10 songs in 2 days - An exercise that brought descriptive depth to my writing, and will to yours too

... with song sketch examples, ofc! 🙄

If you’ve read my previous posts (hello, friend!), you’ll know that I’ve spoken about writing in flow and creating music that goes a little off-script. I talked about divorcing digestibility to be unapologetically yourself when it comes to creating your songs.

If you haven’t read either of those, all good. I see you. You’re here for a fun time, not a long time, and I respect that! Hopefully, this’ll give you something practical to go away and work on in your own music, and who knows, maybe we’ll be friends by the end of it!

Okay, serious face. 🧐. Let’s get into it.

For this post, I want to dig into more of the depth in songwriting — because having flow and ability to create fun structures is one thing, but if you don’t have the fundamentals honed in at the source, the song won’t connect, which, ultimately, is what we’re trying to do (unless you’re purely making music for yourself and your grandma — in which case, by all means, as you were!).

Here, I’ll be sharing an exercise focused specifically on descriptors when writing. In other posts, I’ll dig into melodic structures and other elements — and as always, I’ll use songs alongside the examples (that’s the goal anyway!).

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A biscuit before the tea…

I predominantly write songs about my experiences, my inner world and the processes I’m moving through.

But I also write songs about absolutely anything and everything. I watch films and write songs about the scenes that hit me, phrases or quotes in books that spark ideas (where are my romantasy lovers at? 😏), relationships between characters, emotions, and conversations I overhear in coffee shops. I use themes and objects, locations and concepts. Like I said, anything and everything!

My point in blabbering on about this is that, as songwriters, we can use what’s around us and influencing us at our disposal. (I hear some of you going “duh,” but for others stuck in a rut or in a writing block, this may not be obvious!)

If you have one way of writing and it’s the only way you write, your music will become ‘samey’. Do you want to be ‘samey’?!

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and writing in a way you don’t usually opt for will give you more tools to pull from and more interesting ways of doing things. Basically, it’ll make you well-rounded as an artist and songwriter — especially if writing with other people is something you’re doing or aim to do (which, in all honesty, regardless of who you are, you should do; with unique perspectives and creative ideas, songs have more of an interesting journey and character AND it develops your skill as a writer as a byproduct of the process).

A recent songwriting camp had me in this exact situation. I deliberately threw myself into a space with writers far more established than me to get niiiice and uncomfortable — all so that I could get better at the craft (which, when applying, I genuinely didn’t know if I’d even be accepted, so here’s your nudge to put yourself forward for things you don’t feel qualified for in the name of growth and opportunity. It might just be your self-saboteur holding you back!).

I want to share an exercise we worked on, and a few of the song sketches (ru-hu-huufff sketches) from the outcome, so that you, too, can dig deeper into finding more depth within your writing.

As you’ve probably guessed — especially if you’ve read my previous posts — I’m obsessed with music that has meaning. Give me that juicy, vulnerable goodness with raw emotion, and I’m yours. What’s amazing about this exercise is that it’s SO rooted in creating songs with meaning that you can’t not be vulnerable. So be warned — turn back now if you’re not ready to go deep.

Are you ready???

I SAID, ARE YOU READY?!!! (And the crowd goes wiiiild)

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….

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Okay, I’m sorry I’m sorry. Let’s continue.

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Step One…

The first step is to get clear on your deepest longings, goals, desires and wants out of life (and bear with me because it might feel totally unrelated, but I promise it’s not). As is the case in all things, getting clarity is always a good place to start.

So, spend undistracted time writing out 25 of your deepest dreams, goals, and longings (super important — no screens, naughty!). Be real with yourself and don’t hold back. Once you have those down, reflect on what you’ve written and write 25 more so that you end with 50 in total.

Once this is finished, circle the top 5 — the ones that call out to you the most and have the most energy around them.

• This step was interesting for me because I noticed specific themes around my goals. There were 5 clear headings, with specific ‘wants’ as subheadings. (E.g., ‘financial stability/abundance’ as a heading, with ‘creating music being my main source of income’ as a subheading, along with other subheadings that fit into that category.)

