Writing what's in your head

For me going from "inspiration" to actual audible music is a process proceeding various stages.

I start with having a feeling i'd like to convey. This is a mental process, being finding the chords to that specific feeling. I don't readily know the name of the chords, just the sound. Then i develop the feeling i have into a bigger picture. In what part of the eventual piece does this feeling/sound belong. It might be the finale, the beginning, a modulation, in other words what is the function of this particular part.

From here on i develop/get inspired for other parts. What should the beginning feel, and therefor sound like, when i already have this particular finale. So i end up eventualy with a soundscape in my head. Transversed from a series of in my stomach felt feelings.

From here on i gradualy try to find the chords on my keyboard. This then is my first sketch. Then i need fitting melodies, accompagments and soforth. This i try to achieve by improvisation. If something fits the feeling i have of the for example beginning part, using the thought out chord(s), i write it down. So this way the sketch grown into more detail. For this theory, singing, interval and pitch hearing abilties and everthing in between helps the process. So i'd say nothing is absolutely a must, i just helps a lot.

These stages aren't definite. I return to what i have in my head often to get the soundscape a close as intented to what i want to convey.

It's a bit like making a puzzle. The pieces in my head are gradualy turn into a more complete sketch. The sketch of course being the metaphorical complete puzzle.

I just resently started to steer away form improvising solely. I'm devolping a style to go from, in my view, inmature writing to realy expressing my inspirations into music. The word is indeed practise for me.

I hope this helps you.