Story-First Songwriting – Details, episodes & analysis

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Story-First Songwriting

Melanie Naumann

Music

Frequency: 1 episode/31d. Total Eps: 73

Helping songwriters use storytelling to write great lyrics (and make a difference). The Story-First Songwriting Podcast helps you look BEYOND lyric structure and form AND focus on what's important: the CONTENT, the MESSAGE and the EXPERIENCE that your lyrics give your audience. We look at how to hook, move, and impact your audience. In this podcast, you get amazing tools on how to craft, write, and revise your lyrics without hitting writer's block ever again. Hit subscribe and get ready to get to another level! We also have a free community on Skool: skool.com/songwriting

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Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - musicCommentary
24/05/2026
#70
🇨🇦 Canada - musicCommentary
23/05/2026
#46
🇬🇧 Great Britain - musicCommentary
21/03/2026
#80
🇬🇧 Great Britain - musicCommentary
03/03/2026
#98
🇬🇧 Great Britain - musicCommentary
13/01/2026
#73
🇬🇧 Great Britain - musicCommentary
19/12/2025
#54
🇨🇦 Canada - musicCommentary
06/11/2025
#73
🇨🇦 Canada - musicCommentary
05/11/2025
#40
🇨🇦 Canada - musicCommentary
01/11/2025
#93
🇨🇦 Canada - musicCommentary
31/10/2025
#47

Spotify

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https://www.lyricmastery.com/start
14 shares
https://www.lyricmastery.com
13 shares
https://www.lyricmastery.com/storytelling-checklist
8 shares

https://youtu.be/aLtiMLRdHRA
3 shares
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J86zYZGApkc
2 shares

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Score global : 63%

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#56 - Best Song Topics To Write About (That People Love To Listen To)

Season 3 · Episode 56

Saturday, August 31, 2024 • Duration 28:28

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

- If I tell you, there are only six global topics of what your song can be about, would you like to see them? So no more wondering about what to write about, but getting a clear direction right from the start.💡 What you'll learn:- the six global categories that promise universal appeal- see lots of song examples to get inspired- how to discover what topic/theme resonates the most with you

If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.► Subscribe to listen to a new episode each week.

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#55 - How To Write The Beginning Of A Song So You Can Hook Your Audience (+Examples)

Season 3 · Episode 55

Monday, August 26, 2024 • Duration 17:16

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

No idea how you can start your song's first line? Discover how you can write a captivating start that will instantly hook your audience! 💡 What you'll learn:- the best way to create an emotional connection

- how to write your song's first line as an intriguing hook

- see lots of examples and techniques of this one powerful opening line device

If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below – I love hearing from you and I will read / reply to every comment. ► Subscribe to listen to a new episode each week.

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#46 - Writing A Turning Point Moment in Lyrics – Waypoint #2: The Turning Point Progressive Complication

Season 2 · Episode 46

Wednesday, October 5, 2022 • Duration 15:46

If you’re like me, you have something valuable to share.

Something that matters.

And that we know that can help someone who will listen to our song.

And to get our message across in a way that bypasses a listener's critical mind, we have to wrap what we have to say into an experience.

And we create that experience through the journey we send our song’s main character on.

So that’s why we talk about the waypoints of that journey.

So that we can create that experience that leads someone from their mess to a better place.

And today, we will talk about the second waypoint on that journey.

Today, we’ll make it even worse for our song’s main character.

Because that’s life, right?

It has to get worse first before it can get better.

So let’s get right to it.

[00:01:13] Overview
[00:05:56] Progressive Complications
[00:10:03] Creating Progressive Complications
[00:11:32] Turning Point
[00:12:41] Turning Point Categories

Visit ⁠⁠lyricmastery.com⁠⁠ for everything on storytelling in songwriting.

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#45 - How I Discovered the Power of Lyrics

Season 2 · Episode 45

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 • Duration 18:32

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

Today, I wanna take the chance and introduce myself to you. Especially, I wanna tell you the story about the time in my life when I was completely lost, on my own, literally at the end of the world, and how one song gave me the strength to carry on… and what all of that taught me about what makes lyrics powerful.

So it’s all about my journey, so to say, and why I’m so passionate about the power of lyrics. Because this is the most incredible thing ever.

So here’s how everything started.

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#44 - Throwing the Song's Character's Life Out Of Balance – Waypoint #1: The Inciting Incident

Season 2 · Episode 44

Thursday, September 22, 2022 • Duration 14:21

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

You know, I always consider what happens in a powerful lyric like a journey.

It’s basically about watching a character move from one point in their life to another.

They are in a certain external or internal situation, and they wanna get from where they are to a better place.

So there’s always this little journey that the song’s main character goes on.

But before anyone moves in life and takes action, most of the time, though, something must happen beforehand.

And that’s what today’s episode is all about.

It’s about that incident that makes them see that they gotta pursue what they want so that they can get rid of an imbalance.

It’s like they feel that something is off, and they’re pulled towards something better — externally or internally.

So, if you want to find out how to write lyrics with a meaningful message, then this episode is the first part of five to doing just that.

Here's what we'll cover:

[00:01:37] 5 Commandments
[00:03:54] Definition of the Inciting Incident
[00:08:31] Creating Drive in the Audience
[00:09:29] Causal and Coincidental Inciting Incidents
[00:11:03] Placement of the Inciting Incident

Show Notes

#37 - Attention Grabbing Opening Lines - Part 1: The Powerful Problem
Hot Legs lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
That's Amore lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
I Will Survive lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
The Foundations of Decay lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Stan lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc
I'll Be There For You lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

#43 - What You Have to Say Matters… and How To Make it Matter to Others

Season 2 · Episode 43

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 • Duration 17:25

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

In today’s episode, I want to talk with you about you, your purpose, and why we write lyrics.

