W. R. Watkins is the best-selling author of 'You. Are. Not. Alone.' (4.8 stars - GoodReads) and of the 'Diary Of The Heart' poetry book series.
This Kindle edition of 'You. Are. Not. Alone.' was a Top 15 best-selling Love Poem eBook on Amazon UK.
The first of the 'Heart' series, 'An Obsessive Infatuation' (5 stars - GoodReads), was a Top 10 Best-selling Love Poetry book on Amazon UK, whilst the eBook edition was a Top 10 and Top 25 best-selling Love Poetry eBook in the UK and US respectively.
About the author's work:
Watkins presents himself to you (the reader), allowing you into his life, sharing his thoughts and feelings and takes you through his journey of incredible highs, to the lows; through the finding and experiencing of love, to the loss of it. His hope and aim for his work, is for you to be able to connect with his work, and find comfort in the fact that what you are going through, you are not alone. In a sense, he is offering out his hand to you, to guide you through what you are going through.
This running theme can be found in all of his works.
Interview with WR Watkins.
1) What inspired you into writing poetry?
I'm not entirely certain what inspired me to write poetry. When I wrote my first poem ('Afraid'), it was during a very difficult time in my life. I was very closed off to everyone around me, and I didn't have an safe emotional outlet, where I could express how I felt or thought. The idea for 'Afraid' had been in my head for quite a period of time, so one night, I wrote it all out. I guess this was around 2006/7. I only really began to start writing poetry in 2008, and most of my early work were based upon ideas/scenarios I would think of, and I began to write more personal work in 2010.
2) What sort of thing did you write about when you began?
(Looks through a book containing my early work) As most writers do, I wrote mostly about romance (even though I've never experienced it), about what I would say to someone, if I were in that situation, and writing out all the feelings that I felt, when I envisioned myself in the situations I created. Other topics I talked/wrote about were body image related and friendships.
3) What about writers who have influenced you, your favorite poets and their works?
I know it sounds odd, but I'm not particularly inspired by other poets. I admire their work, the way that they can put those beautiful phrases and words together. But it's not the way that I write. I don't particularly enjoy using deep metaphors or writing about what I can see around me. Oddly enough, my main influence for writing is Mariah Carey. She writes her songs so beautifully, and manages to create images and feelings with her words that I can connect to, and for me that's what I aspire to achieve with my work, to have somebody else emotionally connect with my work. Songs like 'My All' and 'The Roof', for me are poetic masterpieces that I wish I could write myself!
4) What message do you hope to spread through your works?
No matter what is it that you are going through, I'm here to help in the best way that I can.
5) Setting aside poetry for a moment, are there other things you would like to write, or that you have written?
I've always had this idea for a fantasy/adventure story since 2002/2003, and I've never really forgotten about it, and did a very early, very rough, very bad draft(!) of it in 2005, but discontinued it. I actually re-visited the idea of writing that story quite recently, and have a plot in mind. I just need to write it down! In my head, I ideally want to release it next year, but we shall have to see how that goes.
Oh, and as a side note, I have written songs in the past (only lyrics), and I've actually managed to get one put to music which is very exciting. And some of the lyrics themselves have gone on to be semi-finalists in the UK Songwriting Competition. So that's nice anyway.
6) Tell us more about yourself. You, as a person.
Talking about myself is something that I struggle with greatly, but I shall try my best!
I'm someone who likes to think of himself as a hopeless romantic, with a sarcastic humour, and with a very dirty mind! I can be socially awkward, I dislike big, unfamiliar crowds, and I like keeping only my closest friends, well, close to me. I'm very difficult to know and it takes time I think for people to work out who I am as a person. I absolutely hate balloons. I love animals a lot (hence my chosen degree in Animal Behaviour) and I like to achieve the best possible results from my work, which as also lead to me to be a bit of an obsessive perfectionist!
If I trust someone, for me, that is a huge deal. There have been times in my life, where I've trusted the wrong people, and ended up getting hurt.
7) So, do you sing too? Or, plan too in future?
In the shower, I'm the greatest singer there is. In the real world...well, let's just say that I pity all those within hearing range!
