Music doesn’t always need a structure to follow, but songs definitely do in order for the lyrics to convey an idea.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a good song hooks. You might even want to consider setting aside some time to write only hooks.

Good background vocals avoid slavishly imitating the lead vocals’ phrasing and timing. Try writing ones for your songs that extend an odd line in a harmony and then rejoin with the lead when it feels natural

There’s always room for improvement. Keep honing your songs until you know they’ll be a smash.

Don’t sell yourself short by settling for the first drafts of your songs. Try playing it several different ways to see which approach best fits your composition.

Someone once said, “Songwriters and poets suffer from the same affliction . . . they both believe they have something to say.” Make sure you have something to say.

A big part of finding inspiration for your songs is putting yourself in situations that rouse inspiration and then recognizing it when it comes.

One of the best abilities you can develop as a songwriter is being able to sing harmonies on the fly. Try practicing singing harmony to the music you’re listening to. This is really an act of composition, and as you become more fluent, it will help your composition ability.

Don’t mix up the “creative” and “critiquing” phases of writing songs. When you do this, you stifle your best ideas.

One way to avoid verse-chorus sameness in your songs is to use a technique known as “octave displacement.” By moving a chorus melody into a higher octave, you can can help differentiate it from a verse melody that sounds similar.

Being economic with your words can help in writing undeniable song hooks to reel in your audience

Looking for creative ideas for your songs? Stop listening to music that sounds like yours — your natural tendencies will ALREADY take you that direction. Let those tendencies flow while absorbing other influences.

Work hard at your songwriting, but enjoy it too! Don’t let composing songs become a chore, or your creative juices are sure to disappear.

Possible places to find cool song titles include everyday speech, familiar phrases, interesting turns of phrase, intense emotions, deeply felt convictions, a pleasant place or thing, or maybe even a friend’s insight into a problem or feeling.

Map the chain of thoughts flowing from your initial idea. They can take your songs in unexpected directions.