Start with a strong title to overcome any writer's block you may feel. Open your ears to distinctive phrases that may inspire you--many romantic songs, like "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," start off as direct emotional appeals of some kind. Otherwise, check out favorite books, magazines and newspapers, or recall recent conversations, to jump-start crucial words or phrases.
Jot down whatever impressions spring to mind once you have a title. As Johnny Rivers fans can attest,""Swaying to the Music" evokes a different mood than "The Poor Side of Town." Begin to develop key phrases that shed light on the situation you wish to describe, such as your husband's best attributes.
Write a second list of key phrases and images that will illuminate your lyric. For example, if your working title is "I Give Myself to You," ask some basic questions: What experiences made you feel this way? How would you describe them? Use the answers to shape your rough lyric.
Develop a list of contrasting words and phrases that could take your song in a different direction or raise further questions that you may need to address. Do not worry if nothing rhymes yet, because getting ideas onto paper is the main priority right now.
Consult a rhyming dictionary to winnow the rough ideas and phrases you have just jotted down. Many topflight songwriters also use them to avoid cliches that listeners have heard once too often. Discard lyrics that sound awkward or do not fall too readily off your tongue.
Frame your emerging lyric around a rhyme scheme or structure that determines how each line should end. In an A-A-B-B scheme, every two lines end in the same rhyme--hence, "Darling, you've got to let me know/Should I stay, or should I go?" An A-B-A-B rhyme scheme, on the other hand, alternates the same rhymes in every other line: "I'm not waiting on a lady/I'm just waiting on a friend."
Listen to your favorite songs to devise a memorable melody. Most popular music consists of two verses and choruses, followed by a bridge, last verse and chorus. Using this approach as a guide, try different ways of phrasing your lyric until you find a melody that suits your ear.
Show, but don't tell--let your husband engage his imagination, while adding small, but colorful details along the way. A lyric that says, "We went hand in hand down the King's Highway" is more evocative than, "We walked together down the road," for example.
Work out the basic chord changes on an acoustic guitar or portable electronic keyboard if you have the ability. Experiment with the structure, too--try leaving out the last verse, for example, for a rousing double chorus. The best songs combine familiarity and variation.
Do not fret if playing music does not come naturally. The voice is the most intimate expression that we have. Sing the completed version of your song into a digital recorder, which you can use to edit yourself as you go along, too.
Play the finished song for your husband when he arrives from work, or--if you feel brave enough--sing or play it in person. As an extra, add a card, romantic note or other small token of your appreciation.