Stay Inspired

The ordinary life I mentioned is pretty boring and at times overwhelming, but I have something to aspire to-always stay inspired!

When I do have free time, there are too many other things to take up that time. I want to be able to keep up with my friends and spend time with them. I want to get all of my errands done quickly. I want to have time to relax and enjoy myself once in a while, whether that means sleeping in, relaxing in front of the tv, or enjoying my favorite foods. And top of all of that, I want plenty of time to devote to my writing.

Life doesn't work that way. We don't always get what we want and we rarely have enough time, especially when we have to spend so much of our time chasing money to survive.

As I was thinking about this the other day, I remembered that my time being taken up by work was once an inspiration for a song called Money Owns Me. That's an example of a way to stay inspired, even when life seems boring, dull, tiring, or stuck in the same place for a long period of time. Sometimes it's hard to follow your dreams or accomplish all the things you want to do, but no matter what, stay inspired.

~Eliza

Leading the Ordinary Life

I want to live in pursuit of my dreams and I want to see my dreams come true. In the meantime, I lead the ordinary life that helps me survive while I conquer the smaller tasks that I face.

I'm working two jobs right now. It's rarely fun and it's exhausting. Hard work is harder than I thought, but at the same time I know that I'm doing what I need to do right now. I need to be making enough money to pay off some things and put some money into my savings. And right now working two jobs is my way to do that.

Once I get some of these other issues straightened out, I want to improve my knowledge of music and songwriting. I have been wanting to take some classes on these subjects for a while, but it seems that when it's not time that's the problem it's money. And unfortunately I can't make those problems go away magically. I don't have money lying around to use for those kinds of classes or to invest in demos or travel. All I can do at the moment is work as hard as I can and keep in mind that it will pay off.

We all have to work. We all have bills to pay. That's just what life is right now, but that doesn't mean that it's all bad. When I get home from a day of working both jobs, I pretty much just want to grab something to eat and go to bed, especially if I'm working both jobs the next day. It's a lot of work and it takes its toll, but I try to remind myself to see the inspiration and creativity in my everyday, ordinary life. I interact with all kinds of different people every day. It helps to imagine what my customers lives are like and what makes them who they are. That doesn't mean that I have developed deeply personal relationships with my customers, but from just a few moments of interaction my brain races to fill in the gaps with the information I have. It's a fun way to remind myself to stay creative and continue to be inspired by the incredible possibilities involved in character development.

I may lead an ordinary life now, but I have not lost sight of the things I want for the future. Someday I will actually be spending more of my time doing things that I really enjoy. In the meantime, it's the same old story for me.

~Eliza

Goals Progress

Well, I might not be as "back in business" as I thought. I have been relying on my nook color for updates. Regular internet access is not much of a problem, but this device freezes up a lot. On top of that work takes up a lot of time as well.

Inspiration, however, has not been lacking. I've come up with some great ideas in the past few days. Meeting my goal of adding five new songs to my songbook for the month is coming along pretty well. Completing Run to You is going to be a challenge though. I have the chorus and two versions of the first verse. Once I decide which version I want to use I'll be able to finish the rest of the song. This is what I have for  the chorus.

I run to you when I get hurt
And you let me cry on your shoulder
I curse your name when you turn away
And make me stand on my own
I have no choice but to stand on my own
I have no choice but to stand on my own

~Eliza

The Desperation Mode of Lyric Writing

Oh yes, lyric writers get blocked, too! Then comes the desperation mode. You've been stuck. You've been uninspired. You haven't written anything in several days or more and you're dying to get out of your dry spell. And in your desperation you pick up a pen and just start writing, with or without the inspiration that so often drives  you. The next day you look at what you wrote and laugh so hard you fall to the floor.

I have definitely been there. And I've had plenty of those"I wrote THAT? And I thought it was GOOD?" moments. Even if no one sees it it still feels embarrassing. Those moments are good lessons in humility.

The question is how to get past that desperation and get back your full writing potential and ability. There are a few methods you could try that might help.

Free Writing

Don't let desperation control your writing! Free writing forces you to do what you can with your talent whether you feel inspired or not and may end up inspiring you in way that helps you overcome your dry spell. If you force yourself to free write for a good amount of time you'll probably come up with something you can use, even if it's only a line or two. If you were completely stuck on your writing before, then it's a move forward. And if you were just feeling uninspired something you wrote while you were free writing may end up giving you some fresh ideas. It's natural to occasionally feel uninspired or blocked, but allowing the mentality of "I don't know what to write anymore" sink in is the worst thing you can do. Reminding yourself that you don't knoe what to write sometimes is no way to push yourself back into your normal writing routines.

Writing Prompts

There are plenty of resources that provide writing prompts. If you're having trouble coming up with new ideas in your head, let these help you. Some online resourcrs for this are www.writingprompts.com and www.writersdigest.com. You can also find many idea and prompt books for writers in bookstores and online stores that sell books. While many prompts that are for writing in general are geared towards writing stories, most of these can still be helpful in generating ideas for lyrics.

Getting Back to the Basics

When was the last time you really thought about why you love writing and what motivates you to do it? Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to make our lyrics poetic or witty that we forget some of the basics about lyric writing. Remind yourself why you bother with it to begin with and the people that inspired you to have a deeper interest in songwriting. Give yourself a fresher perspective and allow yourself to enjoy writing lyrics again instead of stressing over it.

~Eliza

Goals for September 2012

I like to keep my goals pretty simple. My goals for September are to...

