Everyone has a different approach when it comes to songwriting. Some people need to have a particular tune or 'riff' in their heads first - something to write around, while for others the music can come later. Whatever method you use, at some point we all end up facing the same dilemma... what to write about? Ugh! The dreaded writers block. Some days we're just not inspired enough to write, so it is put off until later.

The best way to keep the creative juices flowing is to establish some sort of writing routine. Even if you're not in the mood to write, just sitting down (or taking a walk) and getting your head into that "writing place" is sometimes all you need. Forcing yourself to write? You think, Hows that going to work? Give it a chance and you may be very surprised at what you come up with. It doesnt have to be a set time or day, just try to manage a little time, whether it's one or two days a week, or ten minutes to half an hour a day, and you may find yourself ending up 'in the mood to write' after all. It may sound stupid, but pick a topic to write about. Yes, it could be something as simple as the weather, or whatever mood you're in, or think back to past experiences, or pick up a book or a magazine and find a word or phrase that makes it easy for you to get started writing. Before you realize it, you may be writing about something completely different, but it was that one 'stupid' thing that got you over the hump!

A great idea is to keep a journal or little notebook. Something that you can keep nearby in case an idea creeps up unexpectedly. An idea may come to you and you don't have the time to start writing. But if you can jot down a few lines, it will make it much easier to pick up later and expand on it, instead of trying to search for the words that came to you yesterday.

Keeping a personal journal is a good way to come up with ideas without even trying. If you would rather not have a journal lying around, keep one on your computer, password protected. Personal journals keep your most intimate thoughts and emotions, the basis for many, many songs. If you find it hard to start, just make entries short, thoughts of the day, things youve done, what you thought about it, and before long the entries become longer and longer. When you look back at what youve written, you may find some nice ideas.

Remember that writing takes practice, just like many other things in life, and you cannot expect to get any better at it, without making the effort to write more often.