On this page you’ll find songwriting prompts – especially lyric writing prompts, since that’s the main topic here at The Lyric Writer’s Workroom.
You don’t need to wait for inspiration to strike. You can just write. Not sure what to write? Just choose a prompt and get started. Trust the writing process. Write something—anything—and you greatly increase your chances of stumbling into a great lyric idea.
Alright, we’ve procrastinated long enough. Go for it: Pick one of the lyric writing prompts below and get busy. Hopefully these prompts give you the kick-start you need to start a new song… because nothing feels better than writing a new song.
Update January 13, 2020: Improvements to this page (and all of the songwriting prompts offered here) are underway!
Core Lyric & Song Writing Prompts
⏱ 5 minutes
This is a fast-paced writing exercise that allows you to start writing instantly, whether you’ve got writer’s block or not.
⏱ 5 minutes
Pen compelling descriptions that will stimulate your listener’s senses and draw her deep into the world of your lyric.
⏱ 30+ minutes.
Use imagery and music together to immerse yourself in the perfect mood for songwriting. We’ll stretch out a bit more in this songwriting prompt and give ourselves time to explore.
More Songwriting Prompts and Ideas
11 Places to Find Fresh Song Ideas When You Haven’t Got a Clue— Want to ensure a steady, sustainable stream of new lyric ideas? Go to the source with these 11 tips.
How to Write Lyrics for an Instrumental Track—Got a piece of music that you need to write lyrics for? No problem.
Lyric Writing Exercises: a 5-Day Workshop—Guest post by Maria Rainier. Much to my consternation, Maria’s prompts have been far more popular than any of my own. 😀 Great job, Maria.
Shake a Tail Feather: How to Use Body Language in a Lyric—As writers, we hear this advice often: “Show, don’t tell. Show, don’t tell. Show, don’t tell.” But what about those times when we want to show what’s going on inside of a character’s head and let the audience know how that character is feeling?
The Hangman’s Book of Love Poetry—Write a song about a villain with redeeming qualities in this lyric writing prompt.
Want more songwriting tips? Click here to visit the Lyric Writer’s Workroom blog.