Do You Write Like Coldplay?

I'm listening to Coldplay's song "Fix You" as I write this. In a simple, but powerful climax at the end of the song, Chris Martin sings:

Tears stream down your face When you lose something you cannot replace Tears stream down your face I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try... to fix you A friend I know said she "had an encounter with God" listening to this song. There's just something about it that's electric.

The lyrics, while interesting and somewhat compelling, aren't all that poetic or life-changing.

There's nothing musically complicated about the song, either: a simple bass line on the organ, a two-note piano lead on top of that, a three-chord acoustic guitar part, and delay-driven, unforgettable two-note electric guitar riff.

Each piece of "Fix You" -- in and of itself -- is nothing that a high school band geek who dreams of his own mediocre rock band couldn't do.

But the genius of Coldplay is that they put it all together; they layer it, build the tension, and wait for the final arrival that thrills their listeners. They do more with less.

And that's what you can do with your writing -- start small, simple, build slowly but intentionally, and let it all come together in a beautiful climax and resolution. It's possible.

You don't have to be the best writer; you just have to know how to put together the right tools and resources. In fact, that's true with just about any creative endeavor.