Page 37 - Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics - Simon Hawkins

Chapter 4 - How to Use Song Maps
Now it's time to get practical! This chapter is about how to use Song Mapping. This is crucial because the process of writing with Song Maps is as important as the Song Maps themselves. So in this chapter, I will introduce a four-step process for writing with Song Maps, how to write any title and how to use Song Maps to prepare for successful co-writes.
The four-step process for writing with Song Maps
At a seminar once I heard a songwriter hero of mine, Kyle Matthews, speak on the subject of "Where do song ideas come from?" And he said that as soon as he hears a title, he puts it into a framework or structure. He is thinking, "Where can this title go?"
Although he may not know it yet, Kyle is a Song Mapper. Just listen to songs like "You Thought Of Us" (Places) and "The Way We Go About It" (Timezones). We will look at these concepts in detail later. As you make Song Maps part of your workflow, you will soon be Song Mapping in your sleep. Perhaps literally!
When writing with Song Maps I recommend the following four-step process:
1. Select a title
2. Select a Map
3. Draft a writable idea
4. Craft a lyric, refine and rewrite
I normally complete steps 1-3 whether I am taking them to a co-write or not. Step 4 is only when the first three steps generate a finished writable idea that is strong enough to take into a writing session. Unless I'm only playing around, which sometimes is fun in itself.
The four-step process: