Page 103 - Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics - Simon Hawkins

Advanced Song Mapping
You could argue that combining and altering Song Maps is advanced Song Mapping. However, there are a few more nuances I wanted to mention here.
Pre-Chorus Mapping
While it's possible to assign ideas to the main song sections, it's also possible to assign ideas to sub- sections. For example, the function of a Pre-Chorus is very different from that of a Chorus or a Verse. So it can sometimes be very helpful to assign a specific idea to Pre-Choruses to ensure an effective and natural flow of a lyric each time we get to a Chorus.
Bridge Mapping
In all the Maps in Chapter 5, I have included the Bridge as an essential part of the Map. In reality, not all songs need a Bridge. If you do write one, a Bridge is a great opportunity to go somewhere very different before returning to the central idea in the Chorus. A Bridge can be very short or quite long; it can hit a new register for the singer or be a very quiet moment for the song.
While I have suggested elements for a Bridge in each of the Maps outlined in Chapter 5, if you are following the four-step process for writing with Song Maps, once you have your writable idea sketched out you may want to take a moment to make sure your Bridge is serving your song the best way possible. It could be that, by taking it somewhere very different, you might make that payoff a lot more effective.
Outro Mapping
Not every song has or even needs a lyrical Outro. By this, I'm not talking about ad-libs or throw away lines as part of the production but lyrical content that is essential to the storyline of the lyric.
So, if your song does need an Outro (e.g. "When You Lose Your Dad"), it is important to make sure that it serves a purpose in moving the lyric forward or delivering a payoff.
Summary
In this chapter, I have discussed where to find more Song Maps, how to apply Song Maps to different song forms, how to combine and alter Song Maps and some advanced Song Mapping techniques.
In the next chapter I will send you off with some final thoughts to help you along the way.
Exercise
If you have a copy of the Song Maps Workbook, this would be a good time to complete the last three exercises:
Exercise #13–Advanced Song Mapping Exercise #14–The Songwriter's Secret Weapon Exercise #15–Create Your Writable Idea Bank