Songwriting Prompts for Teenage Songwriters: Exploring Beyond Love and Death

As a 15-year-old songwriter, you might find that the common themes of love and death often dominate your creative output. However, there's a vast world of potential topics to explore in songwriting. In this article, we'll dive into some fantastic prompts to expand your creative horizons.

Embracing a Wider Scope for Your Songs

Many songwriters rely on personal experiences, but the beauty of songwriting lies in the ability to draw inspiration from a variety of sources. You can write about pretty much anything that's important to you, whether it's your dreams, social issues, politics, a story you thought of, or an idea derived from a book or TV show. Songs can capture a moment, a feeling, or an idea that resonates with you, and turn it into something that can resonate with your audience.

Exploring Different Perspectives

Just like I did back in high school, many songwriters start by writing about how they are feeling. This is a powerful and valid approach, but it's also beneficial to explore other perspectives. Drawing inspiration from other media, such as painting, literature, or even other people's stories, can offer a fresh angle and expand your creative range.

Creating Artistic Inspiration

Consider coming up with a chord progression and singing over it, or creating a title that sounds interesting and then trying to figure out possible stories or scenarios. Another method is to write about unhappy topics and use dark humor or a ray of hope to keep the song from being totally depressing. The choice is yours, as there are no hard and fast rules, only tools that can help you express your creativity in unique ways.

Analyzing Real-Life Experiences

Looking at your day-to-day life can provide a wealth of inspiration. For example, what does your teenage life look like? How is your family a part of your daily routine? Are your parents divorced, and if so, how does that affect your life? Are you in a relationship? What about dreams and aspirations? These are all valid topics that can be explored through the lens of songwriting.

Here are some specific prompts to help you get started:

Prompts to Consider

Write a song about a Van Gogh painting. Write from the perspective of a character in the last book you read. Listen to stories from people's lives and turn them into songs. The NPR podcast The Moth is a great resource for this. Find a breakup song you like and write a song from the other person's point of view. Write a love song to an inanimate object, like a band, a movie, or your guitar, and disguise it as a regular love song. Write a breakup song for your old house or apartment, giving it a character and writing from its perspective.

These prompts are just a starting point. The key is to look for inspiration in everything around you and use it to turn the interesting things you find into songs. The most important advice is to be open to new ideas and perspectives.

Encouragement for Young Songwriters

Teenagers possess a unique blend of emotion, creativity, and curiosity that often translates beautifully into songwriting. Remember, there are no wrong answers in songwriting. The more you experiment and explore different angles, the richer your music will become.

Get Inspired and Join the Community

If you’re passionate about songwriting, consider checking out Qwen's YouTube channel, where I share more tips, insights, and inspiration. I can't wait to see where your songwriting takes you!