Well MAB, since you mentioned RiDawn, just in case I didn't welcome here here yet, WELCOME RiDawn!!
Now, boy, I'm not sure what to talk about here. I have been writing, mostly country, some blues, some what I call pop (probably isn't) for about 15 years. MAB said Jarrod's songs were too long and poetic. When I first started, my very first song, I somehow understood Verse, Chorus, and that song had 2 verses and repeated the chorus two times. It also had a tag at the end, although I didn't realize that was what it was called. Then, a year or so later I was talking to another writer, and he mentioned "the bridge". I had NO clue what he was talking about! That was so long ago, I'm not sure how I finally figured it out, but now when I write a verse/chorus song, it will have a bridge, and the chorus will be repeated 3 times. Every now and then, I will write a song where the chorus is first, or I may write a VVBV format. I also leared about the pre-chorus, or channel. That actually wasn't that long ago. Couple three years I guess? I also learned (from MAB) that a popular rhyming scheme in the verses is AACBBC, then if there is a pre-chorus, I keep that to 2 rhyming lines. Most songs I write now follow that rhyming scheme. Then, I use a different rhyming scheme in the bridge and chorus. The last thing I would mention about education is, make it conversational. I do not use any metaphors any more. Similies, if they make sense. I try real hard to have every line lead to the next line in story progression and logic. Oh, and I guess I should also talk about SHOW me the story; Don't just TELL me what happened.
Now, what looses my attention at open mic's or even schedule writer rounds? Same chord progression, same strumming pattern, melodies that drone on and on, no distinction between verse and chorus (note here: IF I can listen through the first verse and chorus and the second verse, then I MIGHT recognize the chorus the second time. BUT I usually have lost interest before the first chorus.) Songs that are slow balads and no interesting subject or melody. Songs about I've been dumped and I'm so down, if you woud only come back to me. Odly enougn, I actually find some of the ACS (Angry CHick SInger) songs interesting when they are up beat and have humor in them. Songs that try to TELL the story with little to no visuals in them. Visuals is what draws you into the songs, and when the song is simply telling, it gets boreing pretty quck. AND, the problem is, almost every writer every night has the same song, over and over. I used to try and write those ballad type somebody done me wrong songs, but I gave that up. Now I try to write mid-up tempo, positive, light (not necessarily humorus, but not really serious either) songs.
I have only recently started doing open mic's. Well, as many any way. A couple of years ago, I went to one once a week or so. It was a bar scene, so nobody was listening anyway, and it got me in front of people. Now I try to go 2-3 times a week here. My reasons are to get better in front of people so I don't totally suck when I'm in Nashville, and to try to motivate myself to write more, better songs. The reason I want to do open mic's in Nashville is to try and meet writers there, and maybe impress someone there to be able to do co-writing when I'm there.. And, of course, to get my songs heard there, by someone other than the NSAI evaluators.
phil g.