#how to write like taylor swift

[somebodytopen]

The thing is every single one of us is flawed. That’s why we find flawed characters so compelling because we can’t relate to perfect characters, but we can find ourselves in flawed characters.

[xcleanx]

were you sent by someone who wanted me dead? did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed? were you writing a book? were you a sleeper-cell spy? in fifty years will all this be declassified? and you'll confess why you did it… and i'll say good riddance ’cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden…. I WOULD’VE DIED FOR YOUR SINS INSTEAD I JUST DIED INSIDE!!!!!!!!! AND YOU DESERVE PRISON BUT YOU WON’T GET TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU’LL SLIDE INTO INBOXES AND SLIP THROUGH THE BARS YOU CRASHED MY PARTY IN YOUR RENTAL CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU SAID NORMAL GIRLS WERE BORING BUT YOU WERE GONE BY THE MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU KICKED OUT THE STAGE LIGHTS BUT YOU’RE STILL PERFORMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…………. and in the plain sight you hid……. and you are what you did…… and i’ll forget you but i’ll never forgive…. the smallest man who ever lived.

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

Begging swifties to understand that Taylor didn’t write reputation and Lover with the knowledge of how the relationship was going to end and that trying to “excavate” those albums for evidence to prove a specific theory as to why it ended is not how they should be viewed. Taylor wrote those songs feeling a very specific way because that’s what she was experiencing and she is now reflecting on them with hindsight and relates to them differently than when she first created them. These conflicting emotions can exist; how she views it now doesn’t diminish how she felt about it when she first released it.

[macksartblock]

beware of burnout it's so real i'm afraid

also bc ended up making my writing into a font to avoid killing my hand as much and bc I saw Caden do this, I thought it would be fun to see who y'all think it suits lol

[milfygerard]

going through @likeadevils incredible timeline for RED and this quote keeps bouncing around my brain. Since the release of the 1989 TV tracks ive been thinking about how taylors writing style changed so sharply between red and 1989 and I really think this is the moment that that artistic shift really started. In some of the cut tracks for 1989 (especially suburban legends) taylor has her sort of country songwriter habit of creating those sort of unweildy lyrics that can veer off with rogue syllables and rhythms, barely contained in their strict pop structures, bursting at the seams. now I live this, but a perfect cohesive pop song that does not make, and 1989s core goal was just that. The perfect, cohesive pop songs, expressing her feelings through these succinct stabs built within a pop song structure with a steady consistent beat. Heartbreak you can dance to.

I think thats why some swifties feel less "emotion" in the lyrics of 1989 or tend to underrate them a bit. Its almost a complete change in writing ethos, its so not country. its not loose and not wordy, its still sharply written and filled with grand melodrama and intimate details, but in a completely different form from before.

This led to 1989 which is in many ways a Perfect album, specifically songs like blank space and style that I dont think could have existed without her experience writing trouble and the advice given by Max Martin. Adding this to her arsenal is what pushed her from a genre mix country-pop-rock type artist to a true blue pop star.

I have more thoughts on this, and I do think this style has held her back in some ways, but theyre kind of rambly and unformed so I'll stop here but like. Im just so obsessed with how her writing methods have changed over the years. I could write paragraphs on how much shes changed just from her relatively small amount of work done with aaron dessner. Taylor is such a collaborative artist, and makes her best work when shes working with someone new who can throw an entirely new challege her way and really force her out of her comfort zone.

[half-shadowgalra]

Hot Take

(I have no clue if this is or isnt a hot take considering I have never seen this take been made before)

Bianca di Angelo would find her hot

[writeyourdarlings]

steve likes riding his motorbike to the beach at night. the roads are quiet, and the cool air brushes his cheeks as gentle as a lover's hand.

the ocean scares him a little, if he’s being honest. the way the waves crash onto the sand and break against the rocks—the loud sound sometimes catches him off guard. it reminds him of that time he fell from the sky, diving the plane into the ocean with nothing but stillnes and darkness waiting for him at the bottom. it reminds him of those men he once read in history books—of young japanese pilots who plunged their planes into their targets and vanished into the ocean. kamikaze, he recalls the word. the almost-similarity seems haunting to him.

but still, he keeps coming back.

each night, he parks his motorbike and walks toward the shoreline. he takes off his shoes and socks, rolls up his pants, and lets the cold sea foam kiss his ankles.

he doesn’t step in too deep, but it's enough for him to introduce himself like a shy new kid standing at the front of the class. enough to befriend the ocean all over again and whisper: hey, beautiful.

and when the waves turn a little bit calmer, steve thinks the ocean seems to remember him.🤍

[wherepoetswentodie]

people can do hard things.....like update the fic that no one asked for.......ANYWAY, still out there in the dark chapter six sponsored by imgonnagetyouback cause whether hes gonna flip him off or pull him back into the closet he hasn't decided yet but hes gonna get him back

[midnightsslut]

Reducing all of Taylor's art to her ex feels kinda misogynistic tbh. We have zero idea what this albums going to be about. People are really putting 2 and 2 together to make 56 and forwarding that 'all she does is write about her exes' narrative

