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This month's spotlighted author is @CroodsGirl their story The Green Guardian
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What sparked the inspiration to write the story?
The inspiration for The Green Guardian came from a few different sources: the movie Epic (which I loved when I was young), my older brother's death in 2021, and a series I wrote from 5th grade to 7th grade called Maglin Arts High. It took place in the medieval-modern kingdom of Pinta Country, which was looked over by a group of special rangers called Pinta Park Rangers. Their job was to keep the magic in the kingdom stable. The first draft of this story was written in 5th grade (it was originally called The Enchanted Forest), but as I grew older, I started to re-write it, and now it's what it is today.
What inspired you to start writing on Wattpad?
When I first started college, my younger brother pulled me aside and told me to start sharing my writing with the world. I had so many stories under my belt, but I had no idea what to do with them. Originally, I joined Wattpad in 2013, but I did not become active until 2019, when COVID-19 first hit. Wattpad also isn't the first website I've posted my stories on. I started with Quotev, and then I moved some of my better works over to Wattpad, starting with Through the Wormhole in early 2020. In a nutshell, nothing really inspired me to write on Wattpad; I just found it when I was searching for writing websites one day, but I'm so glad I did! I've grown so much in the mere three years I've been active here, and I'm continuing to grow.
Budding authors face countable hindrances, what hindrance(s) did you face the most?
Reads, for sure, and I'm still struggling to gain them because I do not write Romance, which is the genre Wattpad is known for. However, I hope to one day have Wattpad look at other genres other than Romance and start letting ones like Fantasy, Nonfiction, and Science Fiction get more recognition. That's one of my main goals as a Wattpad Ambassador.
Negative criticism is inevitable, how do you deal with it? And what would you suggest the others do when faced with such?
I've attended enough writing camps, workshops, and classes, so I've learned to take constructive criticism in a positive way. It lets me know that I still have a lot to learn about being a writer, and I'll be able to apply that criticism to future projects and watch my world grow larger. Negative criticism has also allowed me to understand the difference between it and a straight-up bully, but I had none of those people in my classes and workshops.
What according to you sets Military Fiction apart from other genres?
This is an interesting question because I think Military Fiction can be looked at both figuratively and physically. As humans, we are constantly at war with ourselves, so, in my opinion, a story about someone fighting their emotions can be considered "Military Fiction", which is exactly what my MC, Mateo, is doing in the story. Military Fiction does not have to be about airships, armies, or tanks--as long as there is some sense of someone being "at war with themselves".
What do you feel is the biggest myth about writers?
The biggest myth about writers, in my opinion, is that they publish something and become famous overnight. This is far from the truth. It takes many, many years and rejections for someone to finally publish something. Even when they do, it's very unlikely that they're going to become a bestseller right off the bat. To be a writer means to have good patience. That patience will help you get somewhere in the future, even if it takes fifty years.
Your go to cure for a bad day?
If I have a bad day, I cuddle up with my cat and either read a good book or write my next story. I've been writing and reading for so long, but I still consider them the "best" therapy in the world. With writing, I'm able to escape the clutches of the real world and enter my own, imaginative one, which is just what I need when the world falls on my shoulders.
How do you avoid or get out of writers' block?
My favorite strategy for overcoming writer's block is music. For each of my stories, I put together a playlist to go with them, so when I face writer's block, I have something to listen to inspire me. Movies and TVs shows help, too, but I also enjoy playing video games. If they have a good story in them, then I most likely will be inspired to write again. And of course, being out in nature and studying the world around me is very important when it comes to writer's block--especially since a lot of my stories are nature and character-based.
Any advice for your fellow/new writers?
New writers, if you want to become successful authors, you need to learn how to be patient and get used to being rejected. There is a very slim chance that y'all are going to become the next Anna Todd, so stop trying so hard to be like her. Figure out the kinds of stories you want to write, and don't let anyone tell you to write something that is not "you". Be yourself. In the long run, that is what's going to get you published. Following are the words of a well-known poet I met that I a going to pass on to y'all: "I do not know one author who didn't get published." Writing is a supernova, and that's why it's just as powerful as a star gone supernova.
What's your message for our readers?
My stories are very different than the usual Wattpad tropes (bad boys, werewolves, etc.). They are character and plot-centered and imaginative, and almost none of them contain romance. Rather, they hold coming-of-age lessons that I've learned during my short time alive and lessons about friendship and family (yes, yes, very Disney-like). I also write like a screenwriter, so that means that I have short, simple descriptions, and I tend to get straight to the point because like I mentioned, my focus is on character, rather than art. There is no "correct" way to write a story. We need to learn to embrace each other's different writing styles. Never tell somebody to change their style. That's like asking a fish to quit swimming.
We're delighted to have @CroodsGirl as one of our spotlighted authors! Interested to know how you can become one?
Each author in here has been noticed by us for their outstanding book. Keep working on your story and submit your story to our reading lists to get noticed more easily.