-finish " Run to You"
-add five complete new songs to my songbook (completing old fragments does not count towards this goal)

Short, simple, and to the point. Just the way I like it!

~Eliza

The Great Return

I am finally back in business, thank goodness! I still don't have regular internet access, but I recently purchased a tablet so I should still be able to get online to update my blog and  do the other things I need to do every 1-3 days.

Now that the quick update is taken care of, it's time to get back to the usual stuff.

I have obviously had plenty of time to write some new material since my last post. Most of them are fragments. In the past three weeks I have moved again, left my old job, and started a new one. That's not more than I can handle, but it has provided me with minimal stress and a good deal of distractions, the latter being the larger problem.

I don't have any deeply personal or  analytical material to post today, but  since it has been so long since I updated I think it's only fair to post one of the fragments  I came up with during my hiatus. Enjoy!

I wish I could be that unaffected
I struggle with each step and you
hold your head so high
with you it's like nothing even happened
you have no  trouble forgetting me
I can't even look you in the eye

~Eliza

Some Changes

I've gone through another move recently and have not had internet access for a few weeks. It may be another week or so before I can continue posting regular updates. I do have several topics and new material to share.

I have also just started at a new full time job and am currently looking for a part time as well. It's going to be a busy schedule for a while, but it's what I need right now.

In the meantime, I've got plenty of writing and sleep to catch up on. I'll be able to put up another post by Monday!

~Eliza

The Purpose

I have heard so many people say that they love songs and love music because it makes them feel happy. That is certainly a good thing, but I have to disagree when I hear them say that the purpose of songs is to make us feel happy. I believe that the purpose of songs is to make us feel and happy isn't the only emotion a person can feel.

Writing lyrics makes me feel happy no matter what emotions led me to write them. Songwriting can help me express my happiness or help me deal with my sadness. Above all, it is the best way I know how to truly be myself. Maybe it will never take me anywhere and maybe no more than a few of my friends will ever appreciate anything that I write. That's a very real possibility, although I hope it's not the case. Either way, writing these songs didn't just help me feel happy. It helped me feel. And I am so grateful for that.

Sharing what you have to say is a powerful thing though. And knowing that you can get someone to listen to something that's important to you is a valuable thing that should be cherished by every writer, whether you have one person listening to you or a million. Whatever your purpose is for writing, always keep it in sight.

~Eliza

Writing Lyrics like you Love Songs

There are a lot of different opinions and perspectives about how to approach songwriting and about what makes a good song. The reason I love my lyrics so much is because they are songs that I want to listen to. I haven't gotten to the point where I have any recordings of the songs that I've written, but there have been so many times when I've been browsing the web for music or listening to a radio station and thought to myself, "You know what? I don't really want to listen to this. I want to hear my song!"

And since there is no recording, I can either listen in my head or sing it to myself. Sometimes it's because the song I wrote relates to something personal I went through, but it's usually just because I think it's a song that has a lot of potential and is fun to sing. And if I enjoy it that much I think other people would enjoy them too.

Write the songs that you would want to listen to. What kind of lyrics pull you into the song? What makes a song stand out to you? Write those kinds of songs because if you want to take those songs anywhere you have to stay motivated and it's hard to stay motivated about a song that doesn't even hold your own interest, let alone anyone else's.

Look to the songs that you enjoy and pull inspiration from them. What rhyming patterns work for the song you're listening to? What metaphors make the song work? It's similiar to reading stories to help you become better at writing them. Examine the strengths that these other writers have and compare them to your weaknesses. Where could you use a better metaphor? Which rhymes are out of place or don't make sense? Once you start paying closer attention to what techniques make other songwriters successful, it will be easier to apply those lessons to your own songwriting. Never underestimate the value of self education and determination.

~Eliza

A Little Update

The creative writing is coming along quite well. I have written a few songs and fragments in the past couple of weeks. All the other writing has been poems and stories. I plan on using the rest of July to focus on that and revert my attention back to songwriting in August.

I'm currently trying to find homes for two poems that I wrote. One is called "Too Shallow" and the other is "Dear God". I am also working on finishing some stories that I'll be submitting by the end of the month.

As far as my songs go, I recently wrote a song called "Ain't Nothin' to Me" and started a couple new ones called "No Business" and "I Don't Feel Sorry".

I apologize for not updating for so long. I've really been focusing on these other projects that I'm excited about publishing and I'm making some real progress. I'll be sharing some more of my lyrics on here soon!

~Eliza

Writing Stories and Songs

I feel refreshed and I feel like I'm back! It's time to move on. No more wallowing and no more pity parties. I've got a new attitude and I'm ready to make the most of things and remember the good things about this experience instead of focusing on the negative and the parts about this that hurt me.

As far as my writing is concerned, I would like to focus on writing stories for a while, a few weeks at least. I found some anthologies and contests that would be interesting to write for and I'd like to give it a shot.

This doesn't mean giving up on songwriting and it certainly doesn't mean giving up this blog. I love writing lyrics and I love writing for my blog, so I'll continue to post updates on my blog while I'm working on these projects.

Songwriting and story writing both come with their own challenges. For songs, you have to convey your thoughts with a much smaller amount of words and some of the words you use for that song are repeated over and over in the chorus. In addition to having a limited number of words to use to convey an emotion or a story, those words have to be put together meticulously so that they will fit into a rhyming pattern or specific melody.

