Just to avoid confusion, when I say songwriting, I’m basically referring to music with lyrics rather than musical compositions that rely solely on notes. That being said, songwriting is not something that I do often, simply because thinking of words to go with my compositions just doesn’t appeal to me; however, I thought these few tips would be helpful.
Tip #1: Use someone else’s words
If you’re simply horrible at making up lyrics, but really want to create a song with words, I suggest looking up some good poetry written by a famous poet like John Keats or Tennyson. Once you’ve learned to put words to music, making up your own lyrics later will come more naturally. It’s easier to create and practice if the words are already there for you.
Tip #2: Don’t get carried away
Make sure that your desire to compose a good song doesn’t overwhelm a good melody. Essentially, if you get carried away and start going crazy on the ornamentation and extra flourishes, you might pull away from the melody of the song, which also diminishes the lyrics. In fact, people might have trouble finding the melody. Obviously, you don’t want to create any composition where the melody is completely lost, but I’ve found particularly that when I’m attempting to songwrite, it’s hard to hit that spot where the melody and lyrics are being emphasized without making the song too simplistic.
Tip #3: Write out the lyrics
Okay, this might seem super obvious, but it’s something that I almost never do. I just figure I’ll somehow remember the lyrics I’m creating as I’m currently composing. Don’t do this! That is, don’t do it, unless you’re somehow really smart and can remember everything. Whenever you think of lyrics you like, jot them down, then continue. It will save you time and discouragement in the end. I also have a link to an article that actually gives some good ideas about writing just the lyrics of a song, so check it out!
Basics of Creating Music 
Your post is very organized and easy to read! Thanks for the great tips!
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