WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOUR NEXT COWRITE

Written By Gwen Howard

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been writing or producing – cowriting requires a whole different skill set. This article is part one of a series on the cowriting process – the before, during, and after.

Writing can be a really intimate and personal experience, and introducing new voices and ideas can push you out of your creative comfort zone.

But that’s the whole point!

Cowriting is an amazing way to expand your creative palette. Someone in the room will suggest an idea you would never have considered, which can unlock a whole new way of writing for you moving forward.

Whether it’s your first co-write, or your billionth, here are some things you should consider before your next session:

  • Before you walk in the room… think about your goals for the session.

    Sometimes, people bring different energies to the room, and frustration can arise when it feels like others aren’t on the same page. Having a clear idea of your goal – even if it changes – helps you to mitigate underlying tension if a session starts drifting somewhere you didn’t expect.

  • Before you leave for the co-write… come up with a few seed ideas.

    Unfinished lyrics, chord progressions, and beats are great source material to get the session moving. Go through your notes app or old semi-finished beats and save anything that feels like it could benefit from some outside voices. I suggest bringing 3 bits and bobs to offer up if the session stalls or struggles to get off the ground.

  • Before whipping out an instrument or a DAW… talk to your collaborators!

    This can help align the group’s expectations about how the day will go, and get the creative process moving. You can ask about:

    • Their writing styles, influences, and process

    • What they’d like to achieve in the session (i.e. pick up new techniques, write to a brief or for a project, or just see where the session goes)

    • What’s gone well (or not so well) in their previous cowrites

    • What’s been going on in their lives

    • And of course, you can share all of these things, too!

  • Before deciding to go to a co-write… check your ego.

    Co-writes are amazing settings for inspiration and they can produce incredible songs. That requires everyone to show up expecting that every member of the group will have something valuable to offer. Approaching co-writes with curiosity, not competition, sets a much more conducive mood for creativity.

You don’t need to go into a session with a full-fledged idea and roadmap (it’s better if you don’t!). But these steps can help you to show up as a more confident and competent collaborator.

Next time – we’ll talk about what the heck to do once you’re actually in the session.

Gwen Howard