The official Coffee Community book for exclusive interviews and advice from Wattys winners, Wattpad Stars, Ambassadors and various upcoming authors and poets. Peak inside, we have cups of Ristretto too!
Wow! I've been writing with some level of seriousness for over thirty years; being an author has always been an aim for me. At the beginning, my early work was stories based around the role playing games we played, but it soon grew into original work.
Why did you participate in the Open Novella Contest?
I first entered the ONC in 2019, on a whim, enjoying the idea of writing to a prompt. I made so many good Wattpad friends in the process, and was excited to enter in 2020. In fact, my entire Wattpad writing schedule was geared up for the contest, and I had to not start anything else in the early part of the year so there was nothing overhanging! I was pleased to say that ONC 2020 didn't disappoint; more friends, some amazing interactions and feedback, and, of course, a brilliant end result.
What inspired you to write your ONC winning story?
There were a few things. First, the prompt. I remember standing in the shower and thinking 'I can really do something with this', then the work of Rainer Salt in ONC 2019. His winning entry Bunker Bird had this great air that the reader knew things the protagonist did not, and I wanted to touch on the same idea. Finally, both my son, and myself, who between us share many of the traits of my main character, Jack.
Do you have a favourite part in your story that you would like to share? Please, elaborate why you like that part in particular.
The ending! I won't spoiler it to say what it is, but the whole story was designed just to get to the end in as neat a fashion as I could. The feedback has been amazing, and I am so pleased that almost everyone who read it was as emotionally invested as I was writing it!
What did you like about the Open Novella Contest the most?
It has to be the companionship. Everyone in the contest is like a big team, doing it together. We all want each other to succeed almost as much as we want to do well ourselves!
What do you like best about writing on Wattpad?
The instant feedback. Even if it's just a vote, or a read going up by a number, just knowing stuff is being read and enjoyed is motivation to continue.
Congratulations to you once again and thank you for the interview! We wish you all the best for your future writing endeavors. 💛
