Stop thinking about writing a song, and start writing songs. You
really want to be a rock star, don't you? You daydream about being on
stage and hearing the roar of the crowd. Only trouble is, gee whiz,
you're dreaming your life away. If you want to write a really good
song, you're going to have to work for it. Start today.
Listen actively to a lot of music. Good writers read books. Good
songwriters listen to songs. As you listen, think about what you like
about a song. Are the lyrics unique, do the song's chord changes
perfectly capture a mood, do you like the transition from one part of
the song to another?

Get technical. You don't have to have a degree in music theory to
write a good song, but you should have an understanding of how songs
are built. There are infinite ways to structure a song, but there's a
common sequence found in most of them (see Tips). As you listen to
songs, try to identify the different parts. Check yourself by looking
at lyrics online or in a music book; the parts of songs are often
labeled in these media.

Be ready when inspiration comes calling. Unfortunately, inspiration
usually doesn't strike at the most convenient times, so it's important
that you be able to remember each new song that pops into your head,
no matter where you are. Carry a pen and paper with you wherever you
go, or better yet, carry a tape recorder or digital audio
recorder--melodies can be extremely difficult to capture on paper
unless you have a strong music background.

Figure out what you've got. Once in a while, inspiration will hit you
like a full force gale, and suddenly you've got a full song out of
nowhere. Most of the time, however, just a small piece of a potential
song will come to you, leaving you to do the hard, but fun work of
fleshing it out. You should have a feel for what part of the song
you've come up with.

If it's super catchy (either a lyrical phrase or a snippet of music),
and you can envision it being a repeated theme in the song, you've got
the chorus—the climax or summary of your musical story—and you need to
write verses to tell the story.

If what you've come up with seems more narrative lyrically or subtler
musically--like a part of a story rather than the main idea of a
story--you've probably got a verse, and you'll need to write the rest
of the story (more verses) and, usually, a chorus.

Set the mood. Make sure your music fits the story. If it's a sad song,
you may want your melody to evoke sadness (by slowing it down or
adding some minor chords, for example) or you might want to add a
twist and combine sad lyrics to upbeat music in order to create a
sense of tension and ambiguity.

Say something. A song can get by with poor lyrics, but you've got a
better chance of writing a really good song if your lyrics are great.
This doesn't mean they have to be serious, but they should not be
cliché or ho-hum. Write your lyrics as though you're talking to
somebody who you want to impress or to someone toward whom you feel
some sort of deep emotion.

Make your words sing. Lyrics can appeal to emotions, but they should
also appeal to the ear. Rhyming is the most obvious way to accomplish
this, and there are a number of rhyme schemes you can employ (see
Tips). Learn about these and other tools of poetry, and try putting
them to work for you.

Strike a balance between repetition and variety. Repetition is what
makes a song catchy; repeated choruses, for example, stick in our
heads even when the rest of a song doesn't. That's why so many people
know just a few lines of so many songs. While there are good songs
that are so simple that they have no chorus and have the same line
length, the same rhyme schemes, and the same chord progressions
repeated throughout them, most people get bored with that. The most
common way to add variety is to insert a ''bridge'' into your song.

Look for the hook. The hook is that elusive part of a great song that
captures your very soul and makes you want to listen to that song over
and over. Hooks are frequently found in the chorus and often become
the title of the song. Sadly, there's no recipe for hooks, but you'll
know when you have one. Better yet, your friends will tell you,
because it's the part of a song they can't seem to get out of their
head.

Smooth the rough edges. If the pieces don't fit together, try building
a transition. Put all the sections of your song in the same key. If
there's a sudden change in tempo (speed) between the two parts, try
gradually changing the speed as you enter and exit the section that
doesn't fit with the rest of the song. Try adding a short instrumental
interlude that will carry you from one part to the next. Ultimately,
if you find it ridiculously difficult to smooth the edges, the reason
could be that those two parts just shouldn't be in the same song.

Get feedback. Play and/or sing your song for people and get their
opinions. You'll probably get a better idea of what they really think
after you've written a few songs: friends and family may tell you that
your first song is great even if it's awful, but as they hear more of
your songs, they'll probably give you hints like, "It's good, but I
liked that first one you wrote better," or "Wow, that's the best song
you've written. That's a really good song."

