In a recent post I talked about how it can sometimes be difficult to finish a song, even when you're off to a good start and feel like it has potential. I've made a list of 5 song fragments that I have. I hope to have the first 2 finished by the end of the month and all 5 finished by the end of the year.
1. Despite the Things You Say
2. Dream
3. A Way That I Can Understand
4. Wish I Could Breathe
5. You've Got a Way
Obviously these titles don't mean anything to anyone reading this, but I wanted to give an example of what I'm working on. I've got five song fragments, I've prioritized them, and I've set goals for finishing them. This gives me a way to focus on those projects that aren't finished yet without overwhelming myself or wasting too much time.
When I look at the song fragments I have, it helps to think about what I was doing or what I was thinking about when those ideas came to mind. An idea is usually sparked by something someone else says or does. Thinking about those events put me in the mindset I was in when I originally started writing the song. And remembering where that song came from and why you started writing it is crucial to finishing it.
The problem I run into when I try to complete a song is that I'll come up with a few lines that follow the same topic, but don't go well with what I have already written and was trying to finish in the first place. Then I am left with two song fragments and the frustration of being unable to finish either one. I can't predict whether that will happen with any of the items on my list of song fragments, but I will do my best to have all 5 completed by the end of the year.
~Eliza
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Two More Contest Submissions
This month I submitted lyrics to two contests. I submitted the song "Damage" to the Paramount Song Competition and the song "Can't Take Away Who I Am" to the American Songwriter Magazine Lyrics Contest. I will post the responses when I receive them.
~Eliza
~Eliza
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Those "To Be Completed" Projects
My songbooks have a lot of lyrics in them. And I think some of them have a lot of potential. The problem is that some of the ones that have potential aren't even finished.
I'll be at work or I'll be at home thinking about a person or an event. Suddenly an idea will come to me. I can hear it in my head. It sounds great. And more importantly it sounds promising. Then suddenly the inspiration is gone. And I'm left with a few lines of a song and no idea how to finish it.
Now it's a matter of prioritizing the song fragments I have. I have to ask myself two questions. Which pieces have the most potential? And which pieces will I be able to finish the fastest? Both questions are equally important and help me manage my time by directing my focus in an efficient manner.
I have too many projects in my songbook that still need to be completed. So this week I'll be putting together my list of the song fragments I want to finish. And by the end of the month I want to have at least three of them completed.
~Eliza
I'll be at work or I'll be at home thinking about a person or an event. Suddenly an idea will come to me. I can hear it in my head. It sounds great. And more importantly it sounds promising. Then suddenly the inspiration is gone. And I'm left with a few lines of a song and no idea how to finish it.
Now it's a matter of prioritizing the song fragments I have. I have to ask myself two questions. Which pieces have the most potential? And which pieces will I be able to finish the fastest? Both questions are equally important and help me manage my time by directing my focus in an efficient manner.
I have too many projects in my songbook that still need to be completed. So this week I'll be putting together my list of the song fragments I want to finish. And by the end of the month I want to have at least three of them completed.
~Eliza
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)