lyrics. I’m sure I look strange to anyone passing by.
How many songs do you usually have going at one time?
One or two—where I’m working on lyrics and actually completing the songs—but then I’ll be writing new music almost every day, just melodies, or writing a line or two of lyrics. Lyrics are much harder for me to create though. The melodies always come easier, I think because I’m a musician first, so I’m writing those every day.
Do you keep notebooks or idea books?
I have two notebooks. One is a large, hardcover notebook, and I write more complete lyrics in that. The other is a smaller, bendy notebook, and I use that for the beginning of lyric ideas. I think the hard cover on the bigger notebook makes me feel like I can’t scribble as much, or make as many mistakes, so I don’t loosen up as much when I’m writing in it. That’s why I like to use the smaller one. I like when things are messy. It makes me feel creative.
How important is the opening line?
I think the introduction in general is very important—just like the first sentence in a novel hooks a reader, the first fifteen-thirty seconds of a song have to give the listener a certain feeling. Then the words should flow seamlessly from that and create the beginnings of a story, but it has to be interesting.
Which verse is the hardest to write?
I think that depends on how I’ve come to the song. If I have an idea in my mind, and then start making the music, I already have a scene in my mind, or a person, or a story. If I’ve just been messing around with a melody, it might take me a little longer to connect a story to it in my mind. I always have a story, so finding content isn’t what I have trouble with. It’s usually finding the best words to introduce it—so I guess the first verse.
Thoughts on using imagery in a song?
I love it. I think it’s absolutely necessary. I’m a very visual person, so I’m always imaging a scene or story for my songs anyway, but I feel most people are that way, so we all connect better to songs that have imagery in them.
What about the “editor voice” in our heads?
Because I also write novels and picture books, I think I’ve learned to shut off the negative part of it (for the most part) while I’m in the mood/process of writing. There’s usually a good balance, like I might be writing a song about a sailor, and I might write something that everyone writes about sailors, and think, ‘Now, don’t say that. What’s special about him? Why is he different? Why do we care about him?’ I think it’s okay to let your editor slip those questions in while you’re writing, but it gets harmful when you get too critical of yourself, or are thinking about if other people will like your song. Honestly, I try not to think about those things any time, writing or not. I’m just trying to be honest with my music and share what I love.
Define “writer’s block”
I think it’s an excuse people make to not get on with it and do whatever they’ve said they’re going to do. I know it’s tough sometimes to think creatively, or get into the mood to do whatever medium of art you’re doing, but there’s a saying that motivation comes after action. We have to sit down and do the work, and then we’ll feel inspired. Yes, sometimes we get burned out, and then you should take a little break and take a walk, or don’t write for a day and go to the beach, or a museum, but sit down and write the next day. Anything. It doesn’t have to be incredible. I think people get too caught up in trying to make perfect art too. We live in a society that is so global now, and we can see artists and their finished work all of the time, so it’s hard not to compare your rough work with their finished work. I’ve just found I have to put my head down and ignore it, and then I can do it. I can’t think about other people, I just have to be faithful to create what I know I have to create, stuff I would make even if I were a hermit and no one ever saw it or heard it.
Are there specific things that inspire you?
Nature, the ocean, stories about people, things that happen to me. I’m still young, so I’m experiencing so many things for the first time, and I have a new take on it, even if these are things that are universal and thousands of people have experienced before.
What do you do to shake yourself out of rut?
I go to my lake, or take a hike. I’m also okay with not writing for a day, or switching to a different medium. The best thing for me though, after I’ve had some time outside in nature, is to get to work and just make something. That gets me out of any rut I might be in.
Do you think of yourself as disciplined?
I’m not sure…I’m definitely getting better. I’m still figuring out what times work best for what, but I’m disciplined in the sense that I know what I want, way in the future, and I’m willing to do things now that don’t have any clear results now to get there.
Do you have any tips for surviving the ups and downs of being a songwriter?
I’m still pretty new to the game, but I’d say being consistent and faithful with your craft. To keep learning and improving yourself—as a musician, artist, writer—whatever. Persistence beats talent any day, I’ve learned that the hard way, so just put the work in, and find that balance with input/output of creativity. It’s really amazing to pursue a career in the arts, and I don’t ever want to take that for granted. I want to enjoy whatever stage I’m at.
I had so much fun answering these questions—if you’re a songwriter too, I highly recommend answering them yourself. It just makes you feel…real, if that makes sense.
I hope you enjoyed them!
Tara