"Perfect for gifting during the holidays and beyond, a thoughtful, counterintuitive book about creativity from the celebrated songwriter, leader of the band Wilco, and New York Times bestselling author of Let's Go (So We Can Get Back), inspiring others by taking the reader through the process of writing one song"-- There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. Tweedy believes that the difference between one song and many songs isn't a cute semantic trick-- it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit. Here he brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song: lyrics, music, and putting it all together. Doing so allows you to access the deep sense of wonder that remains at the heart of this fulfilling, artistic act. -- adapted from jacket Provided by publisher.

Part I. Why? ; The Hardest Part ; Obstacles ; Make Songwriting a Habit ; Everyday Work ; What You Get in the End -- Part II. Start Writing ; Exercise 1 : Word Ladder : Verbs and Nouns ; Exercise 2: Stealing Words from a Book ; Exercise 3 : Cut-Up Techniques ; Exercise 4 : Word Ladder Variation : The Dreaded Adjective ; Exercise 5 : Have a Conversation ; Exercise 6 : Playing with Rhymes ; Exercise 7 : Don't Be Yourself -- Part III. Pieces of Music ; Recommendation 1 : Learn Other People's Songs ; Recommendation 2 : Set a Timer ; Recommendation 3 : Loosen Your Judgment ; Recommendation 4 : Steal -- Part IV. Can You Hear What Comes Next? ; Recording What You've Done ; Are You Stuck? ; What Did You Just Make? Is It Any Good? ; Sharing Your Song.