Storytelling workshop - How to take your songwriting to the next level

You've probably come across the term storytelling before. But do you know what it means and how you can use storytelling specifically for your own songwriting? In this Storytelling Workshop, you will learn what storytelling is and how you can use it for yourself. As the workshop is practice-oriented, you can implement the method directly and use it for your own songwriting process. Sounds good, doesn't it? All you need is a little time, some writing and you're ready to go.

Storytelling workshop overview

1. What is storytelling?
2. The big W questions in storytelling
3. The question of "who?"
4. The question of "what?"
5. The question of "when?"
6. The question of "where?"
7. The question of "why?"
8. Divide your story into three main narrative elements
9. Convert your narrative elements into lyrics

What is storytelling?

To start the storytelling workshop, let's first look at what exactly storytelling is. Storytelling is a method in which information is conveyed through the use of fictional or actually experienced stories.

The point is that stories (in contrast to purely factual information) are particularly well received and can be remembered due to their visual and emotional nature. Nowadays, storytelling is used in many different areas. These range from knowledge transfer, marketing, journalism and art to psychotherapy. As musicians and songwriters, we can also use the method wonderfully for our own purposes. After all, we also want to convey things with our music and appeal to the emotions of our listeners. Let's take a look at exactly how this works.

The big W questions in storytelling

In the first step of the storytelling workshop, we ask ourselves the big "W questions" that we want to use to build and formulate our story. These are divided into the five question words "who?", "what?", "when?", "where?" and "why?" and will help you to shape your story in a clear and interesting way. This will give you a solid foundation on which to build your songwriting. Below, we'll go through the questions together. I'll give you some hints, options and tips that you can choose from and implement straight away. So have a piece of paper and pen ready to take notes. When you're ready, we'll start with the first important "W question"...

Step 1: The question of "who?"

The question of "who?" refers first of all to the perspective from which your song is to be written or sung. Is the narrator adopting a real, fictional, character-based, or omniscient perspective? It should also be determined to whom the song will actually be sung. This could be a real person (e.g., a friend or loved one), a fictional character, or a general audience.

Also think about the relationship between the narrator and the listener. Also ask yourself what your characters look like, what you should know about them and what character traits they have. The more concrete your ideas are, the easier the process will be for you.

Extra tip: You don't need to reinvent the wheel in this storytelling workshop. If you find it difficult to think up characters freely, simply use people you know as models for your characters. You are then still free to modify them as you wish.

Step 2: The question of "What?"

The second step is to determine the form and theme of your story. To do this, first ask yourself what the framework for your story should be. For example, do you want to write a love song or give someone advice? Perhaps you would like to artistically retell a historical or mythological story or re-enact a discussion?

Also decide on a thematic content for your story. What is the plot that you want to cover and present? Rough ideas will suffice at first, which you can then flesh out in the course of the next steps in this storytelling workshop. If you find that you are struggling with writer's block, you will find help in this article.

Step 3: The question of "When?"

In the third step, we now turn to the question of time in your story. Basically, your story can take place at any time, i.e., in the past, present, or future. You can also combine two different time frames, for example by looking at the present from a fictional future perspective. Also think about how much time passes within your story or how quickly or slowly your plot develops

Step 4: The question of "Where?"

In the fourth step, you determine where your story takes place. This could be your bedroom, a café, a pedestrian zone in a large city, a park, or a freely imagined location.

Step 5: The question of "Why?"

In the fifth step of the storytelling workshop, you now ask yourself what the common thread is that holds the essential elements of your story together. You can do this by summarizing the most important elements of your story in one or two sentences. Also ask yourself what makes your story so important and meaningful. What is the overarching message you want to convey in your song?

Step 6: Divide your story into three main narrative elements

As soon as you have finished answering the five "W questions", you have a solid story on which you can now build your song. The next step is to divide your existing story into a narrative pattern consisting of three elements. For example, you can divide it into the classic "beginning - middle - end" or "past - present - future" pattern.

You can also work with two different characters who initially address the theme of your story individually and then together in the third narrative element. You can also make other divisions Just see which division suits your story best and that each of your elements is coherent and interesting in itself.

It is important that you sort the elements of your story according to their level of tension. Start with the element that is the simplest and build up your story from there. This way, you give your audience an easy introduction to the topic of your song and can add more tension and meaning as it progresses.

Step 7: Convert your narrative elements into lyrics

In the seventh step of the storytelling workshop, it's finally time to get down to business: you go through the actual songwriting process, in which you turn your story and other considerations into lyrics. It's worth starting with the three narrative elements, which you can use directly to formulate your verses. You can also work with just two verses and use the third verse as a bridge.

When formulating a bridge, it is advisable to replace the main emotion that runs through the entire piece with an opposing emotion (anger with gentleness, relief with tension, sadness with happiness and so on). If you want to know how to work with emotions in your music, you'll find valuable tips in this article. For the chorus of your song, you can use the main theme of your piece (see Step 5 - The question of "Why?").

All the ideas that you have developed during this process can now be poured into a final, suitable form. The combination of your preliminary work and certain rhyme patterns in the back of your mind provide you with the ideal conditions to formulate your song effectively, with fun and ease. As soon as your lyrics feel round and right, the process is complete. Melodies, harmonies and rhythms can then be easily defined following the existing text structure.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed the storytelling workshop and that it showed you that good songwriting is not rocket science, but can be broken down into small, doable steps. If you still have difficulties in realizing your ideas, you can contact me at any time. As a coach, I offer individual sessions for artists and musicians who are struggling with inner blocks.

Did this article make you want to get together with other musicians for a joint project? Then take a look at our mukken portal. Here you can easily network and exchange ideas with musicians from your area.