George Lucas, Steven Spielburg, Frances Ford Coppola. These directors have great ideas, killer instincts, and popular demand. And why? They know their film. They are responsible for its direction, content, and movement–which would be a daunting task if they didn’t know their film.
The clarity of song’s message depends on the same creative control–choosing a direction and sticking to it! Knowing what your song is about, where it ends up, and what it means will show through in your writing. Songs with a clear direction will make a lot more sense to listeners than a hodgepodge group of ideas.
Do you connect with songs you don’t get? Probably not. What about songs you can understand and relate to? Those are the keepers, aren’t they?
For a while, I liked to let my song run free even in its structure. I left a lot open to interpretation, which I thought was very multi-dimensional; however, listeners only found it confusing.
It can be tough to find and keep your direction; you get distracted by pretty (or ugly) thoughts along the way and soon enough you’re down some backroad you don’t remember turning onto!
At those moments, it’s helpful to put down my brain and write with feeling. Taking a few minutes to jot down ideas frees your mind to focus on what you’re really writing about. I know if another paper doesn’t hold my ideas for me, I’ll waste energy trying to include them in my current writing–which ends up confusing my audience. But if I pause and empty my thought tank, I can track down my direction and write with purpose.
Simple Steps to Stimulating Songs (and anything else for that matter…)
Ask your brain:
-What is my purpose-why am I writing?
-What message or emotion am I expressing-what do I want to say?
-How do I want to convey my message/emotion? Should I use a metaphor? A story? Wit?
-How will the listener to respond? Do I want to endear my listeners or raise their eyebrows; stir up sadness or excitement; foster curiosity or awareness, etc…?
The essence of art weighs the shoulders of the artist, who without direction or goal will surely crumple under all his possibilities.
-Nola Forthwrite