For stories, you can pretty much use as many words as you want, make it as long or short as you want. This comes with a greater responsibility, however, requiring the writer to have a higher understanding of how to create and describe characters, develop a believable and interesting storyline, grasp the fundamentals of storytelling, and write well enough to convince an editor to publish their story and entertain the readers that see it. These are challenges that I have not really faced. I have written several stories that I felt weren't quite ready to send out yet, but lacked the dedication to follow through and make the changes that would make it better.

I consider writing lyrics to be easier. They come to me quicker and they're generally more fun. Once I write lyrics, I start singing them whenever I get bored. When I write a story I usually don't sing it. Now that I'm feeling more inspired and energized, I'm ready to tackle story writing again and see where it takes me. I'm very excited about these projects I'll be working on the next few weeks, and when I'm done my songbook will be waiting for me.

~Eliza

A Productive Week

A few days ago I went to bed at around midnight. I tossed and turned for about a half an hour, then I got up and worked on some songs for about four hours. I finished "Bad Boy With a Heart" and "Just Gets Harder"! Both songs had just been fragments for a couple of months, so I'm very happy that I was able to finally finish those.

I didn't finish any other songs over the past couple days, but I've started half a dozen new ones and added several lines to some old ones. It has definitely started out to be a very productive week and I plan on continuing that on my days off. Hopefully, this new level of energy and inspiration will last that long.

~Eliza

I'm Back!

I was able to take four days off from work. It's not exactly a vacation, but unlike most of my other days off I wasn't tied down with errands to run or other obligations. I could do whatever I wanted the entire time and it was great. I turned 22 on the 19th. The time off gave me time to really think about things. I caught up on lost sleep, I wrote a little, and I practiced what I had. I have a renewed passion for my songs. That's what I really gained this past weekend. It's not that the passion wasn't there before, but it's easy to lose sight of it when it seems that you have no choice but to spend all your time trying to figure out how to solve your money problems. I have so little money available to me right now that every single decision is complicated by it and it gets frustrating and discouraging to constantly be held back from doing things that I want and need to do because of money problems. Those kinds of problems are things we all deal with. It won't just go away. It's a part of life and I have to deal with it. It's a real issue that can stand in my way sometimes, but it's time to stop letting that keep me from doing what I want to do. ~Eliza

Song Inspirations: Pain

Passion Level: 8

Motivation Level: 10

Today I'm reminded of a song inspiration that is very real in my life-pain. I'm not talking about emotional pain, but physical pain. I have an illness that causes me chronic pain. I am in pain every day.

At one point in my life the pain was so intolerable and so difficult to face every single day that I did not want to live. There were days that I couldn't even lift my arms above my head because of the pain, holding my head up was a challenge, and the thought of shaking someone's hand petrified me because they were so sensitive at times. The pain was so much more than just an irritant that I didn't want to have to deal with. It interferred with day to day activities. It made simple things extremely difficult, yet it wasn't the pain itself that made me want to kill myself. It was the thought that there was no hope that it would ever get better. Each doctor appointment seemed to reaffirm that thought. It was test after test that didn't provide answers and it was medicine after medicine that didn't work. How could I live a life like that? What could possibly make my life worth living?

The worst part about all of this was that I shared those thoughts with no one. The friends who knew me at the time would probably be shocked if I told them I was depressed and suicidal then. I didn't talk about my pain and I didn't talk about how difficult it was for me to deal with. Everyone around thought I was cheerful. A little strange sometimes, maybe, but certainly not depressed. I felt that if I shared those things with people they would judge me for it and I also did not want to burden other people with my problems. So I kept it all inside and suffered in silence.

I began thinking of ways to kill myself. I didn't have access to any fancy shmancy instant poisons, so my only options were the more gross, old fashioned ways. Fortunately, I'm a bit squeamish, so none of those options were real options for me. There were times I held a knife in my hands, turning it over and thinking about it, but I knew I didn't have the nerve to do it.

What really brought me out of it were some of the friends I had in my life, but I also started to get better. We finally tried some medicine that actually helped. I was barely holding on to any hope at all that something would work. The doctor told me that the medicine was very strong and would make the symptoms worse before they got better. That next week was pure hell. The symptoms did get worse. Everything I had been feeling was multiplied, but after about a week I finally started to feel better. I wasn't healed. It's just not that kind of illness, but I finally felt like I could deal with it. It was suddenly something that I could live with. The pain was not gone, but it was tolerable.

Today the pain is usually tolerable. I will occasionally have some days were I feel like I can't take it and that it is still too much of a burden for me, but I care about surviving more than I did back then. I'll never let some pain take me that low again, even if it is as horrible as it was before. And after all I've been through, pain doesn't really scare me anymore. I don't like it, but I experience it all the time. Whenever something is a challenge for me, I think about that. I would be in pain either way, so how can I let it hold me back? I may be small and I might not have a lot of physical strength, but I can take a hell of a lot more than you might think. I've been at the point where I've had to face something horrific because I had no choice. Now I'm a lot more willing to face things when I do have a choice.

Pain is a great inspiration, but I'll be honest. I didn't care about living at the time, so writing songs was not a high priority. And most of the lyrics I did write at the time were total garbage. They may have helped me deal with what I was going through at the time, but they had no value as songs. It's okay to write songs that are dark because our songs should reflect our lives and life is dark sometimes. That doesn't mean every song you write about something dark will automatically be beautiful. Just because it's real to you doesn't mean that you are communicating it in a way that makes sense to other people.

I still use the experience for inspiration today, and I've found that it's better. As I look through what I did write back then, I really don't like most of it, but I wanted to share parts of what I found.

