What should I do if I can’t finish a song I am writing?
I have felt for a long time that a songwriter should finish writing the song they are writing to get to the next song they are going to write. But sometimes a song doesn’t get finished. And when this happens, we songwriters tend to suffer a bit. We ponder should I finish the song or start this new one which is brewing inside of me. And, it is not unusual for new song idea to pop into your head at the same time that you are writing another song.
So, what to do? From my experience, it really pays to finish one song at a time. You will find that it is a much more effective way of improving your craft. And, if you are a person who doesn’t finish things, songwriting is the perfect way to help you work on your flawed personality trait. Ouch! When a new song idea pops into your head while you are writing another one, just take a moment, jot down the idea and come back to it.
Songs don’t get finished because:
*You don’t know enough about what you are writing about. You can’t write about what you don’t know about. Song Tip Tuesday #2
*You have second thoughts about the song’s subject which makes it less interesting to you then when you first were compelled to write it. Your passion for writing the song went away.
My advice is to move on to your next song idea when you can’t finish the song you are writing. You might feel badly about not finishing the current one, but it doesn’t mean you can’t go back to it at some time in the future. You can return to it at any time and work it further. As you experience more of life’s ups and downs, you might find that these twists and turns influence your ability to complete your unfinished song. So, for now, let’s say that your unfinished song is resting quietly until you kiss it and wake it up. Ooo!
The art of writing is rewriting. Randy Klein
