S.P.E.A.K. - Wattpad Interviews

Interview with Author: KC-Blares (KC)

Other than writing hits on Wattpad, do you ever read as well? If so, examples? Is there a particular genre you love or can't stand on this site, and why?

         Haha! I love reading both on and off Wattpad. I read a range of genres from fantasy to horror, except for romance or romantic-comedies. I'm the kind of girl who NEEDS mystery or action, even both! But I just can't stand humor/romance because it's too unreal and sometimes boring. Not that I dislike romance entirely! A little bit of teasing affection is always nice. Books I absolutely love are The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner, the Gone Series by Michael Grant, Unwind, Full Tilt, and Dreadlocks, by Neil Schusterman, Bad Girls don't Die trilogy and many, many more. On Wattpad, I love the Mate or Not, You're Still a Jerk series by SimplyAWriter_D, The Legend of Scarlett Grey by the amazing KellyLM, and A Pirate's Kiss by iluvdaisychain, are particular favorites of mine. :)

Do you think Wattpad is a good place to get constructive critism, and why?

        I do believe Wattpad is a good place to get constructive criticism and I say this from experience. My recent stories compared to my first couple failures are turning out and have turned out very well. And I can only thank fans and those who've commented for that. However, being the internet and all, I feel that sometimes people can be very harsh when giving "constructive" criticism.

Do you believe that it's possible to grow to love your own characters, to grow so attached to them, it's almost like they are living and breathing?

        Yes, I do believe it's possible to fall in love with your own characters and form great bonds, though it hasn't quite happened to me. At least not yet :)

Where did the title I don't mate with Jerks come from - where did it arise?

         Well, this may be stupid, but I wanted people to know that it was a werewolf story (back when no one really knew me or my works and I wasn't a great writer) so I incorporated the word Mate. Plus, I planned from the start that it was going to be a trilogy so I thought of something that would link them; defiance. The first is "I don't-", the second's "I can't-", and the third is going to be "I won't-". I know now it's somewhat unoriginal, but people have read my story, they said, because of the title so I guess it stuck well.

How would you define a "good story"?

       I would define a "good story" as an adventure through an original world where nothing is expected and surprises hide in every shadow, but the characters are realistic yet relate-able through some aspect.

Do you see yourself as a full-time author in the future? And do you think the support from the people of Wattpad has boosted your confidence in your writing up?

       Yes, I have plans that when I grow up I would like to become a writer alongside another job (acting or being a homicide detective) and yes, the Wattpadians' support has definitely boosted my confidence about my writing, especially since I've improved so much, I think, because of them.

If you could change "one" thing about Wattpad, what would it be, and why?

       Uh, I'm not sure what I'd change about Wattpad, only because it's changing all the time. Sometimes too much... but I think it's good overall.

Do you benefit from being able to freely interact with other authors on Wattpad, and if so, how?

       I think so, yes. Especially when you enjoy their works and would like their opinion on something, such that of a story.

How did you plan out IDMWJ? Did you have it all set out ready to write up, or did you allow only the main plot so that you could change things if you wished?

       Planning IDMWJ was... interesting. When I got the idea it was just a skeleton, a basic concept that I had to put words and descriptions to, which I call the flesh. Once I got a pretty good idea down of what I wanted to do, I began to write and each chapter, especially at the beginning, reflected my emotions on the day I wrote it. However, as I got deeper into the story my original idea began to change slightly, creating new characters, conflicts, and events. The best way I could describe that part was like surgery; replacing a "bad" part with a new "healthy" or "good" one.

What did you feel when you finally finished IDMWJ?

       When I finished IDMWJ, I felt relief as well as accomplishment. Weekly, even every couple days or so, I'd sit at my computer for hours writing and rewriting chapters. But on that last chapter, those hours felt like minutes and before I knew it, it was all over. And when I pressed that little "completed" button in the "My Works," I really felt like I'd done something great. On Microsoft, it's twice the amount, but on Wattpad, I wrote a ninety-eight paged story that people enjoyed. I was ecstatic as well as a little sad.

And finally, if you had one wish in the world - what would you wish be?

         Oooh! That's a hard one! Grrrr! I would wish I knew what to wish for! No, just kidding! Even though that'd be incredibly helpful... So unoriginal, but I'm just going to go ahead and say world peace!

Thankyou again, KC! I'm so glad I got the opportunity to interview you, it was brilliant. It was nice seeing the background to one of my favourite stories on Wattpad!