Don’t get too tied to your original idea within your writing process. By being too rigid about your concept, you might be missing out on an unexpected epiphany.

Instead, think of that idea as a blueprint to guide you to where the song needs to go. By doing this, you’ll be giving your song flexibility to speak to you about what it needs to become complete.

Image via Flickr by Will Scullin

Avoid being too literal in your songwriting. As the old adage about writing goes, “show, don’t tell.” Never miss an opportunity to use strong imagery and metaphors.

Just because songs aren’t usually a visual medium, this saying is still relevant. The secret to “show don’t tell” writing is to focus more on how you’re trying to say something rather than simply saying it.

Image via Flickr by garryknight