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MasterWriter - the most comprehensive program for writing lyrics with a recorder for melodies and preprogrammed grooves. Used by hit songwriters Gwen Stefani, Rob Thomas, Jimmy Webb, Kenny Loggins, Trent Reznor, Clint Black, Jeffrey Steele, and many more. Windows and Mac compatible. Click here to read more about MasterWriter and save big with Songwriting Software Plus. Or try it FREE for 30 days. CD or download. Save A BIG $70 US! As A Newsletter Subscriber And MasterWriter is a great power booster program for Lyricist too!

Contents:

Hello

First up: Editor's Note from the laptop of Robert Curtis,
your songwriter in residence at Songwriting Software Plus.

Followed by Items:

1. Top Tools For Lyric Writing
2. This Month's Notable Quote
3. Songwriting Software Plus Software Superstars

Editor's Note:

It has often been said that great craftsmen have great tools. If that holds true in songwriting then great lyricists likely have great software at their disposal and there are plenty of great tools to be had these days.

Whether you're writing lyrics for the next hit song, or a collection of songs for a musical for example, your job could likely be made easier by at least one of the programs highlighted in this month's issue.

So without further adieu - please read on then write on!

Item 1

Top Tools For Lyric Writing

For some - writing lyrics is the easier part of songwriting and for many it's just the opposite. In either case most can readily benefit from the various tools that are available to boost not only the flow of your writing but even spur you on to greater originality.

Lets take a peek at the top programs that cover everything from rhymes to developing story lines like for a musical for example.

Take It Away With Rhymes And Clichés

We'll look at a number of different types of programs this issue but a good place to start is in the realm of rhymes and clichés - those being ready rhymes to use and clichés to spin into different phrases that are newly catchy. The old standby in this arena that still delivers quite nicely is Zillion Kajillion Rhymes And Clichés.

Zillion Kajillion Rhymes and Clichés is an affordable and handy program for scanning potential rhymes and clichés to integrate into your writing as is or to even inspire you to more unique lines..

Need a rhyme for a word - just type it in and with a quick click you'll have numerous choices to consider. For clichés - just type in a relevant word like "night" and all the "night" clichés pop up for your review.

Lyric Writing Tool Kit Programs

Need more tools in your arsenal - like a thesaurus too then you're in need of a lyric writing tool kit program.

Two programs continue to lead the pack here - Lyricist and MasterWriter and although they have some overlap they actually work as a great team complimenting each other's strengths.

MasterWriter provides the most extensive rhyming dictionary (over 100,000) with rhymed phrases, Roget's thesaurus, the world's only alliteration dictionary, cultural references including clichés and today's buzz phrases, along with the American Heritage Dictionary.

MasterWriter also has numerous other features like a recorder for scratch melodies and musical ideas and an extensive library of preprogrammed grooves for various styles of writing. It does not have lead sheet creation support though.

For a solid lyric and lead sheet writing the pack leader is Lyricist. Lyricist is lighter on the lyric support compared to MasterWriter but it makes a great central work horse program for song creation and offers unparalleled chord support. Lyricist does offer over 11,000 rhymes and a handy thesaurus along with many other pertinent features for songwriting.

Many writers have set themselves up using Lyricist as their central lyric and lead sheet writing program and supplement it with the lyrical tools of MasterWriter.

Virtual Writers

Want a co-writer on call anytime you need. Check out a virtual co-writer

The best-selling program in this category on Songwriting Software Plus is ParaMind.

With ParaMind you simply write in a draft line that you're tying to tweak and hone and it takes that line and rewrites it - upwards of hundreds of times - making only slight changes each time with different adjectives, etc.. You then simply scan these new lines and see what grabs you to use as is or to rewrite your original line with more punch.

Definitely a very handy tool when you may have a couple of lines that your just not sure are saying what you want to say just the right way.

To take this kind of idea to it's extreme check out Ray Kuzweil's Cybernetic Poet. It can actually write a song for you practically from scratch. The program was designed to help in the writing of poetry but it's workable for songwriting too. Could be quite helpful when you barely know where to start.

Brain Storms

When you're stuck or just need a lot of ideas pouring in fast boot up a brainstorming program and fire away.

Brainstorming is one of the most recommended songwriting techniques and there's a nice handful of programs to suit this approach of various incarnations.

From Inspiration to WritersBlocks there are various approaches to stimulating and leading your mind to unique and fresh ideas on whatever topic you're looking to expand upon.

Check out those two programs on our page on brainstorming and all the most popular titles - towards to bottom of that page by clicking here.

Writing A Musical?

Get help from the software programs above and take note that a musical includes not only lyrics and music of course but a "book" often referred to as the libretto - the dialogue of the musical in essence.

For book-writing in particular check out a leading favorite of playwrights and screenwriters — Final Draft. Final Draft includes templates for many types of writing and one for the “Broadway Musical” form.

For more on writing musicals in general check out our new article on the topic by musical theatre contributing site expert Adryan Russ by clicking here.

End of Item

For Inspiration And Thought On Your Path To More Songwriting Success:

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."
-- William Faulkner

Songwriting Software Plus Software Superstars:

Lyric Writing (Windows and Macs):

Lyricist - the premiere indispensable and affordable lyric and lead sheet music writing program.

Performing Songwriter Magazine said this about Lyricist - "...what it does, it does well." March/April 2004

Click here for all the benefits Lyricist gives your songwriting and enjoy the Songwriting Software Plus discount - save $5.00. Or try it FREE for 30 days. CD or download.

MasterWriter - the most comprehensive program for writing lyrics with a recorder for melodies and preprogrammed grooves.

Used by hit songwriters Gwen Stefani, Rob Thomas, Jimmy Webb, Kenny Loggins, Trent Reznor, Clint Black, Jeffrey Steele, and many more. Windows and Mac compatible.

Click here to read more about MasterWriter and save big with Songwriting Software Plus. Or try it FREE for 30 days. CD or download.

Music Writing (for Windows):

Play Music - the easiest music notation program around.

Music Recording (for Windows)

Mixcraft - easy recording software.

Information & Credits

Songwriting Software Express is published monthly by Songwriting Software Plus: Robert Curtis, Editor.

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