Songwriting Tips for Writer’s Block: 5 Ways to Start Writing Again
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
Writer’s block doesn’t always mean you have no ideas, sometimes you simply have too many choices.
Starting with a title can give your song a clear direction before you worry about chords, lyrics or production.
Writing something “bad” on purpose can help quiet your inner critic and get you creating again.
Creative limitations like using two chords, one synth or a short time limit can reduce decision fatigue.
Changing your usual starting point can lead to completely different songwriting ideas.
When you’re stuck for lyrics, look outside your head: use places, objects, conversations and sensory details as inspiration.
Writer’s block is the absolute worst. You open Ableton or Logic, put your headphones on, start a new project and wait for inspiration to strike. And... nothing.
But being blocked doesn’t always mean you’re out of ideas. Sometimes it means you have too many.
So instead of waiting for inspiration, try giving your brain something smaller to work with.
Here are five songwriting tips to help you break writer’s block and start making music again.
1. Start With the Title
A blank project gives you infinite possibilities, which is exactly why it can feel so overwhelming.
Try working backwards and start with the title instead.
Think of it as your creative GPS.
If your song is called “Last Train Home,” you already have a world to explore: who is leaving, where are they going, what happened before they got on the train, and how should the production feel?
Write down three possible titles and finish the sentence:
“This song is about…”
under each one.
Pick the idea that gives you the clearest emotion or image.
2. Write a Bad Song on Purpose
Sometimes writer’s block is really your inner critic showing up too early.
You write four chords and decide they’re too basic. You sing a melody and immediately hate it.
Set instead a timer for ten minutes and deliberately write the most cliché, basic song you can. Use an obvious chord progression, a simple melody and the first lyric that comes into your head.
The goal is to keep creating long enough to stop judging every idea before it has a chance to develop.
You can edit a bad idea.
3. Give Yourself Fewer Choices
Creative freedom sounds great until you have thousands of sounds, plugins and possibilities in front of you.
If you’re stuck, box yourself in.
Use only two chords. Pick one synth. Keep one drum loop. Give yourself 30 minutes to write a verse and chorus.
Constraints remove decisions and force you to focus on what you can do with the ingredients you already have.
Before your next session, set one simple rule and stick to it until you have an idea worth developing.
4. Change Your Starting Point
Most songwriters have a default way of beginning.
Maybe you always start with guitar, chords, lyrics or synth presets.
That’s fine until the same process keeps leading to the same results.
If you usually start with chords, begin with drums. If you start with lyrics, try a melody. If you always open a blank project, start with a voice memo or field recording.
If you usually produce first, try writing the chorus away from your computer.
5. Look Outside Your Head for Ideas
If you’re stuck for songwriting ideas, staring at a blank page and trying to think harder usually doesn’t help.
Give yourself something outside your own thoughts to react to.
Pick a place, photograph, conversation, object or a memory.
One easy exercise is a sensory grid: choose a setting and write down what you can see, hear and feel.
Instead of writing “I feel lonely,” you might describe an empty train platform, rain on the tracks and the sound of the final train leaving for example.
You can also try writing about missing someone without saying “I miss you,” writing from the perspective of time, using something you overheard as your first line, or imagining where someone you met once might be today.
Want to Start Producing But Not Sure Where to Start?
Final Thoughts
Writer’s block doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten how to write songs.
Sometimes you just need to make the next decision easier.
Start with a title, write something bad, limit your choices, change your process or look outside yourself for material.
And most importantly, stop expecting every new idea to prove that it deserves to become a great song before you’ve even given it ten minutes.
Your job today isn’t to write your masterpiece.
It’s to make something.