You could take me almost anywhere and I would be okay

But I can't stand the dark

Looks like that's where I'm headed

No turning back

This is a dark place

And I've cried many tears here

This is a dark place

I've lost myself to fear

And I swore I'd never return

To the dark place

Oh, this is a dark, dark place

For this one all I wrote were these four lines. I didn't bother finishing it at the time for obvious reasons.

Every day is more of a struggle

Just to stand, just to survive

Every day it's just a little harder

To see the value of my life

~Eliza

You Can't Make Yourself Care

Passion Level: 9

Motivation Level: 7

I feel drained today. I feel drained from caring about people who don't care about me the same way and I feel drained from trying to care about people I don't care about. I can't force myself to care. I want to, but I just don't.

The same thing applies to songwriting. No one can force you to care about it. You either do or you don't. You're either motivated or you're not. So if it's that simple, you should know whether you're motivated enough or not.

That means that if you really care you can stick with it even when you feel drained or uninspired. There are going to be those moments. That doesn't mean you let it stop you or let the road block hold you back. I probably won't write much today and won't talk much about my songs today. That's okay because I know I'll be motivated to do it tomorrow. It's something that will always be important to me, whether it gets me anywhere or not. It matters to me no matter what.

Don't be so used to your comfort zone that you let it stop you from going anywhere. It's going to be uncomfortable sometimes. Go somewhere.

I feel out of place

I feel uninspired

I feel what's at stake

Is all I've most desired

My dreams put on hold

All because of my own

Need to stay within

The boundaries of my comfort zone

All regrets of the past

Are laid to rest at last

No more need to stay within

The boundaries of my comfort zone

When I was a child

I used to believe

I'd always be a child

Free from responsibility

I'm not that little girl

And I can come to learn

It's a challenge to face this world

And it's not worth it to wait your turn

(c) 2011 Boundaries of My Comfort Zone, Elizabeth Marion

That's not the complete song, but I think it's enough for you to get the point.

~Eliza

A Songwriting Exercise

If I could remember every song I started to create, I wouldn't have enough songbooks for it all. And I wouldn't be able to finish all the songs. I've come up with so many ideas that were later forgotten. I'm the type of person that needs to scribble down the idea so I don't forget about it. The other issue is that when ideas do come to me I'll often get several at a time and I also tend to get the lyrics and the melody at the same time. If I can write it down I can barely keep up with how quickly the words are coming. If I can't write it down I'm lucky to remember any of it later. I've started doing some writing exercises to see if it would help me retain some of those ideas better. When I set aside time to write, I usually start by working on some pieces I already have, so brainstorming new ideas is rarely part of my writing session. I spend most of the time adding to something that I already have, so when I'm ready to do some writing I already have a starting point for the work I want to do. The past couple of days I've started my writing time with a short exercise. Before I look at any of the projects I want to work on, I'll get a pen and paper and find a short prompt to help me come up with ideas. My favorite writing prompts to use are quotes and pictures. I think over whatever prompt I've chosen for a few minutes without writing anything down. If I'm really focused, I'll have more ideas running through my head than I can count at that point. After I've spent a couple minutes thinking over the prompt and creating ideas, I'll take about ten minutes to do something else, usually writing in my diary since that's the routine that I'm most used to. After the ten minutes have passed I write down on the paper as much as I can remember. I couldn't believe how little I could remember the first time I tried this. I felt so inspired when the ideas were flowing in my mind, but ten minutes later I couldn't pull them apart and write them down. It's not that they were all bad ideas or that I didn't care about any of the ideas, but they were all coming at the same time and because I couldn't separate them enough to focus on any of them I couldn't retain them. It's like hearing five people talk at the same time while you're eyes are closed. You can recognize the voices and know who is talking, but hearing and understanding what each person is saying is impossible. That's the way it is with my song ideas. When I get those ideas, they arrive scrambled and if I can't unscramble them quickly enough I forget them. After doing this exercise a couple of times I have noticed an improvement. At least I know the exercise is helping. I suppose everyone's creative process has its own frustrations or difficulties and these are the ones I have to deal with. I just need to find a better way to focus instead of letting those moments overwhelm me. ~Eliza

Fresh Song Fragment

I usually don't like sharing songs I'm not finished with, but I decided to post this one. I came up with it a few days ago. So far I've only got part of a verse and a chorus. You like to call yourself a king Think every town is at your feet Your bad, you think you're everything Sometimes I even agree You're a bad boy with a heart You're gonna mess around But you'll do it smart And you will play your games But in the end You'll come out on top No one else can win (c) Bad Boy with a Heart Elizabeth Marion 2012 ~Eliza

Song Topics

Sometimes when I get stuck on songwriting, I find that brainstorming general song topics helps me generate more specific ideas. Each song song topic generates thoughts about my own experiences relating to the topic. That doesn't always result in lyric ideas that I can use, but it's usually helpful.

Love

This one's easy. It's also a bit of a broad topic. There are love songs about falling in love with someone, the experience of being in love, a desire for love, the person you love, etc. Let's take, for example, falling in love with someone. Think about how you would write about these things:

-the moment you met and what drew you to that person

-the moment you realized you were in love

-what you love about the person

-what made you fall in love

-the first time you told someone you were in love

-how much you are in love

If you have someone in mind these prompts are probably already giving you ideas. Even if they're not ideas you could specifically use for a song, you're at least thinking about the topic and exploring it.

