Meet The Authors Showcase Edition #3 (3 of 3)

A showcase with @Annie91writes, author of Scorned

1 What inspired the idea of your story?

The idea of Scorned basically originated in a weird way. To be honest, as much as I feel the plight of women, I cannot help being repulsed by the feudalistic definition of feminism today. I call it feudalistic for a variety of reasons because feminism doesn't imply a woman needs to behave as a man or stomp her way to the top. No. She can be gentle yet fierce and that's exactly what I wanted to portray. You dont need to burn with rage, you need to burn with passion. So along the lines of that, as layers came the idea of sex addiction, another dumped topic simply because of its sensitive nature. These people are just like us, they are a victim if addiction but they are subjected to more judgements than a drunkard or a druggie, why? Because of the taboo regarding the word sex.

2 what is something you struggled constructing with your story?

The main thing I struggled with is staying true to the plot and justifying it. If you read you'll see that character of the anti-hero is layered, you cannot help but be connected. You may hate but the character will evoke different feelings too because that was exactly what I intended. To throw light on the reality and not write another rags to riches story. 

3 what did you enjoy writing most of your story?

Honestly, I was pretty much concerned about the sensitive nature of my plot and the harsh reality I knew it would project. But once I started drafting, things started pouring out mainly because what we speak or tell is always conditioned and filtered. But, as a writer I just let my thoughts run free and wild and the joy that I found in that is unmatched. I do not complain at all at how my protagonist fared at the end. 

4 what's the overall response of your story from your readers?

I should not be a loudmouth and appreciate myself but, feedback has been phenomenal. I published the first chapter on August 15th and finished the story on September 30th and right now, I guess it is at 63k reads. So i guess that speaks for itself, considering it is not a bad boy book or young adult romance. It is very different which does not suit everybody's tastes.

5 is your story a stand alone novel or a piece of a series ?

stand alone

6 what would you like your readers to take away from your story?

As I mentioned earlier, our society is full to the brim with leaking rules and stagnant protocols. We, as a generation need to rise above that. Blindly following what is in without utilizing our basic intelligence will not do. The youth needs to learn resilience and the value of true protest and standing up for yourself. There are subtle messages throughout which an interested and earnest reader will not have a problem in figuring out.

7 what advice would you provide to fellow writers, when it comes to focusing on their own story?

Research, research and research. There is absolutely no alternative. Covers can be handled by somebody else, blurbs too but the originality of the plot, the execution of it is entirely in your hands. Both has to have a balance, you cannot substitute one with the other. A standard sense of grammar and awareness of a few basic rules of writing will yield results. Also, please do not venture into writing after reading Wattpad. That's the most important suggestion. If you want, be an avid reader first and by reader I mean, reader of books by experienced and published authors. Remember, what you give needs to be the best.

8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself?

 The main character does not share much similarity with me except for the way we handle things. Something I have learnt from life is what to say, how much to say and when to say and most important, when not to say. And also, how much to do. You may shout from the rooftops that you're protesting, you're a rebel and all but, at the end of the day if you're constantly blabbering, you're gonna invite your own downfall.

9 what is something about your story you believe would draw in new readers?

 I think the freshness of the plot. I have been reading Wattpad stories a lot after opening my account in 2020, but I'm sorry to say, here writing is horribly biased. I understand why, because unless you start with an on-trend genre, you are gonna struggle with reads. But, I was sure to never surrender my creativity at the altar of fake popularity. Never. So I'll say this again confidently, that the realistic approach and the freshness of my plot will appeal to readers.

10 do you have any future projects?

Yes, definitely. I feel like I'm on a roll and there are already so many plots in my head that if I start publishing, there will be at least 4 more stories.