[DrTiTus]

Bob, try getting some stems from metapop.com competitions - choose a song with vocals, the tempo/key is given, and you start with a finished song. Then you can pick an instrument track to replace, or slice it up and change the arrangement, or make a dance remix or a different genre etc. It's much easier than starting with a blank slate, and your lack of music theory comprehension isn't as much of a hindrance. You can also learn from how other people have put their songs together. Even if you're just figuring out the notes of the bassline or the melody, or the chord progression, it's an exercise for your ears and skills, more than relying solely on your creative brain. I tend to have opinions on how I would have made a song different, so it's a good way to try it out and experiment. Having recorded vocals means the attention of the listener isn't focused so much on the music, and instead the song as a whole, so you can get away with a lot more (or less as the case may be).

I've been making music for years and I'm still shit. Being able to read and write doesn't make you a best selling author, but it's better than being illiterate. Even if you're just making musical "fan fiction", it's a bit of fun and I'd rather do that than watch TV all the time.