"How To" books are very popular. They cover a variety of subjects from Construction to Psychology. Friends and assosciates from Northern California have put together these great and practical thoughts on "How To". They cover a variety of subjects and make for great reading. Enjoy!

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How to Cope with The Death of a Parent

by Brian Sandine—San Leandro, CA

I was sitting at my desk when the phone call came. It began pleasantly enough, "Hi Brian; it's Todd." But with those words it was also clear that something was wrong. I quickly discovered this was the phone call that every adult child fears most. My brother was calling to tell me that Mom had died. No soft or polite euphemisms. They are too kind for a moment so cruel and grievous. She had not "passed away." We had not "lost her." She was dead. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Shockingly. Unbelievably. Dead. And so was a large part of my world, my life.

No one expected it. She was in ideal shape, exercised regularly, and ate all of those cardboard tasting foods that everyone hates because they were good for her. She was only 73. I was 46. Most adult children are between the ages of 45 and 65 when their mother dies. I thought I would enjoy her company for another ten or fifteen years.

She was having coffee at the house of her best friend. One moment she was holding the cup in her hand and talking away; the next she was silent, chin on her chest, and coffee spilled in her lap. She had a brain aneurysm and was gone immediately. I am sorry for her friend. What a thing to have happen in your home. But I am also glad she was with someone she loved.

And so began an experience, a journey you can only know if you have traveled it. I was most unprepared for the physiological manifestations of grief—headaches, chest pain, abdominal pain, and sleeping difficulties. I knew it would be emotionally difficult, and I knew that emotional pain could have physical symptoms, but I guess I thought I would be more adept at handling them.

Who could have told me that "heart ache" is not just a metaphor? I felt unmoored, adrift. Sleeping well was the best medicine, but I found it hard to get there. All tolled, it took a year or two to work through it all. If you are the executor for the estate, or if your family situation is contentious, the stress will be worse and the time frame longer. It is, by far, the most difficult thing I have endured.

All of those ill feelings provoked fears about my own mortality. It was no longer a distant "someday" but a looming inevitability. In that way alone, I was jolted into a different frame of reference for life.

I used to talk with my mom on the phone a lot. Especially during those first couple of years, something would happen and I would instinctively move to call her, only to remember that I couldn't. Even now, that motherly voice of advice in my mind that had been a constant presence has grown quiet.

Having emerged from the most arduous terrain of the journey, I have a few observations for those of us who do our best to stand as God's people in the mist of woundedness.

First, if you have never been through it, do not offer "advice." Tell me you love me, that you are very sorry, and offer to do anything I need. Advice cannot help. No words really can. Instead your quiet presence and the reassurance of you loving care are most valuable.

Second, if you have been through it, the same goes, but after a month has gone by, offer to buy me coffee just to let me talk. If you have advice to offer, couch it in terms of remembrance. "I remember this happening. I remember feeling this way. The thing that helped me most was…" Please don't be trite or preachy. Your quiet presence and the reassurance of you loving care are still most important.

Finally, I hope that having experienced this, I am better able to help others. I thought I knew what it would be like to lose someone so close to me, but I really didn't. Sometimes I think that phrase "you don't know unless you've been there" is tired and overused, but not in this case. So don't pretend or try too hard to help. Instead, pray for me and love me gently. It is what I most need.

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How to Provide Suicide Intervention

John J. Wright—Chicago, Illinois

You may not feel ready to climb out onto a narrow ledge twenty-five stories above the traffic below, even in an attempt to rescue a good friend from jumping. Perhaps, you're more frightened of heights than you are of death, itself.

Relax. Narrow ledges may not even be under consideration. Besides, if you're listening carefully to your friend, you may have opportunity to help your friend long before your friend gets that close to the edge.

Rule #1: If verbal or non-verbal clues cause you to wonder if your friend is thinking of harming himself, ask him. Don't be afraid, either of "looking foolish" or of "putting the idea into his head" by asking. Your friend's life is too important to you for you to worry about “looking foolish” and you're not endanger of “putting the idea into his head.”

Rule #2: If your friend confirms your suspicions, find out as much as you can regarding "the reasons" for his thinking. Almost always, the suicidal person has become convinced that everybody would be better off if he would just disappear.

Rule #3: Find out as much as you can about how developed his plans are. Has he decided how he's going to do it and where he's going to do it? Does he have a schedule already in mind?