Once you've finished your first song, don't stop. Keep writing and
practicing, and you'll find yourself getting better and better. You
may need to write a lot of songs before you hit on one you really
like, and even after that, you may need to write a lot more before you
get another good one. Work hard and have fun doing it!

Currently most popular songs have some variation on the following
sequence: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus.
Sometimes the order of these components is different, and sometimes
one or more of them is absent.

If you're going to try something unconventional in the mood, make sure
you've got a reason to do so: a song about the death of your
grandmother set to the music of "Hey Ya" is going to be hard to pull
off.

You can rhyme at the end of every line or every other line, or your
rhymes can come more sporadically. You can also rhyme within lines for
a more subtle effect. There are also other poetical devices you can
use, such as alliteration ("They paved paradise, put up a parking
lot"—the "p" sound is repeated) and assonance ("…honesty, promise me
I'm never gonna find you fake it"—the repeated "ah" sound in
"honesty," "promise and gonna").

A bridge is a section of music, sometimes instrumental, that differs
in its construction from the verses and the chorus, and is usually
placed near the end of the song before the final chorus, where a verse
would typically be. The bridge can be in a different key—that is,
using a different set of chords--than the rest of the song, but it
doesn't need to be. It can also be faster or slower, shorter or
longer, or otherwise different from the other sections.

If you don't play an instrument, learn one. Knowing how to play a
guitar or piano, for instance, will make songwriting immeasurably
easier. Plus, you'll be able to accompany yourself when you sing for
others, and you'll feel like a star.

If you do play an instrument, try putting it down. Spend more time
singing to come up with melodies and sounds. This way you eliminate
the possibility of just playing the "same old licks."

Experiment with lots of ways of making sound. Try to play an
instrument you are less familiar with. The "mistakes" you make may
prove inspiring.
Songs either tell a story (think "Out in the west texas town of El
Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl ...") or express an emotion
(Don't go changin' to try to please me--I love you just the way you
are) ... make your first line or two of your song really let the
listener know what they're going to be experiencing.

While a lot of musicians and songwriters don't know much about music
theory—and some can't even read music—a good knowledge of the
essentials of music can help you harness your creativity and develop
your own style. Even if you can play and sing by ear amazingly,
knowing at least how to read and write music will help you play with
others and communicate your music to your band members. You are going
to have a band, aren't you?

Don't be afraid to take a break from a song. If you run into a dead
end or it seems like you're suddenly writing music that just isn't
that good, take a walk, clean the house, go to work--anything that
will get your mind off the song for awhile. Sometimes you're just
thinking too hard or you get stuck in a rut, and when you take a
break, that rhyme or chord you're looking for will suddenly pop into
your head.

Stop, collaborate and listen to another songwriter. Some people can
pen great lyrics, but can't write a melody to save their lives; for
others, the reverse is true. Find a like-minded songwriter who can put
your words to music or your music to words--a lot of hit songs have
been written by collaboration.

You can usually record yourself a memo on a cell phone, and if not,
you can call yourself and leave a message of your singing or humming
on your voicemail.

Make sure you sing loud enough for the song to be clear when you
listen to the message later--make people think you're crazy!

Avoid plagiarism. Naturally, you don't want to just copy the melody or
the exact words of a hit song. Another, more subtle problem is
subconscious plagiarism, where a songwriter does not realize that he
or she is largely copying another song. If you worry that your song
sounds like another song, you might be right. Play it for as many
listeners as you can, and see if they think so, too.

Be careful with rhyming. Don't choose a word just because it rhymes
with another—make sure the words make sense in the song. Be aware of
rhyming dictionaries: they can be helpful, but if you overuse them,
you're liable to start sounding ridiculous. A thesaurus is a better
tool: it will give you the most ways to express your thoughts, and
help you find the best lyrics.

Don't rely just on inspiration. Imagine if you were given a dozen
eggs, a pound of sugar, a couple of sticks of butter, and a sack of
flour, a mixing bowl and an oven and you were told to make a cake just
from inspiration ... sure, you've seen and eaten cakes before, but
never made one yourself ... your initial efforts would lead to failure
unless you were extremely lucky. However, if you have a recipe, then
you can follow that to bake your cake, and later adapt the recipe to
make your own unique variety when you have obtained the necessary
experience. It's the same way with songwriting: inspiration works best
when the required perspiration has been done. Sure, there are
exceptions. But why gamble at being the exception?