Wattpad brings you a guest post from featured writer Leah Crichton:
The one question I get asked a lot as a writer: “Where does your inspiration come from?” You may be surprised at my answer but I doubt it. In fact, you may be inclined to agree.
There are so many things about this life that give me cause to celebrate each day. My family, coffee, butterflies, lip gloss, black and white photographs, reading and of course…writing. For me, writing goes hand in hand with one other thing that I couldn’t possibly live without.
Some people say silence is golden. And that’s fine, for them. But for me, silence is dreadful. My iPod is like another limb. I’d be lost without it.
I. Love. Music.
What does my major obsession with music have to do with writing? It is single-handedly, where most of my inspiration comes from. My first novel, Amaranthine was inspired by two songs that played back to back on my iPod.
My second novel which will be featured on Wattpad, Celebrity Status has also been inspired by music.
The book shares its title with a song by a Canadian band, Marianas Trench. As the title suggests, it’s about becoming a celebrity. The first time I heard it I thought it would make a good premise for a novel.
So many musicians live on my beloved iPod. I have playlists for reading, writing, cleaning, working, dancing… breathing. Some of my other favorite bands to write by: Better than Ezra, Breaking Benjamin, Lifehouse, The Maine, Mayday Parade, Every Avenue, Hedley, Maroon Five, The Midway State, Simple Plan, Three Days Grace, The Fray, Augustana…just to name a few.
Lyrics that tell a story encompass every reason I love music. As a listener, I don’t think you can ask for much more. As a writer I know you can’t.
My favorite thing to do when I listen to music is to close my eyes, focus closely to the words and ask myself “what if?”
The song “Broken” by Lifehouse has lyrics which say: “the broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep at night, maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time.”
In my writer’s mind, I heard this and thought what if someone actually did lose time and had no idea why? The result is my current work in progress called In Time.
Inspiration is not hard to find. You just need to know where to look for it. Your iPod is a virtual vault of stories just waiting to be written. Next time you’re listening to that great song, close your eyes and ask yourself “what if?” You never know, the answer might surprise you.
