author

Jul 24 2016

How Wattpad Changed One Writer’s Life

Today I’m pleased to welcome fellow Wattpadre author (Wattpadres is a group of 12 Wattpad authors) Darly Jamison to the blog. I hope you enjoy learning about Wattpad from Darly and don’t forget to check out her book!

My journey on Wattpad began in the early morning hours of February 20, 2014 after reading an author’s bio that mentioned the site. The idea of millions of stories available to read for free completely intrigued me, and when I discovered anyone could upload content I quickly opened my account.

I lurked around for quite a while, reading and just trying to figure out what made the place tick. Then one day, I decided to dive into a story of my own. I’d had a couple of ideas rolling around inside my head and now I finally had a place to put them. Growing up, I’d always dreamed of writing but figured something like that would never be possible. My college education consisted mainly of journalism and medical courses, how would someone like me ever be able to write a story?

But I did! The first novella I added to Wattpad, Chasing Neverland, is complete at about 26,000 words, and my second, Strawberry Wine, came in around 38,000 words. I had actually done it. I’d completed two short stories and low and behold, I even had a few readers! That’s when things became interesting.

My third story, The Secret, inspired by the movie Sleeping with the Enemy, finished at nearly 60,000 words and today has over three and a half million views. It also won a 2014 HQ Love Watty Award which came as a huge surprise! Readers became so involved in that story they asked for a sequel, which is now complete as well. It’s called Secrets and Lies. The feedback I receive from readers and writing friends is invaluable, and every story I add feels stronger than the last. And right now that’s my goal: to improve my craft.

My biggest accomplishment to date came when I added my story Strawberry Wine into a contest sponsored by Wattpad and Kensington Publishing. I didn’t think anything would come of it. In fact, I felt silly after submitting. After all, I was a novice writer! But several weeks later, after Wattpad readers voted on their favorite submission, I found out Strawberry Wine had made it into the finals. I couldn’t believe it! Yet still … I didn’t think I stood a chance at winning the grand prize, a publishing contract with Kensington, so I forced the entire competition out of my mind.

When I received the congratulatory message in my inbox from Kensington on April 13, 2015, I thought I was dreaming. I walked away from my computer and then came back only to find the message still there. Then I logged out of Wattpad and logged back in and the message was still there! All I could do was stare. How in the world had they chosen me as the winner? I had read some of the submissions … they were amazing. I figured it had to be a mistake, or worse — someone’s idea of a cruel joke. I remember calling my husband at work and the first thing he asked was, “Did you hear about the contest?” He actually remembered the date the winner was to be announced even though I’d made it a point to forget. I told him about the message I received and he yelled out to the guys at work, “She won”! On one hand I was horrified he had told people my secret (no one in my real life, other than him, knew I’d started writing) but on the other hand, I was touched that he cared about it as much as he did.

I contacted the editor assigned to me and wrote everything she said down … and it’s a good thing I did because that conversation is a blur! She told me I would need to add 40,000 words to the original manuscript because it was not long enough to be considered a romance novel, and she advised me to start a Facebook page and Twitter account, along with a website and blog. To be honest, I walked around in a daze for the first couple of weeks. I was so overwhelmed! But Kensington has been so helpful and supportive. They’ve welcomed me into their family and I feel so lucky to be working with them.

Strawberry Wine is set to be released on January 31st, 2017. I recently had the opportunity to view the new cover and it’s beautiful — the art department did an amazing job! I can’t wait to share it with the world.

I still have to pinch myself when I think about everything! To know that my book will soon be sitting on the shelves of stores like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million never fails to bring a tear to my eye. And the kindness and encouragement I have received from Wattpad and readers and writers alike is humbling. None of this would be happening without their support.

Recently, my editor asked me to pitch another story idea, perhaps even a series based in the town where Strawberry Wine takes place. Nothing is set in stone but it sounds promising!

