Several friends have asked me in the past how I write songs. I've never been great at explaining it. I sit down with an instrument and play until a song falls out. Specific, no?
Having spent so much time writing this summer, I'm starting to understand the process a bit better. Here's the thing: to write a good song, you have to get a kick out of what you're doing. If you sit down with the intention of writing a song, that's all well and good. But don't commit to writing a tune until you've found a motif or phrase that you really really love. I mean really love. Like, you should chortle aloud to yourself at how much you enjoy that piece. Then use that piece to write the rest. Writing a song is like entering into a relationship: you have to find great joy in being with the tune initially before you'll naturally commit more of yourself to it. Nobody likes to spend hours with things they don't like, right? So. Find a good line, fall in love, and roll with it.