Rule #4: In as much as you can do so honestly, affirm your friend as a person. Express your deep sense of loss if he was to no longer be part of your life (don't fake it--only say as much you can do so genuinely).

Rule #5: Do not belittle, shame, or scold your friends for his suicidal thoughts. Don't attempt to frighten him into abandoning the idea with lectures about him “burning in hell.”

Rule #6: If you learn that your friend is pretty far along in the process of planning his demise, try to get him to promise to postpone his actions until you have a chance to talk with him again.

Rule #7: Find out if there is someone your friend would like for you to tell of his plans.

Rule #8: It may be necessary to call in law enforcement. This ought to be a "last resort", however, because there is not a whole lot that law enforcement can do without strong evidence of a planned suicide.

Rule #9: Remember, this is your friend's decision (for or against), not yours. If your efforts to intervene are successful, be thankful and rejoice. If they are not successful, however, grieve your loss, but don't carry his decision as your burden.

Rule #10 Don't yield to the temptation to pronounce judgment, regardless of your doctrinal predisposition in such matters. Judgment is the prerogative of God. He can be trusted to treat your friend not only fairly but with grace.

John J. Wright, twenty-five years as a law enforcement chaplain, I.C.P.C. (International Conference of Police Chaplains) trained and certified.

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by Bruce Logue, Merced , California

When our national economy started its downward spiral, panicked business owners scrambled to develop ways to find new customers. Unfortunately, many businesses do not have the money required to utilize mass media. However, what many business owners realized is that some of the best advertising available is both inexpensive and abundant. It’s called “networking.” While networking doesn’t pay immediately, when done well it provides long-term benefits. Given our current economic status, understanding what networking is and how it works is critical to the continued success of any business, large or small.

To begin, the principles of networking apply to a variety of vocations. Politicians, churches, non-profits, and other service providers need the help and influence of large networks of people. Think of networking as farming. Seed is scattered broadly over a field. If carefully tended over time, it bears large amounts of fruit.

Conversely, other forms of sales and advertising are more like hunting which requires great amounts of time and money spent stalking one prey. Once the hunt is over, you’ve been rewarded with that one prey, but then you must repeat the process to find your next one. In an economy that is as stressed as ours, this is not an efficient use of resources.

So what are the components of an effective networking campaign? The first and most important component is to go where people are. Become a member of your local Chamber of Commerce. Go to mixers. Volunteer with local non-profits. Serve on a Board. The more you show up, the more people get to know and trust you.

The second component is to carry networking tools with you. The most valuable tool is your business card. When you give your card to someone, ask for theirs in return. Receiving someone else’s card is a golden opportunity to jot something on the back that will help you remember who they are and how you might connect with them in the future.

A third component of effective networking is being able, in one minute, to tell someone about your business. Call this “the elevator presentation.” You only have a minute to effectively share what you do. Taking longer than that is networking death.

Finally, effective networkers are focused, intentional, and highly aware. They realize they are connected to the social network of every new business contact made. Some estimate that each person knows about 250 people. So with every new contact comes 250 possible clients for your business. This is far more effective than running an ad in the paper hoping someone will randomly check out your business. Such random acts are no longer affordable.

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How I Kept a Commitment

by Curtis Barbarick, Palo Cedro, California

In July of 1987, at the age of 25, I enlisted in the Army. With a wife and two young children by my side, I took my oath. I had signed a contract that said I would not be sent out of the United States for one year. This helped me to feel secure that I would not be separated from my family for an extended period. However, almost a year to the day later, orders came – I was to go to Korea for a year, and my family would not be with me.

That meant a whole year that I would not be able to go to a movie with the woman I loved, or hold her hand. A year in which we could not sit on the couch and talk, or take walks together. Twelve months in the lives of my children that I would miss.

There would be little milestones in their lives that I would not witness. Worse still, I would not be available for comfort in the event of a skinned knee or bruised ego. There would be a one-year-hole in my family’s life, and 365 days I could never get back.

So I wavered. “I could simply refuse to go,” I thought. “What is the worst they can do to me? “Dishonorable discharge?" (Actually, it is possible to get an other-than-honorable discharge, which is not as damaging as a dishonorable discharge.) This was the choice I was considering. I spent a lot of time praying as I considered it.

