Welcome to the newest edition of the winners' interview series. Here we have our overall winner of the first edition of 1D fanfic awards 2021, Laventriloque. Join us and let's see what our winner has to say about this journey.
I: Interviewer (FlyingSprinkles)
W: Interviewee (Laventriloque)
I: Before starting, congratulations for grabbing the winning position in the awards!
Greetings, I am Mishti, a teenager who loves to do crazy things but also an introvert and shy girl. May I know a few words about yourself?
W: Thank you!
Hello Mishti, I'm 26 years old, I'm finishing a masters in theatre, I love to write, I'm working on a novel and hoping to be a published author in the near future ^.^ I live in Québec city, I'm an introvert myself (as hard as it is to believe to some theatre friends haha). Nice to meet you.
I: Wow! What a lovely introduction. Nice to meet you too. So when did you start your journey as a writer?
W: When I first learned about Microsoft Word haha I started writing when I was fairly young.. I'd say 11 or 12. Of course what I wrote was absolutely awful, It would be predictable stories about heroes saving the day by slaying dragons and stuff. My love is really to tell stories, I do that in the theater with my studies and different projects, but I also do that in writing.
I: That's nice! What is your motivation to write?
W: I'm a big people watcher, I love to observe how people live, love to imagine what their lives must be like. I love to create characters from there, love to imagine new worlds and put those characters there and see how they would act. I love the feeling I get sometimes when I write, it's like the world around me fades and all I can see are my characters evolving in this world that I'm the master of.
I: Wow! That's an amazing idea to write. Had you expected that you would win the first place?
W: Not really, there were a lot of good stories in the contest. People outside of wattpad often times underestimate how well so called "amateur" authors write. Especially fanfiction authors. I find myself constantly impressed by what my peers can come up with.
I: Well that's true. Even I sometimes wonder how they write so well!
How did you feel when you got to know that you won the first place?
W: Glad, grateful. Outside of those tight knit communities, I don't have that much support for writing stories on wattpad. So it's always heartwarming to get recognition there.
I: So have you ever participated in any other awards and won or was this your first time?
W: I have participated in other 1D contests on wattpad, I've been fortunate enough to win two before this one for the same story.
I: That's nice. Congrats!
W: Thank you.
I: What was the response you got when you first published this book?
W: I first published it on AO3, it was the third story and it instantly got a lot of response compared to the other ones. I think the fandom for A/B/O stories is bigger, so it's normal that it got more attention, but the attention was very positive and I think it played a big role in motivating me to see the story through. I'm still amazed at the response it's getting on wattpad to this day. To give you an idea, when I posted it on wattpad, I set a goal for myself to get to 1k reads on it. (It's not always easy to get reads on a story on wattpad as there are so many) but today it's at around 500k... I keep waiting for people to get bored of it haha.
I: Woah! 500k... That's big.. congrats for it.
W: Thank you ^.^
I: Have you ever faced criticism? If yes then how did you handle it?
W: I've never had criticism that isn't constructive. To be honest, in my story I talk a lot about gender identity, atopic that can sometimes be controversial and I really thought I might get some hate by a few people because of it, but I didn't! I think the 1D community is so inclusive and kind so I'm super lucky in that aspect. The only criticism I ever got, I asked for it haha so I, of course, always take it into consideration to better my writing.
I: That's good.
What do you do when you are stuck in a writer's block situation?
W: Oof. Haha I'm still kind of figuring that out for myself. Truth is, I don't think there is a secret recipe for inspiration. Sometimes you need to stop bashing your head on a blank page and go for a walk, go out with friends, read a book, do something you enjoy and stop thinking about it. But sometimes I find that closing my current document and opening a whole new one helps a great deal too. Writing something else entirely sometimes gives you back the confidence you need in your own abilities and sometimes it even gives you ideas for what you were trying to write in the first place. I guess it depends on why you're experiencing writer's block. Is it that you've been at it for too long and need to take a step back? Or is it that you're doubting yourself? Judging yourself as you write? Once you know the cause it's easier to find the solution.
I: Woah! Such a good advice!
What compliment do you think was the best you have received for your book?
W: Without a doubt, people who are re-reading it! Better yet, a few have told me the story is their comfort book; they can come back to it when they feel stressed or sad and it makes them feel better. I can't think of a better impact for my writing. It's amazing to me that writing the story most times brings me comfort and happiness and that it can have the same impact on people who read it. It makes me all gooey inside haha.
I: That's indeed a very good compliment.
What do you like to do when you're free from all your work? Any hobbies or passions?
W: Camping! When I can get away from everything, I love to get out of the city plant my tent and sit by the fire. That's my favourite thing in the world. I can close all electronics, write old school with a pen and paper, read a book and spend quality time with loved ones as well as being outdoors in nature. It's great.
I: Wow! That's a very good thing. Nature is the best.
Is there any advice you would like to give to the new or fellow writers?
W: I feel like most writers advise this simple thing: write often, write every day, just write. I agree, you should be consistant, but I would add: don't be scared to evolve. You can do the same thing wrong over and over again without ever improving. A simple exemple of this is handwriting. Everyone writes with a pen/pencil often, do it over and over again, but most people do that without consciously trying to improve, so a lot of people have terrible handwriting despite 'practicing' every day. I think if you want to improve your writing, you have to write while consciously trying to improve... that means getting out of your comfort zone sometimes, taking criticism well, reading and trying to imitate styles of authors you like. It's hard work, but it's worth it.
I: Woah! That's a very good advice. I might try it after my exams are over. grin You should be a teacher.
W: Haha that's great!
If you need more help with your writing give me a shout.
I: Sure, I will.
And with this, we are concluding this interview here. I loved talking to you. It was so nice. Thanks a lot for giving your time and bearing with me.
W: Not a problem love, it was a pleasure to talk to you.
I: Thank you!
It was truly a pleasure to interview you Laventriloque. You talked about such beautiful & insightful things. We wish you all the best for your passion, work and projects. Once again, cheers for this success!