How to write a song:

While there may be limitless approaches to songwriting, there are some constants in just about every song churned out. Here are some things you will need to nail down if you want to write a song:

• Genre- is it gonna be Rock, Jazz, Country, Contemporary Worship, or what? Knowing your genre is key to plotting out what instruments will be used, and what kind of emotion will be portrayed.
• Subject matter- so many times I've heard lyrics thrown together and after hearing them I have no idea what the author is trying to convey. Okay maybe it worked in Miss American Pie, but by and large the best songs come across with a very clear and universal message.
• Lyrics- whether they rhyme or not they should roll off the tongue and be easy to sing.
• Melody- it should be memorable and congruent with the style of music.
• Hooks- they grab people and get them singing along. But be careful not to be too repetitious.
• Form- Here's a sample of a song form layout: An Intro, a verse, a chorus, a verse, another chorus, a bridge, an instrumental, another chorus and an ending. It doesn't have to be that complex, but you get the idea.

Now, how does the songwriter come up with all these things? For me its a matter of taste, my abilities, my life experiences, and the music that influences me. I remember when I went through a Country music phase and I started to write songs that sounded Country without really trying to. For subject matter, as a Christian writer, I'm always keeping an eye out for that tidbit of wisdom that yearns to be screamed from the rooftops during my bible study. Whenever I come across a passage like that, I draw a square around the verse number and put a bookmark there. Later on when I'm feeling inspired I hunt through my bible for my markings. Word smithing is something that can take a lifetime to develop. Melody comes from the heart. If you truly yearn to be a songwriter then you most likely have melodies inside you.

Try not to get hung up on writing the "best song ever"! That is a very elusive goal and the harder you try, the further away you will find yourself. The best song you ever write will probably pour out of you in two minutes time with very little effort, but not always! Don't worry about your song sounding like somebody else's either. Most likely something very similar has been written. So what? Don't plagiarize, but loosen up and have fun with songwriting.