Now we get to my favorite part of The Plot Thickens: Focusing Your Songwriting Story Ideas. Here I’ll show you how it works in practice.
Spectrum Writing Grade 3 has this tip for organizing ideas. “… a cluster map is another good way to collect and organize ideas before you start writing” (25). We’ll use the cluster map to sort out the song’s details.
Let’s say that our lyrical subject revolves around a Saturday date. The subject should end up being your title, which you place at the beginning or end of the chorus. Then, we can use the five Ws to fill out the details of the couple’s get-together, and group the details on the “map” below.
- When: 6:00 – 9:00 am, Saturday, September 4th, 2021 (present time)
- Who: Meet our hero Jake, who has gotten up early to get his run out of the way. He has a special Saturday planned.
- What: After his run, he drives to meet Emily. As he listens to the radio, all he hears are love songs.
- Where: He arrives at the coffee shop on Long Island just outside the city. It makes a good halfway point between Jake and Emily’s places.
- Why: Jake has a special feeling about this girl and wants to see where it goes. Also, he likes a good mocha latte.
I chose a generic subject. However, it gives you an idea of how to brainstorm and organize your ideas. Come up with as many as you can. I’d rather have too many ideas than too few.
Using pictures can help with the brainstorming process. You will not use all your ideas. However, having a lot of ideas gives you more options for shaping your plot.