People always ask me about my songwriting process. Which comes first, the lyric or the melody? Is there a system you use to write your songs? Do you write everyday? When I tell them that it's different each time and that I tend to let the inspirational chips fall where they may, they usually say, "Wow, I wish I could do that," to which I respond, "You can!" You see, there isn't a specific method to writing a song. Sure, you can learn techniques to encourage creativity as well as the theory behind the song itself, but the fact is that everyone is born a natural songwriter, they just don't usually let that writer come out.
Think about kids or try to remember yourself as a child. Did you ever have a favorite song that would get stuck in your head but didn't know all of the lyrics? I'm guessing you may have made some up on your own at least a time or two to fill the gaps. That's lyric writing! Sure, you won't be winning any songwriting contests by altering existing lyrics, but you can use existing melodies as a starting point and see where it takes you.
Want to learn more about how to let your inner songwriter come out? Sign up for a Write it Out Workshop and let's make some music together!