I feel like male artists never get this? It's like completely over writing her creative autonomy and reducing it all to kinda petty autobiographical stuff

Like I'm seeing people say stuff like 'this song title CONFIRMS this and that about her and Joe' and it's just a kinda gross response from people who are meant to be her fans

If I was putting out new art and people were using title tracks to make up narratives about my ex (who the songs may not be about- remember how wrong people were about 'slut!'?) I'd find that so fucking disheartening

Also some of these leaps are giving Kaylor ngl

eh, good thing you’re not the one putting out art then.

jokes aside, I think it’s very clear that taylor wants to have a certain narrative of what happened out there. this can be gathered from the change in her team’s strategy when it comes to handling her relationships (for example, we get a lot more direct explanations of what’s happening in her life). taylor knows the optics of putting out an album called ‘the tortured poets department.’ what a lot of new fans forget is that she has spoken extensively about how her music is a reflection of what’s happening in her personal life (skip to 6:33). sure, she’s gone through a lot of phases since this interview, but reducing these details to ‘petty autobiographical stuff’ isn’t fair to her. it isn’t petty. it’s just her life, and her music is written about her life. art does not exist in a vacuum.

no one is denying her creative autonomy by assuming that this album is going to be autobiographical. if she wanted people to interpret it through a fictionalized lens, she would say as much. I would suggest reading through her betty speeches (transcribed by @cages-boxes-hunters-foxes ofc) to get a better understanding of her feelings on this topic. in short, she knows when her music will be perceived as autobiographical, and that’s a conscious decision she makes. I will link a couple of speeches at the end of this post that illustrate this.

it isn’t gross to just take her at her word. she is allowed to share things about her life, and when she does, we are allowed to discuss them without a dozen caveats.

Vegas n2 (extensive navel-gazing of my life)

chicago n1 (it’s just about me, me, me, feeling, this happened…)

[slowburnwonderland]

Emily glanced around as she leaned back in her chair, catching JJ's eyes just as she finished up a phone call. The sight of the faint shadows under JJ's eyes tugged at Emily's heart, a subtle reminder of how much the last case had taken out of her. The bullpen was buzzing with activity, agents engrossed in paperwork or hushed conversations, but none of it mattered as Emily gave JJ a soft, knowing smile and nodded subtly toward the breakroom.

Inside, Emily leaned against the counter by the coffee maker, two steaming cups already prepared just the way each agenet liked. She felt a flutter of warmth as JJ appeared in the doorway, a gentle smile on her lips. "Hey, you," JJ said, her voice gentle, as if the entire room wasn't between them.

"Hey," Emily replied, her tone light and affectionate as JJ stepped inside and closed the door just enough to afford them a moment of privacy without arousing suspicion. Emily handed JJ the cup, their fingers brushing as the warmth of the coffee passed between them. "How's it going?" she asked softly.

JJ sighed, leaning on the counter beside her, enough to feel her warmth. "You know, the usual," she said, but there was something softer in her voice now, a touch of vulnerability that only Emily ever seemed to draw out.

Emily's gaze lingered on JJ's face, taking in every little detail. "Anything I can help with?"

JJ shook her head, eyes brightening slightly as they met Emily's. "No, I'm just happy to see your face, that's all."

Emily's heart swelled at the words, and she couldn't resist leaning in just a bit closer, her voice dropping to a tender tone meant only for JJ. "Well, here I am."

"JJ's laugh was soft, almost musical, as her hand reached out to lightly touch Emily's elbow. The contact was brief, but it was a sign of their unspoken connection-- cherished, but hidden. "You always know when I need a break," JJ said, her voice filled with warmth.

Emily's smile widened, her own fingers brushing back against JJ's in a fleeting touch. "I'll always be here when you need me," she whispered, her words carrying all the weight of things usually unspoken.

For a moment, they just stood there, lost in each other's gaze, the outside world fading away entirely. Then, with a small sigh, Emily straightened up, glancing at the door as reality nudged its way back in.

"I'll let you get back to it," Emily said, her voice returning to its professional tone, though her eyes still traced over JJ's face with concern.

"Thanks, Em," JJ replied, her voice soft and full of affection, a warmth in her chest that she knew she'd carry for the rest of the day.

Emily gave her a small, knowing nod, a private smile playing at the corners of her lips before she slipped back out into the bullpen. JJ watched her go, holding on to their brief sweet moment, the act of seeking each other out for comfort, a little bit of light in the middle of their stressful day.

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

Speak Now is Taylor’s most neglected child and it makes me sad. I don’t think it’s intentional, I just think that there’s a lot of heaviness attached to it that makes revisiting it a bit painful.

[lucyybradford]

i have no writing talent whatsoever so i would like to offer my firstborn child to whoever of my wonderfully talented writer mutuals that would like write a hangster fic based off of The Way I Loved You by Taylor Swift

[swiftlyguards]

rip alexander hamilton you would’ve loved the tortured poets department

[stillwithmeisonlyyou]

I genuinely tweak when someone asks me about my music taste in the exact words " So what kind of music do you listen to?" Cuz like what am i supoosed to say? Gay?