Hello! As you know, I'm Ayah, an interviewer from The Crazy Late Nighters Community aka CLN. Before we begin, what should I call you by and what are your pronouns?
Hi, Ayah. You can call me April. My pronouns are she/her.
Awesome! Now, before we get to the more serious part of the interview, how would you describe yourself in three words? Why those exact words?
Of course, I’d like to think of myself as creative, like with my art and my writing. I’m always trying to find new twists to put in common tropes. I’m pretty dedicated (except when I’m not) because I guess I’m just motivated to do what I set myself out to, be it with work or my hobbies. I would say I’m also an overthinker because little details and usually insignificant things start to mean a lot to me when I take the time to think about them.
I love it when authors put unique twists in common tropes, it's always a pleasant surprise and I'm glad to hear that you do that! What started your writing journey? What's the best part of it?
I started writing stories in a notebook when I was in second grade. I’d write a series of random tales that revolved around one woman who was a mermaid princess, haha. It was a bunch of adventures she had with her friends, and I also drew pictures to go with it. I kept writing stories in notebooks as I grew up and the stories were of different genres like murder mysteries, science fiction, and dystopian. About three-ish years ago, my friend recommended I put my stories on Wattpad, and so I did.The best part is writing for myself. I love getting lost in my own stories and characters. It’s a nice way to de-stress. Also, seeing my growth is great (that doesn’t mean I still don’t cringe at my old writing).
Wow, your writing journey started at a pretty young age! I'm sure your random tales would've been quite an interesting thing to read. And I, one hundred percent agree with your definition of the best part of writing! It's like entering a whole new world with new people and going on fantastic adventures. I'm glad to hear your growth is great! How did you feel when your book “Hey, Death” won first place?
When I found out that “Hey, Death” won first place, I reloaded the screen because I thought something was wrong lol. It was one of the first books I’ve published here, so it’s always been really important to me. Seeing that others liked it too, enough to give it first place, was amazing. Not to mention it makes me want to really edit the whole book and make it better. It already has a sequel and spin-off, so in a way it feels like the whole series won!
Aww, that's so relatable. When something you've worked so hard on gains recognition or wins an award, it really is hard to believe. However, congratulations on winning first place! What inspired you to start writing "Hey, Death"?
Yes, exactly! I read “The Book Thief” a couple of years ago. The narrator was Death. I think that gave me the idea like “oh, Death can be an actual character.” But, unlike in “The Book Thief”, he’d actually interact with others, have a backstory, a snarky personality, and be a main character. And I took it from there. A rebellious girl meets Death himself and their paths intertwine. Ever since then, I’ve kind of been obsessed with personifying abstract topics like Death and Love.
Although I’ve never read “The Book Thief”, the way it inspired your book is honestly so cool! And yes, the personification of abstract topics is truly incredible. When it comes to your book, were you a pantser or a plotter? Are you usually a pantser or plotter?
I’d say I was a bit of both, but if I had to choose one, it’d be pantser. Besides having a few important scenes in mind for “Hey, Death”, I let my characters and their goals drive the plot. It’s more exciting and fresh for me that way. I usually am a pantser (mostly because I’m impatient), but I’m trying harder to outline my story better with "Death Inc".
I’d agree with being a bit of both for me, personally! But, like you, I’m focusing on being more of a plotter, haha. Throughout your journey with “Hey, Death”, alongside the positive feedback, have you received any negative comments? If so, how did you deal with it?
The readers of “Hey, Death” were actually really supportive. Sometimes people might’ve gotten confused about a chapter or something but they’d ask what was happening nicely. I’ve been lucky to have such supportive readers. Since it was one of my first books, those readers have also supported me in other books and I’ve become friends with many of them. Plus they write really funny comments, haha.
I am so glad to hear that your readers are so sweet and positive! Making friends with our readers is one of the best parts of the writing journey and I'm sure you'd agree! Moving onto the next question, how long did it take you to finish "Hey, Death"? Throughout the process, did you ever experience writer's block?