I still can’t believe this is happening, but it is. And my publication story is only one of many. Finding Wattpad has changed my life. It can change yours, too.

About the Author:
Darly Jamison is a Midwestern girl who lived as a Southern Belle in a previous life. She has an incurable addiction to John Hughes movies and is possibly the only person in the history of the world to be fired from the library for reading on the job.

When not writing, Darly can be found hanging out with her husband and children or trying to perfect her chocolate cheesecake recipe. Her debut novel Strawberry Wine will be released through Kensington Publishing January 31st, 2017.

Connect with her on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Wattpad.

Pre-order on Amazon

Jul 17 2016

Creating Your Very Own Story Bible

Today I’m pleased to welcome fellow Wattpadre author (Wattpadres is a group of 12 Wattpad authors) J. M. Butler to the blog. I hope you enjoy learning about book bibles from J. M. and don’t forget to check out her book!

Without a doubt, the story bible is one of the biggest aids for keeping track of information and maintaining continuity in a large story or a shared universe. It has made all the difference for me as I juggle various series with interconnected worlds and characters.

Though it’s my favorite organizational tool, it’s one that I’ve found many of my tutees and students haven’t implemented yet. So here are some of the most common questions I get about story bibles and how you can get started with your very own story bible.

What Is It?

A story bible is essentially a custom made reference for your story. It includes all of the information of your story, including

Worldbuilding
- Religions
- Magic
- Trades
- Races
- Cultures
- Traditions
- Legends
Timelines
Locations and descriptions
Maps and pictures (if you have them)
Character bios
Character descriptions
Items used in story (such as what sort of horse your MC rides or a ring she always wears)
Snippets to include later (just in case you have a brilliant idea but it isn’t time to include it yet)

As a general rule, I find it best to err on the side of adding too much detail rather than too little. There are few things more exasperating than having over 300,000 words and realizing you can’t remember what color a character’s eyes are or whether another character takes his tea with lemon or blueberries.

What Do You Need?

You can make a story bible out of a notebook, journal, a three-ring binder, a whiteboard, index cards, or a standard word processor. Or maybe a combination of all of these.

As much as I love paper and physical books, I have to admit that the electronic story bible has an edge because there’s always room for expanding information and the keyword search. But if you prefer a physical one, make sure you leave plenty of room for additional ideas. Binders often make a good compromise since you can add pages as needed.

For the electronic version, you can use Microsoft Word, Open Office, Google Docs, Scrivener, or any other word processor. My personal favorite is Scrivener. Don’t try to keep the story bible in the same Scrivener file as your novel or series, though. That will just cause problems later on.

If you use a whiteboard or something similar, take pictures as you go just in case it gets erased. The same goes for setting out index cards to outline your story.

When Should You Do It?

Every writer has a different point at which composing the story bible is most effective. While some prefer to do it at the beginning, others simply want to dive into the story. The good news is that, so long as you do it at some point, it doesn’t matter.

Personally, I fill out some of my story bible before I start writing. Generally I take notes while brainstorming and put them in later. Then, at the end of a writing session, I update the story bible with relevant additions as I discover them.

Another alternative is to put it together after the story is done. To do this, you read through the story and fill out the information as you encounter it. While you may run into more errors this way, it can help get all the information fresh in your mind and take on the larger picture.

How Do You Find Information When You Need It?

Now as excellent as a story bible is, it won’t do you much good if you can’t find that information later. This is one of the reasons I prefer an electronic story bible. Scrivener’s word search function, at least on Windows, is spectacular. (Not to mention the Collections tool which can be quite helpful.)

If you are doing this on paper though, I’d recommend using dividers between the major sections. You can paste them into journals or cut them down to size for index cards. Then for the actual writing, you might consider using colors to indicate certain types for information. Blue ink for information that will be true throughout the whole series, green ink for book one, purple for book two, and so on.

One other tip if you’re doing this on paper is to create a good table of contents. You won’t be able to include everything, but it will help you get in the right general area.