I'm in awe of anyone who can actually sing. It's such a beautiful gift to have, and I wish that I could. But no, I think it's better (and safer) if I stick to the writing!
8) Tell us more about yourself. You, as a person.
Talking about myself is something that I struggle with greatly, but I shall try my best!
I'm someone who likes to think of himself as a hopeless romantic, with a sarcastic humour, and with a very dirty mind! I can be socially awkward, I dislike big, unfamiliar crowds, and I like keeping only my closest friends, well, close to me. I'm very difficult to know and it takes time I think for people to work out who I am as a person. I absolutely hate balloons. I love animals a lot (hence my chosen degree in Animal Behaviour) and I like to achieve the best possible results from my work, which as also lead to me to be a bit of an obsessive perfectionist!
If I trust someone, for me, that is a huge deal. There have been times in my life, where I've trusted the wrong people, and ended up getting hurt.
9) Reading one of my poems, Unanswered Question (Picture of You), A reader complimented my poem by quoting Horace, the great philosopher's words, " Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant."
To an extent, I agree to it. I would like to know your views on this saying, related to poetry.
I do absolutely agree with this quote.
Some of my best work has been the result of something that has gone on in my life, and I just needed to write and be creative.
With creative people, especially poets, we draw upon emotions in order to drive our work forward, more so on our own sad emotions. It is a phenomenon that I can't quite explain.
When I, as a poet, go through the good times, I find it very hard to write good/happy material, because there isn't a raw emotion there for me to work on, that I feel could be identifiable and relatable with other people. Or particular inspiring for that matter.
But, the moment I feel down, all the good work comes out and I find myself enjoying what I'm writing more. I've often been given the comment of, "Oh, please make your next book more happy" or "Are you ever happy? Because of your material seems to be depressing or upsetting"
And I find myself challenging that because that's what most people want. And if I wrote something happy, I know it would not be my best work. As a joke, I wrote a poem called ‘Unicorn Ponies’, just for laughs, to get people off my back!
When you've gone through a difficult breakup, what do you listen to? Happy, peppy songs? No, because they are the songs that you play once in a while. It's the sad songs that we put on repeat, and play it over and over and over again, because it's more relatable and rawer emotionally.
It all comes down to this: when you’re happy, you have nothing to write about. When you’re sad, you have everything to write about.
As the saying goes: “Misery loves company”.
10) How do you get in the mental place where you find deeper thoughts coming to you or something that inspires you to write?
That's a really good question.
I wish I had a really good answer!
I know it sounds strange to say, but when I don't think, that's when the thoughts/the words come to me. When I try and think, forcing words out, that's when writing becomes a challenge. So sometimes, just when I'm about to fall asleep, an idea will come to me, and I have to get up, fetch my notebook, and write it down immediately. Or my phone. Whichever it closer!
What you write, I feel has to be organic and truthful, and if you're forcing the words out, then I feel that's when you write your worst pieces of material.
11) What's your revision process like?
When I revise my work, I have to take myself out of my writer's mind, and look at it with a fresh eye, and try and find out how I can make the piece of work in front of me, polished, and whether or not it is needed in the book. I usually only do with this the pieces of work that I'm going to publish.
Sometimes, there is little editing to do. Other times, I end up re-writing the whole poem or adding another verse, because I feel that the story the poem is telling, has not quite yet been told.
For my two books, especially my most recent one ('An Obsessive Infatuation'), I was still be re-writing lines/whole poems up to just a couple of days before publishing, even if it was moving a comma, adding a full stop, tweaking a line ever so slightly, just to make it perfect.
Just for extra measure, my mum proofreads for me, and offers her own little suggestions, some of which I include, and some that I leave out.
As writers, there is no such thing as too much editing.
12) We have two books of you at wattpad and since I've read, I know it contains some really wonderful poetry. But, Which one of the two is most closest to your heart? Which one poetry really speaks your heart - your life?
This is like Sophie's Choice!
There is a part of me that really does not want to give the standard, "Both are really special to me in different ways" answer.
