lyric_writing v1.0.0

name: "lyric_writing" description: "Writes and revises song lyrics: idea worksheets, verse-chorus structures, rhyme types, meter and singability, hook craft, and draft workshopping. Triggers on 'write lyrics', 'write a song', 'help me with these lyrics', requests for a chorus, verse, bridge, hook, rhyme help, or when a lyric draft needs diagnosis and revision."

Lyric Writing

Purpose

Take a theme or a rough draft and produce singable, structured song lyrics: a section map first, then words that fit it.

Workflow

1. Idea before form. Run the objective-writing worksheet (see references/workshop-checklist.md): pin down one central image or truth, the specific sensory scene it lives in, and the single focus phrase the song revolves around. One song, one idea.
2. Pick the form. Choose from references/forms.md based on genre and the job the song does. Map out sections and line counts before writing a word.
3. Set the meter. Fix syllable ranges and stress patterns per section (see references/prosody.md). Lyric stress must land where the melody will land. If there is no melody yet, write in a regular meter so one is easy to set.
4. Write the hook first. The chorus carries the title or hook line: plain language, repeatable, understandable on first listen. See the hook tests in references/workshop-checklist.md.
5. Rhyme with intent. Choose rhyme strength per section from the ladder in references/rhyme-ladder.md. Strong rhymes close a thought; weak rhymes keep it moving. Vary the type across the song; never let perfect rhyme do all the work.
6. Draft section by section. Verse: concrete details, new information each verse. Pre-chorus: pressure rising. Chorus: the summary truth. Bridge: the turn, a new angle or realization. Verse and chorus get different rhyme schemes and line lengths so the listener hears the sections change.
7. Analyze. Run bin/analyze_lyrics.py on the draft to check syllable consistency, line counts per section, and chorus-repeat integrity.
8. Revise like a workshop. Apply the revision moves in references/workshop-checklist.md: kill clichés, cut abstraction, sharpen the bridge so it earns the final chorus. Transcribe, sleep on it, re-read aloud.

Output Contract

• A finished draft with section tags ([Verse 1], [Pre-Chorus], [Chorus], [Bridge], [Outro]), or a section map plus drafted lines when the user only asked for a start.
• Every revision pass reports: what changed, which rule drove the change.
• Lyrics ship in plain text or markdown, never in a code block, unless the user asked for a file.

Operating Rules

1. Never write from abstractions alone. Every section must earn at least one concrete, sensory detail.
2. Each new verse must add information. A verse that restates the previous one gets cut or merged.
3. The bridge must say something the song has not said yet, in a different rhyme scheme and line count. A bridge that repeats the chorus's point is a rewrite failure, not a section.
4. The final chorus must feel different after the bridge. If the bridge does not change the chorus's meaning, rework one of them.
5. Rhyme never dictates meaning. If a line bends its sense to serve a rhyme, rewrite the line or pick a weaker rhyme.
6. Singability is non-negotiable: read every line aloud, tap the beat, and cut any line that trips the tongue.
7. Attribute facts about form or technique when asked; write no factual claims about real songs (titles, dates, artists) without checking them first.
8. Keep drafts lean. Cut lines until removing one more would hurt.