“How could God allow this to happen to us,” I wondered. “How in the world can this be positive for our marriage and our family?” I was seeking God’s will, but I just couldn’t see how this was going to work for good in my life. Hadn’t God promised that He would work things out for my good if I loved Him? I was at a loss.

In the end, I went to Korea . Upon returning, I tried to understand how this challenge had been good for us, but I couldn't until I reflected on the fork in the road: the choice to keep my oath or break it. What would I have become had I refused to honor my oath? What kind of person would I be today? How many other oaths might I have been willing to break when things became difficult?

It seems to me that we all face such forks in the road. Whichever road we choose will, in some way, shape what kind of people we will be. Each time we choose one road over another, we are choosing who we will become. Once we take the downward road, it is easier to take it at the next fork, and the next after that. Eventually, the person we are is not the one we want to be.

So what good came from my Korean dilemma? Korea only lasted a year, but my choice will last a lifetime.

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How to Survive Dry Spells

by Bruce Henderson, Carson City, Nevada

I live in the desert. Things are mostly dry, sometimes lifeless. Refreshing rain is scarce. Sometimes, we go through extended dry spells—drought---when we long for, hope for, and pray for moisture. One year it was so dry they closed two lanes of our public swimming pool. It was so dry the cows were giving powdered milk.

Enough of the rotten humor! In life, too, we often go through dry spells. Many feel that right now economically. There are job related dry spells when things just aren’t progressing or, even worse, we lose the job. From time to time, there are certainly dry spells in our relationships and families.

For the Christian too there are dry spells. There are those times we don’t feel we’re getting the sustenance we need. Church life is a drag. Services are boring. We become spiritually dry and lifeless.

In a recent study of some “dry” Biblical texts (please forgive the pun), I discovered some interesting things to remember during those spells.

1. Psalm 63:1--Dry times should make us thirsty for God.

2. Isaiah 41:18--God can reverse dry times.

3. Job 42:2-6--Dry times can bring great discovery

4. Habakkuk 3:16-19--There are worse things than dry times

These passages teach us some good lessons. Spiritual victory can come through a desert experience. In God’s hands, dry spells can change. Spiritual development can result from bad times. Having no God, no hope, no faith, and no joy are worse than dry spells. In dry spells, we can still hang on and even find reasons to rejoice.

For the apostles, I’m sure that that Friday and Saturday was the worst dry spell ever. Questions, frustrations, and doubt made them tempted to give up. Yet Sunday came, Jesus rose, and the meaning of the cross became apparent. Dry spells can change us too—for the better.

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A Treasure Worth Protecting: How to Guard Your Joy

by Steve Martin—Livermore, CA

I lock the doors of our house every night before I go to bed. We’ve never been robbed, nor, to my knowledge, have my neighbors, but I saw my dad do it every night, and somewhere along the line it became the responsible thing to do. We also have a dog that stays indoors at night. I’d like to think that if someone broke in, he would give one loud bark before he attempted to get his belly scratched. I sleep easier knowing these safety measures (such as they are) are in place.

So I wondered recently why it is that I take such precautions to guard my property and loved ones, yet often neglect taking steps to guard my joy. Now you may be asking yourself, “Guard your joy? How in the world would you do that?” Maybe like me, you’ve been under the impression that joy simply appears and disappears based on the random set of events impacting your life, but I recently learned a valuable lesson about protecting joy from some preschoolers. I'd like to pass that lesson on to you.

My wife is a preschool teacher currently offering home daycare to two young boys. One of them has special needs. His Downs Syndrome has been the cause of multiple surgeries in his young life, yet he has weathered each storm with a great spirit. In fact, he has such a sweet nature about him that he seems to radiate joy whenever he enters a room.

In contrast, while the other young boy is intellectually and physically ahead of his older friend, his active mind and body can also bring extra stress. It is hard to imagine an hour going by where something doesn’t go wrong in his little world. And when it goes wrong, it’s a crisis of epic proportions. Everyone in the room will be immediately drawn to his crisis, because if you want the screaming or crying to stop, his problem must be fixed.

It was during one of these crises that I noticed something. Each time he screamed, or got upset, the environment changed. The look on his sweet friend’s face changed, and his joy was gone, stolen away by the apparent disaster. As a matter of fact, all the joy in the room felt as if it had evaporated in the heat of the crisis.

