Songwriting Advice #1: Write What You Know

This is some advice for beginning songwriters with some ideas or tips that can be helpful to start. So maybe you are already doing these things and just want some affirmations or a place to start. Songwriting can be pretty intimidating, and I know sometimes it is hard to find tips about it so you can get in the right direction. This is the first piece of advice and it tackles the cliche of write what you know.

Write What You Know… or Don’t?

This seems like an obvious first point and is common advice among writers. It is easy to receive this advice and think “this is boring” or “this has been written about a million times.” However, if you are feeling or experiencing something then chances are a lot of people have too! Even if it has been done a million times then it becomes a creative challenge of “How can I say this in a way that has not been said before?” The topic might have been talked about but not with your chords, your melody, your poetic tone, or however you talk. It has not been done by you yet. So, a common topic should be taken as a challenge, you may receive more positive feedback than you thought.

If you’re just starting, don’t be afraid to write what you don’t know. People most likely steer clear of the idea of writing like someone they like because they don’t want to sound like them – they want to sound like themselves. When you’re just starting you probably are not going to pitch these songs to anyone or anything like that. Definitely don’t put yourself in this box where you’re not allowed to express yourself through things you already know.

For example, when I first started writing, Taylor Swift was (and still is) a big inspiration to me so I would write what I knew about her and her style to tell my stories. Eventually I got to a point where I didn’t need that anymore and I could take off the training wheels where I wrote the song from my perspective and voice. It’s possible it would have taken me longer to get there if I was so turned off by the idea of writing like someone else. It’s a good idea to keep both avenues open when writing what you know and trying to write what you don’t know too.

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