Anger

This one can also be broken down into several subtopics. Why you're angry, who you're angry with, things that make you angry, how you express your anger, etc.

-the last time someone made you angry

-the last time you told someone they made you angry

-something you regret that you did out of anger

-things that always make you angry

Jealousy

Who are you jealous of, why are you jealous, do you express it or keep it hidden? This one is especially easy for me! ;)

-what it is that you want and can't have

-how your jealousy effects how you act

-how your jealousy effects how you think

-what, if anything, makes others jealous of you

I don't think I need to go through every song topic I can think of for you to get the point. Brainstorming ideas and breaking down subjects or topics is a technique that is not only good for story or essay writing, but also for lyric writing. Don't toss aside a technique that could be helpful to you simply because you think it is better applied to other forms of writing.

~Eliza

Songwriting and Time Management

Time management skills are important no matter what you are trying to accomplish. It would be nice if I had some. They're especially important if you're trying to make something a career when you still have to work a regular job. When so much of your time is taken up by a full time job, you need to manage the time you do have wisely. That means that your off days are not off days. Those days you are not at your job are days for you to be working towards something that's more important to you.

In a previous post I mentioned the importance of having your planner (notebook/schedule/whatever you use) full of activities that will in some way move you forward or at least keep you facing in the right direction and focused on your goals. Don't view your free time as free time. If you want it to become your job then treat it like it is your job. If you act like it's just a hobby that you're only involved in when you "feel like it" then it will most likely always remain a hobby.

Let's say you have a day off and you would normally work an eight hour shift at your job. What are you gonna do to work on what you really want your job to be for eight hours? That's what time management is all about-taking the time that's available to you and using it to be productive.

For me, it's not so simple as setting aside eight hours to work on something. I find it more helpful to assign activities to each hour. For example, I might spend two hours just going over the lyrics that I have, adding to them, and editting them. Another two hours can be dedicated to reading and educating myself on songwriting techniques and music in general. That leaves me with four more hours to dedicate to doing other research, looking online for opportunities, bands, and writers to connect with, taking part in writing exercises, and taking a look at what other songwriters have done to become successful.

It may seem like overkill to assign an activity to each hour and for you it may be. I find that when I don't break it down like that it's more difficult for me to stay focused and accomplish as much as I can with the time that I have.

No matter how you plan your time, the bottom line is that you need to make sure you use the time you have wisely. If you want something to become more than just a hobby then treat it that way.

~Eliza

Can't Take Away Who I Am Lyrics

Passion Level: 9
Motivation Level: 9

This is a song I wrote a couple years ago and a song that I submitted to the American Lyrics Contest. It was rejected. Maybe others don't really appreciate it, but this one means a lot to me. I like who I am and I don't care about other people trying to tear that down or take that feeling away from me. That's what this song is all about.

Can't Take Away Who I Am

Sitting on the edge of a dream
Reaching out I'm about to fall
People think it's a crazy thing
To just let go, and risk it all
They think they can take it all away from me
Just means that they don't know who I am and who I wanna be

'Cause you could take everything from me
And I wouldn't feel a thing
'Cause you can't take away who I am
You could crush all of my dreams
And I wouldn't stop believin'
'Cause you can't take away who I am
And nobody can

Walking far my legs are weak
Feel like I might have to crawl
But when I get where I need to be
Wait and see, I will stand up tall
People think I'll give up so easily
Just means that they don't anything about the real me

'Cause you could take everything from me
And I wouldn't feel a thing
'Cause you can't take away who I am
You could crush all of my dreams
And I wouldn't stop believin'
'Cause you can't take away who I am
And nobody can

No, no, Nobody can (6x)

(c) 2010, Elizabeth Marion

Thank you for reading.

~Eliza

An Inspiring Moment

The other day I had an inspiring morning. It was a day off from work. As far as lyric writing is concerned, I was in a bit of a dry spell. For a couple of weeks it seemed that all I could come up with was a few lines here and there that didn't make much sense or couldn't be connected. They were metaphors that had no meaning, useless lines that were desperate to send a powerful message.

Suddenly in that particular moment, as soon as I woke up, lyrics began flooding my mind. I grabbed the nearest notebook and began writing them all down. And as I got up and started getting ready for my day, I kept coming back to write more in the notebook.

It was comforting to feel that the dry spell was over and that I would be able to move forward, but something more profound happened. There was a personal issue I had been struggling with for years and I had never been able to write a song about it. I even had trouble journaling about it. I wasn't sure what to say. And at times wasn't even sure how I felt about it. The confusion was so overwhelming and the feelings were so mixed that I felt like there was no point in journaling about it or writing about it in any form. I couldn't understand it and felt silly trying to communicate something that was so confusing and nauseating to me. For years, I could not put this struggle into words. I could not communicate in any form through language what I had been dealing with and what I had been thinking about. Suddenly the words were coming to my mind so fast I could barely keep up as I tried to write them all down. And as I looked over what I had written, it wasn't a mess. It wasn't a bunch of useless words that needed to be editted over and over again. It was exactly what I wanted to say, exactly what I had been feeling.

The mind works in strange ways. I had been feeling those things for years. Why could I never express them in words before a few days ago? And when the words did come to me, why did they come so quickly and so suddenly? How is it that I could have put so much time and focus into trying to write a song about this and nothing useful came to me until I had just woken up and hadn't even started thinking about writing anything for the day yet? I do not understand how this happened and I do not know why it happened so suddenly, but I am grateful that it did. As quickly as the lyrics came and as quickly as my private silence was broken, I feel like I am finally, and suddenly, beginning to heal.

