Write about what you know. There are certain things that I can not write about. Menopause (wrong sex), hangovers (don't drink), drug addictions, ice hole fishing, bowling a 300 game, etc. We all have areas of life that we know about. Maybe it is the pain of a breakup, the thrill of kids or grandkids, the promotion at work, divorce, how much yo love that first cup of coffee,- pause, sorry about that I had to take a sip of coffee. Ha! Ha! I know this songwriting tip sounds obvious but it is a common mistake that is made. I have been tempted to write a song about a recovering alcoholic but I don't know the pain and the struggles that a recovering alcoholic would feel. One song I really like is Wine into Water, it is sung by T. Graham Brown. You can feel the pain and the truth of that song.T. Graham Brown was a country music star that always performed with a bottle of Jack Daniel's on the stage with him. He wrote that song with Bruce Burch and it was about T. Grahams Browns life. You can feel the desperation and how he turned to God for strength because it was written by someone who knows that pain. pause, another sip of coffee. Okay I am going to go write a song about coffee. Just kidding. You know more than you think you do. Write about it.