A new post on the Writers Write blog shares advice on writing from popular songwriters, including Dolly Parton, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, and Shaun Morgan. Advice that works for writers of all kinds includes:
“I’ve always got a notepad everywhere. I do my best thinking when I’m traveling. I can write anywhere, and I never know when a song is gonna hit me. I write a little bit of something every day. Either an idea or a title, a few lines.” – Dolly Parton, Rookie Mag 2017
“Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It’s like being possessed. You try to go to sleep, but the song won’t let you. So you have to get up and make it into something, and then you’re allowed to sleep.” – John Lennon, Chicago Tribune
“For a songwriter, you don’t really go to songwriting school. You learn by listening to tunes.” – Tom Waits, NPR 2011
“I just keep mining issues that I have from thirty-two years of life. Sometimes the issues are more recent and sometimes they’re a little older, but thank God I haven’t run out of things yet.” – Shaun Morgan, Ultimate-Guitar 2011