In both cases, you’ll have to decide whether you want to present information alphabetically or by frequency or by appearance in the story. Alphabetical can be easier to find while frequency will put what you most use at your fingertips. Bear in mind that frequency organization will make other details trickier to find. And appearance in story (organized in the order that they appear) requires that you have a general idea about when the information appears.

Alphabetical is my preferred option most of the time. Occasionally I have some files in order of frequency because I use them so often. The fact that they are out of order bugs me though, and I may have to change it back to pure alphabetical. (Yeah…going to have to go change it. Can’t take it.)

Should You Include an Outline?

Outlines and story bibles are two separate things. But I’ll admit that I actually combine them in mine, and I’m not the only one. I add in the general outline (if I have one), but then I create a separate document in the story bible for the reverse outline.

The reverse outline is one I update after each writing session. It includes

What happened in the chapter
Scenes
Characters present in each scene (don’t forget to include ones who are hiding)

This reverse outline is so helpful when it comes to drafting a query letter and refreshing my memory. It’s also useful to read back over before I start writing for the day.

A Parting Word of Advice

Remember that the story bible is just a tool. It’s for you. So feel free to change all of this as you need and according to your circumstances. The story bible doesn’t have to be perfect. Sometimes you might have to choose between fleshing out your story bible and writing. Remember that the story bible is intended to help you write so writing should still take the priority. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It can just be serviceable.

So adapt your story bible to include whatever you need. Update it when you can, and have fun writing. All the best with your stories. What organizational tips do you have for keeping your stories on track?

About the Author:
J. M. Butler is an attorney and a freelance writer as well as an author. Despite her love of organizational tools, she often gets behind in updating her own story bibles and is left playing a game she likes to call “tie up all the loose strings before anyone notices.” She fills her days with writing, tutoring, cooking, baltering, and occasionally knife throwing. From time to time, she also teaches creative writing with an emphasis on speculative fiction and fantasy most of all.

You can find out more about her and her stories on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

May 22 2016

Interview with Author Lindsey Lippincott

Today I’m pleased to welcome fellow Wattpadre author (Wattpadres is a group of 12 Wattpad authors) Lindsey Lippincott to the blog. I hope you enjoy getting to meet Lindsey and don’t forget to check out her book!

1. How did you find Wattpad?

I found Wattpad through my roommate. She had been writing on the site for a couple years, and she said I should try it. From that day forward, I haven’t looked back!

2. What made you decide to start writing and sharing your stories on Wattpad?

I had tried writing a couple times before starting on Wattpad, but it just never worked out for me. I would get maybe a chapter in, but then would convince myself that what I was doing was crap and that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, so I would just stop. It wasn’t until I posted on Wattpad and people read and commented on my work that I actually wrote and completed works. Shadow’s Edge was the first work I wrote and completed.

3. What is your favorite part about being a member of the Wattpadres?

My favorite part of being a part of the Wattpadres is the sense of community we have. Vic has called it a cuddle puddle, and that truly is what the group is. We cheer one another on, celebrate successes, give pushes when someone gets down, help each other work through particularly tricky parts in our stories. It’s a writing group that supplies us with everything we need to keep going and be successful.

4. What is the best advice you would give to writers looking to start on Wattpad?

The best piece of advice I would give to people looking to start on Wattpad is to take your time. I jumped right into the writing and posting. You’re not going to get many followers that way. It’s hard to get discovered on Wattpad, so you need to wait until you’ve built yourself up a bit. Read some stories that are like yours, leave some comments, get to know other authors and readers, join the clubs and introduce yourself there.

You also want to wait until you have some of your story done. People like reading finished works rather than ones that are still ongoing. I find that many people put my incomplete stories in reading lists that say something like “To Read When Finished” or something along those lines. So write out a good portion of your story so you can update regularly to keep the interest, and so people know you’re not just going to stop on them.

