An Interview with milee_s

Writer, coder, all around doer! I'm here to get some feedback. Feel free to pop by and drop me some hints! Comments and criticism appreciated. Starting on a next draft on twwnbg. looking for beta readers.Fantasy, scifi, horror, and thrillers are my main genres. I'm on a bit of a fantasy kick now but I'll read/write anything in those categories! - Milee_s

1. What made you become a writer?

I was always a huge reader. One day, back in elementary school, I decided I wanted to read a very particular book. Not a book that I knew, or that I'd read before, but a very specific plot that I knew I wanted to see written. As hard as I looked, I couldn't find that book. And then a friend of mine said, "Why not write that book?" And that was it.

2. What brought you to Wattpad?

I wanted to get my works out there! After years and years of writing just for myself, I wanted to see if anyone else liked what I had done. I'm a perfectionist, so I was only able to share my works once I was very confident in my writing! I admire everyone who's confident enough to put themselves out there earlier in their journey as a writer, but I'm not that strong.

3. What is the latest project you’re working on?

Though I only have fantasy up on Wattpad, I'm actually more of a science fiction writer. My latest project is a space opera cat-and-mouse phantom thief work, with a little bit of romance, too! Keep an eye out for it! I hope everyone who enjoys my writing will enjoy it.

4. Have you been published outside of Wattpad? Not unless you count my college literature magazine!

5. What’s your greatest achievement as a writer?

Getting first place in my college's literature magazine :D Maybe I should post that short...

6. What are your writing goals? My goal has two parts: 1. to get traditionally published one day, and 2. to make enough off my writing to treat it as my full time job.

7. What's your favourite thing about Wattpad? The feedback! Plus, getting my stuff read by more than one person.

8. What are your pet peeves of Wattpad? The demand for short chapters. I'm a fan of long chapters; it can feel very restrictive.

9. Have you ever been published outside of Wattpad?

Nope!

10. Where do you see your writing journey in five years?

Ideally, I'll have an agent be traditionally published! Realistically, I'll probably still be on that grind XD

11. How would you feel about someone making fanwork based on your stories?

I would love it! I love the idea of someone building off of what I've written and loving it enough to add on to it.

12. Which Wattpad books, that you’ve written do you feel best displays your writing talents?

Those Who Would Not Be Gods. I polished that work and gave it a few rounds of editing before putting it up. It's actually on its second draft, and I'm working on a third! I've poured my heart and soul into that work. Demon-Killing Sword is more popular by views/time, though, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thank you so much for taking part in my interview. I wish you the best of luck in your writing journey!

We also have some bonus interviews from three other great writers from Wattpad.

Alcoholandcaffine

1. I'm not sure, really. I only remember that, as a kid, I used to have stories in my head that I wanted to let out - and funnily enough, I was a (horrible) writer before I was a reader. I think it's because I've always been very shy and the written word was a much simpler outlet for my thoughts than actually talking to people.

2. I first stumbled across Wattpad in 2011! I think the website was also just picking up steam at the time. I'd been hanging out on a since-defunct website called Quizilla, and at some point all the famous writers on there started to migrate here so I made an account to see what all the fuss was about. I was never regularly active, though, until I made this new account and finally started taking it seriously about 3 months ago!

3. Right now, I'm almost done with my second novel, Tequila Americano, which is the third installment in what I call "the Ingrid odyssey." It's the first time I'm so committed to a project and I have to say that Wattpad has played an important role in motivating me to grind on!

4. Unless school magazines from a decade ago count...then no, unfortunately!

5. At the moment, I think my Ingrid stories (one of which is my very first completed novel!) are what I'm proudest of. It's been a wild ride which nowhere near to over just yet but so much of myself has gone into it, and it has seen me through some of my worst and my best moments and I'm really excited to see it through!

6. At the moment I'm focused on completing Ingrid's journey and doing her justice. But in general, I would very much like to branch out into various themes and topics and genres - I don't want to be a static writer. While there is definitely going to be a thematic thread recognisably my own throughout, I'd very much like to get round to writing a historical fiction novel eventually, and that hardboiled PI series I've been plotting for ages! Then there's an absurd murder mystery comedy I’ve been thinking of recently…

7. My favourite thing about Wattpad would have to be the community – the opportunity to interact with your readers on a quite intimate level. I’ve had such lovely comments from my readers and they literally give me life every time! That’s something you can’t exactly get as a published writer, is it?

8. Well, I’m not necessarily dying to become famous or anything but I do have to say it’s quite frustrating how difficult it is to get some attention on Wattpad. I’ve been lucky that my spamming of the story requests threads has enabled some lovely people to discover my writing and I’m content with only a few supportive readers, but sometimes it feels like no one’s reading my stuff at all and I’m getting a little bit upset within this addictive social-media-like bubble that Wattpad’s dragged me into. It always passes, though!

