Page 42 - Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics - Simon Hawkins

The way I'd recommend drafting your writeable idea is as follows:
a) Create a structure – Write a heading for each section with the Map Heading next to it. The Song Maps in the next chapter will give you the various headings. For example:
Verse 1 – How the tension is sensed
Chorus 1 – The response
Verse 2 – etc
Make sure to leave room to add a few phrases or sentences (not lyrics) to describe what the section will say.
b) Summarize each section – Underneath each section, use a few words to say what ideas you would like to assign to that section. The key here is to be brief. If specific lyrics come to mind, that's fine–get them down–but writing lyrics is not the focus of this part of the process. It's a kind of mini-brainstorming approach where you try different things, keep what works and archive things you have discarded.
c) Review and revise – Once you have completed this, starting with Verse 1 and ending with the last Chorus, I suggest you go over it again once or twice. Think about the strength and impact of how you have placed the ideas. Ask yourself some key questions like:
Does it capture the song idea that you originally had (or enhance it)?
Is there an appropriate payoff?
Is the Chorus (or Refrain) sufficiently re-colored by each Verse?
Is there anywhere you feel the ideas you have put down do not represent what they are supposed to represent–i.e. does your first Verse really show how the tension is sensed or does it talk about something else?
Remember, it's easier to correct things at this stage than later on.
d) Take a break – When you are happy with it, CONGRATULATIONS! You have your first writable idea in your idea bank. And hopefully, it took considerably less time than it would have done to write the complete lyric.
From my experience, it's sometimes very tough to look objectively at ideas until you have had enough space to be able to look at them with fresh eyes. Sometimes that can be 24 hours or longer. Sometimes it's after a nice lunch with a chum.
But it usually helps if you can put some space between drafting this and writing the lyric because during this time it's like you are still drafting in your head, even when you're not. And you may well jot down additional ideas to come back to it with. Nine times out of ten, you are likely to return to your work bringing new perspectives, further ideas and ways to improve it.
e) Final review – Before you take them into a writing session I'd suggest you have a final review of all your