5. Your Wattpad bio tells me you are a major fangirl. What fandoms are you a part of?

5. I am a huge fangirl! My top favorite fandoms are Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Sherlock. I’m really a fan of that British television. I sure love me some accents. Haha.

6. Do you have any weird writing habits?

My writing habits change regularly, just like my interests. I just can’t make up my mind. Sometimes I have to listen to some super epic music in order to get into the writing mood, sometimes I have to listen to that indie music, and other times, I need complete silence.

I’m also completely disorganized with where I write. The majority of my writing is on the computer, but I often put it down in notebooks…notebooks that are supposed to be for class notes. Haha. That being said, it’s often difficult to remember what is in what notebook.

7. What are your favorite genres to write in? Are they the same you read in?

My favorite genres to write in are fantasy/paranormal. I really enjoy reading in these genres as well. I’ve recently been working on expanding my horizons both for reading and writing. I’m mainly a YA girl, but I’m trying to write some new adult (NA). I’m also working on writing some general fiction, I’ve dabbled in horror, and I’m looking to keep expanding.

8. What stories can we look forward to from you next?

I have a ton of story ideas written down that I will hopefully be writing and posting. I have a YA Paranormal in the beginning stages called Bridge of Souls, which is a twist on the Grim Reaper. I also have a new adult (NA) fiction about a girl with a promising future who falls into some trouble with drugs, and her journey down that deep, dark path.

9. What is the latest book or story you have read and loved? Please tell us a bit about the book and what you loved about it.

I’ve been reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas recently, and I absolutely LOVE it! It’s about a teenage girl who we first meet as she’s in the salt mines prison for hefty crimes. She’s Adarlan’s Assassin. It follows her story as she’s brought out by the Prince to compete in a contest to be the King’s Champion.

It’s a YA fantasy that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s packed with action, romance, betrayal, danger, more romance, and massive discoveries. It’s a book I would recommend to anyone.

10. If you could live anywhere in the world where would you live and why?

If I could live anywhere, I would choose either Canada or London. I really loved London when I was over there. The people seemed nice, and the area was awesome, but it’s rather expensive to live anywhere near the city. Canada is pretty chill. I haven’t been there, but from what I’ve heard from people who have, it’s a nice place. It’s also home to Wattpad, so that’s a plus. Haha.

About the Author:

Lindsey Lippincott is a journalism and public relations major creeping her way through college, and a lover of all things unnatural and inhuman. Surviving on caffeine and sugar, she’ll stay up to the wee hours of the morning alongside her roommate if it means finishing one more chapter.

When not in class, working, or writing, you can find her binge watching Lost Girl and Haven on Netflix.

Facebook | Twitter | Wattpad | Wattpad2

About the Book:

Mara, a young, new witch, must learn to control her powers while facing boys, Nightshades, and a secret organization that has been following her for years.

With the help of a fae princess, a werewolf prince and his best friend, there’s nothing they can’t face.

Or does something more sinister lurk within Mara’s own mind?

Read on Wattpad

May 01 2016

Interview with Author Debbie Goelz

Today I’m pleased to welcome fellow Wattpadre author (Wattpadres is a group of 12 Wattpad authors) Debbie Goelz to the blog. I hope you enjoy getting to meet Debbie and don’t forget to check out her book!

1. How did you find Wattpad?

I had been writing seriously for about six years, but I never thought anything was good enough to publish. Then I read about a SciFi Magazine called “Lightspeed.” They were doing a contest called “Women Wreck Science Fiction.” I decided to enter. I worked really hard to make it as good as I could. I had about 30 friends read it and make comments. I went to upload it to the contest, and found I’d misread and missed the due date. I was pretty disappointed. That night I was reading on my iPad. I thought I should look at the NY Times. I never looked at the NY Times, and I have no idea why I did that night, but there was a headline that said: “The Future of Publishing.” There was an article about this website called Wattpad. I checked it out. I liked the idea that the work didn’t have to be perfect. In fact, no one expects the work to be. I decided to write something for Wattpad.

2. What made you decide to start writing and sharing your stories on Wattpad?

(see answer above)

3. What is your favorite part about being a member of the Wattpadres?

My favorite part about being a Wattpadre is the friendships I’ve made with the people in the group. They are kind and supportive and funny and intelligent. I’ve even met two of the members, Nicole in New York and Vic, in London when she invited me to her birthday party, 6,000 miles from where I live. She was so thrilled that I turned out to be exactly who I was online. And I am going to meet the others someday. Perhaps at a NY convention in October. Vic is coming over and a bunch of the Wattpadres are planning to come. Her book, Gilded Cage, comes out January 2017, and I plan to go to London for that.

4. What is the best advice you would give to writers looking to start on Wattpad?

I would suggest being a good Wattpad citizen. This means read other people’s stories, comment on them. Vote. Make friends. Don’t ask people to just read your story. The relationship should come first. What will happen if you make brilliant comments on someone else’s story? Other readers will see them and check out what you are doing.

Don’t ever diss your own work. If people click on your story and you start out telling them about how terrible it is, why should they keep reading? Believe in what you’re writing.

Try to be as grammatically accurate as possible. Ask a friend who is good in English to look at your chapters before you post. If you can write on a word processing program like Word, you will have the benefit of spell check and some punctuation checking as well.

Write a really good story summary. It’s not a description of your plot. It’s a sales tool. Make it exciting and intriguing.

Have an awesome cover. There are lots of people on Wattpad who do covers for others for free and there’s a Media club.

Take a look at the stories on the site that are successful. Ask yourself why they are and try to do whatever that is.

5. Do you have any weird writing habits?

Not really. Though I do find that there is a period of self-flagellation that happens at the beginning of every project. Finally, I recognize that my feelings of doubt, my procrastination, my endless research, are all part of my process. It made me go much easier on myself when I finally realized these were critical steps for me.

6. As a “refugee from Hollywood” do you find your time working for companies like Universal Pictures has inspired your writing?

I was a finance person … so spreadsheets … I still use them, but instead of using them for business reports, I use them to plot. And yes, my current novel, Alien Invasion: A Love Story, definitely draws on my experience working for several movie companies in Hollywood. My main character, Andie Bank, is even a Hollywood accountant.

7. Where do you find inspiration for your stories now?

I came up with the idea for Mermaids and the Vampires Who Love Them as sort of a challenge to myself. I knew I wanted something different, so I asked myself what would be the two most different supernatural beings I could throw together? I came up with mermaids and vampire out of the blue. At first, I thought it was ridiculous, but then I thought it could be very cool.

As far as how I come up with plot ideas, I pay attention to what makes me emotional. Sometimes it’s something on the news, sometimes an event or experience that happened to me or to a friend.

8. What are your favorite genres to write in? Are they the same you read in?

My favorite genres are science fiction and fantasy with some romance thrown into the mix. I think they are the most interesting genres for a couple of reasons.

It’s different from the world I live in every day. It gives me the opportunity to escape from real life.
You never know where the narrative will take you. In fantasy, the sky is the limit. Literally!
Love – you just can’t beat it! It is universal. It’s in our genetic code. We can all relate. Sometimes it’s heart-wrenching, but for me, there is always going to be a happily ever after.

And yes, I read and write in the same genre. I think this is really important because an author should know what is going on in her genre from an artistic and business standpoint. When I first started writing, I thought I had to write something literary or it wouldn’t count. But I hated writing every word. When I finally realized I could write in the genres I loved, it was like a light bulb exploding in my brain. That being said, it’s good to read out of your genre too, for inspiration. There’s nothing like reading good poetry or the classics to get the creative juices flowing.

9. If you could only take three things with you to a deserted island, which three things would you take?

A satellite phone, a sunhat, and Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Jesus’ Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.

