Its time to welcome our 8th visitor..
Candle_Ice!!
Candle_Ice is the author of Her Royal Pen Pal, Falling For Mr Wrong and When Jealousy Comes Calling..Here is her interview
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1) What’s the story behind your username? How did you come up with it? Was it sudden or thought about? ~Candle Ice came from my favourite teen book of all time: ‘Flipped’ by Wendelin Van Draanen. My Bff and I always made up code names for guys we liked, and the majority of our code names came from that book. Candle Ice was the code name for the guy I liked, and I used to write it EVERYWHERE. It was my screen name, my passwords [not anymore =)] my iPod’s name, everything I named Candle Ice... so even after I stopped liking him, the name ‘Candle Ice’ was too much a part of me for me to let it go, as a result, whenever I’m asked for a screen name, it’s always that
2) How old were you when you first started writing? ~ I was about 11 or 12, the summer before I started high school, when I actually attempted a story. Before that it was just writing plots compositions whenever I was bored.
3) What was the first book you can remember writing? ~ “Yesterday’s Dream for Tomorrow’s Fortune” It was about two brothers who found a treasure map, and decided to follow it and they discovered the city of El Dorado. The locals who guarded the city, were bad guys and robbers, and had tried to kill them, but something about a Dragon and a Genie who only granted one wish, were able to save them. Sounds corny, I know… but I was 11. =]
4) Where did the idea for ‘Her Royal Pen Pal’ come from? ~ Honestly, from reading too much fairy tales. I love reading, and I’m a hopeless romantic, but I never really liked the idea of a Damsel in Distress. My favourite tale is Cinderella, but my favourite princess is Mulan, because she was the one who rescued her prince charming. I always thought ‘Why can’t the princess be an equal to the prince and save herself, and not wait on him to save her? So it’s kind of like my modern day version of a fairy tale, incorporating the use of the World Wide Web, and without the whole she’s a damsel in distress theme.
5) How did you choose your characters names? Was it random or do they mean something? ~ Total randomness. Okay, this is a kinda freakishly weird thing I do: But I write down random names in my note books. I have note books filled with plot lines, and general outlines of stories, and at the back are a bunch of names I have written, so whenever I’m ready to develop a story, I just choose one. If I hear a name or see a movie or read a book and find a name I think sounds good, I write it down for future reference. I usually go for unusual names, or exotic names, (mostly from Epic movies like ‘Troy’ ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ etc) and play around with it to come up with variations, and then pair it with a good last name. I like it when names sound good together.
6) What inspired you to start writing? ~ I really can’t say, exactly. I just had a lot of ideas in my head, and one day I just started writing it down and developed them.
7) How does writing make you feel? Is it just something you do for fun or is it something else? ~ Happy! … The feeling I get when I write is one I can’t express. It’s a hobby of mine, and I just like writing. Period
8) How did you discover Wattpad, Do you remember? ~ A friend told me about it. She said it had cool stories, and I should check it out. I did, and well, the rest is history…
9) What do you enjoy the most about writing? ~ The fact that I control what happens. Writing is a way I can create my own world. Everyone is how I want them; they go according to my plan. The power I yield over them [even though it’s in my head] is intoxicating. Nothing in real life is certain, nor can it be predicted. But when I write, I control the destiny and fate of my characters. I can plot revenge and execute it in style, have a surprise go as planned, have a happy ending, or a sad one if I feel it. It’s fun, to escape into my own creations, and have everything run as I want it. =]
10) Do your Family/Friends know about Wattpad, about your stories? ~Some of my friends know [a vast minority though]. And my mom knows I write, but I never allowed her to read any of my stories. My dad and other family members don’t know.
11) What are you working on at the moment? ~ Stories I published: Her Royal Pen Pal… I put “Falling for Mr. Wrong” on hold because I didn’t really think that plot through, so I’m stuck there for a while. … I am also working on stories I haven’t published as yet, though at a slow pace (like 2 or 3 chapters). When the thought strikes, I just write. =D … When my exams are over [june 6th <3] I’ll publish those, because then I’ll have time to update more often.
