UPDATE 1 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 3:52AM
This is a new experiment. An attempt to capture my songwriting process live, while ensuring that I am backed into a corner where I actually can't give up and go to bed. I've taken my 5-hour energy (extra strength for what that matters), and am ready to get things started. I have a lot on my plate right now ... I am feeling a lot right now. Serenity and anxiousness in equal parts. Time to make the doughnuts.

UPDATE 2 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 3:59AM
Facebook, Fan Page, and Twitter now all updated. The gauntlet has now been thrown down. Time to live up to it.

Let's start by spitballing things I am thinking and feeling right now. Some of them I can use now. Some of them I will use later. Trying to use Kurt Cobain's formula of each song relying mostly on the familiar, with the idea of allowing room for at least one idea or point of view no one has said in song.

UPDATE 3 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 4:35AM

• I'm something broken that can't be fixed
• I'm better on my own
• Don't give up on today
  
• The world at night
• I need to be better
• What do I need
• All I need is you
• Summertime is here
• Wintertime is here (album concept? Working through seasons. Random lyrics: "Seasons come, seasons go, Lovers change, Feelings grow. Feelings fade, Winter Comes. Nothing lasts, Spring has past." )
• Not ready to be King
• Why do I do this (to myself? to you? Hmmmm ...)
• Finding reasons for it all
• Hell on Earth
• Why do I buy you flowers?
• Make up Love
• Together Again
• Nobody cares
• Still (In Love)
• Numb

Moment of Clarity: Okay so this is obviously a bunch of emo @#$! ... trying to decide how I feel about that ... about what it means about me. Need to find balance between expressing myself and making music that I actually want to hear. YES ... I would like these songs to feel personal enough that I can put soul into them ... but I want other people to hear the songs and feel like they are about them. Tough tightrope to walk.

UPDATE 3 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 4:46AM

More brainstorming. Try to be more assertive here ... 

• Stand Out and Stand Alone
• From the Outside Looking In
• Seen It All
• Talk to Me
• I'll Die Tomorrow
• Can't Sleep
• Nobody Cried
• Live A Little Bit / Die A Little Bit
• One More Fight
• Lift 'Em Up
• Telling Me Lies / Telling You Lies
  
• Make It Without You
• Right Til the End
• Hold On to Goodbye
• Keep It Moving
• Good music gets to me
  

UPDATE 5 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 5:05AM
Just booted up iTunes ... scouting through the beats Bobby sent our way. Trying to find something that hits me the right way ... then will pick a song topic from above and get to work.

UPDATE 6 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 5:19AM
Okay, from 50 possible beats, I have narrowed it down to 18 contenders. I have to admit, I feel much more energized with the beats now directly in front of me. Good music gets to me way more than caffeine or 5 hour energy. I am crazy enough to believe I might write something to each of these right now. Maybe if I am lucky I can at least write a few. So you can see what I see, here is my computer screen:

1. I am going to place ALL the beats I have access to in a playlist. 
2. I will eliminate any beats that we will definitely not use
3. I will then press play on the playlist
   
4. I will then attempt to write as much of a song as possible while the beat plays
5. When the next beat comes on, I will write during that beat as much of a song as possible
6. I will repeat this process until the playlist is finished
7. I will then repeat the entire process over and over again until a group of songs take shape

Here's hoping it works. I will record each round here.

UPDATE 8 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 6:59AM

Real-Time Playlist Song Writing: Round One

+ Beat One (Can't Deny):  On second thought, beat deleted. Too slick
+ Beat Two (Radiohead): On second thought, beat deleted. Not telling me anything
+ Beat Three (Love No More):   

Growing up ... I used to be used to the baddest dudes / getting all the girls with their attitudes / Had to do / Something bout this situation / Found a few / ugly traits / one or two / brought em out in public, how they love it, Now they loving you / Now they hugging / Bugging too / Calling all their girls , But still it troubles you / Even though you win with the W / You still ain't half of a W / That's a U / Which you ain't / You're a fake / The real you is outta view / the real world it swallows you / the rep you build mmmm how it follows you / hmmm what's the reason that love always blinding you / meanwhile part of you / is lingering reminding you / of the values, morales, and goals that's inside you / but everytime you fall back and listen to your heart / some careless thoughtless girl comes and tears it apart / Now what to do / listen to that voice that's inside you / Or hide it deep inside / Keep your pride / and a girl or two / How to choose / Keep it real 100 / Or armor up that heart and keep dangers far from it / It's a lose lose battle / Like roulette with a rifle / Cause now you're the baddest dude / repeating the cycle"

UPDATE 9 : Friday November 20, 2009 - 7:34AM
 In the midst of my Playlist songwriting technique, got caught up on the third beat. Not going to fit my rule of "every song a hit", but stumbling across some very interesting subject matter. Gonna watch this one and see where it goes. Need to grab an hour of sleep, then coming right back to this.