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Home / Programs / Salon Series / Making Art Out of Heartache: Songwriting with Anna Witiuk

Making Art Out of Heartache: Songwriting with Anna Witiuk

At our February 12 salon, Anna Witiuk proved we don’t need to be a musician to write great lyrics, just have a desire to get our feelings down on the page. Heartbreak can be such an impossible feeling to describe, but oh, how we feel it! In this Salon, we had fun exploring the history, style and technique behind some of Anna’s favorite heartbreak songs of all time! And we got a start on writing our very own heartbreak song, too! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, what better way for all us Lonely Hearts to celebrate than to sing about all the ways love has done us wrong?

 I grew up in NYC, in the East Village, and in my teenage years I was a mentee with Girls Write Now. It was a life-changing organization for me as a budding writer, performer and creative. The bond with my mentor was deep and it remains to this day. I am so happy that I am able to give back to GWN now by being a mentor, and to help in maintaining the impact and magic of this organization for current mentees and mentees to come. —Anna J Witiuk

Prompt #1

Write a letter addressed to a person who “broke your heart,” hurt your feelings, or lied to you in some way.

Prompt #2

Circle the keywords (words that stand out and/or are important to you) in your letter. Can you find a theme? These keywords are a great way to find a hook or repeated chorus for your song.

Prompt #3

Write the chorus/refrain to your song. 2-4 rhyming lines that hold the driving objective/motivation of the song. In your song, these lines will be repeated or returned to.

Hear the rhythm of your words—are they in the same rhythmic time as each other? Think of the type of heartbreak song this—pleading? angry? resolute? etc.

(Having trouble starting your chorus or refrain? Use these examples as jumping off points)

Example 1: Refrain from “Jolene,” “Jolene!” is repeated in heightening drama, with the 2nd and 4th lines rhyming.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene

I’m begging of you please don’t take my man

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene

Please don’t take him just because you can

Example 2: In many old stye, 12-bar blues, a verse can be comprised of one line, repeated 3 times, with a rhyming fourth line at the end 

from “Careless Love Blues”

“Oh it’s love, oh, love, oh, careless love (x3)

Can’t you see what careless love has done

Anna J Witiuk is a singer, musician, songwriter, storyteller and poet, living and performing in her hometown of New York City. She has been a proud member of and grant writer for the folk vocal group Ukrainian Village Voices for five years. Anna is also a third-year mentor with Girls Write Now—and a mentee alum! She can often be found crooning sweet harmonies and playing good ol’ honky-tonk and blues around town with her band, Anna J & the Somethin’ Else.

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Celebrate Black History Month!

Each week throughout February, we’ll be sharing stories, resources and events from our community and our partners that honor Black art, writing, culture and history!

Life Resources and Events

At Girls Write Now, we work to challenge and change the systemic racism and inequality by breaking down the barriers of race and poverty to elevate the voices of girls and gender nonconforming youth who are too often not heard—or worse, silenced. From mental and emotional wellness to advocating for racial justice, we are here to support you individually and as a community through our robust programming. Check out our calendar to see our current offerings or visit our Life Resources page to support you during this time.

Friday Night Salon with Megan Reid & Wendi Gu

Join us on Friday, February 26, 6-7:30 PM ET for Picture Books 101: Writing for Kids When You Aren’t One with Megan Reid and Wendi Gu!

We’re Hiring!

Looking for more purpose-driven work in the new year? Check out available roles to join the team! 

GIVE. WRITE. NOW. And Thank you!!

Girls Write Now’s services are more essential than ever before—serving the hardest hit communities—and many of our young women and gender nonconforming youth have themselves become essential workers to help their families. They carry an enormous burden and face devastating loss, slipping further into poverty. To meet the need, we have enriched and extended our programs, leading the historical transition to virtual learning.

Get Involved!

Are you a licensed mental health professional who’d love to work with our community of writers and creatives? We’re seeking volunteer Wellness Advisors. Get more info & apply here!

Relive the Girls (Re)Write Now Awards

If you missed the awards, you can still watch it! Relive this revolutionary night of mini–master classes with honorees on empathy, art, activism & humor and Girls Write Now mentees on writing with purpose, climate justice & self-care. 

Writing from our Future Leaders

Taking Our Place in History: the Girls Write Now 2020 Anthology was published with support from Dutton and Amazon Literary Partnership, available for purchase from McNally Jackson Books and anywhere ebooks are sold!

Girls Write Now in the News

Girls Write Now’s work has recently been featured by the National Endowment for the Arts, Time Out New York, NYXT and more!

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