[NataliesLyrics]

New here. Hi everyone!
My Name is Natalie, Im 18 and i live in the UK
I Wrote my first lyrics when i was 9 and sang and played them since last year (when i bought a guitar) I have wrote well over 100 songs. .. i always find inspiration. I always know what to write about. I have never had any trouble writing a song, it comes so naturally to me but i think i have writers block. I'm not sure. Maybe i can't write songs anymore. i don't know i really hope not because songwriting is the only thing that makes me happy. It's who i am. but it's been 4 months and i have not wrote one song. I try. I sit down and try to write a song but i can't think of anything to say. I don't know what to write. It's like my mind has gone blank. The words won't come out.

any tips? advice or anything is appreciated. xx

[hofnerite]

It happens to every songwriter. Don't doubt yourself, for every period of writers block, there's a great song that you will write.

Take a newspaper/magazine and choose a headline at random. what does it mean? what could it mean? Could it be the basis of a story? could you invent a character to do whatever it says in the headline? Does the headline have an alternative meaning? could it be about something else entirely? Could it be the line of a song?

For me, a simple phrase or film title or headline can help me write a song. Maybe not the first one you see but you will get the hang of it and it could get you out of this period of writers block.

[massa]

Hi there Natalie, nice to meet you.

Firstly, don't think of it as a block, more of a slight inconvenience. Know that it'll pass. 

Tricky question. I don't really like the idea of the whole pick a headline from a newspaper, I find it hard. Maybe you read good newspapers hofnerite though and not tabloid tat. I appreciate what doesn't work for me may work tremendously well for others, so give it a go.

I find it helpful for writers block to look at other peoples (your friends) lives and see if you can write a story about that. Or when in conversation or even when eavesdropping in a shop or on a train listen in to other peoples conversations and see if you can hear a good phrase used that would make a good title etc.

Another favourite option of mine is to read a book, and get infatuated with the characters. Then write something based on what those characters is going through.

Even if what you come out with isn't good, at least that keeps you writing, and you will feel a bit better.

[tone]

It's OK to have dry spells in your journey as a songwriter. You can't expect yourself to churn out song after song after song. I've gone much longer in between songs on more than one occasion, but I never doubted that I could write songs. You can't lose the ability.

If you're not writing, that's fine. Take some time to just live your life. Go for a walk, read some books. Don't pressure yourself. Catch up with friends and family, visit a new place, discover something new that you've never done before. The songs will flow again in due course.

Some other great advice from the other members on this thread, too

And welcome to the forum Natalie

[tone]

And in a beautiful illustration of synchronicity at work, the very next thing I found after I commented on this thread was this article http://www.austinkleon.com/2011/03/30/how-to-steal-like-an-artist-and-9-other-things-nobody-told-me/

Read it! It's perfect.