Have you been in a room like that? A room in which from your vantage point the situation didn’t call for the level of response expressed in someone else’s reaction? The joy that was there one minute is gone the next, and everyone in the room shares the trauma.

It reminds me of when the Apostle Paul asked some early Christians, “What has happened to all of your joy?” (Gal. 4:15) He wanted them to wake up to the people around them, and guard the gift of joy that is a blessing from God. If we’re honest, we understand joy is something others can steal from us if we let them.

So what can we do to guard our joy? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Own What’s Yours . It’s difficult to point fingers at the joy thieves in our lives, if we are busy robbing others. Be humble and honest with yourself. How often are we processing the challenges of our lives by living in a prolonged state of crisis? If you’re stuck in a situation where you’re stealing joy from your spouse, kids, parents, friends or co-workers, make a decision to move in a different direction. Talk with someone who can help you learn healthier ways to process the challenges in life without getting stuck in an ongoing crisis mode.

2. Don’t Own What’s Not Yours . You can’t solve every problem or rescue every victim. Learn when to let go of someone else’s crisis, especially if it is a prolonged problem, and the owner is not seeking a measure of peace. Every lifeguard is taught to approach a drowning person with caution, because in his or her panic the victim may pull the rescuer down. Remember: not only is your life important to God, but you are not the only resource at God’s disposal. Offer love and compassion, just as Jesus would, but also practice good boundaries by letting people own their problems.

3. Guard Your Heart . Or better yet, let God guard your heart. God teaches us, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything…and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:5-7) God’s presence is meant to offer a peace to our lives that extends beyond what we can grasp or control. When crisis hits, learn to appreciate God’s presence and involvement. Trust that God will be at work to create new options, supply new energy, heal old wounds, grant new wisdom and offer a new vision. Don’t let others rob you of your joy. Join with God in guarding the joy He’s given you, and trust Him to be active in dealing with the crises around you.

Maybe someone could accuse me of being naive, but every night after I’ve closed the windows, locked the doors, fed the dog, and done what’s within my power to control, I climb into bed and sleep like a baby. I’ve learned to trust God.

My sleep is not only peaceful, but more importantly, it is joyful. Now if I could learn to do that same thing during my waking hours – to do what’s within my power to control, give God the rest, guarding my joy – wouldn’t that be a treasure worth protecting?

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The Secret to Weight Loss

by Randy Hall—Campbell California

Ah hah! Got ya! There is no secret to weight loss.

Being quite visible in the church family here, I have been asked by many how I lost weight. Some are curious; others are looking for help to do the same. So I decided to tell my story. Take what works for you.

I am currently down 36 pounds from where I was on May 11. I lost 15 pounds early on Sabbatical, maintained the loss, that is, I broke even, on the long road trip (which is a victory), and lost 21 pounds since coming back to work August 4.

There is no secret, but there is one basic fact of weight loss. Burn more calories than you consume. Attack the problem from both sides of the equation.

I did not use a "diet" but chose changes that I can maintain. Most people gain back weight they lose. The only way to succeed is to make sustainable changes. So I chose to go slow and make changes I can live with.

I started exercising. Like many, my job is sedentary. I sit in a chair. In fact, when I am researching and writing sermons, email and other tasks on my computer, I move so little that my motion-sensor operated office lights go off all the time.

I started using a treadmill doing a fast walk, not running. To get a fast start to losing I did a mile and a half in the morning (30 minutes) and mile or mile and a half in the evening. Now I do the morning only but have bumped it up to two miles (40 minutes). My absolute minimum is to do this 5 days a week, but I usually do 6 and sometimes 7 days. If you miss a day, that is ok. Try hard not to miss two in a row.

Besides making the time to do this, the other challenge is boredom. I listen to music on headphones and work on my sermon in my head. Some people read or watch a show. Or you could use the time to explore your memory. The trick is to keep your mind busy.
I also started walking to work. I am the fortunate rare one who lives close enough to work to do this. In fact, I walk home for lunch so I do two round trips a day. I walk on Sunday, too. Some weeks my car doesn't leave the garage. Few people can do that, but try to add walking where you can. I have seen school staff here walking on their lunch break.

