Coffee Talks

With Tammy Oja

Hi, Tammy, thank you for taking the time to get involved with Coffee Community. It's great to hear from authors like yourself and get to know a little bit about what motivates you to write longer works of fiction.

I think what motivates me to write longer stories is how much depth they allow. In a short story, the challenge is conveying your message while still staying in a small framework, but in a full-length story, you can delve into the deeper scenes and motivations of the character until the entire arc is played out. Adding descriptions of things you wouldn't be able to spend time on for a short.

So, to begin, tell us a little bit about yourself as an author on Wattpad. For anyone who hasn't met you before, how would you describe your fiction?

My Wattpad journey started 3 years ago when my teen got sick of me wanting to go to the library every day. I read for a while and one day hated the way a book ended and decided to write one for myself. It was so addictive I've never looked back.

Through Wattpad I've been published twice and found a community that is truly my definition of home. As far as what I write - there's no way to define that- I have a goal of trying every genre and I'm working hard to meet it. My favorite is dark comedy but I have to say psychological suspense is a close second.

Writing for sustained periods is a hurdle that every writer, beginner or experienced, faces from time to time. What powers you through those longer bursts of creativity and keeps you focussed?

Keeping focus is a trial every author goes through. My personal time bomb is about chapter 30. By the time I'm at 40K words and have figured out the story my brain wants to move on. For me, allowing the ending to be pantsed works. If it takes me a while to figure it out it helps keep my momentum. I'm also driven by people who interact, it's addicting to have a reader interested and invested and sometimes just knowing they're there is my best motivator.

What top tips would you advise for getting a novella or a longer piece of fiction off the starting line? What kind of story developments motivate you to see it through to the end?

Tips for the starting line? Just do it. Dive in! Be bold enough to start. No matter how many words come, they all count and if you're short at the end it's way easier to add than to take away. The only way to fail a work is to never start it - and as cliche as that sounds, it's a motto to live by!

How much do you edit on the fly? Or do you prefer to edit after you've finished the initial draft?

I try to edit on the fly always. I am a horrible post editor and would literally rather work extra shifts to pay someone than to edit. It's the worst part of writing for me because I get so caught up in rules and corrections I lose the joy of the story if I deep edit. My goal is to write the best I can as I go and save myself later. While there's a lot to be said for just getting words on paper, for me trying it first go round is my greatest hope.

Personally, what kind of novella -- be it any style, theme, or genre -- would you like to see emerge from the Open Novella Contest?

I'd love to see a fun YA novel that tackles the trials of relationships with humor done. I'm always looking for something that touches my heart and leaves me laughing. If you see it, or you're writing it - please give me a shout. Also - anything dark themed. I love it!

Lastly, because we're always curious... What was your ever first experience with the power of the written language?

My first experience with reading love? That's such a hard one for me. I was the nerd on the playground with a book and have always counted on reading to take me someplace else. I suppose my fondest memory was watching my mom and her sisters sitting at the kitchen table reading Erma Bombeck and laughing until the wee hours of the night. It was the first time I had ever seen them cry with laughter, and it was a transformative moment for me. It was the time I realized no matter what people were going through, reading was magic for everyone.

It's been great hearing from you, Tammy, and thank you for sharing your valuable knowledge in storytelling.

Thank you so much for the interview. I really enjoyed the questions and thinking about things from another perspective.
Good Luck with the ONC - keep pressing on and may the words be ever in your favor. Hit me up anytime for encouragement or a sounding board, we're all in this together!

Best wishes in your future endeavours from Coffee Community.

Our goal is to bring you many more exclusive interviews with people who aren't just Wattpad Stars or Staff, but also some pretty awesome authors.
In that quest, next we will be talking to Carlos Rocha, so stick around for more fun!