In between racking up over 50 million views on their YouTube channel and starring on the popular TV show Nashville, singing sisters Lennon & Maisy Stella have now written their first children’s book, In The Waves. They told Guardian children’s books about the key role of music in their writing and their favourite children’s books - plus give some advice for young authors like themselves:
You’re mainly known for your music and acting on Nashville - what made you decide to write a children’s book too?
Lennon: When we were younger we wrote a children’s song, so when Harper Collins reached out to us about writing a children’s book, we finished the song with the intention of turning it into a book. Coming from a very musical background ourselves, we really wanted to use music as a key theme in the book, so music and writing really went hand in hand for us when writing In The Waves. We actually decided to use the lyrics of the song as the words to the book, which means that when you read it, it can be read normally or sung along to a tune if you like!
You used a song as inspiration for In The Waves - where else do you find inspiration?
Lennon: For writing music, I am often inspired by other artists and songwriters, which aren’t hard to find where we live in Nashville. The same applied for writing the book – inspiration is all around, you just have to go and find it!
Maisy: When I write, I get inspiration from my parents. My parents and other musicians helped me learn how to write in the first place, so definitely played a big part in how I write now.
What books did you enjoy throughout your childhood? What are some of your favourites now?
Lennon: I had a few favourite children’s books when I was younger…one of them is called Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, who’s written loads of children’s books; and one called The Run Away Pancake by Mairi Mackinnon. Both have really lovely illustrations which make reading children’s books that much more exciting. Right now, I am really into reading poetry.
Maisy: Those books were some of my favourites too! And I really loved the Amelia Bedelia series by Herman Parish. It’s about a housekeeper who doesn’t seem to be able to get her chores right – they’re very funny. Right now, some of my favourite books are from The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner – I’ve read forty of them so far. I also love Veronica Roth’s Divergent – it’s so good!
The characters in In The Waves are based on yourselves, but who are some of your favourite characters in children’s and young adult fiction?
Maisy: I love The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, and my favourite character in that was Augustus because he was SO sweet to Hazel for the whole of the time they were together.
Do you have any advice for young authors like yourselves looking to write children’s books?
Lennon: My advice would be to write to express your feelings and emotions, and always be true to yourself in your writing.
Maisy: That was my idea! But yes, I would say to write as much as you can and do it for the love of it and not for any other reason.
You’re busy working on your music and filming ‘Nashville’ at the moment, but can we expect to see any more books from you in the future?
Lennon: Right now, we are definitely being kept busy with writing our own songs and filming for Nashville, so it’s quite hectic at the moment and we don’t have too much free time. However, I think it the opportunity presented itself to write another book, we would jump on it without hesitation!
Maisy: Ditto!
Lennon and Masiy’s book In The Waves is out now!
