Most of my best songs have come out of deeply felt emotions... a parent dying, love found, love lost, loneliness, joy, anger, etc... It really helps me to capture a mood of what I'm feeling at the time. And not just with songs with vocals, also with instrumentals. When I get that mood I come up with a short chordal idea or riff and start repeating it, improvising on it, and slowly expanding it. I run with it until it starts to peter out. If I have enough material I then attempt to wrap it into structure, maybe with lyrics if it includes vocals... but the key at this point is not to feel that I have to complete it unless it is ready to be completed. Sometimes songs will work with deadlines, like a recording that is coming up. Other times you need to run with them, record what you can, write down what you can and then put them away for a while. When you come back you may find yourself inspired to go further with the idea, you may decide it was the worst song you've ever written, or you may realize that it works perfectly with another fragment you were writing. But give yourself room. Always try and write something... a fragment. But don't force it when it isn't coming... that rarely works.

In summary, dig deep into your emotions and moods, try and feel your mood musically, try and put it into song form, when it starts to feel too forced back off and wait, come back and see what you think of it later, then grow it some more... file it in the trash can... or combine it with another idea. Just keep at it and make it a habit. If you're a songwriter, it will come.
Source(s):
a Music degree with many years of composing lessons
written songs for many bands
Sheila Davis' books

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