Maybe I did or said something and my mind just clicked, putting all of those thoughts and feelings into perspective without my realizing it. The rest of me still felt overwhelmed by the situation and my subconscious was busy preparing me to heal. I had no idea this was coming, but finally being able to put this struggle and pain into words in a way that makes sense and communicates exactly what I think of all of this has lifted such a heavy burden from me. I feel that other songs I haven't even shared with anyone yet have helped me heal or feel better, but this was special. This was something more profound. It didn't just improve my mood or give me a more positive perspective on a difficult situation. It took something that had been so frustrating, painful, and confusing to me and helped me break it down and see it for what it is. And if I had not reached this point I would still have no idea how to overcome this. I still don't know exactly what to do and I don't have all the answers, but now I know how to take a step in the right direction and that's a hell of a lot better than staying where I was.

The lyrics for this particular song are not finished. I don't have any editting to do, but I would like to add a little bit more to what I have. I have no intention of changing a single word I have written for this. It is exactly what I wanted. I don't know why it was trapped inside me for so long, but now it's free and now I feel free. I don't know how this happened, but it is a moment I will treasure for a very long time.

~Eliza

Money Owns Me Lyrics

Passion Level: 8
Motivation Level: 10

This is a song I wrote a few months ago that is becoming more real to me every day. It seems that every day and every moment is spent chasing or planning around money. We can't afford to stay home with our families or spend our time doing the things we want to do because we have to put that time into our jobs. No one forces us to, but we can't afford not to. And we put all that time and effort into a job that barely gives us enough money to survive or sometimes doesn't even give us enough to get by. At the end of the day we're lucky to get a thank you, yet we have no choice but to keep going back and doing the work. Have you ever felt like money is controlling your life instead of you?

Money Owns Me

You can try to stay strong
You can try to work hard
But no matter what you do
You won't get too far
And if you catch some big break
Save that money away
Anything you get for free
Will be taken away

Money owns me I'm its slave
Chasing me down to my grave
Because money makes the world go 'round
Hard work don't give no guarantees
Life ain't cheap and it ain't free
Because money makes the world go 'round
Yes it does

Getting paid by the hour
Takes up all of my time
It's a shame to spend a life
Away for a dime
'Cause at the end of the day
It's never really enough
There are still bills to pay
I just don't have enough

Money owns me I'm its slave
Chasing me down to my grave
Because money makes the world go 'round
Hard work don't give no guarantees
Life ain't cheap and it ain't free
Because money makes the world go 'round
Yes it does

Try not to spend it
But it's so hard to save it
Worship that dollar
Work hard, blue collar

(chorus)

(c) Elizabeth Marion, 2011

~Eliza

The Hardest Part

Passion Level: 10
Motivation Level: 9

If asked what the hardest part of writing lyrics is, my first response would be finishing them. I can come up with ideas that I think have a lot of potential easily, but those ideas tend to come to me during moments in which I cannot devote myself to finishing it just then. When I come back to those lyrics later, I find that it's difficult to finish those lyrics unless I can put myself back into the mindset I was in when I came up with the original idea, which is a challenge in and of itself.

Once I have a tune in my head that I like I don't want to change it, but when I try to create more lyrics to add to the song I have difficulty staying within those boundaries that I have already set. That makes the second hardest part balancing the lyrics within a melody when I am still in the process of completing those lyrics. I don't want to change what I already have, but sometimes I have no choice if the new lyrics I come up with don't fit into that same melody. These songs are like a puzzle sometimes. The difference is that sometimes there are more pieces than you need and sometimes there are not enough. Either way, it is not complete unless you take the time to analyze every little piece and make sure it has a place.

~Eliza

Mr. Sophisticated Lyrics

These are the lyrics to my song Mr. Sophisticated! Enjoy!

Hey Mr. Sophisticated
You're the kinda guy I been anticipatin
'Cause you're smooth
And you're cool
And you can make me melt with a flash of that smile, oh
You make me feel good

And when I dated
Mr. Sophisticated
All the other ladies couldn't stand it
Oh, I showed him off
I hung out with the in crowd
Until he moved on
To give another swooning girl a chance with
Mr. Sophisticated

Hey Mr. Sopisticated
You don't know how long I been waiting
The things you do
Make me want you
And you can make me melt with a flash of that smile, oh
You make me feel good

And when I dated
Mr. Sophisticated
All the other ladies couldn't stand it
Oh, I showed him off
I hung out with the in crowd
Until he moved on
To give another swooning girl a chance with
Mr. Sophisticated

Thanks for reading. Any feedback would be appreciated!

~Eliza

Bad Lyrics From Bad Moments

Do you ever have those moments where you feel so awful you don't think you can describe it in words? And when you try it comes out even worse? I have had so many moments in which I have felt that I immediately had to try to write some lyrices to capture the raw emotions and pain I was feeling. And most of those moments caused me to look back over those lyrics later and lauch at how bad they were. It wasn't just that they were corny. They were so whiny that it really didn't capture what I had been feeling at the time. So how do you create good lyrics from the bad moments?

The best thing to do is give it time because that will give you perspective. If you truly felt those emotions you wanted to capture so strongly you won't forget what it felt like overnight, but you will have have a different perspective on the situation.

Think about the last time you got into an argument with someone over something that didn't really matter. In that moment it seemed so important because you were annoyed or proud. You probably realized the next day just how stupid it was to get so bent out of shape over nothing.

