Get ready for the twisty thriller writer you need to be reading! We sat down with Deanna Cameron (AKA lyssfrom1996) to talk about her journey as a writer and the books she's written.
The paperback edition of What Happened That Night is hitting shelves April 13 and Deanna Cameron's next book, Homewrecker will be out May 18th!
Let's start at the beginning—what brought you to start sharing your writing on Wattpad?
I started writing online when I was a preteen, before Wattpad became the sensation that it is now, and was on other websites until I started experiencing problems with plagiarism. My friends then encouraged me to join Wattpad instead and I never looked back.
You are one of the #OriginalSix Wattpad Books authors—what has your experience been like going from simply writing online to being published? How has the experience varied between your first book, What Happened That Night, and your next, Homewrecker?
It was a bit of a transition, but I wrote What Happened That Night like I wanted it to be published because I did. The biggest difference was with Homewrecker and how I was writing to be published, not just hoping someday in the future like with my last book. I was a lot more intentional with writing Homewrecker, partly also in thanks to having gone through the editing process before and knowing my strong suits and weaknesses with my writing.
Both What Happened That Night and Homewrecker involve mystery but also some very real contemporary issues such as sexual assault, grief, class differences, and addiction—what brought you to write about these topics?
Because, at their hearts, they're not just mysteries. I never intended for What Happened That Night to be a mystery, it just happened with the direction the story took. I've mainly considered them to be YA books, which often deal with more than one issue. It would feel less developed to have the characters deal with only one problem.
What was one of the biggest challenges you faced while writing What Happened That Night and/or Homewrecker?
Capturing the right atmosphere, the right feeling for the bigger scenes I had been imagining for months. You know how significant those scenes and sometimes it can feel hard to put that down into words.
Who has been your favorite character to write in either of your books? Do you have a favorite scene (without spoilers!)?
Ethan Denvers (from Homewrecker). A lot of consideration when into his character because I wanted him to have a life outside of the protagonist. I thought about what I liked in a love interest and a fleshed out character always caught my attention. Someone with hobbies, friends, flaws. My favorite scene is his last one, at the drive-in.
Who are your favorite authors—people whose work you admire or who you look to for your literary inspirations?
Definitely Morgan Matson. Her writing has inspired mine in so many ways. Same with Sarah Dessen, Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley, and even debut authors whose books I find. I look more for plot lines than specific authors.
What advice would you give to young writers who are inspired by your writing?
Read, read, and then read some more. Learn more, write more, listen more. Soak everything in and then blurt it all out. Then do a serious amount of editing and waiting. These things take time.