[ShinyThang]

There's no pattern for me. What has worked for the last few sets of lyrics has been just having the radio or the telly on and getting on with household jobs whilst thinking about a lyric. The media sometimes 'suggests' a phrase or a word or a theme and having a mundane, familiar job to get on with seems to leave the mind free to ponder perhaps deeper than just sitting down and concentrating. Surprising but it can work.

[Caleb Rian]

Inspiration may come in a chord idea, a lyric, a object matter but I generally write all the music first chords and melody then work out the vowel placings by singing the melody and nonsense lyrics then I really listen to the music and unlock the code of what I was trying to say. From here I craft the lyric.

[4LF4LF]

Varies a lot song to song. Very rarely will I write something on guitar first.. but on a rare occasion I guess.

Most often I will start with a line, an idea of a line, but lyrics to me don't really exist without melody: so almost always I'll start with a lyric/melody. I usually start writing the song at the start of the song, so I'll be thinking of an intro, or an opening line, before anything else.

[Tracey Cracknell]

It really varies, sorry, I know that's not helpful. Usually at the moment it's the words, though sometimes it can be a chord progression that just brings words to mind. Often the chorus will come first, then I write some verses just to accompany it really :-) Some parts will go on the back burner, like I have loads of basslines that may one day be used, several choruses, and loads and loads of poems that may one day be songs. It's like having a box full of pieces from several different puzzles. I don't think there are any rules really, apart from that it should sound good to you as the creator ?