Some of your other bad moments will be like that as well. You might not wake up feeling like you were wrong or that you overreacted to something, especially if you're upset about something far more serious than a silly argument that never should have happened, but time gives you a chance to reevaluate and justify what you were feeling and how you acted. And if you end up being unable to justify those things you have a fresh perspective which can give you a new angle for writing lyrics about what happened. Strong emotions and powerful moments will not be forgotten so quickly as everything else. A few more moments won't erase those memories. It will give you a second chance to write about.

~Eliza

Exploring Life's Questions

Passion Level: 8
Motivation Level: 9

All forms of writing can be used to explore life's questions, but lyric writing is unique in this respect. The most challenging questions, moments, emotions, and speculation is addressed in such a short amount of words. And addressed in a manner that makes sense for a song.

Lyrics take us through a persons aggravations over a lost love, the speculation of why the present is different than they had imagined in the past, and the absurdity of the situations they have been faced with. These are all topics people can and have written books about, but a lyricist must make these powerful emotions and moments fit into a song. And accomplishing that is a quite a feat, let alone accomplishing it well.

Lyricists don't have as much wiggle room to explore life's questions as novelists or essay writers. Therein lies the challenge. Life provides us with many choices to make and this causes us to ask ourselves complicated questions. What is love? When do I hold on or let go? Do I have a purpose? How do I face difficult things when I feel like I just don't have the strength? How do I deal with my financial hardships? Why am I in this situation? How do I find happiness through my misery? How do I support a friend going through something difficult that I can't relate to? How do I address all these questions in a song? It's hard enough to try to figure this stuff out without adding writing to the mix!

From my perspective, journaling seems to be the best tool to help with this challenge. Journaling helps you explore these questions that life throws at you. By getting those thoughts out about the different situations you're dealing with you have something to reference when you want to address those issues in a song. You might not have a problem remembering the emotions you were feeling in those moments, but journaling will help you keep track of the thoughts you were having at the time and what you thought the answers were then. Perspectives can change and sometimes they change without us realizing it. Sometimes we change who we are, and even what we believe in, not because we have made a decision to do so, but because the world around us is forcing our perspectives to change. Journaling will prevent those changes from going unnoticed, which can offer you lyrical inspiration.

Life is a challenge and it just wouldn't be right if lyrics weren't a challenge as well. Not all of life's questions can be answered or have an answer that makes sense to us, but lyrics help us explore and at least try to understand. And sometimes the beauty is in trying.

~Eliza

What's in Your Planner?

So do you really want to move forward and start pursuing your dreams? If you do it's not just about what's in your heart or your songbooks. It's also about what's in your planner?

If you really want to turn something into a career, taht means you've got to work harder than you are now and that most of your current free time is now work time. And all of that means that your planner should be full of activities that are going to help you move forward.

On days that you are working at your job, your list of career related activities will be short. For example, let's say your schedule for the day allows you three hours for you to do what you want with. Devote an hour to revisions. Devote another hour searching online for opportunities to perform or network. Devote another hour to practicing what you've got. Even if you don't have the whole day, use the time that is yours wisely. Make the most of it.

On days that you have to yourself you can obviously accomplish much more. Don't just list activities that you want to do. Create an hour by hour to do list and stick to it. Life can get in the way and vague lists will get you nowhere, but if you schedule your time throughout the day to be used for certain things it will be easier for you to accomplish those things within your time frame.

Get out your planner or whatever you like to use and take a look at it. If it's not as full as it should be, fill it.

~Eliza

The Joy of Lyrics

I love my songs. That may sound arrogant or obnoxious, but it's the truth. If I didn't love them I wouldn't bother writing them and I wouldn't sing them to myself throughout the day because they help me express what I'm feeling. Sometimes, they even help me feel.

My lyrics are myself at my most open hearted and tender moments. Whether anyone listens or cares, no one can take that away from me. The fact is that even if they never bring joy to anyone else they have brought joy to me already. No one else wrote a song based on my thoughts and my exact feelings. As cliche as it sounds that's what makes them special.

I do doubt myself sometimes though. I'll come up with a great idea and be excited about the start I have for a song. As I try to continue it gets harder. And when I start to feel completely blocked I wonder if my ideas or talents are worth the trouble at all. I don't always know how to say what I'm feeling through my lyrics in a way that makes sense. It frustrates me so much when that happens, but even if I can't finish I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I take the time to start a song. At least I saved those first thoughts for later and used them to create a few lines. It's better than creating nothing and having no way of venting or communicating what I have to say. Nothing says failure better than failing to try.

I've put a lot of thought lately into how I want to move forward and how I want to share my songs. I haven't accomplished anything yet, but the point I'm trying to make is that writing the lyrics to a song is a satisfying accomplishment all by itself. I've enjoyed that satisfaction and I enjoy the release it gives me from the tension of bottling up my emotions or letting my emotions control the way that I act. By allowing me to address my own insanity, it helps me find a sense of calm and restfulness in a dangerous and unpredictable world. And that is a very daring accomplishment.

~Eliza

Being Yourself

Passion Level: 8
Motivation Level: 10

I am a very introverted person. I'm not a social butterfly and I'm not the life of the party. That's just the way I am and I'm comfortable with that, but sometimes other people around me aren't.

People criticize me for being myself. It always starts out in a friendly, innocent way. It's usually someone asking me about the last time I went out of inviting me to an event. We're having a pleasant conversation, then suddenly I'm under attack. Or more accurately my personality is under attack.

