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The BEST Things About Wattpad – #5 – The People Out There (Fifth Edition)
I’ve always been a person who believes a lot in numbers and things associated with it. Until, @SamMaze told me that it’s an over glorified number! I think I’ll stick with that explanation, for now!
Excerpts from the interview –
What had you been doing?
Where I am currently: At the kitchen table, pondering my next plotline.
Tell us a few interesting things about yourself.
I am a young aspiring author that has been writing since elementary school. In a few years I plan to attend college to major in English. I have a wide variety of pets, from beta fish to rabbits. Quick fun fact: Rabbits are not as sweet and cuddly as they appear in Target Easter commercials. Depending on the breed (and personality), they can be as vicious as a rabid wolf or as shy as a fawn. Do your research before buying or adopting one!
Was coming across Wattpad out of pure luck or someone happened to tell you about the same?
My friend actually told me about Wattpad, and it gave me a perfect outlet to share my tales with the world. Before this site my stories merely sat in a drawer after completion, but now they are actively gaining reads by the day! It’s quite fun to observe.
What is the one thing people will always find you doing?
People often find me teaching my rabbits a new trick, hanging out at Starbucks (Peppermint mochas are the best), or reading. I’m a rather simple person, and that is probably why my characters are so complex… because they fulfill my dreams of what I want to do in life.
What is the craziest theory you ever had in your mind?
The craziest thing that has ever crossed my mind would be when I once debated with a friend why a life-size bird house would be beneficial to humanity.
A book where you wished you were one of the characters?
Yes! I remember reading the Chronicles of Narnia and wishing with all my might to be able to ride on a lion into a fantastic battle against evil.
What are your sources of inspiration? (I totally make it sound like a Science class, I know)
Nature, and God, inspires my tales. From the wingtip of a butterfly to the crash of a wave, each detail of the wilderness brings joy to me and, in turn, brings my stories to life.
Ten to fifteen years from now, how and where do you see yourself?
I see myself as a published writer, probably married, and still goofing off with friends.
Craziest wish?
My craziest wish is to become a New York Time’s bestseller haha. I pray that one day it will become a reality.
We pray for that too! Share with us some of the weirdest and best dishes you’ve tried.
I have tried raw salmon, buffalo burgers, and (unintentionally) spoiled peanut butter. The buffalo burgers were probably the best, because they tasted like normal burgers, but with more flavor.
Can we expect an autobiography from you?
Yup! Well… actually I plan to write one once I do more with my life. More adventures must be made!
How would you describe your everyday life? Boring? Cliche? Average?
My life is pretty normal I suppose. School and hobbies take up my days from dawn to dusk. The typical life of an average character in a story is different depending on the book, but my general conclusion is that they usually go through a life changing experience that teaches the reader a life lesson of some sort. I’m not even going to go into details about the ultra-cliché character’s life… because most people are aware that everything must go their way, they get the girl/guy, and it ends in ‘happily ever after.’
The most overused plot award on Wattpad should go to?
The most overused plot on Wattpad is the-nerdy-girl-gets-the-bad-boy-who-lives-next-door haha. I think it is very cliché. Maybe at first it was a hit, but now it has been watered down into the energy drink that powers first-time stories. Yes, I think too often writers these days look to the market to see what is selling before they start their book. I heavily disagree with this method. Write what you want to write, not what others want.
Do you believe in any superstitions revolving around the number thirteen?
Nope, it’s just an over glorified number. 😉 It is bad luck for those who believe in superstitions.
@SamMaze ‘s book can be read by clicking on the cover.
Stay tuned for more!
The BEST Things About Wattpad – #4 – The People Out There (Fourth Edition)
So, I’m back with a conversation from another up and coming writer from the Wattpad community!
When I visited her profile in the morning to copy her username, I found out that her book Growing was at #11 in Spiritual! We congratulate you on reaching such a high rank!
Here are excerpts from the interview
Me – Hello there! In fact, good morning! Share with us a few words about yourself. How would you describe yourself?
