Let me introduce my credentials. I draw my inspiration from copious quantities of reading, of listening to music, and of going to concerts.

There is a mix of experience and technique that I bring to bear on my own writing. My two strongest areas are in song lyrics and poetry. I bring a poetic sensibility to other works but am not bound to. It does help, however, in providing you, the reader, with a good combination of expert tips and insights into the process.

I can write on practically any subject, but I arrived at this point through much trial and error, many broken conceits. I don’t need time to write. I don’t lack for inspiration. I can write to order if the request is general i.e. write me snippets for a musical on a tabloid banning a reality TV star. There’s no way in hell I’d want to do that. But I could.

I like pieces to be filled with the kind of lines that one can chew over; build patterns with. Poems that act like gifts to the reader when they spot another layer.
But equally I could write you a dozen songs called I Love You.

II

I think, just as it useful to step out on stage the movements and interaction of the characters in a play you’re writing, it is helpful to be able to sing (at least in your head) your song lyrics.

Singing is a whole other discipline but it can feed into your songwriting enterprise. It will help if your singing is matured to the point where you are tracking the significance of what you are singing about, rather than dragging the words into a sloppy pastiche of your idol(s). It is natural to begin with emulating the singing styles and/or lyrical panache of the artistes you look up to but the real revelation comes at the point when you realise you have your own style. And this style is not affected, but natural.