These are questions asked by you and this is me answering them! Hopefully you find some answers here if you're looking for them.
Also, this a major spoiler warning. If you haven't read the Breaking series yet, then I advise you not to read this Q&A unless you don't care about spoilers. Some questions/answers won't even make sense either, but you've been warned!
Q: What inspired Insatiable?
Back in my senior year of high school I had two computer classes back to back. At some point in the year I had finished all of my work and just decided to write a book. Very weird era in my life. So I just started writing Insatiable in the library for about 2 hours a day. Then I started picking it up at home.
At the time, my relationship and surroundings inspired a lot of the characters and original storyline. Since I started writing it in high school you can imagine why the setting is in high school.
Q: What were some events that happened in the original that didn't happen in the rewrite?
I'll share a few key plot changes.
Hayden was originally Harry's killer. Instead of Harry being terminally ill, Jax actually throws a major house party and loses track of Harry. Somewhere down the road, Harry's case grows cold. When Hayden suddenly arrives back to town to finish what he started, Jax eventually crosses paths with Hayden and finds out. It sounds cool, but trust me when I tell you it was a mess.
Hielee and Jax actually have intercourse in the original. Jax ends up with Hielee and Maliah ends up with Hayden for a short period of time.
Jax actually confronts Maliah's father about the sexual harassment. I can't remember where I ended up going with that though. It's been a while.
Hayden kills Scooter in school, which is how Hayden eventually gets caught. (Told you its a mess)
At the end of the original, Jax and Maliah see Jane Keen and Bryan Coewitz kissing in Jax's driveway. I was planning to keep this plot twist, but toward the end I decided not too.
Jax and Maliah actually end up kissing in the first chapter so their specific issues start instantly. They don't get together until the very end.
Q: How come you didn't add in Maliah's perspective?
It's just not the style I wanted for Insatiable. Jax is the main character and it's only supposed to be her story. I feel like adding in another perspective would dilute it and it wouldn't be as good.
Q: What is the exact timeline of this series and the Breaking series? You know, since all the characters eventually show up in each others books.
This may get a little confusing, but bare with me:
- Jax and Maliah are four years older than Allie and North. This should already clear up some confusion if there is any.
- Jax, Maliah, Allie and North all lived in Stirling Gordon at one point and went to the same high school, but obviously not long enough to run into each other or anything. Allie dropped out of high school very early on and North was put into foster care and adopted so she didn't get to really do high school there for long either.
- While Allie and North, theoretically speaking (since Allie dropped out anyway and North was shipped off) started high school, Jax and Maliah were basically in their last year, graduating.
- When Jax and Maliah are moving in together is approximately when Allie gets hit by the taxi.
Hopefully that makes the back and forth easier to understand. I'm pretty sure there are a few minor inconsistencies between the stories, but that's all retconned stuff now. Everything I said just now is 100% canon.
Q: Will we ever see Jax and Maliah again?
I haven't really thought further past Insatiable 2 when it comes down to writing more books about them, but maybe, maybe not. Jax and Maliah are the first characters I have ever created so I probably won't ever be done with them.
Q: You want to rewrite the Breaking series? How come?
I really wanna get my hands on that again so bad because there's soooo many inconsistencies and mistakes in the first book. Breaking The Grey is fine the way it is, but I know if I change Breaking The Game there's gonna be some parts of Grey that I'll probably have to rewrite too. That's the one thing holding me back - I already made a sequel. It'll just be a lot of work and going back and forth to make everything consistent. Reader's will probably end up confused. I'll be confused. No one will benefit I guess.
Q: Are there any bisexual characters you've made? Will you do a story on bisexual characters?
Maliah is actually bisexual, but I do want to make a bisexual pairing. There was a point in my life where I identified as bisexual and it was a very confusing time, so yes I'm definitely going on that route later on in the future.
Q: What are your plans now?