She – Umm well My name is Nafla. My hair color is brownish black. I’m Asian but not with the Chinese Eyes; I’m more of an Indian Asian (I am not from India). And ummm I like cheese… I think?
How did you stumble across Wattpad in the first place? Were you excited with the idea of free books or it was something else?
My sister recommended it to read some books and reading became writing and writing became obsession.
What is the one thing that you’re always doing?
Eating. And when I’m not doing that- I am baking. I love food. I am the biggest foodie there is. And I am luckily not obese.
Twelve years from now, where do you see yourself?
With kids, living the perfect life of a housewife.
*Wondering if I’ve ever heard an answer as sincere at that* Considering you are a big foodie, share with us some of the best dishes you’ve tried.
Well I eat Indian everyday; I’ve tried English, British, Mexican, Chinese, and Italian. My favourite out of all would be Hot Tandoori Chicken topping on a Cheesy Cheesy Pizza, Nachos in the side, Sweet Corn Chicken Soup for Starters, Hot n Spicy Wings and French Fries. Lol Don’t ask me about food; the list never stops. I think this was the longest paragraph of all the questions. Haha.
I bet we all talk a lot about food. Describe your everyday life. Is it something from out of a story book?
My life is pretty much the same as it has always been. Loving parents, busy family, loving husband, and grateful for each moment. My characters however focus on the tragedies and the downside of life. My thoughts and emotions that I am unable to say out loud comes down in words from my character’s POVs. The ultra cliché life would be wake up, go to school and there’s a new boy. All girls like him but he only likes you because out of everyone in the school, only you are real and only you can see his rude behaviours. Others are all swoon over him.
Which plot do you believe is slowly losing its originality?
Bad boys definitely. And what irritates me the most is how they underestimate the meaning of a bad boy. Dating all the girls and saying rude things doesn’t make you a bad boy. It makes you human. An original bad boy- one who does drugs, goes to jail, gets expelled, fights in clubs and rolls in blood bath. This is the meaning of bad- not dating and dropping a few girls. And yes I do think that. Writing should be about expressing your feelings and imaginations. But now it’s about what others would like to read. What ever happened to originality?
Do you believe in superstitions? Do you feel that thirteen is an unlucky number?
Lol no not really. In my country however, the airport had Gate no. 13 and the President thought it was unlucky and now there is Gate 1-12 and 14-17. It’s just a number. I don’t believe in numerology; only God can decide how your life is supposed to be- not some people on the other side of the table with the same taro cards which they read to everyone.
Her book Growing and Pain can be read by clicking on the covers below. We wish her even greater success.
Stay tuned for more interviews and book reviews!
The BEST Things About Wattpad – #3 – The People Out There (Second Edition)
You know you are going to love a person who mistakes “pastime” for “pasta”! And that is exactly the type of conversation I had with a very talented Wattpad author – @fecundity.
In a candid conversation with the author, I learned about her interests and her take on the cliche stories that dominate Wattpad. She was generous enough to not listen to the constant complaints of her stomach and answer my questions. Of course, I felt guilty after that!
Here are the excerpts from the interview-
Me – Tell us something about yourself?
She – Me. Well, I’m 24, brunette, and of the female gender. I have ten fingers and ten toes. I spend my days converting oxygen into carbon dioxide while my fingers fly over the keyboard. 🙂
Me – How did you discover Wattpad?
She – My memory is foggy as to how I learned about Wattpad. However, I do remember being amazed by the concept of free books! I couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered it. I was a silent reader for a while and then quickly became more active to fuel my addiction. I do wish I had become acquainted earlier but hey, I’m making up for lost time now!
Me – What is your favourite pastime?
She – Favourite pasta? Oh, sorry, past time. Eating pasta. No seriously, making food and eating it is a pretty serious hobby. My Pinterest board is filled with ambitious recipes. I’m also attempting to teach myself to play bass guitar and I’m have several obsessions including, but not limited to, Clash of Clans, hockey, and reading.
Me – What is the craziest dream you ever had?