Once the top 5 were down, we had to dig into a core memory linked to each longing/goal/dream.

Where did it stem from? When do you remember wanting or longing for this? Is there a specific memory linked to it? Is there an object or place tied to it? How about location details? Where were you when this happened?

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Step Twooo…

Write out 2 stories for each of your 5 longings — and be specific with the details and descriptors (remember, these are what we’re leaning into here!!).

• 1 story should be about a memory/experience/location.

• The other should be about an object/thing.

You’ll end up with 10 stories in total.

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Step Three…

Now… I’m sure you get where this is going, but the next step is to write a song based on each story. Due to the timeframe and setting I was in, we were told to focus only on a verse and a chorus for each one.

I had 2 days to write 10 songs — while working my full-time job. So, if you want to give yourself a time deadline, I recommend doing the same. It’s tough, sure, but you’re tougher 😉.

That’s not saying the stress I felt to get these done wasn’t overwhelming, especially as I don’t usually focus on descriptors as the driving element of a song. But let me tell you something: the way I showed up to power through the night was like a sweet little moth to a flame. Something came alive, and I was so focused that the sabotaging, self-conscious BS didn’t have space to stick its naughty nose in.

When we focus on an aligned goal and decide to show up for it wholeheartedly, something in our brain fires up. If we want something enough, we’ll find a way to make it happen. We become unstoppable.

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Now… let’s take a second to be real.

Are these songs all world-class, Grammy winners? Absolutely not (I’d love it if they were). But, did I learn a ton about myself and my capacity as a writer, as well as discover a new tool to add to the kit and an interesting way of creating? 10000%.

But most importantly… did I get gruesomely uncomfortable and grow in the process? You betcha.

It’s also worth noting that, as a ‘non-producer/basic splice connoisseur’, this was an exercise and challenge for me to create without the help or assistance of Chris (my partner and producer, who, yes, I’ve mentioned in both posts, and who, yes, am I clearly obsessed with because I keep bringing him up 🤦‍♀️).

I found ways to move through the excuses of ‘not having a track’ or ‘not knowing how to produce,’ and got resourceful. I didn’t have time to dilly-dally, so I used Beatstars and searched for ‘Alt-Pop/Holly Humberstone type beats’ as well as ‘indie pop song starters’ on Splice that I could loop and record to. I recorded in the office corner of my lounge late into the night on my SM7B; the time crunch and point of the exercise was the writing, not my production, recording, and engineering abilities.

Once I found a bunch of ideas I liked, I worked through the list and got to work.

A couple of memories stood out, so I focused on those first.

Okay. Deep breath... Time to get vulnerable.

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The Result

I won’t bore you with a long list of songs, so I’ll just share 3 of my faves. Most of the longings that held the most energy around were wanting financial stability/abundance (as I mentioned above) and longing for a community of incredible people around me.

Growing up in a place of scarcity with a lack of financial stability, owning the ‘starving artist’ brand for maaanny years, as well as being ostracised during my formative teen years, gave me visceral memories to dig up and work with (wait… can you hear those tiny violins too?! 🎻).

… Cue the heartbreakingly beautiful music (as my wonderful friend

phephi

worded it)

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Song 1.

This song was based around the pub I lived above in London for many years — working late nights, gigging with Chris (oop, there he is again), and wondering if we’d ever make it out. The pub was pretty rough, and that’s probably putting it nicely. It was more of an after-party hotspot than a home. So the focus for this song was the location.

(P.S. Yes, the Beatstars tag is still in it because, like I said, we’re not out here making excuses — we’re getting the dang thing done and focusing on the writing okaaay?)

