One trick for finishing the songs you start is to write a lyric idea sketch. It takes just a few minutes, and it can save you a lot of trouble.

The goal of a song sketch is to begin gathering your thoughts about where the song’s going before you start writing — so that you have a clear starting point to work from.

Step 1: Sketch Your Song’s Lyric Idea

Writing a song sketch is easy enough.

Sketch your song idea in plain, unrhymed prose. State it plainly and roughly in a paragraph. Don’t worry about breaking the sketch up into rhyming lines, or anything like that. You’re not actually trying to write a finished lyric yet –just gathering your thoughts about the core lyric idea that will drive the song.

Worry about clever rhyme schemes and fancy wordplay later. For now, all you have to do is list out some things you want your song to say.

• What’s this song about?
• What’s the situation or the story you wish to tell?
• What feelings do you want to convey?

As an example, here’s a lyric idea sketch I used in the early stages of writing the song “Neighbor, Are you OK?”:

Friend, you seem really down lately. You seem to be withdrawing. I’m worried about your wellbeing. Are you okay?

The finished lyric didn’t end up containing those exact words. But the sketch did help me clarify the song’s idea, which makes the task of writing easier. With the basic message settled, I was free to focus on dramatizing that idea through two verses and a chorus using a variety of writing techniques. Here’s the finished chorus, complete with rhymes:

Hey there neighbor, are you okay?
Your window’s dark at night;
your shades are drawn during the day.
I don’t mean to bother you;
I just need to know you’re safe over there.
Hey there neighbor, are you okay?

While writing the first draft of the idea sketch, you might find freewriting helpful. Your goal for the first draft of an idea sketch is just to spill out all your ideas, thoughts, and feelings about the song’s intended topic in no particular order.

Step 2: Rewrite Your Song Sketch as Needed

It may take time to decide exactly what story you want your lyric to tell, or what ideas and feelings to express. Don’t feel pressured to get your sketch perfect on the first try! You can write as many drafts as you need. While rewriting, you might:

• Add new ideas
• Cross things out
• Replace sentences
• Rearrange sentences

In this way, you can rewrite your song’s core idea until you’ve got enough material for at least two verses and a chorus.

Once you’re satisfied with the sketch, you can use that concept to explore possibilities for the actual lyric and music.

Return to the Lyric Idea Sketch as Needed

Whenever you feel lost in the many details of writing your song, refer back to your idea sketch and refocus on the song’s core idea and emotional tone. It’ll help keep you focused on the song’s meaning, and keep your song from wandering this way and that.

The end result is an easier writing experience for the songwriter (that’s you) and a more cohesive listening experience for the audience. It’s a win for everyone, and I hope you’ll give it a try.

sketch by paul pod