If someone were to come up to me, and want to know about my life, I would give them 'You. Are. Not. Alone.' (my first book) because that really is a true representation of my life, and it is like reading pages of my diary.
There is a story arc in that book, which sadly cannot be seen in its entirety because the book here is only a sample, but it starts of with my first poem 'Afraid' and ends with a poem called 'Thank You', which has a closing line of 'I'm not afraid any more'. It's my story, with a bit more added in for other people.
As for 'Diary Of The Heart: An Obsessive Infatuation' (this is an exclusive for you, I've never told anyone else this), I'm talking about two people whom I really, really liked at different points in time, and up until the third chapter (which again, can't be read since it's only a sample), it's based upon truth. All my feelings are there, on pages.
But if I had to chose one, it would have to be 'You. Are. Not. Alone.' That book has my soul in it, whilst 'An Obsessive Infatuation' has only my heart.
13) What are you currently working on?
I'm currently working on my next poetry book, which I hope to be released later this year.
It's going to take a different approach to the first two books. Whilst material was cut from them, this time around, nothing is going to be cut, and there will be minimal editing.
My aim for this next book, is to fully present myself to you, the reader, and just take you through what I've been through the past few months.
I had had plans to do a sequel to 'Infatuation', but I was not too happy with the material, so decided to go to plan B. I'm so happy with what I have written thus far, and I cannot wait for people to read it.
It's raw, and all recent work.
14) And, It is still untitled?
Well, there is a tentative title for it at the moment. But, given my history with the titles of my last two books, it could change.
For instance, 'You. Are. Not. Alone.' was originally titled 'Learning The Art Of Letting Go' (plus, a whole page of different ideas. I kid you not!) whilst 'An Obsessive Infatuation' was going to be called 'L.O.V.E.' (Letting Out Vulnerable Emotions).
So, we shall see if this title sticks. I think that there are only two people currently, besides myself, who know the title.
15) A good cover helps in a great deal to attract readers as they say. Who designed the covers of your book?
I did both the covers of my books myself.
Both of the photos you can see, are from a stock photo website called 'iStock by Getty Images', where you a (small) amount of money to get some credits, and by using those credits, you can get a photo of your choice. All the photos I think come with either a Standard or Extended Licence. They've just updated the rules on that, to make it even better for the user.
The Standard Licence expires once the photo has reached 500,000 impressions (so a really, really long time) and the Extended Licence is just to take over from the Standard.
As for the actual designing of the covers, I self-publish my books through CreateSpace, which provide a step-by-step guide to publishing your books, and they provide you with a template for your cover (it compensates for page size, colour paper etc.) and I edit them through Adobe XI Pro (I'm beyond useless on other graphic programmes).
I found it really simple to do, and I knew what I wanted, and how I wanted it to look. Plus, most people who offer to design book covers, usually ask for a lot of money to do it. So, unless you're certain to make the money back from your book, I'd advise all self-publishers to give it a go themselves. At least then, you can say that it is all your own work.
The same can be said for the interior and formatting within the book. It's all my own work and ideas.
My aim when creating these books, was to do it in the cheapest way possible, so I could have more money for advertising it.
Plus, I was really happy with the result at the end of the day.
16) Your shoutout as a poet will be?
"Write what makes you happy, not what makes someone else happy".
Finally, the last one
17) Your message to readers/followers :)
Thank you for following me on Wattpad!
All the kind comments I've been getting on my work, is truly heart-warming, and nice to see. It means so much to me, so thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.
I look forward to uploading the next sample of my book here on Wattpad for you to read, so stay tuned!
On the social media front, you can:
- Follow me on Twitter @WRWATKINS2014)
- Like my Official Author Page on Facebook (facebook.com/AuthorWRWatkins)
- Follow my Tumblr Blog (wrwatkinsofficial.tumblr.com)
Thank you all again!!
Link to his book "An Obessive Infatuation" is in the external link.
For others, check out his profile, please. You must, he writes awesome poetry. :)
I hope it was a good read. For me, it had been a wonderful experience interviewing him.
Thank you, Mr Watkins for giving the interview and to my readers for taking time out to read it. :)
Awwthentic~