Following The Footsteps Of Wattpad Celebrities

Interview With DoNotMicrowave (The Cell Phone Swap)

Here's an interview I did with DoNotMicrowave, author of The Cell Phone Swap and The Valentine's Day Amazing Race. Hope you enjot reading about this amazing author!  Also, if you have any additional questions or suggestions of who I should interview next please message me.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I’ve been 14. I have a stack of notebooks that are full of stories and poems. It’s kind of embarrassing to go back and read them. The plot lines are REALLY bad. My 14-year-old self had no concept about real life, romance or boys.

Is The Cell Phone Swap your first big hit?

It is! I can’t tell you how surreal it feels. I remember posting the first couple of chapters on Wattpad and getting super excited when I reached twenty votes a chapter. And now, I get that within the first ten minutes. I’m still amazed by the whole thing!

The Cell Phone Swap is very funny and a unique idea. How did you come up with the plot and where do you get these funny moments from?

I came up with the plot one day when I was walking my dog. There was a really cute guy in front of me and I noticed that his cell phone had slipped out of his pocket. Being the nice person that I am, I returned it to him and we flirted a little. Sadly, nothing ever came of it, but it gave me the great idea for a story AKA The Cell Phone Swap. As for the funny moments, those just come to me while I’m daydreaming. One time, I was in a business meeting and my boss who was droning on and on and on. I was so bored; I checked out of the conversation and started daydreaming. I was thinking of all the different ways Keeley could get back at Talon for buying those condoms and suddenly BAM. It came to me. I busted out laughing and my boss stops mid-sentence and asks what I find so funny about him getting a promotion. Whoops!  

What is your biggest accomplishment to date?

I think my biggest accomplishment so far, would have to be a two-week backpacking trip I went on with my boyfriend of the time. We hiked the John Muir Trail, which is approximately 222 miles. It started in Yosemite and ended at the top of Mt. Whitney, which is 14,505ft high. It was a really awesome experience. Not only did we get to see some gorgeous sights, but we also met some amazing people from all over the world. We even had a bear brush up against our tent in the middle of the night!

The Cell Phone Swap is written in third person, something quite unusual for Wattpad. Is there a reason you write this way?

I generally prefer to write in third person singular. I know most YA books are first person, but I feel like I have more control over the scenes if I write it in third person. Plus, most of the books I read are in third person so it comes more natural to me. Also, I want to address all those people that demand I write in Keeley’s POV. The thing is, is that I DO write in Keeley’s POV. Just because it’s third person, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a point of view. If you read carefully, you can see that I am showing you what is going on through Keeley’s eyes.

You don't tell a lot about yourself in your profile, which is not a bad thing at all lol. How does your life compare to The Cell Phone Swap?

My life is fairly different except for the fact that I live in Southern California. I get up at 6am and go to work. Then I come home around 5pm and go for a jog with my dog (his name is Tyson and he’s a lab/pointer mix). Then I make dinner and hang out with my roommates while drinking copious amounts of wine. During the weekends, I usually hang out at the beach or go on hikes during the day and party with my friends at night. It’s pretty simple but I like it ☺

How does your family affect your writing? Do they read it?

My family doesn’t really affect my writing at all. My parents know that I write but they have no idea that I post the chapters online or even what I write about. For all they know, I could be writing a historical fiction novel about World War II.

The Cell Phone Swap is becoming huge, did you ever expect to come this far?

Not at all! I initially posted the first chapter of The Cell Phone Swap and then took it down a couple days later. I felt silly and a little vulnerable after posting it. I was afraid people would hate my story and criticize it. For me, writing can be an extremely personal thing. You pour your heart and soul into the words and when you post it online where people can review it, it can be scary. After a couple weeks, I realized that I wasn’t writing for other people, I was writing for me. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought of my story, all that mattered was what I thought. So, I reposted it and here I am ☺

What is your biggest writing goal?

My biggest writing goal would be to be published someday. I think it would be amazing to see my work in print.

Do you base your characters in The Cell Phone Swap off people in your life? If so, who is Talon?

Some of the characters are based off of people I know. Keeley is a lot like me in the aspects of her morals and beliefs. Talon is loosely based off of one of my ex-boyfriends. Nicky’s mom is a lot like my mother with the whole gluten-free thing and Tucker is based off of my own dog.

The Cell Phone Swap has a promise to have more football in it. Do you know a lot about football and a big fan?

I watch football but I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan (I’m more of a basketball girl). However, a lot of my coworkers and friends are HUGE football fans, so I hear a lot it. I even have one friend who use to be a cheerleader for a NFL team.

Your many fans went into a frenzy during your short absence from October to January. Is there a reason for this absence? And is there something you would like to say to your fans that have stuck with you?

Well, life sort of happened. I’m 25 years old. I have a job, rent, roommates, a very active puppy, a social life etc. In particular, my Grandmother lived in New Jersey when Hurricane Sandy hit and I flew out there to take care of her. Also, I was the maid of honor in one of my best friends’ wedding. (BTW weddings are MADNESS.) All those things culminated together meant it was hard to find the time and motivation to write. For those of you who stuck with me, I thank you. It truly means a lot to me that you didn’t give up on my story. I can’t promise you that I won’t go on hiatus again (who can tell what is going to happen in the future), but I can promise you that The Cell Phone Swap will get completed.

How often do you find time to write?

I usually write for at least a couple of hours a week. If I’m really inspired, I can end up writing for hours at a time. One time, I wrote through the night, finally stopping at 5 am. Least to say, I was in desperate need of caffeine!  

What can fans of The Cell Phone Swap expect in the future?

A lot of drama! Both Keeley and Talon have a long way to go before they get their happily-ever-after. I can’t tell you a lot without spoiling the story, but I can tell you that Keeley’s visit to Brent will be very interesting.