Have you ever planned on doing something easy, only to complicate it? Of course you have, who hasn't? As Charles Mingus said, "Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple." It's Thanksgiving week, and I aimed to keep this write-up simple for myself by recycling an old post about thankfulness. Then I complicated things and decided I needed … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

It's been a weird week songwriting-wise for me. This is one way to say the time I normally use to put together this blog was eaten by the couple of extra shifts I was scheduled for at the restaurant.  Did I mention I'm writing this on a bus?   That doesn't mean I got nothing done, but … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: The 9-minute Songwriting Workout by Clay Mills

The Fearless Challenge is built around prompts. But what's a prompt? In writing, prompts are ways for us to gain access to our memories and emotions. A time-honored prompt is to start with the words "I remember. . ." and start writing, following your memories where they take you.  I think of prompts in a … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Life on Mars? Part 3

Right now I'm listening to Guy Clark's "The Cape.“ There are things people create that simply give and give. Finished creations that are founts. That’s what “The Cape,” is for me.  Of course, what's a fount for me, may not be a fount for you. And quite often, it's hard for a creator to know … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Life on Mars? Part 2

This afternoon I missed the bus that I was hoping to catch home. To kill some time I wandered over to Robbins Library until the next bus came by. I had Pat Pattison's Writing Better Lyrics on my mind. I've been doing some teaching and it's always good to get back to the source. It's been a … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Life on Mars?