Songwriting

Who Can Stop You From Writing Songs?

by Marty Dodson
Jan 22, 2022

“Who can stop you from writing songs?”

I think that’s a valid question for every songwriter to ask themselves from time to time.

On occasion, I hear songwriters say things like… “It’s not really worth writing a song if I can’t get a publisher to listen.” Or “Why bother writing another song no one will ever hear?” Or even “It’s so hard to get on the Billboard Charts or make money with music these days.”

When I hear those comments I challenge the writers to examine their motivation for writing.

So, I’ll ask you the same questions I ask them.  Maybe they will cause you to think about your own motivation.

Would you keep writing if you knew you’d never make a dollar with your music?

  • Is your motivation solely based on money, or would you keep writing for other reasons even if it never paid off?
  • Could lack of publisher interest make you give up?  Do you really want to give them that much power?
  • Does the size of the potential audience for your music factor in to your decision to write?  If you play your song for someone you love and THEY love it, is that as satisfying as 60,000 people you don’t know hearing it at a concert?  If few people ever hear your songs, does that make them less valuable or meaningful in your life?
  • Is your interest in writing affected by how hard or easy it is to get a song cut?  If it’s hard, do you just quit, or do you work harder?

So, I ask you, “Who can stop you from writing songs?”

The answer I’d like to suggest is that there is only 1 person in the world who can stop you.  Look in the mirror and you’ll see their pretty face.  If you want to write songs – if writing songs feeds your soul – if you will keep writing songs no matter what comes your way, then you are on the road to a happy fulfilling songwriting journey. It’s all about a healthy songwriter’s mindset.

Success in the music business generally comes to those who are on THAT journey, not those who are chasing money, or fame or an easy career.

If you set your mind to it, you’re unstoppable.  That’s good news in my book.

Write on! MD

Marty Dodson

Marty Dodson

Marty Dodson is a multi #1 songwriter, co-founder of SongTown, and co-author of  The Songwriter’s Guide To Mastering Cowriting and Song Building: Mastering Lyric Writing

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