Page 43 - Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics - Simon Hawkins

writable ideas to try to match them to your co-writer, to make sure they are strong enough, or to see if you can add any further ideas you've had for it.
It's amazing how much more focused I get when I'm looking at ideas just before a co-write rather than at home in the safety of my creative playground.
At this point, you are ready to write a draft lyric. So you might be asking,
"What about the music?"
While there are no rules about how to write a song (just tools, remember?) when writing a lyric-driven song I'd suggest focusing first on the quality of the lyric. This is because (at least in my experience) the music has always been there for a great lyric, even if it takes one or two iterations to get it right. However, if there's a musical riff or motif that you can hear at this stage then it's worth capturing.
Example of a Tension/Response writable idea
Before looking at specific Song Maps in the next chapter, I thought it would be helpful to show you an example of what a writable idea looks like by applying a fairly neutral title, "Follow The Dream", to one of the Maps we will cover in the next chapter, Tension/Response.
Writable idea: "Follow The Dream"
Verse 1 – How the tension is sensed
Weighed down by my ordinary life Stuck in a box
Looking out of a dusty window To where I know I should be
I wanna...
Chorus – The response
Follow the dream, metaphors
Verse 2 – How the solution is sensed
Like the dawn of a new day
A brand new start
Looking forward to the journey ahead I'll never go back now I'll...
Chorus – The response
As above
Bridge – How I feel about the solution
Grateful to have the chance Come join the dance And...
Chorus – The response
As above