Agreed, Jerry. I wanted help with one particular problem, but Mudcat is a discussion forum and the discussion, like a river, finds its own path.

Mick, I don't know that this will help or not. It's just an idea that may work for some people and hinder others. Try an outline with main points for verses. Try writing a paragraph for each main point, then weed out all the stuff that isn't that important and condense what's left. Pay particular attention to the opening and closing sentences in your paragraphs. Don't worry about rhyming or fitting words into lines at first - you can do those things once you have The Plan. Please feel free to PM or e-mail me. Despite possible impressions I've given, I can limit my help to what you want. (i.e., offer suggestions on how you can do things rather than doing them myself.)

I think songwriting is the art of condensing - taking elaborate ideas and expressing them with as few words as possible. You have to use meaningful, although often simple, words. Look at the lines Jerry posted above, and imagine the paragraph those lines could have come from. (I love those lines, Jerry.)

Bill D, I'd like the information about the mail list/newsgroup very much, please. I did find a newsgroup, (rec.music.makers.songwriting) but I'm just lurking at the moment.