One of the many frustrations that writers/lyricists face is the dreaded "writers block", which is quite simply, the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. Below, I'll share some tips on how to avoid this from happening, and show you my process of how I write my songs from start to finish. Note, my process applies to writing lyrics meant for recorded music, but you can easily apply this to straight writtens, as well.
Tip 1: Write what you know and/or love
Unless you've done a lot of research, Don't try to write about something that you don't know anything about. Not only will you most likely get the subject wrong (and critics/reviewers will call you out on it), you'll most likely run out of things to say, because of your limited knowledge of the subject. Write what you know and/or love, even if it's not the most popular/trendy topic that everyone else is currently talking about. You want your song to sound unique and genuine. If you're writing lyrics for a rap battle, then try and learn more about your opponent first to get some ideas on what to write that will make it more personable to them. Otherwise, you can simply stick with self-hyping, and/or dissing an imaginary opponent.
Tip 2: Have a beat/song ready
It's easier to write when you have a song that you're drawing inspiration from, or want to use when you record. So have fun picking out the right song that you're feeling at that moment. It will help keep those creative juices flowing.
Tip 3: Your first draft is supposed to suck
Any kind of writing you do has a process, and that includes drafts. Sometimes, it can take three or four drafts (or more) to perfect. Your first draft will be very raw, and the lyrics will probably not make any sense, and that's okay. First drafts are meant to suck so they can be refined and perfected into the final draft. So don't sweat it if your first draft looks like a mess.
Tip 4: Keep writing, no matter what
If you do find youself faced with writer's block, don't stop writing. Try to stay with the topic you've been writing, but maybe write something that's similar or related to that topic. For example, if your song is about your love of cars, maybe write about some of your favorite car-related movies, or favorite racecar drivers.
My Process
I'm going to share with you my process of how I craft my lyrics from start to finish. Note, this is just one of a million ways to work, so what may work for me may not necessarily work for you. The key is to find a comfortable and effective way to get your words on paper without getting creative block along the way.
Step 1: Finding the right beat
This is the most fun part of the whole process. It may take a while to find the perfect one for the mood you're in, but once you find it, then believe me, you will know. The right beat will also help you determine what you want to write, and keep those creative juices flowing. And that means you probably will not get writer's block.
For my latest collaborative project, I am using this beat.
Step 2: Picking a theme, length, and starting point
Whether I'm collaborating or going solo, I brainstorm a theme that I want to write my lyrics to. You really should have a theme so you have a 'goal' to write to, and this will reduce your chances of getting writers block since you have a general direction of where you want your writing to go.
For my collaborative project, the theme is centered around a good friend who had a bad break-up, and I am consoling and offering advice/support. My verse will be 16 bars long, and it will start around the 0:53 mark of the song. Keeping all this in mind, I'm ready to draft my lyrics.
Step 3: Drafting the lyrics
I do exactly that. Draft. That means I don't care about rhymes or whether or not the lines match the syllable/cadence of the beat. I just write 16 raw lines about the theme all the way through without editing what I write. Not self-editing while I write along the way is what really prevents me from getting stuck with writers block. Remember, your first draft is supposed to suck!
Here is the result of my draft:
It ain't easy getting over a seemingly lasting love
think life is perfect, that you were blessed with that angel from above
but that angel had fallen made that love turn wicked
The fear of not knowing plays tricks on your mind and heart
Gotta keep your head up, cause she ain't good enough for you
It ain't your fault she was faking her love and playing with your heart
Trust is a thin line, and it's been snapped in two
But karma is a bitch, soon she'll be begging for you
They think that life is always greener, but it's all a front
It ain't easy to love, else this world would be a better place
Don't give up hope cause you've got a lifetime
And you'll find the other half of your lost soul
The tunnel gets dark, but you'll eventually find that light
Just gotta keep travelling and never back
keep going forward, and when you reach the end
you'll find that happiness, that real angel waiting
Step 4: Editing and revising
Now that my verse is completely written, I'm ready to go back and fine-tune things. I have a general idea of where I want to go with this song, and the drafted version has helped me stay in that general direction, so if I do feel like I'm about to get stuck with writers block, at least I have something already written down to help me move forward. Honestly, if you've reached this point, then you've reduced your chances of getting writers block even more. Your ideas are written down in their rawest form, and as you start editing, you will get new ideas on how to improve upon what's already written.
This is the stage of my writing process where I work on the rhyming and cadence of the bars, which involves me listening to the song many times while rapping the lines aloud and in my head to make sure things make sense and I'm not getting tongue-tied with my words. I write all of my songs on Rappad's editor, and I make good use of the Syllable Counter and Rhyming Dictionary there. This stage will probably take the longest, because of the constant revising. Here is my final draft:
Yo
It ain't so simple when love crumbles and you thought it would last
Thought life was perfect, unsuspecting, with your angel to bask
But that angel's fallen, hearts are shattered, makes that love turn wicked
Hesitant to trust, too scared to believe, might as well give up and say fuck it
Greedy fools ain't never satisfied, they gotta move on to the other
Can't just give your heart to another when you're not sure that you can trust her
But don't concede, ya gotta believe, can't let these bitches take you down
'Cause soon, one day the other half of your lost soul's gonna be found
Gotta keep your head up and remember she was never worth your time
And it ain't your fault she faked her love and played those games with your mind
'Cause trust is a thin line, and she went an' snapped that shit in two
But karma is a bitch, yea, ain't that rich, soon she'll come begging for you
That tunnel gets dark, but you can't depart, 'cause soon you'll eventually find light
Just keep travelling, never look back, and let your hope be your sight
Don't stop moving, hesitating, even when life gets devastating
You make it to the end, and you're celebrating, 'cause your one true angel's waiting
As you can see, a lot of changes were made, but the main theme is still there. After going over the lines several times, I was satisfied with this being the final draft and was ready to move on to recording. During the recording phase, I might need to make a few more tweaks to things if certain parts of the song are too difficult for me to enunciate, but I don't need to do that too much.
Finished Product
You can listen to the finished product of the song here. Let me know what you think! :)
