Step one of Jack Hardy's songwriting manifesto.

Sounds simple. It is and it isn't. Make that non-negotiable item on your calendar. No excuses. None. Jobs, kids, weddings, funerals, hurricanes. Still a song a week. If you write a song a week several things will happen.

1. You will improve. In spite of yourself you will improve.

2. It will force you to pay attention, to seek out things about which to write. To find metaphors on just what is interesting out of the seemingly mundane.

3. It will force you to take yourself less seriously, to not second guess yourself out of a good idea.

4. It will force you to take yourself more seriously. If you are going to call yourself a writer and think of yourself as a writer you must write.

5. It will take the pressure off you to expect everything you create to be great. If it fails it doesn't matter. There will be another one next week. Give yourself the right to fail.

6. It will force you to expand your horizons: to try styles and ideas you wouldn't have tried – and at least you will have written something.