INTERVIEWS

Author Athenas

Disclaimer,
There are three authors working behind this page.
author_athenas

1. Tell us about yourself, your name, age, qualification etc...

Author #1: Tamara is 21 years old. She is a perfectionist, detail-oriented, complex thinker, and the main author of the books.

Author #2: Aya is 19 years old. She is deep minded, imaginative, outspoken, and the editor of the books.

Author #3: Lynn is 18 years old. She is creative, artistic, analytical, and the social media manager.

2. Who are Author Athenas? Describe your personalities in some lines.
We are three girl cousins who came up with the idea of writing our own book in 2015. We all share the traits of enthusiasm, hard-work, determination, and a good team spirit.

3. What were the first books that you read on Wattpad? Were they recommendations or did you find them yourself? What are your thoughts on them?

L: After by Anna Todd. It was a recommendation, and it was a really enjoyable even though I feel it sometimes promoted incorrect ideologies.

T: My Possessive Billionaire by sweetdreamer33. I found it on my own, and it was a fun book to read relative to my age back then (I was 15).

A: Luciano by taintedkissesxo, Tamara recommended it to me, and it was good but I remember it had physical abuse in the beginning (I don't know if it got fixed later).

4. Is there someone who inspired you to write or inspired you in general?
We were inspired by series and books we've read back then, but no one specifically.

5. Favorite Writers, On and Off Wattpad.
Unfortunately, we don't have any favorite writers on Wattpad, as we don't have much time recently to keep up with the publications on the platform.

As for off-Wattpad:
A: Atticus and Nicholas Sparks
T: Robert Greene and Dale Carnegie
L: No specific author

6. Has Wattpad given you any internet friends? What would you say about them?
We consider that it has given us a family of readers, who we treasure a lot.

7. How was your first experience on Wattpad?
It was like a dream considering we had a full library on our phones. It also gave us the chance to connect with readers all over the world.

8. So people really like to know the taste of those they look up to. Would you tell us your Favorites?

1. Movies:
L: Interstellar/ Blue Valentine
A: The Godfather/ Mamma Mia
T: The Fault in Our Stars

2. Colour:
T: Red
L: Black
A: I like all colors

3. Subject:
T: Physics/ History
L&A: English

4. Animal:
A & T: Dog
L: Owl

5. Fruit:
T: Mango
L: Grapes
A: Blackberries

6. BOOK:
T: Spirits Rebellious by Gibran Khalil Gibran
L: Superman is an Arab by Joumana Haddad
A: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

7. time of the day:
T: Sunrise
A: Sunset
L: After Midnight

9. What was the first book you ever read?
We've been readers ever since we were kids so we don't really remember.

10. Tell us about your first book as a writer.
T: It was very hard to collect my thoughts and have a clear plan of how the story will go. Additionally, I did not have proper experience in punctuation and dialogue rules, I had to discover them on my own.

11. Did you face any problems while writing the book and even after that?
T: As previously mentioned, it was hard to come to terms with proper punctuation and dialogue rules, as well as the practical way of designing a story line.
A problem we faced and we still do, is the cyber bullying and hateful comments we receive because of spiteful readers comparing our work to other books.

12. Favorite Genre?
L: Mystery
T: Romance/ Drama/ Action
A: Romance

13. What are your most embarrassing moments? (If there are any)
We have a lot of funny and embarrassing moments, to the point that it's hard to pinpoint one lol 😊

14. What is your idea of spending a good weekend?
On the beach, tanning, vibing on good music, and some sunset car-cruises.

15. Is there any book that just left you in tears?
T: The Fault in Our Stars
A: Safe Haven
L: None

16. A Person that you've want to meet ever since your childhood and why?
L: Zayn Malik, I used to love him in my teenage years.

A: Ian Somerhalder, I have had a crush on him for so long. (Girl you gonna be my best friend)

T: No One

17. What are the first words that come to your mind after reading the following:

A) Family: Us.
B) Best Friend: Us.
C) Internet: Lagging uploads.
D) Human:
                    T: empathy
                    L: chaos
                    A: stardust
E) The world today:
                                  L: Unusual
                                  T: Revolution
                                  A: Consciousness
F) Wattpad: Never Ever (Charlotte's Story)
G) Writing: Imagination

18. How do you see writing?
A chance to express ourselves, and give life to characters from our imagination.
A: I believe a word can save a life.

19. How did you develop the interest for reading?
We've been raised in houses that appreciate books & promote education and knowledge.

20. Any Country you want to visit? And Why?
A: Italy, I love everything about it, language, scenery, food, vibe...
T: USA, New York, because it's the city of dreams.
L: France, Paris, because it's fancy and reminds me of old times.

21. City or Village life?
T&L: City
A: Village

22. What are the most fundamental things needed to make a good book?
Originality, creativity, and proper linguistic skills.

23. What is your message to the people who don't like to take criticism, even if it is constructive? Do you think a writer can survive without criticism?
A writer can survive without criticism, but he/she can't develop without it. People who can't take criticism will eventually reach a point where everyone sees their mistakes but them, and that's problematic.

24. Does color affect your mind? How?
We are not sure we understand this question, but generally we all have a certain color preference (whether in clothes or items, and it affects our moods accordingly).

25. What is travelling to you?
T: Path to Freedom
A: Passion
L: Discovery

26. What is your way of dealing with Writer's block?
T: -Giving myself a break and the time I need to get inspired again
-Reaching out for the girls for new ideas
-Preparing myself a playlist.

27. Any Character that inspired you?

Specifically, for Rickard Ellington Conway's character, the anime character Sesshomaru from InuYasha served as a major inspiration years ago.
Other than that, we are inspired from experiences we gain, and movies, series, and books we check out.

28. What is your idea of being a friend?
Being a listener, understanding, and pointing out when something is wrong.

29. do you think that the side characters are as important as the protagonists in shaping a good storyline?
Yes, because a story is like a building with the main plot being the columns, and the characters overall being the blocks. Some building blocks might be more important than others, but without every block aka character in the story, the structure would be incomplete.

30. What is your opinion about bullying? Since these days we see people are becoming so intolerable with other people's existence.
At the end of the day, social media platforms have provided bullies with a comfortable space to hide behind screens and hate on others. Nevertheless, it's important to keep in mind that bullies and haters project their own insecurities and reflect nothing but themselves out.

31. Any regret that you have regarding any of your stories and what is it?
No real regrets, we get prouder with every chapter we post.

32. Sad or Happy endings?
Unpredictable endings.

33. Do you believe that the artist has responsibility while creating art? Or should Art be didactic?
Yes, an artist has a social responsibility in what he/she condones and promotes through their artwork.

34. Why should I read your book?
We are confident that we present a mixture of romance, drama, thriller, and action like no other series. If you enjoy such a combo, you're missing out on a lot :p

35. The characters in the book I want to talk about some characters in detail. So we will have quick questions. (It can be from your first book or from all the books you have written) Talk about the Protagonists and Antagonists by name.

36. Are these characters inspired from anyone?
As previously mentioned, for Rickard Ellington Conway's character, the anime character Sesshomaru from InuYasha served as a major inspiration years ago.

37. Is there any regret in shaping the character?
As previously mentioned, No.

38. How much each character relates to you?
There isn't a particular extent to which characters relate to us, considering they're all a reflection of our experiences and perspectives.

39-Do you approve of the idea that Art can change the world?

A: I believe Art promotes expression, and expression can at some point help solve some conflicts around the world, considering it would facilitate communication and thus reaching common grounds.
T & L: Although Art is a form of healing, it can hardly solve materialistic problems like hunger and wars, so no, we disagree with Aya on this.

40- What is the first thing that you do after you have thought about the plot?

Character design.

41- How has Wattpad changed your life?

It has provided us with a safe space to express ourselves, and reach as much people as possible.

42- Any tradition you like of another country or place?

A: I like Thanksgiving in USA, and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro,

L: I am not a fan of traditions.

T: I personally love Christmas around the world.

43- What is your thought about women centered stories? Do you believe that there should be more books having strong and empowering females in the lead?

We believe it is very important to have women centered stories that provide female readers with idols and inspirations. More than a strong female lead, it's important for the protagonist to promote proper character development and growth.

44- How do you shape the round characters? Is it easy?
Round characters are among the main challenges in writing, as they cannot be typical and predictable, and they have to always present an aura of mystery and intimidation. Additionally, it is a requirement that they give readers mixed feelings about them. As such, we take a lot of time in forming such characters, and they're discussed a lot between us.

45- How do you manage to write so many great books? (Another fan question)
It's no secret formula. Proper planning, teamwork, and innovation.

46- Do you think Writers aren't appreciated enough in this world?
Sadly enough they aren't, as audience are more oriented towards visual arts than written.

47-We would like some books and movies suggestions from you.
Books by Paulo Coelho, Nicholas Sparks, Robert Greene, Ronda Byrne and Atticus are recommended.
Movies by Christopher Nolan are a must.

48- Do you believe that aestheticism is needed more than the actual storyline?
They come hand in hand and complete each other. Providing the audience with material to visualize our words based on is a plus to their reading experience. We sometimes share our playlist with them because we care they feel the emotions we felt while writing certain scenes under the effect of the music, which is a form of art.


49- At what age you thought about writing the novel?
We were:
T: 16
A: 14
L: 13

50- From where the idea originated for the first book of yours?
Mainly from movies and books we've read back then.

51- How hard is it for you to write the scenes with emotional intensity?
T: They are actually my favorite, as they require good playlist and thus are very enjoyable to write.

54- How many hours a day do you write?
T: I don't have a particular writing schedule, as it depends on how inspired I am. I sometimes finish a chapter in 3 hours while another chapter might take me days.

55-What's your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Never Ever (Charlotte's Story) ;)

56- Have you planned to go as a published writer? Do you want to continue writing as a career or is it just a hobby for you?

We might have plans to publish the book, but for now it's just a hobby.

57-What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Reading Animal Farm by George Orwell taught us the importance of language more than any experience.

58-What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
We've been readers ever since we were kids, and so we've always had great respect for such a job.


59-If you could tell your younger writing self-anything, what would it be?
Do not give up, you'll get where you want to. Yes you will hit 1 million reads.

60- How hard is it for you to write about the opposite sex?
Not much, considering we are exposed and experienced enough to know about various types of interactions and behaviors.

61-How do you select the names of your characters?
We google a list of names based on the character's gender and nationality, then we select from the list the choice that fits the character's personality best.

62- Message to the fellow readers and young writers?
A: Love what you're doing, and it will love you back.
L: There's no way that perseverance and hard work would not pay off.
T: "Think," said Dante, "That this day will never dawn again."  ̶  Dream. Hustle. Repeat.

This was such a fun to conduct this interview. I was so glad to find out that there are three little young girls behind this huge success. I wish them more success and happiness in their lives Ameen💛❤🧡
*Happy Reading*