“Songwriting Tips from Janis Ian: Instinct, Craft, and Optimism”

In 2 1/2 years I have become an advanced beginner guitarist and a beginner bass player. Wonderful fun. And recently I wrote three songs of my very own.

But today begins a new series on my website: Songwriters. Every night before I sleep, I read for 15 minutes from Paul Zollo’s great book: Songwriters on Songwriting. Buy it, read it, it’s amazing.

Before I blog further, let’s listen to Janis Ian and Tommy Emmanuel play “At 17” and “Over the Rainbow”.

First, I Grew up with Janis Ian – When I Was a Teenager

Well, kind of.

She was born in 1951, just two weeks before I was born. She was born Janis Eddy Fink on April 7, 1951. So we are the same age.

Driving around in my 1968 Fiat car with its horrible rattly radio, I remember hearing the name Janis Ian. And I do remember the song “17”.

So when I began reading about Janis Ian in Paul Zollo’s Songwriters on Songwriting I played “17” and remembered her voice immediately. It brought a smile to my face.

What Did I Learn from Janis Ian on Songwriting?

I take serious notes reading Paul Zollo’s book: Songwriters on Songwriting. Here are some of my notes. These notes are chronological from a 7 page interview. If I use her words from Paul Zollo’s interview directly, I will use quotation marks.

Janis Ian writes Songs from Instinct and Craft

Instinct begins the song. Her craft finishes the song.

“Jesse” the Song took Two Years to Write

Yeah. “Jesse” took two years…It was when of the few times when I was smart enough to not push it. I just let it ride.” – Janis Ian in Paul Zollo’s book Songwriters on Songwriting

For me as a beginner songwriter, this is comforting and helpful.

After one month of writing 3 songs, I now have a scrap songbook with easily one dozen ideas. Janis Ian is teaching me that writing a song may take a while to finish.

Janis Ian Speaks about Being both Healthy and Optimistic to Write Songs

She mentioned the importance of health. Because writing songs requires great energy.

She also speaks about writing songs from optimism. To quote Janis Ian in Paul Zollo’s interview in Songwriters on Songwriting:

You have to keep yourself optimistic. Because if you’re writing from darkness and the black hole of Calcutta, you are not going to be able to write as often as if you are coming from light and openness. – Janis Ian in Paul Zollo’s book Songwriters on Songwriting

This quote and belief works for me. I keep a grateful log for the many things that make me happy. Sure, all of us get sad for different reasons, but I am optimistic. Even if I write a sad song, my normal experience is positive.

Janis Ian: Either You Are Talented or You Are Not

Works for me. Here’s her direct quote on page 312 of Paul Zollo’s book.

Because at the end of the day, either you’re talented or you’re not. And all of the craft in the world is not going to makeup for that lack. – Janis Ian in Paul Zollo’s book Songwriters on Songwriting

Remember, earlier in the chapter she commented on the need for Instinct and then Craft in writing songs. So now, she’s saying that Craft alone is not enough.

This doesn’t scare me away from writing a few songs in my retirement years. I am not Janis Ian, I am myself. If we compare ourselves to other songwriters, this might get depressing.

What she calls Instinct in Paul Zollo’s book, has been called Spark, Creativity, or Inspiration elsewhere in the book.

Paul Zollo’s Interview with Janis Ian is a Rain Shower of Useful Ideas

Here are a few good idea fragments.

1. Seventeen. The song Seventeen has hope at the end. Last line: “Ugly duckling girls like me.” The ugly duckling turned into a swan.
2. Creativity. Like Paul Simon said, the “ideas” are out there. You just need to grab them.
3. Literate. Being a good writer means being literate.
4. Finish Things. “Okay, this might not be the greatest work of art in the world but I need to get the damn thing done.”
5. Songbook Scraps. Keep your scraps, perhaps keep them organized.
6. Trust Your Talent. “I can pretty much trust it to be there. And that is a real luxury.”

What’s the Most Important Songwriting Tip I Learned from the Janis Ian Interview?

Be Healthy and Optimistic.

Writing songs takes great energy. Stay healthy, do your best.

She writes better from Optimism than Pessimism. That works for me.

Thanks to Janis Ian’s Thoughts and Paul Zollo’s Book, “Songwriters on Songwriting”

Paul Zollo’s book is Songwriters on Songwriting. At $5.49 used from Abe Books, it’s a songwriting steal of a deal.

What are Your Favorite Songwriter Books or Songwriter Learning Sources?

So that’s my hobby, reading Songwriters on Songwriting for 10-15 minutes before I go to sleep. And taking lots of notes. I mean, tons of notes 🙂

Leave a comment if you have some advice for all who dare to become Songwriters. Thanks.