9. I’ve tried some throughout the years but Wattpad’s the only one that has survived the test of time. All the others have either died or disappeared into different entities. I think this sense of community they’ve managed to capitalise on has kept them afloat.

10. I can’t see that far into the future, I’m afraid! I only hope I’ll still be writing and maybe – just maybe – manage to get something published. I’m in no rush to get anywhere, though.

11. I’d be flattered, but also I think maybe quite territorial! Although, honestly, as long as no one’s ripping me off and it’s just for fun, I wouldn’t mind.

12. I’m not sure if I can choose between Whiskey Latte and Vodka Espresso…They’re similar in certain ways, but also quite different. I think maybe I’ll have to go with Whiskey Latte – as it’s much shorter, the content is much more concentrated, so to speak. There’s not much room to expand on characters and their backgrounds, so it’s made of snapshots pieced together like broken glass to create a brand new picture, hopefully clear enough! It was quite an experimental style for me so I’m just really happy with how it turned out.

And that is it! Thanks so much for doing this :) it was really nice to reflect on some things <3

barry_allen012

1. I have always loved writing. In elementary school, we used to have to choose for quiet time whether we wanted to read or write, and I always was the only one who chose write. Writer's have reaches without even realizing it, affecting people's lives in unfathomable ways. It's something I've always wanted to be a part of, and Wattpad let's me do that.

2. My friend on the bus was reading on her phone, and I was confused because it was a full length book. When I asked her what it was, she clarified the app and explained it. I was hesitant to get it, but eventually did three years later. I mostly read the top books on Wattpad, the slowly made my way to the fan fiction community.

3. Right now I am working on an Avenger's Preferences book. I've been reading a lot of them lately and wanted to contribute to that community. In the background I am working on a Boy Meets World Shawn Hunter story but I plan to rework that to fit my new vision. Writing is flexible and that's why I love it!

4. No, fan fiction doesn't get published outside of Wattpad often.

5. I felt really happy about my writing when my Why Don't We preferences hit 5k reads. Currently at 5.4k reads, it's a little messy and I wish that wasn't the one that got the attention, but it's the reason I have a lot of my internet friends and how I've gotten noticed.

6. As of right now, I just want to overall be a better writer for myself. I find myself using too much dialogue so my short term goal right now is beefing up descriptions.

7. The intimacy of the site! If you want to contact your favorite author, you can! And they will respond most of the time! There's so many communities and it's not hard to find a place you fit in.

8. Writing directly on Wattpad can be slightly challenging. I wish there was a writer's toolbox with formatting buttons, etc. It also can be difficult to promote your story and get some sort of attention on it.

9. Nope!

10. I want to write songs, poetry, and maybe a full length novel! I honestly have no clue, I'm just seeing where the train drops me off.

11. I wouldn't be opposed at all. The most difficult part of writing is world building. That's why I think fan fiction is valid. These are aspiring writers who haven't mastered the world building aspect of writing, and are working on that skill with someone elses world. I would never be opposed and I'd be extremely flattered!

12. My Avengers Preferences best shows my talents because after a year of writing, it's progressed to the point where it has substance and plot. I really recommend you read :)

AddieAft

1) As a child, I would imagine the characters in my head, and I never grew out of it. As I grew older, the desire to pen it down and do something about it became stronger. So, here I am.

2) After I finished my first story Wickedly Wicked. I just wanted to know if I can even write. So for validation, I googled 'where I can publish my work for feedback.' And, Wattpad came up. I had no idea it even existed.

3) I am working on ' When the Rules are Broken.'

4) No, I haven't. I have been only on Wattpad for a year and still learning the ropes.

5) Hmm, I would say it would be finishing Wickedly Wicked and just putting it out there. But, I think I would settle for being selected for the 2018 Wattys Long List. Now, imagine my shock when it happened. Needless to say, I didn't win the Wattys, but that's okay. I was still very happy.

6) The writing goals, for now, is to finish 'When the Rules are Broken and write romance with some message in it'. Wickedly Wicked focuses on the challenges that women encounter when they run businesses. Later, I would like to challenge my creative writing and whip up a medieval fantasy.

7) The readers' feedback!

8) Many readers are silent. Lol. I know it is a double-edged sword.

9) No.

10) In five years? As mentioned above, just keep on writing and maybe the entrepreneur in me would think about the self-publishing aspect out there.

11) I will be honoured. I don't mind when there is fanwork for famous authors who are earning money, but for me at least, I wouldn't be open to it as I do put my heart and soul into my writing. I am not sure how I would really feel, to be honest.