For many songwriters, writing songs is like therapy. This is especially true for me. I tend to be an introvert and therefore I don't always want to tell someone how I feel. I would rather just grab my guitar and play a chord progression that captures my mood and then begin writing a song. When I'm done, not only do I feel better, but I also have a unique and original song that is very honest and genuine.....and that is priceless.

So, how exactly do I go about writing a song when I have something on my mind? I'll map it out for you in a three step process below. Remember, this isn't an exhaustive and end all means to songwriting. It's just an outlined approach that can be tweaked any way you like.

Grab a Pen and Paper

This is usually how I like to begin writing when I have something on my mind or something to get off of my chest. I grab a pen and paper and start writing down EVERYTHING I am feeling at the moment. I don't hold back and sugar coat anything. Good or bad, I write it down.

Once I have written down how I feel. I start organizing my thoughts. This is a more difficult process because as a songwriter, you have get outside yourself and write thoughts in a manner that makes sense to someone hearing them for the first time. I do this by writing out sentences explaining the emotions I previously wrote down. Not only does this allow me to explain myself, but it also sets the structuring/arrangement part of the song in motion.

Now that my thoughts are organize, I separate and arrange them into verse/chorus/bridge sections depending on how they fit and make sense within the songs arrangement. This again will take some time, so don't rush this process. Make sure that all the lyrics make sense and are understandable to your audience.

Grab a Guitar

Now that the hardest part (in my opinion) is over, grab a guitar or whatever instrument you play. If you don't play an instrument, find someone to collaborate with. Start working out a chord progression that captures the tone and mood of the song. Figure out how your musical arrangement will work and you play along. Again, don't rush this process, really listen to the sound of the chords as you play them and make sure they speak to the lyrics.

Once you have your music in place, start phrasing out your words by humming them in a melody. This is the funnest part for me. You have plenty of creative freedom here so really make the phrasing and melody interesting and unique.

Sing that Song

Once you have worked through the entire arrangement and gotten your melody and lyrical phrasing worked out, begin to practice singing the song the way you want it to be sung. Put some character and emotion into your singing and really give it some originality. Sometimes that's the secret to a great song, singing it with lots of character.

After you've practiced the song and have it down, share the song with others. Even if you don't record the song you should at least let someone else hear the song and appreciate your work. Writing songs is not only therapy for the writer, but in many cases the writer speaks on behalf of many others without even trying too, and thus the song becomes therapy for the listeners as well.