[Katie Wilson]

Where do you get your ideas from sometimes they come while I'm in the shower -other times cycling home on my bike from work , or is just anywhere xxx

[CaliaMoko]

Most of my ideas seem to pop into my head as I'm trying to go to sleep. I often don't get up to write them down, so they're lost forever. I like to think the good ones will come back....

[Martinswede]

The getting ideas and the being inspired to work with my music is two different things for me.
Sometimes I get a good idea for a song but it doesn't make me want to start writing.
Sometimes the opposite, I want to write but have nothing to write about/discard all previous ideas.

[Johnnyuk]

Hi Katie,
For me i used to believe that i could only ever write a song if inspiration hit me.
These days i don't believe that is the case at all.
Yes i have written songs from inspiration before but these days the more i write the more i understand that it isn't essential for me be inspired to write a song with meaning.

If you asked anyone here that knows me in the real world about writing a song they would tell you that i have been saying for years that i am going to write a song about my two dogs. I've done just that but it was a calculated decision, nothing about that song came from inspiration.

A good thing to do if you are feeling uninspired is to force yourself to write a song with no inspiration.
The more you do that you learn very quickly not just how much fun it is but how very natural it can be.
Write down at the top of your page a title. Lets say my title was....Broken glass.

Now i would think ok so what will the story be for this song title?
Then i would write down all the words that relate to my title even if it's only in a small way.
After gathering all those words i would then read through what i had collected and from those words i would then begin to see a storyboard and then write down my story.
Only after doing all of that am i ready to begin writing lyrics. I also sit at the piano at this stage and flush out the chord structure with basic block chords. I never try and do the entire song in one go. That will give me a migrane so i limit myself to 8 bar sections. I keep everything as simple as i can and allow the song to take it's own path over a few weeks adding a little more each time i work on it.
Once i have the basic structure down i then start looking at the arrangement. Do i need a beat? does it need brass etc... Again i write it all down over my lyrics. Doing it like this for me keeps me focused. Actually writing a song with no inspiration can be quite inspiring! lol

Johnny

[forth_loft]

My inspiration comes from everything basically. When I am in the right mood and happy, I will start creating sounds in my head and add some phrases that come to my mind. Then I start humming for quite some time and try to vibe with the excerpt. After that, I just write the text down or make a voice memo, and when I have the opportunity I come back and write the whole song in a few days or months. It's strange but works for me.

[redrhodie]

Most of my ideas seem to pop into my head as I'm trying to go to sleep. I often don't get up to write them down, so they're lost forever. I like to think the good ones will come back....

I'm the same way, except mine come as I'm waking up. Isn't that funny? I often grab my phone and record what I have, usually a few lyrics and a bit of melody. Sometimes I stay awake and keep adding to it if it makes sense. Other times I realize I've stolen Unchained Melody from the Righteous Brothers. Haha.

[Sterix]

I get inspiration from lots of things but the two main ones I would say are "other songs" and "an opening line/a couple of words".

With the former, I'll be merrily listening away to some songs and just get an inkling to write. Often the songs will give me ideas for something I'd like to write.

For the latter I'll sometimes feel in the mood to write and just open up notepad. I'll think of pretty much the first thing that comes into my head, start to sing it to myself (I seem to pick up a tune to fit the words and take it from there), and carry on writing from there. Some of my best songs have come that way.

My biggest problem is my inspiration tends to come late at night. I usually drop into bed about 2am for my usual 4-hours-if-I'm-lucky sleep but I sometimes end up with less because I'll find myself writing something that is really good (to my sleep-deprived brain) then and want to complete it!

[Wicked Deeds]

Inspiration is everywhere. It's always defined by what is happening in my life.  If I'm going through turmoil, it will be reflected in the melodies and words that I write. When my life is settled, I become more creative, my music becomes more inventive though not perhaps as emotional.  inspiration is everywhere.  I once stared at a book shelf filled with books and DVD's and immediately thought about the many roles that a successful actor plays.  It inspired me to write a song called "Leading Man" - "I could be a captain on the sea, a Marshall or a Roman Deity". Inspiration is everywhere. You've got to use your imagination and give your words and music real emotion by delivering an honest message that reflects something about your life and experiences.  Well, that's my approach.

Wicked.