Most songwriters like myself will either start writing a song by producing some nice lyrics or by humming a melody. Some may start by playing a bunch of chords and waiting for a melody to come along. Rarely do songwriters start by playing a rythmic pattern.
And yet, there is so much potencial in that.
Have you ever tried singing a cover version of someone elses song? Have you noticed how little you actually know about the song, until you start deconstructing it, word by word, note by note? Have you had to figure out between which words to breathe, which to sing in staccato and which to not? Learning to add rythmn to a melody is a big part in shaping a songs face. It is a pity that few songwriters actually consider the rythmic patterns as key element.
So why not sit down for once and start working around a beat?