12) How long have you been a member of wattpad? ~Hmm… about 56 days. [since March 01, 2011]
13) Do you base your stories on things that happen in real life? ~ Not really. I have a very vivid imagination, and it wonders through various scenarios and scenes. I get inspiration from real life, but I most times change details, to suit my whim. Oh! That part in “Falling for Mr. Wrong” where Peyton walked up to the guy and hugged him, pretending she mistook him for a friend’s brother, as a way to meet him? That was a real life experience. =] … and FYI, girls, IT’S one hell of an ice breaker ;p *wink* *wink*
14) Who is your favourite character? ~ Tatiana Daae. Elise’s best friend from ‘Her Royal Pen Pal’ 15) Are they based on someone real? ~ YES! She’s based on one of my crazy, random, always laughing best friends! =D
16) Do you have a favourite story of yours? ~ When Jealousy Comes Home. I didn’t have a plot in mind for that story. We were in English class, and the teacher just gave us an assignment to use the ‘flashback technique’ in an essay or short story. I had no idea where to start or how to proceed. But I just kept writing and that was the end result. I was way proud of myself. =D
17) Do you have a favourite story on wattpad? ~ Me and My Boys are Werewolves … 1
8) Do you listen to music when you write? ~ ABSOLUTELY! Music is life… My earphones are glued to my ears! Lol [not really, but you get my drift]
19) Who is your favourite Wattpad author? ~greenwriter
20) What is your favourite story of theirs? ~The Transient Wife [READ it if you haven’t already!] =)
21) What is your favourite genre to read/write about? ~Romance! I’m a sucker for a love story…
22) Do you ever get Writers Block? If so how do you get past it? ~Yes, I do. I start a new plot. Starting a new story helps me focus on that plot, and I stop obsessing on the old one. So later, my mind is able to wonder back to the plot I was blocked on before, and continue. Sounds weird, right, but that’s just me, I guess.
23) Who is your favourite published author? ~ Do I have to pick just one? Hmmm… J.K Rowling. Harry Potter was the best series!
24) What is your favourite published book? ~ There’s two I can never choose between: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks.
25) Would you ever want your work to be published? ~ Yeah, of course. I would be honoured if that day ever arrives.
26) When faced with a negative comment how do you deal with it? ~ I don’t remember ever facing a negative comment, but it’s only been a couple of months. There’s been some who offer advice, and I adore them, and try to take it when writing. Most of it is offered it in a nice way, and I comment back and thank them. But if I do receive a negative comment as in ‘I hate ur story, u suck’ or along those lines, I guess I would ignore it…
27) When you’re not reading or writing what can you be found doing? ~Listening to music. Maybe, watching tv, if a cricket match is on …Studying [ever so rarely] … But most of the time, you’d likely find me reading…
28) Do you have a message for people who are just starting out writing? Or just a message in general? ~ ‘Write for yourself, and don’t try to please others. In trying please others, you end up disappointing yourself. If you believe in your story, and you believe in yourself, belief is achieved by others as well’ An English teacher told me that once, and I take it to heart.
29) Do you consider yourself a good writer? ~ I consider myself an average writer, with a knack for good story lines, once in a while.
30) Do you look up to anyone on wattpad? ~ The developers of the site, or founders or owners, or whatever you want to call the: The Wattpad People! … if not for them, this site and the amazing stories we find, to read and write would not be available.
31) What is your dream/Goal on wattpad? ~ To never disappoint my fans. And maybe, win a Watty? I don’t yet.. it’s still early. =]
32) Do you have any pet peeves about writing styles? Does something really turn you off from a book? ~ Grammar! Grammar! and oh, yeah, GRAMMAR! I don’t care how good your plot is; I wouldn’t read it if there’s continuous grammatical error. I can understand a few typos here and there, because we’re not perfect. But would it kill you to actually attempt proper grammar?
33) Do you have any shout outs anything you want to say before we finishthe interview? ~ A ‘thank you’ to you, Aimee Louise, for the interview. And a big shout out to all my fans! Woooohoooo…. I love you all! XoXo … and the Wattpad peole: AWESOME WEBSITE!!! =D =D
Thankyou Candle_Ice for that awesome ineterview!!
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