For me, when it comes to writing – no matter if it’s novels or lyrics – I use my words as the means to communicate with my audience and deliver a meaningful message that has the power to make an impact on them.

And I guess, since you are here, you have the same desire. You want to be heard because you have something to say about life. And what you have to say matters.

But communicating what we have to say in a way that matters to others isn’t easy. We can’t be preaching to the choir. We can’t take the role of a parent and say: Don’t do this because it leads to … We all know that no one listens if you preach it to them. On the other hand, if we are direct and say it bluntly, people might hear our words, but they will not care or take them seriously. We could also just write an academic paper and explain why our message is important … But who’s ever going to read that bulky volume?

That’s why in today’s episode, we talk about a storytelling principle that helps you deliver your message in a way that affects lives, changes minds, touches hearts, and makes an impact.

Because what it all comes down to is that we, as songwriters, lyricists, and storytellers, have an amazing power to influence people’s lives and make a positive, even life-changing, contribution.

But that only works if we rely on one of the most basic and most important storytelling principles.

What that is, well, you're about to find out.

Podcast Overview:

[00:02:25] Treat A Song Like An Experience
[00:05:29] Why Stories Matter
[00:11:12] The Five Commandments of Storytelling
Wrap up - 5 Commandments

#42 - “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square – How to Create a Smooth and Subtle Narrative Flow

Season 2 · Episode 42

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • Duration 48:24

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

In today’s episode, we’ll go through the lyrics of “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square.

And I tell you, as I first listened to the song. I thought: Quite nice. But I didn’t give the lyrics much thought. But now, after I have studied the lyrics and their storytelling power, I must say, I’m super surprised by how well-crafted those lyrics are.

It’s like when you say: Yes, Game of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin is a nice fantasy series. When it truth, it’s an epic masterwork.

And somehow, I feel like the lyrics to this song don’t get appreciated enough. They are so well-crafted that it is a delight to take them apart and just see how well they’ve been strung together.

So if you aim to write a love song that smoothly flows through a narrative and gives your audience a fully-satisfied listening experience, I invite you to study the lyrics of “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square with me.

Episode Overview:

[00:01:45] The S.O.N.G. Framework

[00:03:07] “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square

[00:05:22] Step 1: Summary - What is the song about?

[00:15:13] Step 2: Observer - Who is the main character of the song?

[00:23:51] Step 3: Narration - Analyzing the storytelling craft.

[00:30:25] Analyzing the scene told in the song.

[00:35:20] The Change

[00:37:41] Writing Techniques

#41 - Attention Grabbing Opening Lines – Part 3: The Intriguing Question

Season 2 · Episode 41

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 • Duration 13:54

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

#043 - Welcome to part 3 of our mini-series of Attention-Grabbing Opening Lines.

In episode 41 of the Stories in Songs Podcast, I’m gonna throw a lot of questions at you.

Why?

Listen to the show and find out. ;-)

Episode Overview

[00:00:53] The Intriguing Question

[00:03:37] Different Types of Questions to ask

[00:07:13] Song Examples that start with a question

[00:09:49] The Intriguing Question – Wrapup

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#40 - Steps Two and Three to Creating A One-Sentence Lyric Outline To Guide Your Writing Process

Season 2 · Episode 40

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 • Duration 34:26

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

#040 - Creating A One-Sentence Lyric Outline To Guide Your Writing Process.

In today’s episode, we continue with steps Two and Three to Creating A One-Sentence Lyric Outline To Guide Your Writing Process.

If you haven’t listened to episode 38 yet where we talked about the character’s literal action, please go back to that episode and listen to it. It’s vital if you want to move forward with me in this episode.

I’ll include a short recap, but listen to the full episode if you haven’t yet.

Episode Overview:

[00:01:15] Your Lyric Writing Compass Point
[00:03:40] Literal Action - Recap
[00:08:57] A Character’s Essential Tactic
[00:13:26] The Purpose of Essential Tactics
[00:17:52] Change and Valences
[00:22:07] Direct Address, Conflict, and the Question of Who Wins?
[00:27:10] The Lyric’s Guiding Message
[00:31:41] Lyric Writing With Intention

Show Notes

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#39 - Attention Grabbing Opening Lines – Part 2: The Shocking Statement

Season 2 · Episode 39

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 • Duration 13:04

✅ Join my free community for songwriters who want to leverage the power of storytelling to write great songs that grow their fanbase & career. ⁠lyricmastery.com/hub

#39 - Today, we continue with another technique of how you can create an attention-grabbing opening line for your lyrics beginning.

And specifically, we talk about the Shocking Statement and different ways how you can pull it off to stun your audience and make them wanna hear more!

Episode Overview:

[00:01:08] The Shocking Statement
[00:03:35] Different Ways to Create a Shocking Statement:
[00:07:02] More examples of songs that start with a Shocking Statement
[00:11:16] The Shocking Statement - Wrapup

Show Notes

Visit ⁠⁠lyricmastery.com⁠⁠ for everything on storytelling in songwriting.

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Story-First Songwriting – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Story-First Songwriting – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other29

Youtube15

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other29

Youtube15

Amazon6

Apple Podcasts

Spotify