Quoting Leonard Cohen from the book Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo
Before I can discard the verse, I have to write it… I can’t discard a verse before it is written because it is the writing of the verse that produces whatever delights or interests or facets that are going to catch the light. The cutting of the gem has to be finished before you can see whether it shines.
The website Brain Pickings reviewed Songwriters on Songwriting as
“[An] excellent and extensive treasure trove…[The] insights on songwriting extend to the broader realm of creative work in a multitude of disciplines…A magnificent read in its hefty totality.”