Song Prompt: Song Plot Roulette

I thought we’d use some lists I’ve compiled from several places and categorized to give you a quick selection grid for key song elements.

Go step-by-step using the grids below, and you should have a pretty good plot outline for your lyric by the time you’ve hit the bottom of the post!

Step 1

Choose a point of view from the list below

1st Person	2nd Person	3rd Person
I – We	You – You	He – She – They

Step 2

Choose a Relationship the speaker has with someone else and the Life Event they share

Relationships	Life Events
Son/Daughter	Birth/Life
Husband/Wife	Death
Grandparent	Good Health
Friend	Poor Health
Coworker/Neighbor	Accident/Trauma
Family Member	Abuse/Self Harm (e.g., Vice)
Teenager	Homelessness
Parent	School Life
Mother/Father	Secret/Dating Life
Religious Figure	Job/Work – Loss/New
Mentor	Secret Life
Mistress/Secret Lover	Financial Problems/Windfall
Best Friend/Confidant	Arrest/Criminal Activity
Enemy/Nemesis	Series Of Life Changes
Lover	Nothing Ever Changes

Step 3

Choose their perspective on the event(s) & select either a positive or negative reaction. You could split the reactions to give it a twist as well!

Positive Reactions	Negative Reactions
Laughter/Amusement	Cries/Panics
Ecstatic/Animated/Celebratory	Surprised
Steely Resolve	Numb/Unfeeling
Courageous	Clings To (Past, Present, etc.)
Comforting	Pushes Away (Emotionally)
Cherished/Loved	Violent
Helpful/Can Be Counted On	Runs Away
Hard Working/Committed	Isolates Themselves
Calm/Controlled	Turns To A Vice
Satisfied	Ignores / Pays No Attention

Step 4

Choose a point in time & a place

Present	Past	Future	Moving
Now – Here	Back Then – Ago	Someday – There	Between Any Of Them