I’ve recently launched a Substack publication called Built to Sing.

The publication will focus on lyric writing, song analysis, commercial positioning, creative process, and the questions that eventually led me to write Built to Sing. If you’ve followed my work through Bernon Books, you’ll know I normally write fiction. Songwriting took me in an unexpected direction, and this new publication gives me a place to explore that side of the creative process.

The article below is the first post published on the new Substack.

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Welcome to Built to Sing

I never imagined myself as a songwriter. I still struggle with what being a songwriter actually entails. I know there is a formula, and as an engineer, I can appreciate a good formula. One thing I do understand is that lyrics are, at most, half of the equation. But they’re the half I feel most comfortable working within.

I come from writing novels, so the transition was both natural and jarring. There were questions I needed to answer about craft, commercial viability, and why some songs stayed with me long after the music stopped.

Why does one lyric disappear the moment a song ends while another stays with us for decades?

Why do some songs feel natural, as if every word belongs exactly where it is?

Many of those questions came to me after I began writing lyrics. After a song or two, I realized I had more questions than answers.

Why did one line feel stronger than another?

Why did some songs connect while others faded?

What was the difference between a lyric that worked and one that merely filled space?

That’s when I had to start studying.

I built worksheets, frameworks, and evaluation tools to help me understand what worked and what didn’t. Along the way, I discovered that many songwriting resources focused heavily on inspiration and process but spent less time examining how lyrics actually function.

The result of that exploration became Built to Sing.

This publication serves as an extension of that work.

Here you’ll find observations about lyric writing, song analysis, commercial positioning, creative process, and the lessons learned from writing songs myself. Some posts will explore why a lyric works. Others will examine common mistakes. Occasionally I’ll share insights from tools and systems I’ve developed while studying the craft.

I don’t claim to have all the answers.

In fact, this publication exists because I kept asking questions.

If you’re a songwriter, lyricist, musician, or simply someone fascinated by how songs are built, I hope you’ll find something useful here.

Thanks for reading.

— Henry Netherland

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You can subscribe to Built to Sing on Substack.