As songwriters, we’re generally never short on songwriting ideas.
In fact, most of us are sitting on a backlog of half-written verses, chorus ideas, voice memos, lyric fragments, and rough demos that never quite made it to the finish line and for a long time, I thought the problem was the ideas themselves.
- Maybe they weren’t strong enough.
- Maybe they didn’t “feel right.”
- Maybe I just needed a better spark of inspiration.
But according to an article “How To Finish A Song (Even When You’re Stuck)” on Speed Songwriting, the truth is much simpler than that. Most songwriters don’t struggle with starting songs. They just struggle with finishing them and that’s not a creativity problem.
It’s a focus and habit problem.
The Real Problem: Too Many Songs, Not Enough Focus
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably done this before:
- Start a song and get excited
- Hit a tricky section (usually verse 2…)
- Open up a new idea instead
- Repeat… over and over again
Before you know it, you’ve got 20 unfinished songs and nothing you can actually release, perform, or share.
The issue here isn’t ability. It’s attention. Every time you jump to a new idea, you’re resetting your creative focus.
And over time, that becomes a pattern.
Finishing Songs Is a Skill (Not an Event)
Here’s something that changed the way I think about songwriting:
Finishing songs is a skill you build, not something that just happens when inspiration strikes.
I think it’s safe to say that starting a song is exciting but finishing a song is hard work (sometimes) and like any skill, it improves with repetition.
- Every unfinished song reinforces the habit of not finishing
- Every finished song reinforces the habit of completion
That’s a big shift in perspective because it means the goal isn’t just to write great songs… It’s to become someone who finishes songs consistently.
The One-Song Rule
One of the simplest and most effective ideas from the Speed Songwriting article is this: Work on one song at a time.
Now, that doesn’t mean you stop having ideas. It just means you separate two things:
- Capturing ideas
- Finishing songs
You can still record voice memos, jot down lyrics, or sketch new concepts but when it comes to active work, there is one priority song and that one song gets your attention until it’s done.
No jumping ship halfway through. No starting something new because it feels easier. Just steady progress.
Why We Avoid Finishing
Let’s be honest for a second.
There’s a reason we jump to new ideas. Starting something new feels good and finishing something forces us to:
- Make decisions
- Commit to lyrics
- Lock in structure
- Accept imperfections
And that can sometimes be an uncomfortable position to be put in because once a song is finished, it’s real. This also means that it can be judged. Shared. Heard.
So sometimes, staying in “unfinished mode” feels safer. But it also keeps us stuck.
Reduce the Overwhelm
Another key idea from the article is this: Too many choices lead to no action.
When you’ve got 15 songs on the go, your brain is constantly asking: “Which one should I work on?” That question alone can stop you before you even begin. It does with me.
However, when there’s only one song in focus, the question disappears.
You already know what to do. You just sit down and continue.
Build a Finisher’s Mindset
If you take one thing away from this, let it be this: Your identity as a songwriter is shaped by your habits.
If you constantly start songs and abandon them… You become someone who doesn’t finish. If you consistently follow through… You become someone who completes.
Identifying as a songwriter who completes things matters because it affects everything:
- Your confidence
- Your workflow
- Your output
- Your catalogue
A Simple Way Forward
If you’re stuck in a cycle of unfinished songs, try this exercise:
- Choose one song from your backlog
- Commit to finishing it before starting another
- Break it into small steps:
- Finish the lyric
- Lock in the structure
- Record a rough demo
- Accept that it doesn’t have to be perfect
- Finish it anyway
Then do it again with the next song.
My Final Thought
There’s something powerful about finishing a song. Not because it’s perfect and not because it’s your best work but because it exists.
It becomes part of your body of work. Part of your story as a songwriter and the wonderful thing is that the more you do it, the easier it gets. Not because songwriting gets easier but because you just get better at finishing.
So, if you’ve got a hard drive full of unfinished ideas, maybe today’s the day you pick one and see it through to the end. You’l be amazed at how many songs you finish in this way.
Source: “How To Finish A Song (Even When You’re Stuck)” – Speed Songwriting
