I have written allot of poetry about my emotions, some of them not really rhyming and very wordy.

Any tips for an aspiring song writer, I am trying to make something catchy but It's difficult to for me to make it more universal and relate-able in content.

What are your songwriting tips and process, for those of you who do write music?

I only got better as I kept writing so keep writing! Also.. If something isn't catchy it doesn't mean that it isn't good. If something inspires you, write it down as soon as possible.. And just write whatever comes to mind.. There is always a time to go back and rewrite and edit.. But you may forget the idea you had

Thanks for the tip, I do write down my thoughts as much as I can but inspiration is fleeting you know one moment it's there the next it is gone.

Agreed! I don't know if what I wrote made it sound like I'm able to sit down and just write.. The less I think about it the easier it is

Thanks for the advice, I do tend to get neurotic in writing and over-think what I will write.
I will endeavor to just let it go and let the words come out of me naturally.

Hmm...well, my process is I start with a chorus. It's the most important part of any song, imo. After I have established a chorus (which should be able to give you the direction you want to take with the song), I work from the ground up. The bridge is the last thing I write usually.

As for tips, I would say all different mediums of art can serve as inspiration. Reading, paintings/drawings, movies, even other songs. Literally some of my favorite things I've ever written was because I got really inspired by something I just watched or heard.

Also, like someone said above, writing often helps. I like saving everything I write on drive.google.com, as I can look back on it from time to time and see how much I improved, what lacked in my older songs, and where I can still improve.

Oh, and there's a game I'm judging in the Games section right now called Platinum Hit. You write a song based on the theme of the challenge every week. Judges then critique your work, tell you where you're strong/need improvement/etc. It's a really fun way to get practice while pushing your boundaries as a writer. Unfortunately, the game is currently not accepting new people, but you could look out for season 6 if you're interested.

Oh, and here are a few places I use:

Rhyming dictionary Oneword, it gives you a word and you write based on the word. Great for when you don't know where to start Just a normal dictionary

Glad to see more people around here interested in songwriting! Good luck with it! Don't be afraid to wall message/pm me if you have anything else you want to ask.

EDIT: ATRL's Official Songwriting Thread, you could get some great advice in this thread, too.

I always start with a title. After that I just throw around melodies in my mind until one sticks. Sometimes it takes a few days to get something good. From there I either go from the chorus for a melodically driven song or from the verse for a lyrically driven song. Sometimes I write multiple choruses or verses too just to find one I like. There isn't one specific approach. Just play with things. Use a lot of imagery and metaphors to get you going. Try to magnify your emotions and direct them so the song isn't too general.

Thank you! for the help, I usually write on paper but making a digital copy is a great idea, lol. I am just scared my family might see it on my computer, I am definitely a newb at this so I'll take sometime to find my style and sound before I start sharing my songs.

I can understand that too. I've been writing songs for years but I really started getting into 2 and a half years ago. For the first 6 months I didn't even tell anyone. For the next year I shared them with people at school but never my family. My parents didn't even know I wrote songs until a few months ago.

There's some study that apparently says creative thought processes flow easier if you write on paper as compared to a computer, so I think you should still start on paper. It's what I always do, and I legitimately think it helps.

As for your parents finding out, if it's on your Google drive, they'd have to know your account information to see something like that...if you're that worried. I'm usually more worried about someone finding my paper rough draft

It seems like a good idea to try to find what style suits you best when writing. I know I actually practiced for around a year before I shared what I wrote with people I trusted. It was longer before I felt confident enough to share with people I didn't really know. I got positive feedback most of the time, though, so that helped my confidence.

(I know I keep writing essays, but I'm also an aspiring songwriter. I get pretty into these types of convos...)

I still haven't showed my mom anything I've wrote. I want to one day...but I feel like she'd be dismissive.

I've shown my sister, though, and she was really supportive. She even thought I should do something with my writing. I'm glad I found someone supportive of my ambition this time, because my last ambition got crushed.

I usually can't outright come up with a new song at any given instant, I always get my best songwriting when a melody comes up in my head. Not coincidentally (or maybe it is) I think up a Chorus when I'm feeling something. Songwriting is just an exciting process to me. It is not something you can force and to be honest, most of the songs you write will not be great especially in the beginning stage. But as you keep writing and find your own style to stringing words and images together, that's when you really fall in love with it. So just practice whenever you can. You'll get there.