Songwriting veterans
 

Any advice/tips for someone just getting started?

Imitate your heroes. Follow the masters.

Kill false idols. Follow no man.

Build it up. Break it down.

Beg, Steal and Borrow.

If you mean writing lyrics then I recommend a good book as a starting point. Lyric writing is a craft and you need to learn the rules before you break them. Most people when starting will write about things they feel or experience and its not surprising love or lack of it is a common lyric topic. It is universal and we can express our emotion in words. However a skilled lyric writer can take any topic under the sun and write a lyric that is concise and relevant but more importantly use language that can touch the emotions of a listener even though as a writer they may have no emotions or feelings about the subject matter.

There are many books but not many which really address the nitty gritty details. I was fortunate to come across a really good one which I can recommend. Its called Successful lyric writing: A step by step course and workbook. Its by Sheila Davis and is published by Writers digest books. It is for complete beginner and takes you through all the basics. There is also The craft of lyric writing by the same author. Most independant reviews rate these books as the best in their field
Good luck!

Agreed. Also, figure out why you like your heroes so much, and take what you liked from them and incorporate it into your music. Ultimately, your voice is your own, not someone else's.

It's simple really... when you are inspired by something around you, one of two things will come to your mind first, and that is either a short line or a small little verse of music. What I do when I songwrite, is immediately build up on whatever came to me, and I write it down, or record it somehow (phone, scratch paper, whatever..). I think the key to making music is embracing the emotion that you feel, and not a thought or idea you came up with. Thoughts and ideas have finite beginnings and ends, but an emotion flows... and you want that flow in your music. Feel free to message me if you'd like some more input on what I think :)

In my personal opinion of songwriting, you CANNOT on read on how to do it, nor can anyone explicitly tell you how a song should be written--this ties in with the idea of it being a thought or an idea. It needs to come from the soul, as cliche as that sounds.. and it needs to roll off the tongue and come from YOUR well of inspiration, not someone else's. Here is a small sample of a verse in a song I have called, "Faceless Love"

Will you wait for me
Only time can set us free
Show your eyes, so I can see
True love the way it was meant to be

I was deeply moved by a film I saw when I wrote this song. It's a love song, but not a typical one that you would expect; it's about searching around the world for your second half, and rather a love song created for the one who you're destined to be with, but just haven't met yet. The reason why I chose this verse of the song, is because it mentions time--something that cages us temporarily, but something that is not eternally binding like love. There is nothing wrong with using common topics like love, heartbreak or grief and sorrow. What matters in your music is how you convey it.

I started off writing raps initially influenced by 2Pac. Also by the fact I was one of one of very few African kids where I grew up. Then I discovered Outkast. It changed my musical outlook. I wasn't scared to be myself. Plus I realised all the themes have basically been covered. By that I mean everyone has written a rap about love or sex. But how many have written about the pressures of losing your virginity from a male perspective? I am sure a number have, but that was a song I wanted to write, which I could not have done in my 2Pac days.