Song Maps - Workbook

By Simon Hawkins

This Workbook is an accompaniment to my book Song Maps – A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics. In the book, I set out clear, actionable steps for identifying the potential of a title before you even think about rhyme schemes and melodies. As you assimilate Song Mapping into your writing workflow, your songwriting will shift away from tentative, self-conscious, inhibited writing to strong, bold, intentional and vulnerable writing that does full justice to your original ideas, ultimately allowing you to make the impact you deserve as a songwriter. 

The aim of this Workbook is to give you exercises to help you bed down the principles and lessons contained in the book, helping you to make Song Mapping an integral part of your songwriting workflow.

By the end of this Workbook you will have: 

• Understood and practiced how Song Maps can help you write seven titles in seven different ways. 
• Made a start on building your 'Idea Catalogue' having prepared eight writable ideas (i.e. Title plus Song Map) and built a bank of 12 Song Maps for you to take into your next writing session or co­-write. 

Given that this guide has been designed as a companion to Song Maps – A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics I would suggest you read the book to get a full explanation of the principles and processes required before attempting the exercises in this Workbook. 


The Song Maps in this Workbook start simple and become more challenging as it progresses. If you find yourself lost at any point, I strongly suggest you go back to the book and familiarize yourself with the relevant section of the text. 


• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon Hawkins
• Release date: Apr 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201813444

Book preview

Song Maps Workbook

Song Maps Workbook

Simon Hawkins

Great British Book Publishing, London

Second Edition

Copyright © 2020 by Simon Hawkins

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Published by Great British Book Publishing, London.

Contents

Introduction

Exercise 1 – Collecting Titles

Exercise 2 – Tension/Response

Exercise 3 - Problem/Declaration

Exercise 4 - Timezones

Exercise 5 - Places

Exercise 6 - Roles

Exercise 7 - Twist

Exercise 8 – Literal/Figurative

Exercise 9 – Find Additional Maps

Exercise 10 – Combining Two Song Maps

Exercise 11 – Altering a Song Map

Exercise 12 – Other Song Forms

Exercise 13 – Advanced Song Mapping

Exercise 14 – The Songwriter’s Secret Weapon

Exercise 15 – Create Your Writable Idea Bank

Concluding Remarks

About the Author

Also by Simon Hawkins

*** HELP! ***

Introduction

Welcome to the Song Maps Workbook!

This the second edition of the Song Maps Workbook, which is an accompaniment to my book Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics. In the book, I set out clear, actionable steps for identifying the potential of a title before you even think about rhyme schemes and melodies. As you assimilate Song Mapping into your writing workflow, your songwriting will shift away from tentative, self-conscious, inhibited writing to strong, bold, intentional and vulnerable writing that does full justice to your original ideas, ultimately allowing you to make the

Reviews for Song Maps - Workbook

[Mike B · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book gives you a workable starting point to write lyrics. While working on my last song all I had was the music. No title and no theme. I listen to the music and I thought to my self this song feels like a summer song. Using the first map in the book I was able to map a verse and a Chorus. Wow from nothing it all came together, I recommend this book to any song writer, if you would like to add repeatable forms/maps to your song writing. Excellent book.