10. What stories can we look forward to from you next?

As I said, I’m working on a humorous, romantic, science fiction novel. Here’s what it’s about: Accountant Andie Bank gets a job at a notorious tabloid. She falls in love with her boss, who, as it turns out, is a member of an insecure alien race planning to abduct her best friend—movie star, Sterling Champagne. The aliens, who want to be idolized, have been relocating celebrities to a far-off moon to participate in the biggest reality show in the galaxy. Back on earth, the aliens assume the identities of the abducted human celebrities and bask in the veneration. At its essence, the novel is about humanity’s obsession with celebrity culture … how we love to idolize and put people on a pedestal. And how we love to see them fall.

About the Author:
Debbie Goelz is a refugee from Hollywood. She served for ten years as a financial executive for such companies as Universal Pictures, Dino de Laurentiis and Jim Henson Productions. Her performing career began and ended with her puppeteering a chicken during the closing scene in Muppet Treasure Island. She was thrilled to write the Zayn Malik story “Redirection” in “Imagines: Celebrity Encounters Starring You.” She also wrote a YA humorous fantasy on Wattpad under the pseudonym Brittanie Charmintine called “Mermaids and the Vampires Who Love Them.” It won a Watty award in 2014. She lives in a redwood forest in rural Marin County with her husband and dog. Her two children have abandoned her to seek a college education in New York.

About the Book:

Anna Todd (#1 internationally bestselling author of the After series) headlines this unique anthology titled: Imagines: Celebrity Encounters Starring You. This is the first book of its kind—stories from Wattpad writers that immerse you in a fantasy world of fame, adventure, and flirtation with your favorite celebrities.

Imagine running around the city, dodging paparazzi with Jennifer Lawrence…

Imagine Justin Bieber setting up a romantic scavenger hunt for your anniversary, retelling the story of your love…

Imagine selfies have been outlawed, making Kim Kardashian a freedom fighter who needs your help in bringing justice and good lighting to the people…

Let your fantasies take over! That’s what the top Wattpad authors have done in this special collection of fictional scenarios that bring you up close and personal with the real celebrities you love—star alongside Zayn Malik, Cameron Dallas, Kanye West, Selena Gomez, Dylan O’Brien, Tom Hardy, Jamie Dornan, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many more!

My Imagines story, is called Redirection. It’s about a girl who writes Zayn Malik fanfiction. Her Wattpad story has gone viral, because what she writes about him ends up happening to him in real life! What will happen when Zayn meets the girl who seems to write his life before it happens?

Purchase: Amazon |Simon & Schuster

Apr 24 2016

Interview with Author Amber K. Bryant

Today I’m pleased to welcome fellow Wattpadre author (Wattpadres is a group of 12 Wattpad authors) Amber K. Bryant to the blog. I hope you enjoy getting to meet Amber and don’t forget to check out her book!

1. What is it like to be an award-winning author on Wattpad?

So many wonderful things that have happened to me since joining Wattpad in March of 2014. Before Wattpad, I had only shared my writing with a couple of people. I wrote in a bubble and I didn’t think that would ever change, but of course it has changed… completely. I write now as a member of a creative network of people. I can bounce ideas off of my fellow author friends whenever I need to. I connect with readers every day and they give me helpful feedback as well.

I’ve won several awards and contests through Wattpad, including two hosted and judged by Margaret Atwood. It’s pretty amazing to find out that one of the greatest writers of our time has read my work and knows me by name! I’m still floored by that. The best thing about contests though, is that you meet and befriend a lot of fabulous writers through them. If I’m in a competition, I like to read the other entries and leave positive comments on each of the contestants’ stories. Writers put themselves out on a limb when they enter a contest. That bravery should be acknowledged. Wattpad contests are typically friendly and if you are a writer, I would encourage you to find a contest and enter it. I’m often on the other end of competitions now, acting as a host and judge. After all that I have gained from participating as a contestant, I like being able to give back in this manner.

