How To!: Write the Perfect Breakup Song with Ben Folds
This is an episode of our advice show How To! with Charles Duhigg.\nLorenzo is a dental student with big dreams\u2014of becoming a rock star. Lorenzo plays a mean guitar at open mic night, but there\u2019s one thing holding him back: He doesn\u2019t know how to write his own songs. In this episode of How To!, we bring in master songwriter Ben Folds, former frontman of Ben Folds Five, and author of A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons. Many of those lessons are about how anyone can unlock their creativity. Ben breaks down his own music, and tinkers with Lorenzo\u2019s attempt at writing a break-up song. He tells him to embrace clich\xe9, then slip in something unexpected. Also, switch the first lyric with the second. Will it work?\nDo you have a problem that needs a creative solution? Send us a note at howto@slate.com.\nSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices