With over 679K reads, 'Dead If You Do' by KateNorth got featured on both @NA and mystery profiles and was hand-picked by the Wattpad team for the Editor's Choice 2020 list. Her story also became a part of the Paid Stories Program, awarding her with the shiny Wattpad Star's badge as well!
Read on ahead of the interview we had with her to get to know more about her writing journey and be inspired! A review by us is also included in the end to give you a sneak-peek into the thrilling and mysterious adventure 'Dead If You Do' holds. This story is undoubtedly going to keep you on the edge of your seats!
Now, over to the interview!
Q: We will start with the question, which makes everybody curious! What inspired you to write Dead If You Do?
The initial threads of Dead If You Do's plot started entwining a few years back, but back then, it had a different name. It was around Halloween, and I was just finishing my first book, Pieces of You, which really only ended up being around 30K words - so not much of a first project compared to others! At the time, though, it was a massive accomplishment and I was on an adrenaline rush.
So as per usual for me, I got excited and started planning another story, with no branches to hold onto except for its name (Fallen Heights) and logline: When Woodcreek's senior class go into the halls of their high school for their annual Halloween sleepover bash, one-hundred and eighty students enter and one hundred and seventy-nine students leave. Haley Bell, the town's good-girl, must find out who murdered Daisy before eyes of suspicion turn to her and secrets of her past are irrevocably revealed.
If you know Dead If You Do's plotline, you can obviously draw a lot of parallels to this. But, of course, being a writer isn't that easy. Life gets in the way and, perhaps more so, writer's block. It knocks your creativity down so much that you can't believe you ever managed to even write a book in the first place. Which is exactly what happened to me. Trying not to dwell on this, I went off to Uni and decided to start focusing on my course - which was luckily creative writing!
So, while I wasn't focusing on writing this new book, I was writing short stories which really helped boost my writing skills to the level where, when I entered my third year, I was finally able to turn my mind back to writing books. It was at this point in my life, though, that I started questioning what I wanted to do with my writing and where I wanted it to go. Sure, I was taking a creative writing course, but I didn't know whether I wanted to traditionally publish or give Wattpad one more go. Luckily, I chose the latter.
I remember the night 'Dead If You Do' came to me so clearly. God, the story was just so easy and so perfect for me. I was talking to about what I wanted to do with my writing (she was actually the person who convinced me to write another book on Wattpad, so in a way, I totally believe that Dead If You Do and everything that came after just wouldn't have happened without her).
I loved the idea of dark academia, but I also loved the idea of having a group of people in closed quarters with one of them killing the others - I know, it's dark, lmao. It was then that I remembered the plot to Fallen Heights and looked at it again, this time with the benefit of more experience, more technique and a bachelor's degree in creative writing under my arm. The title came next, which is a play off the phrase 'damned if you do, damned if you don't'. I aged up the characters of Fallen Heights, making the book fall into New Adult, connected the characters like a spider's web, and then messaged Grace.
While I was in the process of writing the book, I was reading books that fell into the same audience and genre range. I've always been a big believer that you can't be a writer without being a reader first and foremost. Books like Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and Verity by Colleen Hoover were also big inspirations!
Q: Which part of 'Dead If You Do' turned out to be the most challenging to write?
I would say the most challenging part to write was making sure each character was fully fleshed and three dimensional. In the first draft, I mostly focused on the plot and the four main characters: Haley, Daisy, Eden and Wesley. This meant that a lot of my secondary characters aren't as developed as they should be - and I'm extremely aware of this to the point where I feel a little embarrassed about my neglect of these characters. This is why I've tried to improve upon this in my second draft, which I think I've achieved! I don't know, I guess we'll see lol.
Another part I found challenging was writing the climax scene. Writing action scenes has never come easily to me, and I think that's because I favour descriptive language, atmospheric writing and really zeroing-out on important scenes that foreshadow events later taking place. Action scenes are fast-paced, so each word you write really needs to deserve to be there, and you have to make sure you're not including description that takes away from the action. I think finding that balance can be really hard and it was something I definitely struggled with towards the end.
Q: Which character traits do you have in common with your protagonist?
Totally going to expose myself in this answer, lol. This is a really interesting question for me, because with a lot of my previous protagonists, their character traits were as far away from my own personality as you could get. I often wonder if 'Dead If You Do' came so easily to me because Haley is modelled after me more so than any of my other characters. In a way, it was cathartic to write in Haley's perspective, exploring her experiences with grief especially, as well as her depression and anxiety that are so similar to my own past experiences.
Haley's a Virgo, like me. She has high hopes and wants to see the best in people, but once you break that trust, it's hard for her to forget. She's a Creative Writing major and has a great relationship with her family, but she also wants to explore life beyond what she already knows, which eventually leads her to Woodcreek. So, honestly, Haley has a lot in common with me. This is the first time I've allowed myself to bridge that gap between me and my characters, and it might be why Haley is, at this moment, my favourite character I've ever written.
Q: What are the three things you believe are most important for aspiring writers?
First of all: Read, read, read!
You are not going to become a better writer if you aren't, first and foremost, a reader. While you're reading, read as a writer. I cannot emphasise this enough. Ask yourself questions about what techniques the writer is using, why they're using it, and what effect it has on the reader and overall story.
Second of all: Stop comparing yourself to other writers.
Just stop it. Whether they're published authors, writers on Wattpad, or even your friends. We are all on different journeys. We have all had different experiences. We ALL write pathetic first drafts. Hell, your favourite published book? That's been edited hundreds of times and reviewed by dozens of people before you were even allowed to look at it and buy it from a bookstore. You are going to write terrible first drafts. It's the circle of life. And do you know what? Those terrible first drafts will be the chapters you look back on in five years' time and think; 'Wow, look at how much I've improved'. Those terrible first drafts will turn you into a better writer. And comparing yourself to other writers, when the draft you're reading of their work has probably been edited a hundred times over? Not worth it, not relevant, not productive. PERIOD.
Aaaand finally: Write what you want to read.
Don't fall into the hole of writing what you think is popular or what you think will get reads. Because if you do those things, it will show in your writing. I promise. If you write what you enjoy reading, if you write a story you are passionate about, then that will show in your writing skills. Not to mention, you will enjoy it WAY more than that book you've been thinking of posting just because you think it'll get reads.
Q: What's a fun fact about you that the readers do not know?
I LOVE McDonalds Hash Browns, lmao. I also have a Tik Tok account where one video I made went viral. No biggie.
Thank you so much, Katie! Your inspiring journey is definitely going to spark up the hidden writer in many of the Wattpadders. We wish you all the luck for your amazing future projects!
REVIEW
Kate North's 'Dead If You Do' is a book aimed at youngsters looking for an action-packed, mystery-murder drama. The title of the book itself is a dead giveaway to the readers. The story will delight any mystery fan who enjoys sparkling dialogue, genuine characters, and a plot which bristles with red herrings galore. It is an amalgamation of fright, crime, romance, curiosity, and skepticism.
In the early part of the story, we meet a young girl, Haley Bell, and her thoughts on death. The story mainly revolves around her. How, due to an unfortunate accident in her past, she had stopped caring. The conflict of the character and the way the author has beautifully described it is commendable. With each paragraph, the anticipation increases, and you wish nothing more than to keep on reading.
The plot of the story thickens significantly with the protagonist's arrival in the peculiar university. In the story's progression, Haley meets new people, oblivious of what fate has in store for her. The female character is strong, intelligent, brave, and phenomenal. The life struggles, sudden turn of events with people, and love are handled wonderfully by her. With the suspicious murders happening around, it is all up to Haley to figure out the truth behind the thrilling mystery. There seemed to be a reason for bringing her to that university - and it wasn't to study.
Do you think it is a coincidence that as soon as Haley set foot into the new place, uncanny killings began to occur? Who might be the real culprit, or will she become a victim herself?
To know the answers to those questions, hit the link below and be a part of this journey of young love, crime, intellect, courage, and mysteries.
READ THE STORY HERE:
https://www.wattpad.com/story/195891689-dead-if-you-do