You say that you almost always write lyrics and the vocal melodies together.. but what about songs like la de da or outside that have multiple verses where the vocal melody is more or less the same? (Or maybe you meant that you never really write lyrics without a vocal melody in mind). I usually write the lyrics with the melody too and they both kind of feed one another. But I always hit a wall when trying to fit lyrics to a pre-set melody (like for the 2nd/3rd verse of a song). The lyrics seem more forced and unnatural when I'm trying to fit them in a place instead of making the place around them. I'll have a good verse 1 then the other verses kind of drop off. Any tips?
it can be kind of a puzzle, but it should come to you in the right circumstances. do a timed run through of what you have so far, and listen very very closely when you reach the end of that run through. that is really only the authentic time when the answer should hit you, and it will feel like lightning. the more you sit there the less likely it will be to happen, and you need to take a deep breath, walk around the room, and do another run through. the answer is most likely to hit you after hearing the song properly in the right order at the right speed up until that point. pay very very close attention as you get to the end of the run through, that is when you are going to hear the answer. and when writing a second verse, don't forget that you are allowed to make adjustments to make the second time a little different