The art of writing can take all forms – from prose to poetry, short stories to songs. Today, we’re taking a look at that last craft, one that often gets left out of the “proper” writing discussion but that takes just as much creativity as writing a full-length novel.
Now, here at the Endpaper Blog we don’t fancy ourselves musicians, so we are going to turn to the pros when it comes to giving advice on creating the perfect song. As you can see, there is a wide range of reasons someone may become a songwriter. Which one speaks most to you?
Rodney Atkins
You wind up creating from silence, like painting a picture on a blank canvas that could bring tears to somebody’s eyes. As songwriters, our blank canvas is silence. Then we write a song from an idea that can change somebody’s life. Songwriting is the closest thing to magic that we could ever experience. That’s why I love songwriting.
Frank Harte
Those in power write the history, while those who suffer write the songs.
Sheryl Crow
When you tune your guitar in a different way, it lends itself to a new way of looking at your songwriting.
George Gershwin
Out of my entire annual output of songs, perhaps two, or at the most three, came as a result of inspiration. We can never rely on inspiration. When we most want it, it does not come.
P.J. Harvey
If you want to be good at anything, you have to work hard at it. It doesn’t just fall from the sky. I work every day at trying to improve my writing, and I really enjoy it. Nothing fascinates me more than putting words together, and seeing how a collection of words can produce quite a profound effect.
Gwen Stefani
My songs are basically my diaries. Some of my best songwriting has come out of time when I’ve been going through a personal nightmare.
Jeff Bowen
I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing.
Donovan
With songwriting, it all comes out in one flash. Then you work it, then you craft it.
Trent Reznor
If I come up with rules or limitations it focuses me in a direction. And those rules can change if you realize it’s a dumb idea. You start to mutate it to see what fits best.
Bono
If you pour your life into songs, you want them to be heard. It’s a desire to communicate. A deep desire to communicate inspires songwriting.
Paul McCartney
Somebody said to me, But the Beatles were anti-materialistic. That’s a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, Now, let’s write a swimming pool.
Laura Nyro
There are no limitations with a song. To me a song is a little piece of art. It can be whatever you like it to be. You can write the simplest song, and that’s lovely, or you can just write a song that is abstract art.
Nick Cave
Inspiration is a word used by people who aren’t really doing anything. I go into my office every day that I’m in Brighton and work. Whether I feel like it or not is irrelevant.
Amy Winehouse
If you don’t throw yourself into something, you’ll never know what you could have had.
