Do You Always Write Toward a Specific Target?

[jchitty]

I think when you're writing lyrics, it's much harder to target a listing....mainly because lyrics have to be 'simmered' for a while, especially in my case. If I write something quickly, then it won't be my best, I'm afraid. I tend to write a song, then I can sit on it for weeks. Why? Because the first lyrics I throw down on a piece of paper aren't up to their full potential yet...it might take days of tweaking one line. Yeah, as has been pointed out on the thread, some Nashville staff writers can accomplish writing on target and writing quickly, but I think they're a rare breed. I think most people write because of feelings they want to express at the time, inspirations that hit them, etc.BTW, I forgot to say that I am doing one 'target.' I've never even attempted the instrumental listings, but having learned some software, I am now working on a piece to submit to a suspense listing. It's horrible, LOL....but you gotta start somewhere I guess.My hats are off to the composers here.....it's very hard to create a piece like that for background music.....my piece sounds monotonous and repetitious in places and then certain parts of it are also cacophonous....it goes in a hundred different directions. It's much, much easier for me to write lyrics. I guess we enjoy what comes natural. Also, I have no concept about how to start or end the piece....the beginning and end just sound kind of strange to me.

[squids]

You wouldn't be the first person to say that. Starting and ending are common problems and not jes in music! LOL

[jchitty]

Jun 9, 2008, 6:37am, squids wrote:You wouldn't be the first person to say that. Starting and ending are common problems and not jes in music! LOLLOL. True.

[prez]

I do a little bit of both. If I see a listing in TAXI that strikes my fancy, I write for it. There are usually enough listings that make it possible for me to keep busy for quite some time.The other half of the time, I write because the song is screaming to be written. It won't leave my head and I write it to keep my sanity, the little I have left. Genre wise, I'm all over the place. Mostly I stay in the pop/dance arena but I can't help but to make house, ballads, drum n bass, soul, rock, and hip hop. I also like classical and jazz will be attempting to do something in those somewhere down the road.The only genre that I simply cannot get into no matter how hard I try is country. For the most part, I'm seriously not diggin it so I stay away from it on all fronts. However, I can appreciate the occasional good tune I hear ever so often which is a rarity since I'm usually tuned in somewhere else.So there's always some creating going on. Whether it's a song with lyrics that I'm working on or instrumental tracks. I'm always working on something. Simply depends on what needs to be done at any particular time.God bless.

[devin]

Jun 8, 2008, 6:09pm, mazz wrote:I truly believe that creativity can be cultivated and molded just like instrumental technique, and that creative energy never "shuts off", it is always available to those who cultivate their receptivity to it. MazzI often wondered why some really successful writers can stay in great writing form, while others appear to "fade away" after their first success. The phrase "one hit wonder" comes to mind...and there are lots of groups that put out an entire excellent first CD, then the follow-up bombs.Did the artist(s) change their lifestyle enough after they got noticed to drown out their muse? Were they only good for that one set of tracks? Did they fall out of vogue, and try too hard to re-create themselves in an attempt to stay current?Look at Michael Jackson, he was "King" for a while (not my genre back then...I can appreciate the accomplishment now though)...but then MJ's stuff started falling out of fashion.Is it like Mickey said? "You've lost the eye of the tiger Rocky!" I get the sense that patience, personal values, and a good dose of being humble would be necessary to stay "hungry"?

[Mark Kaufman]

Devin,Fame and fortune seem to be the usual culprit when it comes to well-known writers...that lifestyle change is hard for most writers to survive. The ones that do seem to have a very succinct creative vision and jones.When I decided to focus on career and family at one point in my life, it ended up becoming a decade-long writer's block. The few times I'd pick up a guitar, I just played existing songs...usually by famous people. I had written about 200 songs at that point...but something was gone, and when I tried to write something new...well, I couldn't find the juice. Sort of like a refractory period from Hell. When the dam finally broke, it busted wide open, and now I feel confident of never running out of ideas for the rest of my life...there's not enough time in the day to write and play.So I guess it depends on the person...but based on what I've noticed, it sure seems like riches and fame are the worst assaults your creativity could ever endure.

[devin]

Jun 11, 2008, 6:08pm, lyle wrote:So I guess it depends on the person...but based on what I've noticed, it sure seems like riches and fame are the worst assaults your creativity could ever endure.Good point...and that's a relief, btw...nice to know I'll never run out then!

[prez]

Jun 11, 2008, 6:08pm, lyle wrote:Devin,So I guess it depends on the person...but based on what I've noticed, it sure seems like riches and fame are the worst assaults your creativity could ever endure.I disagree....kind of. Riches and fame are not the problem. People's heart towards them is the problem. There are many who stay humble while being rich and famous. However, they are a small minority. Humility is a bad word in our society. Plus, it's not something you can drum up inside of you. That comes from somewhere else beyond the scope of this discussion.I am an strong believer that writer's block is a cop out. No such thing. It's our excuse not to do something. I've proven it to myself many times. Creativity can always be redirected to something different and you can come back to what you're working on. Or work through it even though it may be agonizing. That's the thing...we don't want to agonize. We don't want to have to go through that hard work. We want it easy. We want it to feel good every time we write a song. We want that fairy tale situation or to wait around for the so called muse to hit us. All malarkey and not reality.Some of the best things we go through in life are agonizing. The best lessons are learned through it. They're life changing. But when we have control whether we have to go through that or not, we choose the or not. It's all in the attitude. I know I can write to just about any target. But I have choices and I choose the ones I'm good at, that I've been blessed with the ability to create. That will keep me busy for the rest of my life. Will I get rich and famous? No clue. If I do, oh well. If I don't, oh well. I have to be true and content no matter what circumstances bring me. If you have that attitude going in, don't compromise, and feed it daily, creativity will always be there ready for you to give it to whoever needs it. My .02. Jude 2

[Mark Kaufman]

I agree with you, PREZ. Especially with this: "Riches and fame are not the problem. People's heart towards them is the problem." That's just a huge nugget of wisdom right there.

[lieflin77]

Has anyone seen the movie "Music and Lyrics"? I just watched it a couple nights ago, and although it was somewhat cheesy, several points rang true. The Hugh Grant character had initial success, then he "tried to hard" and fell flate, then he needed to find new inspiration and challenge himself beyond his boundaries. Actually both characters did. BUt music is a process like life, the industry changes, our artistic direction changes. Like lately I've been writing all kinds of songs about break ups even though I'm not going through anything like that at all. Does that ever happen to any of you, where you find yourself writing on one particular subject for a long time, even though you're not sure where it comes from? Sorry if this is meandering...