She – One time I had a dream that I was being chased by the mob and Batman was helping me escape. He took me the top floor of a skyscraper and bypassed the security code to enter this private room that begged for a clandestine meeting. Batman explodes one of the window panes and the wind howls in. My hair is blowing wildly around my face as Batman hands me a parachute and tells me to jump. My heart skips several beats in response to the sound of machine guns outside of the room and, strapping the parachute on, I ask “Only one? What are you going to do?” He says, “Don’t worry about me” and pushes me off the building.
Me (laughs out loud) – Did you ever wish you were a part of some book?
She – Wishing I was in a book happens more often than I can remember. I often pretend, and fail miserably, at being like a certain character. Usually Sherlock. No joke, I tried to create my own mind map. It lasted about an hour.
Me – Where do you get inspiration for writing your stories?
She – Dreams and daydreams, usually. I have a lot of wild dreams and I will wake up thinking “That would make a great story!”
Me – Twelve years from now, where do you see yourself?
She – In 12 years, I will be nearly 40. Do not mention or talk about such obscenities. [shudders]
Me – What is your craziest wish?
She – At the risk of sounding presumptuous and philosophical, I don’t believe in wishes. Wishes aren’t proactive. When you wish for something, it’s as if you’re waiting for it to happen to you. Rarely does that happen. Wishes need to be replaced by goals. I have a plethora of goals that I’m working towards. Right now, I’d like to finish my novel, Sweet As. Then I’ll work towards getting it published. I’m also working to starting my own business. Short-term goals lead to long-term goals lead to fulfilled dreams.
Me – Share with us some of the best cuisines you’ve tried.
She – The best meal I’ve ever had was when I went to Dubai. It was breakfast (my favourite meal of the day) and honestly, I didn’t know food could ignite so many emotions or be so memorable. Since it was buffet-style, I had a variety of food and everything was mouth-watering. Something new that I tried that day was veal bacon since pork isn’t part of Muslim cuisine. While I do prefer regular bacon, veal bacon is more piquant. Also, croissants in France are to die for. Honestly, traveling is the best way to experience food and food is the best part of life! xD
Me – Do you think you’ll ever write an autobiography?
She – Nah. I’m not very good at talking about myself.
Me – Describe your everyday life? Is it something from out of a story book?
She – Day in the life of me? It probably looks a lot like yours. 😉 The only difference is that I’m married so my day often revolves around my hubby, which is good – it means lots of date nights! On the downside, I also get tickled. A lot. Like, every day, mercilessly.
Me – What do you think is the most overused plot on Wattpad? Do you believe that writers these days are looking at the market status before starting a story?
She – There is nothing new under the sun. Shakespeare said that way back when, so it’s even truer now. I believe any ‘cliché’ plot can be brought to life with strong, vivid characters. We relate to characters more so than plots anyway. Even published authors are influenced by trends. Think of how many dystopian or supernatural (e.g. wizards, vampires) stories have been popular recently. This isn’t necessarily a negative but again, the characters must be original, especially if the plot isn’t. Jumping on a bandwagon can guarantee you an audience so that’s a plus as well. That being said, it’s hard to make the good-girl meets bad-boy story original. I think The Quirky Tale of April Hale does it the best. It’s my favourite book on Wattpad.
Me – So, the thirteenth question! Do you believe that thirteen is an unlucky number?
She – Nah. I don’t believe in luck or superstitions either. We are in charge of our own lives. There isn’t an outside energy that’s pulling strings to give us ‘bad luck’. It’s a nice thought, though, to be able to blame an ominous, inconceivable force. ;)Also, my laziness has won out. I still haven’t moved. Haha!
Her book Sweet As is available on Wattpad. Click on the cover to get to the story page!
Stay tuned for more interviews and book reviews!
The BEST Things About Wattpad – #3 – The People Out There
Recently, I had a stroke of good luck to land on a very beautiful novel on Wattpad. It was titled “Dark Blue”. With a very very interesting and attractive cover and a blurb, the book instantly drew me in and I decided to sit down and read it.
What would you give to not have to tread on eggshells everyday, scared off tipping the balance? What would you give to be able to believe in yourself just once? What would you give to be able to just speak up and say what you want to say?
Someone, somewhere would give anything.
It was the very simplicity of the book that drew me in. The author had tremendous knowledge of character development and by the time I was on the second chapter, her characters had already sprung to life inside my head.
What actually sets this book apart is the way it connects to the readers instantly. Each one of us has been in a place where it is difficult to find our voice and we have to remain confined in the shadows because we are afraid to say something. Or simply put, we don’t have a choice.
The story is about your average, next door girl whose parents have high expectations from their only daughter. We see them everywhere. And the characterization is utterly beautiful. The thing that sets it apart from the many Wattpad novels I’ve come across is that the girl’s clothes aren’t described! It is sincerely irritating to come across novels which focus more on their character’s dressing sense rather than what she is going through. With intricately weaved details and beautiful descriptions, the writer has certainly managed to make her novel stand out.
The girl loves the night sky. In fact, when the world grows darker, she finds her escape. She finds her voice in the midst of the never-ending darkness. For her, the stars speak a million stories. For her, the world up there is better than the one where she lives.
Her dialogues are sincere and touches a reader’s heart. I remember having those goosebumps while reading certain parts of her story.
Though the character is projected to be a confused teenager at first, one later finds out that she was in fact bullied. Living in abject fear, she has lost her ability to voice her opinion. She fears them. She is afraid that if she says something, something will happen to her. So she keeps quiet and agrees to their every word.
Until, she meets Oscar.
Recently, I had an opportunity to have a short interview with the author. Here’s what she had to say about the questions posed by me-
Me – Tell us a few things about yourself?
She – Hello and bonjour world, my name is Yueh-Chia (known as starfromouterspace, or you can just call me Yuey) and I’m 16 and from England. I am slightly crazy, actually like school (please, no hate) and I like watching sport. I have a bad habit of leaving mugs on the windowsill (record I think is 10 so far) but I think I am getting better. Physically cannot survive without music, and have had break downs when I couldn’t find my iPod. My favourite band is The Script and I have crushes on cartoon characters…. (But how can you not love Flynn Rider or Hiccup?)
Laughs way too much at the smallest of things, hate when people judge on assumptions and the past, always thinks of comebacks several hours too late, and wishes one day that I would stand up on a podium and comeback at all those people who hate and bully people for being themselves.
Perfectly alright being on my own- remember, one is never alone.
Why did you join Wattpad? Had you always been looking for a site where you could share your work or you happened to stumble upon this site for free books?
Well, I think I was looking for free books to read, and I stumbled across Wattpad. I read books on Wattpad for about 7 months, and then I made an account around July 2013. I’ve always written from when I was younger and it took me a while to pluck up the courage to post my first story on Wattpad.
What is your favourite pastime? Let us put it this way, what is one thing people will always find you doing whenever you are free?
You will probably find me listening to music and probably dancing like a lunatic in my bedroom. Or playing the air guitar. Or singing horrifically out of key and pretending I’m a pop star. Or else on my laptop or phone reading on Wattpad, drawing, re-reading books and writing.
What is the craziest thought that has crossed your mind?
Generally I have a lot of crazy thoughts…. I think one involved a mono-rail, a jet and a quest for one of those highlighter things with five separate colours……. And that mono rail looks suspiciously like the train in the Hunger Games, actually now looking back at it…. I should sue… (strokes metaphorical beard).
Ever read a scene from a story and wished you had been there? Please tell us what scene it was and from which book?
Ah. Now that is a difficult question. There must be hundreds of scenes that I wish I was in. From the top of my head currently, I would say the end scene from ‘Between the Lines’ by Jodi Picoult (random fact, that’s where I got the name ‘Delilah’ for ‘Dark Blue). I won’t give it away, but I think it’s very magical. Being in Harry Potter- I would have loved, loved to have gone to the Yule Ball. In fact any scene with a ball, I would wish to be in.
Where do you get inspiration for writing your stories?
I get my inspiration from music- in my stories, there are quite a few song lyrics and references and normally I take the plotline of songs and transfer it into a written story. Good music contains so much meaning. I also get inspiration from surroundings, nature and landscape and design- sometimes I combine the two together. For example I once wrote a story called ‘Nuvole Bianche’ based on the sky and the piano piece by Ludovico Einaudi.
Twelve years from now, where do you see yourself?
Twelve years from now, I see myself as being a successful designer or top engineer or a bestselling writer. Maybe I’ll have found someone (at fricking last) to settle down with and I see myself treating my Mum and Dad to everything they deserve for their support during my whole life (wishes can come true, can’t they?)
What is your craziest wish? Becoming a bestseller or maybe flying?
I have a lot of crazy wishes. Being a bestseller would be one- how awesome would that be!? Sometimes I wish that I was a popstar, a movie actress, director (fat chance) or a Disney animator. Being a spy or scientist for MI6 would be extremely wicked or a commentator for F1. I also wish for world peace, gender equality and no racism. I won’t list all my wishes because that list would go on forever and ever and ever.
Share with us some of the cuisines you’ve tried and the best from the lot.
I’m actually originally from Taiwan, though I was born in England, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to tempt me with chicken feet or pigs trotters- but I do love a good Hot Pot at Chinese New Year. I also love sushi (especially rice and seaweed triangles) and spaghetti and satay rice. Sometimes, it’s a Chinese food overload, and then I crave good old British classics like Fish and Chips. Or a nice chilli con carne.
I’m suddenly hungry! Do you ever plan on writing an autobiography?
Haha, one step at a time. But I think I might- it would be very cool and it might just show people how crazy I am. Fingers crossed that if I ever do write it, that it will be an auto biography telling the story of my blinding success rather than a fall from grace.
How would you describe your everyday life? Cliche?
My life is….. well ‘normal’. I suppose with the occasional drama along the way that even I don’t think is drama, until I’m telling someone and they’re staring wide eyed at me and telling me ‘how the hell is that not drama!?’. I go to an all-girls private school so there can be a lot of drama, but it’s how different people look at normal. For example for some people, partying every day is normal, but that’s not normal for me. But nobody’s life is just normal. It’s all different to everyone’s perspective. It’s actually quite difficult to write an average character in a story- there’s just the creative side of us that makes a rather stereotypical average character- like in movies, that average character in a movie is just NOT average in real life. We just, without knowing really, create an average character that maybe we would like to relate to, but then we throw all the drama of a story, and it goes from average to unbelievable. You can do so many things with a made up reality, but the hardest of all is replicating the human being in writing. A cliché characters life would perhaps be made out to be ‘perfect’- and that doesn’t exist. It’s quite similar to the average character. When does it stop being average before it becomes cliché and vice versa? What do we expect?
What, according to you, is the most overused plot on Wattpad? The bad-boy-falls-in-loved-with-an-innocent-girl or I-live-with-fifty-handsome-boys or I-love-my-brother’s-best-friend? Do you think that writers are looking at the market status before coming up with a story?
Oooh, now I have to be careful here and try not to go into a rant. I would definitely say ‘bad boy’ stories- any story with ‘bad boy’ in the title, has a ‘bad boy’ in it and a ‘nerdy/innocent’ girl who happen to fall in love with each other, get on my nerves- essentially they are re-using plotlines and it becomes very difficult to distinguish whose original idea it was (but now I just doubt how it ever started as an original story and it literally just popped out of nowhere.) Why can’t they put a spin on it, or explore different types of relationship or have two ‘good’ characters for once? The living with loads of boys one I think it was over used, especially when the ‘Walter Boys’ was around. It could be an original idea if instead it was just… well closer to ‘normal’ people! (and we’re back on the ‘normal’ subject) Normal people with normal problems and not just people with the looks of a super model and the luck of a field of four-leaf clovers. It’s quite nice however to see takes on other fairy tales (Cinderella is probably used the most often) but I think that maybe people should try to look at in a different perspective – maybe something like ‘Sydney White’. Fan-fic wise, I don’t normally read fan-fic, but I’ve currently been reading loads of Dramione fan-fics and seriously, it’s quite hard to see who stole from whom. I could rant a lot more about fan-fics (One Direction and Werewolf ones especially) but I won’t rant about it. For now.
I do think that some people do look at the ‘Whats Hot’ lists before writing. Most often I would see ‘bad boy’ stories with un-imaginative titles being uploaded for just a few days, yet it would’ve already attracted many views, even if it was poorly written (and believe me, I have seen some shocking stories, no offence to anyone). It’s just as though there is a mini media centred, celebrity style world where ‘bad boys’ is the equivalent of trying to achieve that size 0 figure in reality. I think it’s a shame because some people only look for reads and votes and they don’t particularly care about structure and whether it is unique; once again the thirst for popularity has crept in from a celebrity life or playground and tainted something. But stories are about creating your own realities – maybe there aren’t enough bad boys out there, or people are just pining for Harry Styles (which I just don’t get. Sorry to One Direction lovers, I just don’t get the hype around him.) To aspiring authors, try and break out of the mould and just write something, taking your time, so it’s so different that it seems crazy and most importantly, you feel and love – but in the end, you’ll feel a lot better about writing it rather than a recycled idea. Write for your own sake – not to become a ‘media celebrity’ or to gain popularity. If you persevere, you will get there a whole lot quicker than you think and with much more satisfaction.
Do you think 13 is an unlucky number? And I promise this is the last question! You must be bored!
You know what, no. I don’t think I do. Numbers are like humans. A number is a number and why hate or be scared on a particular number when there are millions and millions of numbers out there you could hate or be scared of?
Finally a big thank you to the brilliant akan_great16 for interviewing me.
*And in a voice that Elvis would be proud of.. ‘THANK YOU AND GOOOOOOD NIGHT’ (cue the credits)*
So there you go! The novel “Dark Blue” has been added to Wattpad’ sponsored reading list “Emotional Ride” and can be found by clicking on the book cover at the top or here.
With 63.1K reads on it already and a massive amount of support, there’s no doubt the book is going to go all the way to the top. There’s a sequel to the book as well, titled “Light Blue“.
A huge thank you to @starfromouterspace for this amazing interview session.
Stay tuned for more interviews from Wattpad authors.
The BEST Things About Wattpad – #2 – The Best Blurbs
In the previous post, we had discussed that one of the best things about Wattpad is probably the most attractive covers found there. Another thing that I absolutely love about Wattpad is that, no doubt, there are some stories which lack quality, there are some pretty gems that are scattered here and there.
I bring you a small collection of books with the best blurbs that I’ve come across on Wattpad.
Osaka is not what Miyako Akane thought it would be. Used to her life inside Hutchingson Laboratories, Miyako now has to cope with the curiosity of her classmates and of the new prototype sent to help her, as well as how to carry out her missions without the rest of Japan finding out. But when she finds a body inside the house of the first girl she murdered, questions are raised. How is everyone so connected? And why was Jaede forced to disappear only weeks after her arrival? With the help of an antisocial boy who knows more than she’d like, Miyako is about to discover that there’s more to Project God-Slaying Machine than she realized, and that what she learns could destroy everything, including herself.
Life is just another horror movie. We’re all stuck in the same sick world, living the same sick nightmare. To Annabelle Jones, life is so bitterly unfair, and she knows it all too well. After being abused and left to rot all alone, one just starts to think. Even though her pessimistic views on life stand in the way, and her corrupt, horrible past still haunts her, Annabelle will try make it home. Even through her toughest challenges yet.
Cara McAdams always believed that, until she met Sam Parker. Turns out, there is a lot more to the art of wishing than she knew.
For every human Wisher, there is a Fulfiller with magical powers. And that person just might be anyone…
My world has always been black and white. My vision has never been clouded by feelings of pity or mercy. It has given me my prowess as a skilled assassin in Alethea, and I don’t even have magic. Sort of. I came to this land seeking a nearly impossible to find truth. I didn’t come to run from it. How was I supposed to know that truth was a dagger with my name on it?
I’m not the only one with secrets to hide. The truth will always come out. I just don’t know if I’ll survive to hear it.
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