Park further away from work or shopping. It is amazing that people will pay to go to a gym, then circle a parking lot looking for a close-in spot. Why not pick the furthest corner of the lot and add a hundred steps? The small stuff adds up either in weight gain or loss.
The walking also has a non-weight benefit. It is so refreshing to be outside and quietly walk really seeing trees, flowers and birds, etc. One doesn't have to go out of the city to enjoy the outdoors, sunlight and nature. Walking to work on a cool, foggy morning this fall is great. I miss the fall trees of my childhood back east, but there are some great colors now in my neighborhood. Walk when you can.

And now the food. Three basic changes. Eat less at meal time. Cut out the worst snacks. Cut way back on eating out - especially fast food lunches.

Know what you are eating. Read the labels for the calorie information. Go online and look up the fast food nutrition info (sometimes you have to hunt for it). I was shocked at the truth. You don't have to give up everything, but choose the lesser of two evils.
Examples:
At Del Taco I used to get the combo of two tacos, a quesadilla and Mr. Pibb. With a large drink that is 1,234 calories! While I seldom go to Del Taco anymore, sometimes I want tacos. I now get two tacos and a diet drink. That is 320 calories. A difference of 914 calories! That's a difference you can see. (By the way, I always hated diet drinks and still can't drink them alone. But with tacos it's ok.)

At Jack-in-the-Box the ultimate cheeseburger alone is 1,010 calories! Medium french fries adds 450 calories and large adds 640 calories. Throw in a soda or shake and you have consumed what should be total for the whole day!

On the other hand the Asian chicken salad is 160 calories with the grilled chicken. If you get "crispy," meaning fried, it jumps to 330. If you add the dressing, that is another 190 calories. So the difference between grilled without dressing vs. crispy with dressing is 360 calories. Over and over again the question you face is "Is it worth it?" Sometimes the answer is yes, but often it can be no.

The point is not to deny everything you like, but to be a knowledgeable consumer and make informed decisions. The other day Kathy and I both wanted an In-and-Out burger. But instead of each ordering a double cheeseburger and fries we each ordered a single cheeseburger and split one order of fries.

The same goes for snacks. Read the labels and decide what is worth it and what isn't. Don't bring it into the house if you don't really want to eat it. Again, it isn't a matter of total denial, but of choices. A single serving bag of low fat popcorn and a diet soda goes great with a Sharks game, but is a lot less damaging than a whole bag of "movie butter" popcorn with a regular soda. Huge difference. Eat ice cream - just take half of the serving you used to take.

Meals: instead of eating out for lunch I walk home and eat a microwaveable low calorie lunch: Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers, Cafe Steamers. They run around 250 - 330 calories and I find them quite good.

For dinner I simply eat less and avoid the worst stuff. For some reason the stomach is slow letting the brain know it is full. Eat a reasonable serving and then when you would usually go for another helping of something, give the brain time to figure out you are full enough. If you can just hold off five minutes, the desire for seconds usually wanes. When I seem to be especially hungry I go for more lean meat instead of potatoes and bread.

Yes, it takes some discipline. At Breakfast with Santa I ate the scrambled eggs, but declined the sausage and pancakes. I pretty much avoid Peggy's candy dish and eat saltine crackers for a snack.

The other thing I did was use an accurate digital scale that measures every .2 pounds. Nothing is more encouraging than dropping even 4 tenths of a pound. And if you slack up a little and gain some then make sure you hold the line and move back down. I gained 2 pounds Thanksgiving weekend. Ate some good stuff! But by the end the following week it was gone. I enjoyed Thanksgiving without totally overdoing it and was still even par a week later. I'm good with that!

There is a mind element to this that is important. You have to teach yourself, convince yourself, that you really don't want fried food. Think about the greasy aftertaste. Eat a cold french fry. Look at a day old doughnut and realize, "It's not worth it." If you get on board, you will also find that good food (good-for-you food) is actually good. It is nice to eat dinner when you are pretty hungry. It is satisfying.

So I guess that is the last point. Food can become something other than a satisfaction for nutrition hunger. We talk of "comfort food." Be sure food isn't an opiate for being down, or for things that are wrong in life that have nothing to do with food. Deal with those matters on their own.

That's it - that's what I did. Probably more than you wanted to know.

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How Not to Pay the Last Penny: Confronting Someone who is Angry

by Susan Mitchell–Palo Alto, California

I had a neighbor once who was annoyed by bald spots in my grassy front yard, and he kept needling me to install a rock garden instead. My reaction was, "I hate rock gardens!" Several days later, after I cooled down and sought advice from some church friends, I went back and asked him to tell me more. I learned he was more concerned about my wasteful afternoon watering than the aesthetics.

