What do you write and why? These are the questions posed by Inge Bateman in her blog parade.

I usually write for IT companies, translating websites, training courses, white papers and blog posts from German into English. I’m good at it and I enjoy it. Do get in touch if you need help with your IT-related content!

But in February I write songs.

Each year, I take part in February Album-Writing Month (FAWM). It’s an online challenge with participants from all over the world, and the idea is to write 14 songs in 28 days.

We’re a friendly community of musicians and lyricists with a whole range of backgrounds, abilities, and styles. Some (like me) focus on lyrics, perhaps sharing simple demos to give an idea, while others record full, professional-sounding arrangements. What unites us is the desire to turn up, stretch ourselves, support each other and have fun.

Listening to (or reading) and commenting on what others have written is a big part of what FAWM is about. There’s even a filter for songs that haven’t yet received any comments, so you can specifically seek out the ones that need some love.

You can take part in games and challenges to get the creative juices flowing and there are discussion forums where you can get help, find collaboration partners or have a chat.

Why 14 songs in 28 days?

It sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? And it is. But this ambitious goal has the effect of shaking you out of the ‘I must now create a masterpiece’ mindset with its attendant pressure. Instead, you find yourself getting less precious about it, abandoning any thought of perfection as you get something down on paper and then move on to the next song. The focus, in the first instance, is on quantity rather than quality. But once you get into it – once you’ve stopped thinking you have to come up with something amazing – that’s when the real gems start to emerge.

I find the challenges really helpful. You might, for example, be asked to write a song based on a certain colour, or to use a particular rhyming scheme or chord sequence. Or perhaps to write something about a day of the week or incorporating certain words. What I call the front part of my brain gets busy working on the puzzle, and while it’s distracted my more elusive, creative ‘back brain’ comes out to play.

Challenges also give you boundaries, or constraints. Being able to write whatever you like isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s much easier to come up with something if you have a structure or some limitations. Which is one of the reasons I enjoy translating, actually.

Why do I write songs for FAWM?

Basically, because it’s fun! I generally respond well to both deadlines and gamification and I love how, a few days into February, I get into a creative flow where anything could be a good starting point for a song. I admit it’s a thrill when someone comments on one of my songs, and it’s fantastic to get the little trophy icon next to your name once you reach 14.

It’s also an opportunity to play (musically and otherwise) without pressure. I can try things out and push myself to do something different, all in a safe, supportive space and without any particular expectations. I’m not trying to write a hit song – in fact my output is usually about little everyday happenings, or coffee, or chocolate mousse. I just love the feeling of chasing the perfect phrase.

The skills I use during FAWM are similar to those required for translation. When you write a song or a poem, you’re trying to express an idea within the constraints of a given structure. And with translation it’s the same – except the structure is the grammar of another language rather than a particular rhyming scheme. So when I’m having fun writing lyrics about the camel’s favourite day (Wednesday of course), I’m also honing the skills I need for my work.

Finally, I feel very comfortable with the FAWM community and I’ve made a lot of friends there. Signing into the FAWM website the first time each year is like coming back to school after the summer holidays and seeing all your mates again. Except it’s much more fun than school ever was. But you get the idea.

So that’s part of what I write, why I write it and why February has become one of my favourite months of the year.

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Do check out the other blog-parade contributors. You’ll find links to the other posts in the comments here.