But it's so much fun.

I usually start with a concept. If it's a song, as in, with words, I come up with a brief piano accompaniment that fits the concept. Then I start writing a few lyrics while playing the accompaniment. Then I let loose and keep playing and improvising. When I've a basic "draft", I go back and start tweaking it until I'm happy with it.

1. Write lyrics
2. Hate lyrics
3. Write more lyrics
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until something decent is found
5. Pick up guitar
6. Play it with random chords
7. Think the lyrics sound awful and pretentious and hate it
8. Start over
9. Never get anything I actually like because of steps 1-8 perpetually looping