Writing Pop/Writer’s Block
This month, we are talking about the wonderful genre of Pop and how to combat writer’s block (in any genre). Pop music literally means “popular” music for a reason. These are the jams you hear while walking around the mall, sitting in a waiting room or even the 10 song loop playing on your radio. Writing for pop music is a little different than writing for country. There is no specific structure in pop which makes it one of the most fun genres to write for! Here are a few exercises to help you better your pop-writing skills and a few more about writer’s block from the amazing Shelly Peiken.
1. Take a walk. Or a drive. Get AWAY from your screen, your journal, your piano or your guitar. This is so important when you are overwhelmed with anything in your life, not just songwriting. Sometimes when you are trying to force something out of your mind and onto paper, it comes out feeling just that: forced. Inspiration isn’t a magical dust that settles over a writer room you have reserved every Monday and Thursday. It isn’t always there when you have an appointment to write. Just as in journalism, there are deadlines for publishers and new material that we can’t wait for inspiration to complete. Get away from what is putting you in a box. Have you written the same hook a dozen times and can’t think of a chorus to write around it to save your life? Toss it in the “Do This Later” pile and move on to your next idea. Don’t force yourself to write around a hook just because you think it is commercial or what a specific artist wants at the moment. The best songs are literally from the heart as cliché as it sounds. Take a mental break and do something you enjoy to get you back on your game.
2. Feeling uneasy at a co-write for a new genre? In the words of Shelly Peiken, “Excuse yourself for a bathroom break. Get in there and shut the door. Sometimes when we’re alone and not feeling self-conscious about being on our game (especially in a room with writers we understandably want to impress), a line or melody may come more naturally.” Writing for pop when you are used to writing for country can be intimidating because it’s a completely different song structure than you are used to. Pop writing can be a release for so many, but for structured writers, it may be tough to break your very specific writing routines to follow your own rules on a fun pop song. Think of this co-write as a writing exercise instead of a deadline. Something great or something forced can come from this write. Take everything lightly and just go with the flow! You may end up loving pop (or any new genre you may try) more than you like the style you have always written in.
3. Think about the best day you have had in the last month. Write about it. Write out 10 things that happened that day that made it the best day you’ve had in a while. Who was involved? What happened? What songs were you listening to that day? Channel them! If you listened to country and reggae, write a pop song about fusion. If you had friends in town that you haven’t seen in forever, throw some nostalgia into what would usually be a party song. Tie the emotions from that day together in your lyrics!
4. Truly stumped? Go to the gym. Pump some iron! Try people-watching at the place everyone is showing off their insecurities and great bodies at the same time. Text yourself what you see when you are changing songs on your phone. Maybe listen to 10 pump up songs in a row and write something you would never write like a hip-hop workout anthem. Write away from your heart for a change (unlike what I said at the beginning of this). Use these exercises to get you out of that block that has been dampening your writing for days!
5. Co-write!!! Never written for pop? Don’t sweat it! A lot of incredible writers have never tried their stab at pop writing. You should try it to diversify your writing skills and see if you have a hidden talent of creating head-bobbing jams. Pop music is the most fun to listen to so it should equally be the most fun to write. Give yourself double the set of ears and double the brains to write a killer hit by finding a cowriter who is interested in writing a pop song. This could be a seasoned pro or a newbie like you. I think both would have their advantages so just choose a route and go down it! Cowriting is an invaluable resource in the music industry and trying new genres does nothing but intensify your writing resume. More genres=more experience which can in turn lead to more connections in every realm of the industry.
A final quote from Shelly: “The best thing to do to prevent writer’s block at all is, write as much as you can. Journal or strum past the emptiness. Because sometimes, the magic line or chord change reveals itself 5 pages (or measures) past the pain. The door opens and in you walk. Don’t ask why. Receive it as you would a gift. Look up to the heavens and just say “thank you.”
If you’re not inspired after that, give us a call at the NSAI office at 615-256-3354. We would love to offer an off the wall exercise to try and combat the writer’s block blues!
Writing for Christian Music Genre
- Write around your favorite hymn. Pick your favorite hymn out of the hymnal and rewrite the second and fourth stanzas in your own words. This may seem like a wasteful exercise, but it will get your gears going on why this hymn has already had success. Sometimes, rewriting an already famous song gives you ideas for new song concepts you wouldn’t have considered otherwise. Plus, the hymnal contains old school lyric and melody that may be beautiful to insert into your more modern Christian songwriting.
- Listen to the top 10 Christian songs out right now. Write down every common occurrence you find in these Top 10 songs. They all have something in common to be the most listened to songs on Christian radio right now. If you notice the commonalities, you will be able to pinpoint exactly how you should add them to your own music to make it more commercial in the Christian radio industry.
- Be your own thesaurus! Figure out the top 5 words in every Christian song you are a fan of right now. Examples may be “God,” “Son,” “Love,” “Holy,” or something to that effect. Now, for about 3 minutes per word, write down every single word that you can think of that rhymes. These can be soft or hard rhymes. Next time you go to end a stanza with one of these words, you will already have a built-in library of words to pull from. This exercise can be used for any genre of writing (and even in poetry).