I could see his point, so I set up an automated device to water earlier. As a result of my willingness to confront my neighbor, we have become friends, and equally important, I learned a valuable lesson: confrontation is not a dirty word--it is an essential part of conflict resolution, a critical component of human communication. Since this lesson is such a valuable one, I'd like to share some insights that may prove helpful should you find yourself in a less-than-neighborly situation.

First, as soon as you realize something has gone awry, have a private conversation. Speed is your friend because it shows your interest and concern. Because body language offers so many clues, direct chats are best. If that is impossible, a conversation by phone is an adequate second choice.

Second, be mature and take responsibility for making things right even if you believe you are innocent. An apology is always a good place to begin: "I sense a tension between us now, and I'm sorry about that. Can we talk about how we got to this point?"

Third, if a person proactively tells you that he or she is upset with something, learn to see that as a positive. It's far better to have open communication than for your accuser to talk about you with others.

Fourth, become an active listener. Gently probe for more information. "Can you explain some more about that? Do you have an example to illustrate your concern? How would you have preferred me to act?" Try to see the picture from another's perspective.

Fifth, often what is first brought up is a petty issue, just the latest straw that broke the camel's back. To draw out underlying problems, ask if there are any other issues. "Are there any other ways I have upset you recently? Is there anything else you feel I should work on?"

Remember: just because you may hear accusations does not mean you need to accept blame, or even agree. Your aim should be to try to defuse anger. If there are obvious misunderstandings, you can clear them up later: "I understand that you believe ABC. Actually, XYZ is what happened. Does that change your feelings about the matter?"

Finally, sometimes it can be useful to discuss a plan of action to avoid future blow ups. If, together, you figure out how things went wrong in the first place, you might be able to avoid triggers. However, if the cycle does start all over again, remember to act quickly. Proactive communication inhibits the growth of discontent.

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Jesus (Matthew 5:25-26, TNIV)

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How to Write a Song

By Lewis Greer—Palo Alto, CA

One of the questions most often asked of me as a songwriter is, “Which comes first, the words or the music?” One writer famously replied, “ Th e contract.” But if you are a beginning songwriter, a very good answer to that question might be, “Someone else’s song.”

No, you shouldn’t use someone else’s song as your own. Not only is that copyright infringement, it is morally wrong, and no self-respecting muse will ever visit you again if you do it. But you can use someone else’s song as a starting place for your own, and here is how you do it.

Find a song you like the feel of, rhythmically speaking, and listen to it a few times. Next, print out the lyrics in at least a double space format and, without the music playing, read through the lyrics, emphasizing the syllables just as the song would. The purpose of all of that is to get the meter of the song firmly set in your mind.

If the song you chose happens to have a verse/chorus structure (verse, then chorus, then new verse, then chorus, etc.), start with the chorus. If it has a different structure, start with any line that is repeated in the song. (If there is no repetition of any of the lyrics, you’ve selected an unusual song!)

Once you’ve found that place, cross out the words that are there and write in your own words while using the same meter. As you write, make sure of two things: first, that each line you write has virtually the same number of syllables in it as the line you replaced; second—and most importantly—make sure that the emphasis falls naturally on exactly the same syllables as in the line you replaced.

I say “virtually” the same number of syllables because there is some flexibility, but it is very important that the beats fall in the right places.

Here is an example. In Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll,” the chorus is:

Still like that old time rock and roll (8 syllables)

Th at kind of music just soothes my soul (9 syllables)

I reminisce about the days of old (10 syllables)

And that old time rock and roll (7 syllables)

Can you hear that in your head? If so, you’ll know where the emphasis falls. If not, read it and guess, and I’m confident you’ll be close.

Now write some words to replace Seger’s famous lyrics. You have two options in doing so: one is to go directly to your song lyrics. Th at’s great if you can get it, but it’s also very difficult. An easier path is to take an intermediate step and write any lyrics you can imagine that fit the meter, even if they don’t make sense!

From there, simply write in your lyrics to replace the nonsense lyrics you wrote earlier. Do that with the rest of the song, and you have half of a new song.

Th e next step is, of course, to write new music to go with your new lyrics. How to go about doing that is a topic for another post at another time.

Write from the heart,

Lewis

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