I approached some well-known gospel song writers with questions about writing and the industry. I am appreciative to those who participated. I hope you find their responses interesting and informative.
   I asked Mark Bishop why he wrote his first gospel song. “It was very arbitrary,” he responded. “The Bishops were getting ready to record our first ‘national’ album back in 1985 and we needed songs. We all decided we would write a song for the album. Kenny wrote one. Dad wrote one and I wrote one. As the years went by, the other guys gravitated toward other interests in music.  I became more enamored with the creative energy I felt when writing.  To me, these were sermons in the form of a song.  I have never looked back since. I will probably be writing songs up to the day that God takes me home.”
   Having written a first song, it can be challenging to summon courage to show or sing it to someone.

   Rebecca Peck told me, “I made up little songs growing all the time, but my first ‘real’ song; was written in high school.  I didn’t really tell anybody about it but instead, just sang it in church when it came my time for a solo.  People were very encouraging, but my boyfriend (who ended up becoming my husband later down the road) was the most impressed.  He is still my biggest cheerleader today.”  
   Some people starting out in gospel song writing have been blessed to be mentored. Some have not, but have been successful anyway. One of these is Dianne Wilkinson.
   “I never had a mentor,” she replied. “I got my first cut in 1976 when I had only been writing about three years. I have never mentored in a deliberate way...time was always short for me because I had a full time healthcare career for 45 years. But I hope I have been able to help the younger writers.”
   Writers have different approaches to their craft. When asked if he wrote the music or the lyrics first, Joseph Habedank replied, “It is different for every writer I think, but for me, they actually come at the same time. Lyricists typically write the words first. Melody writers often write the music first, but since I do a little of both, I guess that's why they come simultaneously.”
   Gospel song writing can have both disappointments and joys. When asked to share her biggest joy and biggest disappointment Rebecca Peck responded, “The biggest joy is hearing testimonies about the power in the songs and how the Lord is using them to minister to people all over the world.  I don’t know about the ‘biggest’ disappointment, but I would say there is an issue of frustration from time to time as a non-artist writer because you don’t have an automatic outlet for the songs.  But it’s just a good chance to exercise faith and hard work.”
   I often stress in articles on gospel song writing the absolute necessity for Biblical accuracy. Even though we strive for this, we sometimes get called out on this issue. Because Mark Bishop has such a uniquely inspired way of looking at things, I was anxious to ask him about this.