ANWA exists to give support to LDS women who want to write. Come to the retreat in Thatcher July 8-9-10. We have loads of learning and fun lined up. The strength of ANWA is that we gain strength from each other.

This month's theme is songwriting—my favorite. I'll begin by telling Lorin Wheelwright's story about meeting a friends who had composed a song (Brother Wheelwright wrote three hymns in our LDS hymnal.).

"What have you done with your song?" Brother Wheelwright asked.

The friend said, "It is in my piano bench."

Surprised, Brother Wheelwright said, "I wrote a song and made copies and passed them out to all my friends."

Which one of these men magnified the talent the Lord gave him? Do you have a buried talent in your piano bench or notebook?

I am assuming we all have the desire to express ourselves through words. If this wasn't true we wouldn't be members of ANWA. Poetry is one expression. Lyrics are poetry, and combined with music, they are the best expression of all. Dr. Ralph Woodward, who taught choir at BYU for many years, often said, "A picture is worth a thousand words, but a song is worth so much more."

Here are a few basic principles we should know about lyric writing:

• Songs rhyme 98% of the time. Rhyme is pleasing and satisfying to the ear. Rhyming is singer-friendly and makes the song easier to learn and memorize.
• Here a few basic principles we should know about lyric writing.
• Songs rhyme 98% of the time. Rhyme is pleasing and satisfying to the ear. Rhyming is singer-friendly and makes the song easier to learn and memorize.
• Avoid trite rhymes such as love-above, you and me-eternity, and moon-June. If you find a trite rhyme or a cliche in your lyrics, rewrite.
• Use complete sentences and flowing thoughts. Just as in good exposition, sentences should be well written and in a logical order. Disjointed thoughts make restless listeners.
• Avoid filler-words that you would throw out of proses. If your lyrics are weak; rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Trust in inspiration, but even inspiration can be refined into a stronger message. Inspiration is only the jump-start.
• Meter is a must. If you hand your lyrics to a composer and you haven’t worked out the meter, the composer will have to modify your words. If you want to avoid being offended--work out the meter beforehand. Read your lyrics aloud and clap along. If you have to work to fit all the words into the rhythm, modify and simplify until it flows smoothly.
• Make sure your lyrics are singable. This is another “flow” must. Some words don’t sing well. Use soft consonants and round vowel sounds. Avoid archaic words such as thee and thou, (unless it is a prayer) thrice, thence and other words we don’t use in everyday language. (Sometimes these words can lend to humor if that is your goal.)
• Study hymns to learn about phrasing. Usually a song has four four-measure phrases. Look at hymn #2 in the LDS hymnbook; four phrase verses followed by the four phrase chorus. Most hymns don’t have choruses because the chorus is a twentieth century invention and the traditional hymn came to be long before.
• The chorus says what the song is about. You want people to remember your song and go home singing the chorus. It is what the listener will remember about your song.

Don’t be afraid to put your own melody to your words. You, the lyricist, knows what the melody should sound like. Get it in your head. A song that you can sing from memory is a real song. Then, if you don’t have the skills yourself, take it (your words on paper and your melody in your head) to a musical friend who can help write it down. Next, ask a composer to write a simple accompaniment.

Don’t stop there. Share your song. I’d like to share mine with you at http://www.joansowards.com