My father and I often discuss which is more difficult, writing songs or writing fiction. He's a songwriter, a passion he passed on to me. Having done both, I argue that songwriting is harder. No matter the length of the story, authors have wiggle room to play with wording, character development, and plot. Songwriters tell a story, too, but they have much less space to do it in, plus they're working with rhymes and rhythms, and it all has to be set to music.

Writing fiction is a piece of cake by comparison.

Honestly, I learned a lot from the songs I've written and studied over the past few decades, and quite a bit of that has translated unintentionally into writing fiction. I judge a sentence by its rhythm. I often write sparingly (sometimes too much so), telling a story without much excess verbiage or many tangents. Yet, somehow, I manage to squeeze a lot of detail into even the shortest of stories, as several readers noted in reviews of a recently published novella.

Thank my songwriting days for that.

Now, not by any means have I given up music or songwriting. They're an integral part of me, nourishment for the heart and soul. But I no longer think of myself as a songwriter. I don't have the talent for it that my father does, although he may disagree with my assessment.

As to his own skill as a musical wordsmith, I present the following two videos, one of my father singing a song he wrote, the other of another singer covering the same song. I reckon having one of your songs covered is a sign of greatness. That's what I tell my dad, anyway! (And I believe he deserves the praise.)

"What the mind forgets, the heart always remembers." **

And y'all wonder where I get it from!

There are so many things authors can learn from songwriters. The next time you're stuck or need inspiration, pop in a CD, turn on your iPod, or visit Pandora or YouTube and lose yourself in someone else's words and the emotions they engender.

** Words, lyrics, and music for "Someone We Don't Love" copyright Varney Watson. All Rights Reserved.