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

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

Bits and Pieces

Occasionally I will be working on a song and all of the lyrics will come to me at once. This has only happened a couple of times, with songs such as "Angelface" and "Damage". Most songs will come to me in bits and pieces.

It will often be one single moment that I write about, as opposed to an event in my life. And because it is only one moment I will only be able to write a few lines. Since so little happened in that moment I find it difficult to complete those songs and build an entire song based upon those few seconds or minutes, yet for some reason those few lines tend to be the most provoking and meaningful lines in my songbooks. It may be because those single moments can still be the most memorable. For example, I have written two songs about an illness I struggled with in high school, but I have written dozens of lyrics that are still incomplete that were inspired by a sentence or two someone said to me.

These songs that come to me in bits and pieces are very frustrating. I want to finish a song, but if I force it I am unhappy with the outcome. That's why I've learned to write down every lyric. When it comes to me I'll grab whatever's nearby, which can happen 0-20 times a day, and save it to look over later. (They usually tend to come to me when I'm busy with something else.) When I have time I'll read it a few times and if I think it has some potential I will then write it in my songbook.

It can be an irritating process, but it's better to save those lyrics that have potential and take a lot of time revising and completing them than missing out on those opportunities. Just because a project can take a long amount of time doesn't mean it's not worth it.

~Eliza