I don't have any plans really. There are two characters that I have written a while ago that I will probably give them their own story again (because I started their story and deleted it)
I still have their character sheets so, why not? I think you guys will like them just as much as the other two pairings.
Q: Will your books stay free?
Well, most likely.
I'm happy Wattpad finally incorporated someway that writers can make money off of their work, but I don't like how only some people are "eligible"
In my opinion, Youtube's approach is the best. Everyone can make money as long as they're generating Ad Revenue. This way money flows from everyone and people aren't left out because their books aren't "good enough" or because they aren't "famous" enough.
Any ads on my books, I don't get paid for.
I can always put my books on other platforms to sell, but it was never about money to begin with. I just do this for fun. I just don't want to be played either. Wattpad is my favorite platform, which is why I use it.
Q: Any tips on building up some traffic on a book?
Share your book with your friends first and foremost. They are more than likely to put other people on. Secondly, share it on whatever social media you have. Obviously it helps if you have a decent following on any platform.
The Wattpad forums are a good place to post your stories and get some readers. I posted on the forums for a few months and got crazy amounts of traffic. Eventually I stopped cause now I don't really need it.
I don't really do the whole make friends thing strategy that people promote just cause its a lot of work and I'm not the most social person, but if you want to do that and it works for you then go ahead.
Also, tags are important for your story. Tag appropriately, but also use it to your advantage. It will take time to generate traffic and adopt some reader's so be patient and don't rush the process. It took me probably 2 years before my books really started skyrocketing in numbers.
Q: Can you give us any information on your next book?
My next book will of course be another romance between two girls. I'm currently writing two books at the same time.
Q: What's your life like?
Nothing exciting. I spend a lot of time with my friends and family. I go to college and stress out there. I play a lot of video games and whatnot. Make a lot of art.
Q: What story was the hardest to write?
As of now it's between Breaking The Game and Insatiable 2. (It's no where near being done yet, but wow am I having the hardest time)
Q: Why is Jax so toxic?
Great question.
Jax is toxic because she's meant to be the physical embodiment of the darkness that most teenagers in high school end up feeling. She's very angry, explosive, depressive, self destructive, dependent (on Maliah) reckless, careless and obnoxious when she wants to be.
High school is also pretty toxic. I wanted a main character that was reflecting my emotions and surroundings in the time that I was going to high school.
It makes her easily unlikable as a character, but more relatable than what most people will want to admit. And since you read the story from her perspective it almost pulls you into liking her since you get to know the thoughts behind her actions.
In reality, we aren't as hard on people when we get to know their reasonings behind their actions and even some of their past.
Q: Can you explain Maliah's thought process throughout the story?
As we know, Maliah is going through something traumatic on her own while handling school and Jax. This contributes to a lot of Maliah's "mood swings" and indecisiveness about Jax and everything else that's going on in her life. She is unsure about what she wants throughout the book ultimately dragging Jax along with her indecisiveness.
And just to confirm this, Maliah was always in love with Jax, she just didn't realize it until they kissed.
Q: Putting the fact that you wrote the book aside, who is more wrong? Maliah or Jax?
Contrary to popular belief, they are both equally wrong.
Maliah shouldn't go back and forth with someone's heart and should tread waters carefully in doing so. She also can't expect things to snap back to normal no matter how hard she wants them too.
Jax is sometimes inconsiderate and lets her anger get in the way of being rational. Depending on someone all the time isn't good and she lacks independence. Her self destructiveness is also terrible and she doesn't acknowledge the fact that it effects the people around her.
At least, this is how I tried to write it. It seems most people think otherwise though (haha)
Q: What can we expect in Insatiable 2?
• Sex and fluff (requested from my loyal readers who pulled through without it.)
• A lot of time flashbacks of what's happened in their 5/6 year gap.
And that's all I got so far.
Q: How far along are you with part 2?
About five chapters. That's mostly because I keep fixing those five, whether it's adding stuff or taking stuff out.