SUNDAY SONGWRITER'SGROUP - WEEK 33

I do all my best thinking lying down Bob.....'tis the curse of the insomniac, unfortunately.

Anyway, isn't every day "Mothers' Day" for you, young sir? (NOTE POSITION OF APOSTROPHE!!!!!!) (Which could be misconstrued....Bob's apostrophes ARE in the correct places......)

:D :D :D

Vic

Every day is mothers day
Every other day is fathers day

:lol: :lol:

Thats from a song I heard driving home from work just now ... :wink:

If I wasn't already paranoid I would be now....see, Bob's picking on me 'cause I haven't handed my homework in for ages. Still no inspiration - I don't think I've EVER gone this long without writing a song. Well at least not for the past few years.... I suppose it's my own fault, I got used to reading the posted assignment and starting to work on a song on a sunday. I had a couple of weeks where I REALLY needed a break - didn't even look at the SSG. That break's turned into abot 4/5 weeks now....in that time I've come up with two good lines. I've got them filed away for the future....

The SSG's been good for me - like I said in my post about my anniversary, I've got 82 songs out of these assignments, and I'm quite pleased with at least half of them. I've got a vague idea where I might start with this week's topic....got a couple of lines that seem OK, I'm going to try and work on them.

Funny isn't it - I've made a lot of comments and criticisms here over the past three years, a lot of which I've been thanked for - hopefully, it's all been constructive criticism......

I love seeing a new writer come along - take someone like Trev/Barnabus whatever-he's-calling-hisself this week. He gets so much pleasure out of music, he wants to write his own. He started posting a while back, nothing special, just another newbie. And yet - he's listened to criticism, took it on board, started thinking more about what to write, and now seems to be able to knock out a decent song at the drop of a hat. He thanked me and PBee the other day for helping him - but he's the one who worked hard to improve. He's done the hard work, and now he's reaping the rewards and becoming a good writer. I'm glad I was nice to him on his way up - he'll probably be nice to me now as I'm on my way down!

Man, I've got to get out of this rut and start writing again.......

The best song I've ever written - IMO - came from an SSG topic. I was in Texas at the time, on holiday - around the time of Live 8. The topic that week was a protest song - I wrote and recorded "Blood On Your Hands" in our hotel bedroom. Recorded it on my laptop with the web-cam mic! I'm still proud of that song - OK, it was so obviously inspired by Dylan (even down to the harmonica I added when I got back home!) but it got some great feedback. I suppose I've just got to get back to the state of mind I was back in then to start writing again......

OK I'm off to Notepad......let's see what comes out.....

:D :D :D

Vic

Im sure Bob would allow you stretch it out to being a gran dad Vic

Don't you have the gran kids with you ?

Tell us what they are doing and what makes you smile when they do something ..

Come on we know its in you

Trev...

Hey Vic,

I hope you get out of your rut soon. I haven't been very active on SSG myself lately what with lots of landscaping work around the house and fundraising for my son's trip. Not to mention pressure at work. So I can sympathise with you, with all the other things that go on in our lifes sometimes its hard to get motivated. I have for my sins though written 1 song that wasnt an SSG assignment and Im trying to get that recorded as well. I do pop into SSG every now and then though just to keep an eye on everyone.

cheers

Paul

So one of the teachers is going to keep his on us pupils so I guess no paper aeroplnes then :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Throws one quickly while the room is empty 8)

So one of the teachers is going to keep his on us pupils so I guess no paper aeroplnes then :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Throws one quickly while the room is empty 8)

Shut up and get writing! Do I have to raise my voice?

:D :D :D :D :D

Vic

Sorry Sir :(

Vic, I came here (from the bathroom) to write pretty much the same thing. I havent been as faithful about writing as you have in SSG but I come up with something now and then. But more often than not I find I have nothing to say. It irritates me sometimes.

Do you guys think its a good idea just to press something out that really doesnt make sense when the well has run dry, or just wait until something clicks?

Last week with the sports theme. Everything I came up with just seemed so cliche. Luckly, I think this week will go better.

Anyway, not really venting.. Just wondering if evenong else goes through this too. I see Vic does, and (sorry Vic) that makes me feel better.

Jim

Do you guys think its a good idea just to press something out that really doesnt make sense when the well has run dry, or just wait until something clicks?

Jim, the whole point of this forum's to PRACTISE songwriting....if you get the odd one that's a keeper, all well and good. It's not about knocking out great songs week after week, it's about stretching yourself and trying something new. Anything over and above that is a bonus. I'd say keeping roughly about one in four is a good strike rate, I envy someone like Chefie, for example, who seems able to record everything he writes.

I'd say post what you've got, see what sort of feedback you get - other people might point you in a different direction to the one you might have taken. And hey, if nothing comes out of it, at least you might give someone else an idea!

Good luck with it - I managed to get something done last night, so hopefully that might signal the end of my particular barren patch.

:D :D :D

Vic

Jim, the whole point of this forum's to PRACTISE songwriting

Hey Vic. I know your right, but man its hard to post something incomplete. Some weeks I just end up with random thoughts, but really no song. I guess I should just post that. Maybe I will.

Trust me, I am not searching for the perfect song to post each week. But something better than garbage would be good on some weeks. LOL

Jim

I think you should post if there is something that you want to test out. To my mind songs don't have to be complete or even put to music to get some value out of posting. For example I once posted a song that's sole purpose was for me to experiment with a “walking” rhythm, the lyrics weren't great but that wasn't the point, it was to write lyrics that fitted that rhythm. So “post and be damned” I say.

Cheers

Paul

Jim

You said

"Trust me, I am not searching for the perfect song to post each week. But something better than garbage would be good on some weeks "

I try and post every week " perfect song " I have never came close to that , and probably never will ..

But with out trying I will never know , I post what I have came up with and if people offer suggestions like 99.999999% of every song I post , those suggestions are very closely looked at and at the same percetage rate used ..

Look at getting better then perfection will be closer ..

Trev

Couple of things

I've been in long dry spells (and am still in one with occasional damp patches) and the only way out is to work at it. Just write and write and write some more. It's all you can do. For me it's about getting inspired. My biggest enemy is time. There just isn't enought of it to do all the things I want to do.
the whole point of this forum's to PRACTISE songwriting....if you get the odd one that's a keeper, all well and good. It's not about knocking out great songs week after week, it's about stretching yourself and trying something new.

That's exactly the point of this forum - to spark ideas where you may not have traditionally looked for them. Sometimes one of my own assignments (and I never prewrite any of them) strikes a chord and something comes easily. Other weeks I have no idea what to write at all and I set the assignment.

I know it's difficult but if you do post something you believe to be garbage the feedback we give each other (and I know I'm not always giving as much but see first paragraph about enemies) could improve it or move it in a completely different direction than you thought of. Just post and see what happens very rarely do we call anything garbage someone can ussually see something in a submission.

The fact we get some absolutely fabulous songs is a huge bonus to this forum remember none of us are professionals but some of the stuff exceeds what I hear on radio. At the moment I have a playlist on my iPod which has the submissions for the Everybody Lies assignment of a few weeks ago because the standard was just so high I was floored by it especially KatReich's submission. But that doesn't happen every week.

Let's keep the faith, keep writing as best we can and help each other out as much as we can. Rememer there's nothing to stop two people collaboratiing on one piece - In fact that gives me an idea for an assignment..... :wink:

Good writing

Bob