It's not that I've done anything wrong. The other person just can't accept that I don't act or think the same way they do. I should want to do all the same things they like and I should give some kind of explanation as to why I don't.

People are not meant to me, but the peer pressure is always there. There is always some reason that I should act or think more like someone else. The way I am doesn't make sense, so people feel like they either need to change it or try to understand the reasons behind it.

It's human nature to expect other people to act and think the same way we do. I do the same thing sometimes, but we should never allow those social pressures to keep us from being ourselves. Expectations won't keep me from being myself and it won't keep me from writing my songs either.

~Eliza

That Moment it Comes to You

Passion Level: 10
Motivation Level: 9

Before I get into the topic for this post, I want to make a quick note about Despite the Things You Say. I'm very anxious to share this song, but I'd really like to get it set to music so I can present it in an effective way. I do not want to post the lyrics before then. I'm also going to be making a dedication video in which I will be dedicating the song to the people who inspired it and explaining why I feel they needed to hear the message most.

The other day someone asked me how I get my ideas for songs. I've found that journaling helps me the most. Writing down what I'm feeling in the moment helps me have something to reference when I need an idea. So if I'm in a creative mood but I'm not coming up with any ideas yet, I start flipping through my journal and that usually helps a little bit. Even if there's nothing particularly exciting about an entry, I can usually come up with something based on what I wrote about how I was feeling that day.

When an idea does come to me I usually get the melody and the lyrics at the same time, which is rare for a lot of people, but for me it's rare to get just the lyrics or just the melody in a particular moment. They just come at the same time and I'm very grateful that my mind works in such a convenient way.

I will usually have a verse or a chorus that I'm happy with within a couple of minutes. After I get that verse or chorus, however, I often have difficulty adding to it. I'm happy with what I have, but completing the song in a way that flows well and makes sense is difficult.

The main reason for that is that when I get the original idea, which is usually only a few lines, I'm busy doing something else and don't have the time to drop everything and try to add to the song in that particular moment. When I try to pick it up later, I don't have the same energy and inspiration that I did before. I've found that the best thing to do is continue with the song if you have the time, and if you don't have the time at least try to recreate the moment you got the idea. For example, if you get an idea when you're at work and scribble it down somewhere quickly, journal about your day at work up until that point. If you get an idea while you're driving it might help to try finishing the song while you're sitting in the car or even go out for a drive. You won't be able to recreate the moment it came to you, but you can recreate the mindset you were in. It may sound difficult, but if you try it you'll find that it's easier than you think.

~Eliza

Defining my Priorities

As I think about how I want to move forward, I have to prioritize my projects and my time. What actions can I take right now to move forward? And what actions can I be taking in the near future to move forward?

The first thing I feel I need to do is increase my number of complete songs. My songbook has plenty of half songs that I wrote a verse or two for, but never finished. I need a more diverse selection of completed songs that I can start sharing with people. Having more incomplete songs than complete songs doesn't do me much good and won't get me very far.

The next thing I need to do is start taking steps to find composers and/or bands who have an interest in my songs. I don't play any instruments and can't afford to take lessons right now. I need to get in trouch with people who can set my songs to music and are willing to work with me.

Of these two priorities, I can get more specific about what I need to do to reach my goals. For example:

Priority 1-Completing More Songs
-Moments of Happy
-Anything to You
-Victim Card

Priority 2-Connecting with Composers
-Posting my Lyrics
-Singing my Songs
-Posting Ads to Find Anyone Interested

Not only have I identified my top two priorities, but I have also clarified the steps I'll take to complete these tasks. Each of these steps can be broken down even more to be more specific about what needs to be done, but what I have now serves the purpose of setting my priorities so I can reach my goals. I plan to make this a great year!

~Eliza

Recognizing Your Growth

A funny thing happened last night while I was going through some boxes I hadn't unpacked. I found my first songbook! There may have been some other notebooks that I had scribbled some songs in, but it was the first notebook I ever considered a songbook.

A few of the songs were pretty good, but most of them were absolutely horrible! It's amazing how differently I approach songwriting than I did six years ago.

Today I take it more seriously and back then it was something I did when I got bored and didn't have anything else to do. Still, the differences are incredible. And it's encouraging to realize how much I've improved and grown as a lyricist.

Take a moment today to look over some of your old songs. You'll probably be surprised to see how much you've changed and how much you've improved.

~Eliza

Another Rejection

Passion Level: 10
Motivation Level: 10

A few days ago I received an email from the staff of the American Songwriter Lyrics Contest. The second song I submitted, Can't Take Away Who I Am, was not a winning entry.
I had confidence in both of the songs that I submitted, but after reading the winning entries I don't think my songs are well suited for this contest. I am debating whether I want to submit another song, but I doubt I will.

~Eliza

A Success and a Failure

Passion Level: 10
Motivation Level: 8

My song fragments goal was not reached by the end of the year. I was able to complete "Way That I Can Understand" but I'm disappointed that I was unable to finish "Despite the Things You Say". The song is about half done. This song means a lot to me and has a very strong message. It's a message that I care about and want to share. It's about an issue I want to take a stand on.

So what do you do when you set a goal for yourself and then don't make it? You finish what you set out to do, no matter what day it is. And you put your excuses behind you.

The only reason I didn't reach my goal is because I got overwhelmed with other things that were happening in my life. If I want songwriting to become more than a hobby I can't make a habit of letting those kinds of things become excuses. Life happens. That should be an inspiration instead of a roadblock.

~Eliza