One of the most promising outcomes of winning contests and awards is that I have recently been accepted into the Wattpad Stars Program. This program aims to help its participants become successful writers. Being admitted to the Stars is an exciting development in my writing career!

2. Have you always written for fun or was there a certain time in your life when you started?

I didn’t start writing until the summer of 2012. I had thrown some ideas around in my head for a while, so during a vacation from work, I started writing. I finished a 100K novel in about six months and haven’t looked back since.

3. What are your favorite parts of being a librarian and a writer? Does one help the other?

My work as a librarian inspired me to become a writer. I deal with juvenile literature—everything from picture books to young adult novels. My job exposes me to what kids and teens are interested in reading right now and it was this exposure that made me want to write my own stories. My librarian gig compliments my writing life perfectly. Library work keeps me up to date on YA trends, and my writing life keeps me engaged with teen readers. I’m fortunate to have found two compatible careers.

4. If you do achieve your goal of becoming a farmer by day and writer by night, what would you plant and what would you write?

Fruit trees, berries, all sorts of squashes. I grew quinoa once. It wasn’t a huge success but I’d like to try my hand at it again. As for writing, even though I am busy with my job and family, I still manage to put pen to paper. In that regard, I’ve already achieved that particular goal. Truth be told, though, I don’t do my best writing at night. I get up early for work, so my brain shuts off around eight or nine pm. If my farm job could allow me to sleep in an hour or two later, I might be more productive at night! I wouldn’t be writing anything differently from what I already write, but hopefully, I’d be writing more of it!

5. What is your favorite part of being a member of the Wattpadres?

Friendship! It’s been invaluable to have a group of writers that I can bounce ideas off of, converse with, celebrate achievements and commiserate with when disappointments occur. My life as a writer would be so much lonelier without them all. Through them, I’ve become a braver, more confident person. Last fall, we started up weekly Twitter chats (every Tuesday at 8 pm EST!) and these chats have widened my circle of writer friends. Having this network is so very important and rewarding. I love my fellow Wattpadres dearly!

6. What are your favorite stories to write?

I enjoy writing speculative fiction, especially science fiction and paranormal. I love reimagined fairytales as well. But I also consider it a challenge to take on a genre outside of my comfort zone and trying my hand at it. This is what I did when I entered a horror writing contest hosted by R. L. Stine. I’d never written that genre before, but I ended up winning the contest and, as a result, co-writing a short story with Stine. I had so much fun and now I’ve written several more short horror pieces. More recently, I wrote a contemporary romance story for a Valentine’s Day anthology curated by Michelle Jo Quinn. Again, I wasn’t sure how writing this genre would work for me, but I loved doing it and I’m now working on my first romance novel. Speculative fiction will always be my first love, however, and although I am doing work that is geared towards an adult audience at the moment, I enjoy writing for teens.

7. What are your least favorite parts of a story to write?

I tend to drag myself through the last five percent of the book. Actually, the ending itself I can do, but if I get stuck anywhere, it will be on the chapter or two before the ending. It’s like I know what I need to do, but I have to push myself to do it. I’m not sure why that is. Perhaps there’s a part of me that has gotten so used to living in the story, I don’t want it to end. Usually having a deadline, even a self-imposed one, will help me push through to the finish.

8. Do you have any weird writing habits?

My son made me a tinfoil hat with antennas that I wear when I write so that the government can’t steal my ideas.

Just kidding. He really did make that hat, but it’s to protect us from aliens, not the government.

Seriously, though, my writing habits are fairly mundane, and I’m not sure that any of them would be considered weird. Writers tend to be quirky, so I have a feeling anything I may do is within the realm of what writers would consider normal. I do have my rituals: I sit on the same corner of the couch when I write. I make myself a pot of tea, I make sure the room is picked up because I can’t write if there’s too much clutter around me. I’ve also noticed that a lot of writers hate editing. I was surprised to find out that I’m in the minority of people who really enjoy doing this. I love reworking each sentence until it’s exactly the way I want it to be. This isn’t weird maybe, but it turns out that it’s somewhat unusual.

