the antidote to writer's block is...

[hummingbird]

F.A.W.M. ...It's funny, because, whenever I tell people that FAWM means challenging yourself to write at least 14 songs in 28 days, in most cases the first response is either "I couldn't do that" or "I don't have time for that"."February is Album Writing Month" deals directly with the "I couldn't do that" by giving you the licence to be mediocre, silly/stupid, to just run with it and write songs about anything and everything. I sometimes feel embarrassed by what I upload but I tell myself - that's the point. To let go of the end result, and push yourself to create.Most of songs I wrote this year are just exercises in creativity, or sketches of ideas I think have merit. Heck, the point of doing FAWM is to DO it.But FAWM can't deal with "I don't have time for that." That's an issue that has greater significance than just during the month of February. If we are calling ourselves songwriters, then IMHO we need to be writing songs. Just like the person who wants to be a novelist gets up an hour early every day to write pages for their book, IMHO songwriters need to be scribbling something everyday. FAWM taught me how to find ideas. It taught me to think outside the lines. Being part of the FAWM community I am always in awe of the creativity and energy of the most active participants. Yet I think every one of them would say - they only push for the extreme numbers during FAWM.What we are really doing in February is sketching out ideas or drafts to be re-written in March & April... and exercising our creative muscles.As to quality versus quantity. I'm real believer in quality. But I think we can spend too much time with one song - get too attached to it, think too much of it, to the point where we can't see its flaws. In 2007 FAWM I carefully crafted each song and went over and over them again and again as the clock ticked down. After a week and 3 songs I realized I didn't have time to do that. FAWM helped me to let go and move on, trusting I could come back later. And, with the added advantage that when I come back, my eyes are fresh.FAWM encourages us to create first, craft later. Therefore it supports both quantity and quality.I could never back to the time when I wrote a song every few months. Now I write all the time. Even though FAWM is done, I got up this morning and starting drafting a new action instrumental. It's just my personal practice, but I try to write something every day. It doesn't have to be a complete song, although sometimes it is. Sometimes it's the beats for a bedtrack. Sometimes it's adding to something I did yesterday. Sometimes it's starting a lyric. I already said this but I'll say it again - one of the best things FAWM does for me, other than pushing me to create, is it makes me look for ideas in all kinds of places. Writer's block? Never.I read a post somewhere over the last couple years that suggested we give ourselves structure by organizing our work something like this: e.g. February - writing; March - rewriting; April - recording. I think this might work for some folks. I'm always doing a jumble of all three, lol.

[Mark Kaufman]

I HIGHLY recommend it.I work a job with very demanding hours, six days a week and about 60 hours a week. So when I first learned about FAWM last year, I took a pass. In fact, I figured there were two ways I could do that: no way, and no $#@%ing way.But this year I felt frisky and thought I'd see how far I could get. I ended up doing all 14, but learned more than I had bargained for. I even came up with mostly well-produced demos.There's something about a time limit that can kick your brain into high gear, and make you more efficient. Even though I was okay with just sketching out a few new ideas and calling it good enough, the challenge ended up causing me to go the distance with finished songs and fairly good production. Some of the songs I wrote are written better and even produced better than anything I've done beforehand. THAT surprised me.But anyone who thinks they might try this next year, I definitely recommend you do. There's no contract or anything, and no penalty if you don't make it...but you most likely will end the month with more songs than you would have had otherwise, even if you come up short.Pressure: it can burst pipes or create diamonds.

[ggalen]

I think being forced to complete a song quickly makes you "just go with" the musical ideas you have come up with and not wait, wait, wait for something "better".Maybe we shouldn't take songs too seriously; think of them as fun little things, not great art.I think the great art will just show up at the least expected times while you are happily writing fun little ditties.

[Mark Kaufman]

I try not to think too much when I write a song. It's always a dance between the creative force (right brain) and the editor (left brain). The right brain says yes and the left brain says no.That left brain slows me down. It's a necessary element to make alterations and changes, but when introduced too early in the process, it just kills all the ideas, shoot's 'em down. So speed can be introduced simply by turning off that editor, and reserving it for rewrites and production.

[ggalen]

Mark,Yeah, that makes good sense to me. I need to do it more. Quit thinking so logically so early.

[bigdaddy123]

Leroux blackberry brandy - try it !

[suzdoyle]

Mar 6, 2009, 7:14am, ggalen wrote:I think being forced to complete a song quickly makes you "just go with" the musical ideas you have come up with and not wait, wait, wait for something "better".Maybe we shouldn't take songs too seriously; think of them as fun little things, not great art.I think the great art will just show up at the least expected times while you are happily writing fun little ditties.Hear hear! I think the point is to surf the flow when writing songs, and then let the editor's mind come in later to polish and refine it. But while creating songs, it's about PLAYING! ,Suz

[scottyrock]

try writing down the outline of the song idea first before you even get to the lyric, then you have something to kepp reffering back to to make sure you are on track and the idea remains consistent. it's much easier to write lyrics to a fleshed out idea than it is to force an idea on a few lines of lyrics

[ciskokidd]

Another great post V.I have had the same experience Mark had. I've learned that if you wait around for inspiration to come to you the songs you write will be few and far between.Taking on a challenge like FAWM is a great way to get out of your own way and just letting the work come out. Soon you realize that you can find the time if you set your mind to it.Cisko

[mirabeam]

An interesting post guys...Before I met Simon, the other half of Mirabeam, I used to just wait until I felt inspired enough to write a song, which meant that I was only writing a few songs here and there.Since meeting Simon and working with him, we have been writing at least 3 songs a month, and coming up with rough sketches for future ideas. But I agree with the point you guys make about working to a deadline. In my case it makes my lyrics come much easier, I have no idea why! I also work 5 days a week, so Mirabeam have a backlog of songs that need to be completed and recorded, and this only spurs me onwards, as I don't want any of our songs to just sit there doing nothing!So yes, FAWM sounds like a great challenge. Great post!Nathalie (Mirabeam)