I think it took me around six months… I remember, I started late spring of 2019 and finished early fall. During that year, I had more time to write. I definitely had writer's block multiple times. I do with every book I’ve written. I find that the best way to overcome it is to re-read the chapters you have so far. It kind of puts the whole plot into perspective, especially if you started the book a long time ago.
That's pretty good advice for writers when dealing with writing blocks. Other than "Hey, Death" and the sequel + spin-off, have you tried your hand at writing something new, maybe a different genre?
Yeah, I’ve tried my hand at a few genres actually. There’s “Outside The Box”, a YA romance that I really enjoyed writing. I’ve done a murder-mystery/thriller called “Thirteenth Friday” and a sci-fi novel named “Clever Much”, but those aren’t on Wattpad currently. I’m also working on a ROM-Com novel called “Slice of Love”. Since I started writing years ago, I’ve done many genres (can’t say they’re good though lol). So far, my favorite genres are thriller, romance and fantasy, in terms of writing and reading.
It's fantastic to hear that!! I, hundred percent can say thriller, romance and fantasy are my top three favorites as well, alongside horror! Oh, and good luck with "Slice of Love"! I'm sure it'll be amazing. What advice would you give to new writers or anyone thinking of starting their own novel?
I’d say that if you have an idea for a novel then write the whole thing down, every single chapter. So if you’re writing on Wattpad, keep your whole novel or multiple future chapters in your drafts and publish one by one based on your publishing schedule. That way, your readers won’t have to wait forever to read the next chapter because you haven’t found the time to write it. This is what I’m doing with Death Inc. and I wish I did it with my other books too. It makes it easier to edit and tweak the story when you have a chunk of it pre-written. You don’t have to have it all planned out. Just write like you normally would. When there’s no sense of rush to complete and publish the next chapter, I find that the chapters are much better.
Very practical and beneficial advice that I’m sure a lot of new writers will be glad to hear and hopefully, take into mind when it comes to them writing their new stories and their novels. Aside from the writer aspect of your life, what are you doing when you’re not writing? Any hobbies?
I love sketching and painting. Especially with oil pastels and acrylics. Nowadays, when I’m free, I’ll either binge shows, go on a walk while on a call with friends, or ride a bike and listen to a playlist.
Those are all amazing hobbies to spend your time doing! Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Honestly neither. I can’t wake up early and function but at the same time, I can’t stay up late without mentally checking out, haha. I’m more of a night owl than a morning person though.
Haha, that's quite understandable!! I'm more of a night owl myself. Onto a more ambitious topic, do you see yourself becoming a published author?
I’d love to be one haha but yeah, I think I’d have to work harder and maybe I might get a book published. I’m still studying right now, so maybe later in life when I have a job or something, I can try to publish a book as a hobby. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, I’ll just have to be better.
Well, keep writing everyday and hopefully, you’ll get a published book but if not, just remember your writing should be for your own enjoyment and you do have plenty of readers who love your works!! Other than being an author, what other career aspirations do you have?
At first, I wanted to be a pharmacist but after taking bio and chem, I realized it’s not for me. I plan on working as an accountant and becoming a CPA. Others might not think so but accounting can be fun sometimes, haha.
Although accounting doesn’t seem that appealing to me, I wish you all the best with your career goals! Onto my very last question, if you could meet any character from any book, which character would it be and why?
Well, I’ve always been a Hunger Games fan. So, of course, I’d love to meet Peeta. As I always say, everyone needs a Peeta. He’s such a brave and caring character. Anyway, that’s just my fan girl side talking lol.
Haha, I know a lot of people will definitely agree with you! April, it was so lovely talking to you, thank you so much for your time!!
Thanks for taking the time for this! It was really fun!
No problem! I enjoyed interviewing you!!
Author : _Twisted_Roses_
Interviewer : ethereal_ayah
Interview Editor : _Summer14