Lyrics trouble

[challism]

In my younger years, I was inspired for coming up with lyrics and poetry quite regularly and easily.  And it was, generally, some pretty good stuff.  These days, it has become a huge struggle for me.  I'm not sure what the deal is, but I haven't been inspired to write anything profound or even remotely worthwhile in quite some time now, and it's really bumming me out.  I don't know what to do about it.  I seem to have a case of writer's block (lyrically), not so much with the music, though (thankfully, it hasn't spread to the music).

[normen]

Maybe its what this 6th grader suggests?

 

[Kategra]

In my younger years, I was inspired for coming up with lyrics and poetry quite regularly and easily.  And it was, generally, some pretty good stuff.  These days, it has become a huge struggle for me.  I'm not sure what the deal is, but I haven't been inspired to write anything profound or even remotely worthwhile in quite some time now, and it's really bumming me out.  I don't know what to do about it.  I seem to have a case of writer's block (lyrically), not so much with the music, though (thankfully, it hasn't spread to the music).

It's because you know more words and how to correctly use them for communicating normally.
Check this nice article:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet ... nd-me-too/

[jfrichards]

Maybe there are no more words left to describe how deeply screwed up and bleak the world has become.

[Kategra]

Maybe there are no more words left to describe how deeply screwed up and bleak the world has become.

I don't think so.  World always was a fucked up place, it's just that our morality is evolving/changing and we always see the bad getting badder. Especially now with global news traveling so fast with graphic details and what not. 


I think that the older we get the more the world seems a fucked up place (which is fucked up by most people standards).


Hope you guys still find inspiration and not censor it 'till it dies.

[dconana]

For me I try not to think about it. Infact I think about it so little, I can't say how often it happens, but I think when it does, I don't force it. I move on to something else (like physical exercise or building something)

But I notice a surge in creativity usually following long stints of mind numbing work. Its almost like a reaction to it.

And also I like to fill up the creative tank, read a load of books, watch films, read articles, documentaries, anything I find interesting. Then maybe in a week or two a recurring theme will become consuming and I'll have to write about it. Or.. I'll misremember a turn of phrase and it will be the first line of a song.

[Puckboy2000]

For me, the music usually inspires some key words. Then I just keep singing fragments that slowly evolve into the lyrics. With that, I usually start to recognize the theme or story that is coming together. After that, I change out words or phrases that seem out of place. If you get stuck, try playing the chord progression slowly with only the bassline or bass chords. That usually gets the ball rolling for me. Just jam it live, non-quantized, no back beat or metronome.. Use your iPhone headphones/mic and press record.

[Higor]

read a load of books, watch films, read articles, documentaries, anything I find interesting. 

I think this is the key.

Read, suffer and regularly visit your writings to improve them.

95% work/ 5% inspiration.

[JNeffLind]

95% work/ 5% inspiration.

As someone who writes professionally (not rich or famous, but it is my job) this is one hundred percent right. 

I think of it as a numbers game. If I write ten sets of lyrics, one will probably be decent. If I wrote 100, one will be good. If I write 1000... etc. 

Write every day. Even if you're writing silly rhymes about fire trucks and flying ducks that are better suited for kids or whatever else. Exercise the writing muscles, save what you write, no matter how bad, silly, or foolish, then revisit it. Ten low quality songs might be able to be cannibalized (a line or two from each) to make one good or great song.

Emotion and passion and inspiration are great when they happen, but if they don't happen, you may do a lot of waiting. Why not write instead of wait? Then when the inspiration comes, your craft will be honed that much sharper. It doesn't work for everyone, but it seems to work for me.