The Secret of Songwriting is...

I saw American country singer Sam Baker at St Bonaventure's (arguably the best music space in the world) Parish Hall last night. His songs were  like perfectly crafted short stories, each one full of the drifting heartbreak of smalltown Texas life.  He gave great patter too, wooing the audience with his laid-back drawl and amongst the throwaway lines he kept using (I don't know where this is going being one) he kept saying, the secret of good songwriting is...and proceeded to list things you should mention to create a good song: push-up bras, red boots, Texan Stud.

Which got me thinking.  I suspect the secret of good writing, of songs or stories, is to write about what excites you, because  your excitement is what communicates itself to the reader.  Write about what you are confident about (a variation on the old saw of write about what you know) because your sense of authority will make your audience sit up and listen.  Write with passion because it is there you will discover your flair.

For me, the secret of good writing is clarity -- the letting in of light. 

What's your secret?