Keys quiet

In the dark with flicking lights

Eyes tired

Mind the creaking, ripped-up floor

Pass a stranger in the hall, a dusty nose like falling snow

Stale smoke fills the musty air

When will we get out of this

Top floor

Cardboard curtains, drunk-filled streets

Shut off, hold the world out, 5 hours sleep

Sinking mattress on the floor

The restless wolf still at my door

Pins me breathless, pain and never peace

I’ll be deep in my darkness

Hoping the hole will swallow me whole

The endlessness of worry stains my cheeks

Then you’re there

Your calloused hands gentle through the air

Wake the silence with the words that hold me

Bring me back my steady-hearted home

We’ll make it through, you’re not alone

Song 2

The next one, I went a little off-script to explore the feeling of checking your bank account and being in the red (quite literally). The object was the phone/banking app, and the dreaded ‘insufficient funds’ notification not disappearing, regardless of how much you swipe to refresh.

Sweaty palms lace my phone

I hope I’m in a daydream

Fingerprint, refresh again

And pray the answer changes

But you

Fill the screen like a warning sign

Oh you

Hold me in perpetuating danger

Catch my breath

There’s no way I can pretend

Deep in red

Has me standing on the edge

Cause I tried and I tried to make it work

But you’ve burnt a hole so deep, I guess I’m facing what I deserve

Wishful thinking had me falling

Down the well of no returning

I can’t see a way out

Yup, suuuper fun and lighthearted. I know. But I did warn you, remember?!

Moving on to the final song, this time, based around community.

Song 3

Now, this memory was such a niche situation and a big ‘ol traumatic time of my life, so I knew very few people would relate if I laid it bare. Instead, I wanted to write a song that still felt accessible and open to interpretation while being anchored in that memory. Like the first song, this was location-based, focused around the room I was held up in at the time.

You probably won’t get ‘community’ from the song (I’d be gobsmacked if you did, honestly), and that’s okay — that wasn’t the goal. The goal was to be descriptive and to write a song tied to meaning.

Staring up at the ceiling, tracing where it all went wrong

Empty bed in the bare back room

I wonder if you’ve called

As I watch the seasons in one day

Cars go past and the windows shake

Darkness sets like a musty scent

Cloaked in loathing for myself again

When will it end

So tear me down like the wallpaper

That’s ripped apart in the top corner

Hide the rotting just below

Hoping no one ever knows

I’m holding on just like that rip

Suffocating in my sin

Oh what would I give

If I could start again

Oh what would I give

To not suffocate in my sin

Okay. We probably need an audible exhale and a good shake-off after those incredibly uplifting lyrics we’ve just gone through. I promise I do write happier, more uplifting songs too! 🫠

But I hope that by hearing more of the process, you can see how diving deep into imagery in lyrics can be such a powerful exercise to integrate into your music. It adds another layer and makes things so much more interesting.

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To Recap (because yes, that was A LOT).

Step 1

• Be undistracted (very important — no phones or screens, get your dusty notebook out!).

• Write 25 longings, reflect, write 25 more.

• Circle your top 5.

Step 2

• Write 2 stories for each longing, focusing on the descriptors and details — resulting in 10 stories total:

  • 1 around a memory, experience, or location.

  • 1 around an object or ‘thing’.

Step 3

• Write a song based on each of these stories.

• Keep it simple — just a verse and chorus.

• Don’t overthink production or engineering — the focus is on the writing, the story, and the connection.

Step 4

• Congratulate yourself on being a badass for working on your craft intentionally, stretching your comfort zone and hopefully, leaving with some song sketches you’re proud of and could develop further.

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I know this is long (turns out, I’m a chin-wagger), so I’ll wrap it up quick.

If you try this out, please share it and tag me — I’d love to hear what you create. I know it’s scary to be vulnerable (my heart’s racing as I write this, let alone when I hit ‘post’), but doing scary things is how we grow.

If this resonated with you in any way, shape or form, drop a comment and let me know. And if you want to follow along on this journey — where I share more songs from my hard drive graveyard and processes you can follow too — hit that big orange button below.👇

I appreciate you more than you know. Thank you for being here.

Keep creating with your wild and wonderful heart; the world needs it.

Until next time ✨