Creators of My Watty Favorites (Part 1)

Interview : a_colorful_dreamer

Ivey's story "How to Be a Girl" is certainly one of my favorite romance novels - not just among the ones here on Wattpad, but even outside it. It's a breath of fresh air and the characters in it (especially Jordan) are amazing. Her story "Goliath" is a very good read as well. Let's hear from the author now!

First off, - what's your name? (or nickname, if you don't prefer to give your name away).

My name's Ivey.

What are your major works so far?

Well, my most popular stories so far are the original version of Why She Fell (which got deleted; an edited version is in the works) and How to Be a Girl.

What draws you to the genre(s) you write?

I first started writing humorous teen fiction because I like humor, and I like to think I'm at least a little bit funny. Also, it's a pretty simple type of writing, especially for amateurs. Lately I've tried expanding a little more into less humor / romance and darker themes (Goliath), and I also have a science fiction book that I'm in the planning stages of. Those are mostly because I don't want to restrict myself to one genre; I want to be able to be versatile in my writing.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now? I'm taking a break from biology homework, haha. But I think you mean writing. I'm taking a break from my novels, and working on a Christmas novella called “Christmas Definitions.”

Which writers inspire you?

Ooh, lately I've been drooling over a lot of American classics. F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinback are both so incredible. Fitzgerald is ridiculously poetic in his narratives, and Steinback...I can't even really explain why I like his writing so much. But if there are two authors that inspire me, it'd be those two.

What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?

Ultimately, it was boredom, haha. Now, it's like I get this weird itch that makes me sit down and write.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

My older books (Why She Fell, Behind These Walls, Cursed by Cupid, How to Be a Girl) were all started on a whim. The more recently-started ones, however (Goliath, Christmas Definitions, the sci-fi novel), are both planned pretty thoroughly. I've been testing a bunch of different outlining methods. For Goliath, I drew this kind of storyline thing and hand wrote a bunch of major events leading up to the climax. For the Christmas Definitions, I filled out character profiles for the two main characters and wrote a concise outline summarizing what would happen in each chapter. For the sci-fi book, I've been collecting some reasearch, along with outlining, filling out character profiles, and deciding how the whole world will be set up. They've all been different processes, and I can't say for sure which I prefer yet, but I definitely like planning more than jumping in spontaneously. I actually know what I'm doing.

What is the hardest and the easiest thing about writing?

The hardest thing is focusing, especially when you feel unmotivated to write. If there's one thing NaNoWriMo taught me, it's discipline. It is so, so hard to establish that. The easiest part, I think, is starting. Finishing is really difficult, but starting something is really easy (for me, anyway). I have so many beginnings of stories, most of which started back in middle school.

Do you ever get writer’s Block? If you do, how do you win over it?

Of course I get writer's block. I actually struggle with writer's block about 95% of the time. Sometimes I'll take a break from writing, sometimes I'll try to write through. It's usually a combination of both to break through the block, but even then, I don't think I'm ever without at least the smallest writer's block.

Do you proofread / edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

I actually don't really proofread. Everything except for Christmas Definitions is the exact way that I typed it the first time, mostly because I always plan on returning to proofread it later. Sometimes, I reread over what I wrote, make some changes, reread again, make more changes, and then send it to my good friend, Remy (MidnightAria), and she's so lovely that she'll actually make extremely helpful and constructive comments on my stories.

How do you handle hate mail or negative comments (if you get any at all)?

It really depends on the situation. I have absolutely no problem with people saying they dislike my works—or anyone's, in general) , but if they phrase it rudely or say something completely uncalled for, (i.e someone saying that somebody should stop writing, or that they hate the author for writing something a certain way) I have no problem with calling them out on it. I think that those kind of things need to be addressed because people need to realize that it is absolutely not okay to be commenting things like that. Lately I've been just deleting mean and hurtful comments, because if I don't delete it, I will have the urge to sass them / snap back. But I'm not afraid of being blunt and frank with people.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

I can't say for sure, because the reason why I enjoy other people's books is because they're not mine, haha. Every writer, it seems, has self-esteem issues when it comes to writing, so that includes me.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Keep writing, and reading, and writing, and reading, and—this is crucial—experiment with all different genres, tones, techniques, everything. You can't get better if you don't practice. I really think being able to write in any genre and master all different techniques is a fundamental skill, and reading and writing anything and everything will help get you there.

What were / are you like at school? Were you good at English?

I'm a junior in high school. I'm always tired at school, haha. My study habits could probably be better. In English class, I generally do enjoy writing papers and reading the books we read, and my grades have been pretty high this year. I want to maybe minor in English when I get to college.