An Interview with Wishuponajinni

JIN [proper noun]xix. journalism major & pre-law studies.an avid drinker of coffee, tea, and words. likes to draw pictures, and will occasionally write something worth reading.

Thank you for taking part in this interview, I wish you the best of luck in your writing journey.

Chloe Gilholy: What made you become a writer?

wishuponajinni: I don't know if there was ever one reason, but when I was younger, English was my second language, and I learned it primarily through reading books. I became a very voracious reader, so I think it was natural that I started wanting to write. The first thing I ever wrote was, believe it or not, a Clifford the Big Red Dog fanfiction (or something like—I was 7 or 8, so I don't remember now, but I do remember digging something like that out of a notebook when we moved houses a few years ago). If I had to pinpoint a reason though, I would say writing became a kind of escapism for me. I could heal and find solace in my writing, and I would say that my goal now is try and create relatable characters and situations and write words that can heal others too. Just as words can hurt us, words can also heal the broken spaces within us.

What brought you to Wattpad?

I also can't say I remember what brought me to Wattpad. I started this account in 2013, and I believe that was when I wrote my first complete story. I was motivated and helped by a lot of friends, and it was truly a fun story to write! Even now, people read it, which surprises me. I mean, I always was proud of my writing, but going back now, I cringe at times when I read things I wrote previously. But I guess that's what writing is all about. You keep improving, and you keep changing and growing as an artist and creator.

What is the latest project you’re working on?

I have two! The latest in terms of time is Sonder—an anthology of six short dialogue-based stories about random chance encounters that take place in a New York subway. It'll be my first time dealing with LBGTQ+ themes, as well as writing a dialogue-based story, but I want to expand my horizons and write about themes and types of stories that I have not before.

The other I'm working on concurrently, which is my priority (and my pride and joy of the moment!) is Goldblood, a fantasy romance novel about the halfblooded daughter of a god seeking revenge on her father for raping her mother. (This is an original work, and not at all related to the Greek mythology or Percy Jackson).

Have you ever been published outside of Wattpad?

I have not, but I hope to be one day!

What’s your greatest achievement as a writer?

Finishing a story. No joke. I feel like that is a small thing compared to what many writers on Wattpad are able to do, and honestly, I know that it's easy to get caught up in the metrics of Wattpad (I definitely do). But personally, finishing Persephone Incarnate and Dark Crown are my greatest achievements to date. I still feel like they're half-failures though, since I never went back and edited them. I'd like to be able to finish a story in the sense of truly committing to it—writing it regularly, not giving up and leaving it to gather dust, and properly polishing it during and after.

What are your writing goals?

I think I mentioned this in the above question, oops. But basically, it would be to commit to a story that I start, no matter how tough the going get, and to write the story I want to write, not what I think people want to read. So right now, that would to write Goldblood to its completion.

What’s your favourite thing about writing for Wattpad?

Definitely the social aspect! I won't lie and say I don't enjoy being able to actually see people enjoy my writing through Wattpad metrics, such as votes and reads. But I most value the comments I receive! Not only are they constructive, but they warm my heart to know that someone actually enjoys my stories and gets involved with them and emotionally invested in them! I also love being able to connect with fellow writers and readers, and see the amazing things that others have written.

What are your pet peeves about writing for Wattpad?

I want to say the algorithm of Wattpad is part of it—it's hard for undiscovered writers to get discovered, while some stories have millions of reads. Some definitely deserve it, but there are also some that I occasionally question from time to time. But to each their own, and I know it's not fair of me to judge. Wattpad is also constantly improving and making it easier for both writers and readers to find their niches.

Aside from Wattpad, are there any other sites you’ve written for?

At the moment, no, but I've heard Inkitt is another website people use to publish stories? I don't think I'll start using that yet though. One platform gives me plenty of work to do anyhow! I'm usually hitting the ground everyday to pitch my stories, getting them out there so people can discover my works, and polishing what I've written so far as well!

Where do you see your writing journey in five years?

I hope I can have Goldblood finished and polished by then. I'd like for this project to be the one that I can take to a literary agent or submit for a query for traditional publishing. That being said, I might also be speaking too soon, but I want to put this idea out there in the universe! I don't want to jinx myself, but I also really want to it happen LOL. But what writer doesn't want their baby to get the spotlight?

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

Um. That would be incredible. I would actually cry if someone liked my stories enough to make fanwork. I would actually cry, you don't even know. Getting comments on my stories now already makes so happy. The validation on Wattpad is REAL, and unlike with social media, I know that it's for my content and the work I'm pouring into making what I write the best it can be.

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

I'm so biased right now, but I'm going to say Goldblood. It's the latest and greatest! I always say whichever new work I'm writing is the best, and I think that makes sense, because writing is a journey! You change as a person, and your writing will reflect that! I feel like I've matured a lot in the previous year, but also have learned a lot (not just about writing, but about life and myself), and I feel like those are things I'm really able to put into building Goldblood now.

Persephone Incarnate might not be my greatest display of writing (it was written in 2013, when I was still in middle school, haha), but I feel like it demonstrates my ability to execute plot and ideas well. There are still plot holes and rough areas, but I'm proud of PI for being a dynamic and complete work in all of its (unedited) glory.