9. What is the best advice you would give to writers looking to start on Wattpad?

Give yourself time and do not expect miracles. Most stories don’t go viral, so it’s best not to expect this of your own work. Be grateful for every read you get. Most importantly, remember that Wattpad is a social media platform. If you want to succeed on Wattpad, you need to be social. Read stories in a similar genre to your own and leave meaningful comments on them. Interact. You will gain a readership that way as well as a reputation for being a generous Wattpadian. Reads and rankings, though nice, aren’t as important as the connections you make with other people.

There are many talented writers on Wattpad. It’s important to note that some of the most amazing of them don’t have thousands of followers or millions of reads. If I could wave my magic wand and make them all Wattpad famous overnight, I would, but that’s not the way it works. Stick with what you are doing and write. Write, write, write. Don’t get wrapped up in the numbers game.

10. What can readers be looking forward to from you next?

Right now, I’ve got several months of posts remaining for my current paranormal thriller, Blood King. As I mentioned before, I am also writing a contemporary romance. That work is being submitted to a publisher, but it’s possible it will make its way onto Wattpad. I’m working on a magical realism adaptation of Hansel and Gretel for a fairytale anthology. I’m also planning a romantic suspense short which will be published in a summer romance collection this June/July.

As I mentioned before, I was recently accepted into the Wattpad Stars Program. I don’t know where exactly this program will take me, but I’m eager to find out!

Thanks for stopping by Amber!

About the Author:

Amber K Bryant is a writer and a librarian living amongst the Sasquatch in the Northwest corner of the United States. A proud member of both the Wattpad Stars Program and the Wattpadres writing group, her novelette UNSEEN won the Collector’s Dream Watty Award for being one of Wattpad’s most want-to-read stories of 2014. As winner of the Fill in the Fear Contest, she collaborated on a short story with R. L. Stine called LET’S MAKE A TRADE. She has won several other writing competitions including two hosted and judged by Margaret Atwood. Warner Brothers commissioned her to write a short horror story called STAR STUDENTS in order to help promote their movie The Gallows. Her flash fiction has been published by Every Day Fiction and 365 Tomorrows and she is a featured author on Wattpad. She hopes to achieve her childhood goal of being a farmer by day and a writer by night sometime before the apocalypse renders all of her formal education useless, and on the upside, eliminates the need to pay off her student loans.

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About Blood King:

A psychic, a slayer, a spirit, and a vampire walk into a bar…

Bad idea! The psychic would lose her mind if she drank, the spirit doesn’t have a mouth, and the vampire’s tastes don’t include what’s on tap (the slayer though… he’s all in!).

Let’s try this again.

Sybille is a hierophant, a powerful psychic with the ability to talk to the dead and glimpse the future. Her family specializes in aiding the souls of bloodthirsters (read: vampires), hunting and killing them so that their spirits can move on. Devin is a stake-wielding field agent for Sybille’s family. He’s willing to do the dirty work because it means he can A) keep close to Sybille, and B) forget the darkest parts of his past.

Elis isn’t your typical bloodthirster. He’s spent the last one-hundred years being haunted by his vengeful ex-love Juliana. Then there’s the little matter of the soul that was unceremoniously thrust back into him… Juliana is determined to destroy Elis, but Elis has different plans—plans which include forgetting about her once and for all.

Elis meets Sybille, literally, in a dream. Sybille thinks he might be her next client. Elis thinks she might be his next love. Neither of them think that there’s something bigger than their own peculiar relationship in need of attention until the night a psychic possession goes horribly wrong and an invincible thirster enters the picture. Before they know it, the psychic, the slayer, the spirit, and the vampire are wrapped up in a world of drugs and desire run by a thirster who’s taking immortality to a new and dangerous extreme.

Meet: the BLOOD KING.

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