CHORUS

The 10-Minute Songwriting Challenge: Create a Complete Song Idea Fast

The 10-Minute Songwriting Challenge: Create a Complete Song Idea Fast

1/2/2026

Here's the challenge: write a complete song idea in 10 minutes. That's less time that it will take for you to read this, or scroll through Instagram or choose what to watch on Netflix.

The time pressure actually helps here. When you've only got 10 minutes, you just have to go with your gut and get something on paper.

This isn't about writing the perfect song. It's about proving to yourself what you can actually do in 10 minutes. And if you do this regularly, you'll start trusting yourself more, making decisions faster and actually finishing songs instead of tweaking the same verse for three weeks.

How It Works

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Make a few quick decisions up front so you're not staring at a blank page, then just write. The constraints actually help – they take away that paralyzing feeling of having too many options.

Step 1: Pick Your Topic (30 seconds)

Just choose one of these. First one that hits you, don't overthink it:

  1. A specific place from your childhood – your grandmother's kitchen, that park where you learned to ride a bike, the backseat of your family car
  2. A conversation you wish you'd had – something you never said to someone, an argument you keep replaying, words you wish you could take back
  3. A small moment that changed everything – that instant you realized something, a look someone gave you, the second before it all fell apart
  4. Something you do when no one's watching – your weird rituals, guilty pleasures, the version of yourself only you know
  5. The feeling of leaving – saying goodbye to a person, a place, or who you used to be

Step 2: Pick Your Emotional Core (15 seconds)

What's the feeling at the heart of this? Just pick one:

  • Nostalgic and bittersweet – looking back with mixed feelings
  • Defiant and energized – standing up, moving forward, not backing down
  • Vulnerable and intimate – confessing something, showing your real self
  • Hopeful but uncertain – wanting to believe but not quite there yet
  • Celebratory and free – pure joy, release, letting go

This is your north star. When you get stuck, come back to this feeling.

Step 3: Pick Your Verse Chords (30 seconds)

Just grab one of these progressions for your verse. If you're using Chorus, you can find these instantly in the chords library:

  1. I – V – vi – IV (the classic—works every time)
    • Example: C – G – Am – F
  2. vi – IV – I – V (emotional, builds nicely)
    • Example: Am – F – C – G
  3. I – vi – IV – V (old school, works for happy or sad)
    • Example: C – Am – F – G
  4. ii – V – I (a little jazzy)
    • Example: Dm – G – C
  5. i – VI – III – VII (minor key, more dramatic)
    • Example: Am – F – C – G

Don't stress about getting it "right." Just pick one and move on.

Step 4: Pick Your Chorus Chords (30 seconds)

Your chorus should feel different from the verse—bigger or just different somehow. Pick one:

  1. I – V – vi – IV (if your verse is different, this always works)
    • Example: C – G – Am – F
  2. IV – I – V – vi (shifts things around, feels fresh)
    • Example: F – C – G – Am
  3. vi – IV – I – V (builds naturally)
    • Example: Am – F – C – G
  4. I – IV – vi – V (strong, anthemic)
    • Example: C – F – Am – G
  5. I – bVII – IV – I (modern, a little unexpected)
    • Example: C – Bb – F – C

Quick tip: If you want your chorus to pop more, try using the same progression as your verse but play it higher up or just sing it with more energy.

Step 5: Write for 8 Minutes Straight

Okay, now you write. Don't stop. Don't edit. Just go.

Minutes 1-3: Verse 1
Start with your topic and get specific. Don't write vague stuff like "I miss you" or "we're together"—write about how they always burned the toast or got foam on their lip from coffee. Those little details are what people remember. Let the chords guide how the words flow.

Minutes 3-5: Chorus
This is where you say the main thing. What's the one point of your song? Your chorus should capture that feeling in a way that's memorable and repeatable. If your verse is all details and storytelling, your chorus can be simpler and more universal. This is the part people will sing in their car.

Minutes 5-7: Verse 2
Add something new to the story. How have things changed since verse 1? What new information pushes things forward?

Minutes 7-9: Chorus Again
Repeat your chorus. If you've got time and you're feeling it, you can tweak a word or two to reflect what happened in verse 2.

Minutes 9-10: Wrap It Up
Either hit the chorus one more time or write a simple ending. Honestly, just holding the last chord and repeating your title or a key line works fine.

How to Make Your 10 Minutes Count

Get Specific

Generic concepts like "heartbreak" or "being in love" don't really land with people.

But specific sensory details? Those hit.

So write about the color of their jacket, the song that was on the radio, the exact way they said your name.

Small moments, not big abstract concepts. Specific details are what make your song yours and what make people feel something.

Find Your Hook Early

Your hook is the sticky part—the line that gets stuck in people's heads. Usually it's in the chorus and often becomes the title.

A good hook can be about the melody, the words, or both.

Some things to try:

  • Repeat a phrase or question that sticks
  • Use a strong concrete image
  • Do a call-and-response thing

The best hooks feel like they couldn't be anything else—like those are the only words that work there.

Don't Worry About Perfect Rhymes

In 10 minutes, you don't have time to find the perfect rhyme. Near-rhymes are totally fine in modern songwriting. Perfect rhymes are great, but approximate rhymes that just sound close enough work too.

If you're stuck, something like Chorus's rhyme finder can help you find rhymes you wouldn't think of on your own.

Seriously, Don't Stop to Edit

I mean it. Don't do it. You can fix stuff later. Right now you're creating, not polishing. Let the words come out even if they're awkward. You can always rewrite after the timer goes off—but you can't rewrite something that doesn't exist.

What Happens After the 10 Minutes?

When your timer goes off, you'll have a complete song idea. Rough? Yes. Imperfect? Definitely. But complete.

Right away: Record yourself singing it on your phone so you don't forget the melody.

Then: Walk away for a few hours or a day. When you come back, some of your instinctive choices will be great. Others will need work. But you'll have something real to build on.

Keep going: Try this once a week or whenever you're stuck. Not every 10-minute song will be amazing, but doing this regularly makes you so much more confident and productive as a songwriter.

Professional songwriters do speed-writing like this all the time—it's how you get to those raw, honest emotions that actually connect with people.

So grab your guitar or keyboard, set that timer, and see what happens when you stop overthinking. And if you want to make it easier, check out Chorus—it's built for moments like this, helping you find chords quickly, discover rhymes when you're stuck, and keep all your ideas in one place.