Inspiration

Laura Ellen answers the popular question:
What inspires your writing?

Music

Music inspires and connects me to my stories. – Laura Ellen

Although many things inspire my writing, music is a big part of my writing process. From the first few rumblings of an idea to the final copy edits, music transports me into the world I’m creating. As I write a first draft, I compile songs that inspire or evoke some aspect of the story — tone, mood, subject matter, or character personalities. I don’t seek the songs out, they just seem to find me! I hear the lyrics or the melody and if it triggers an idea or scene from my work-in-progress, it’s added to the playlist that becomes a daily part of my writing routine. The playlist doesn’t retire when the novel is finished, though. Once a novel is in the revision stage and I have begun a new project, that playlist is the door that leads me back into my novel’s world.