Wattpad Block Party: Insiders Guide

Sally Slater

 WattPad Block Party Author: Salley Slater

Who are your favorite authors?  

Tamora Pierce will always hold a special place in my heart as my first favorite author, and one of my biggest inspirations. Part of the reason I became a writer is because of my longtime obsession with fantasy fiction and my disappointment with the relative lack of strong female leads in the genre. Ms. Pierce was one of the first authors I read to write epic fantasy stories centered on powerful heroines. I also wrote to her in the fifth grade (snail-mail style because I’m old in Wattpad years) gushing about how much I loved her work, and she actually wrote me back a hand-written letter!

Nowadays, I’m a big fan of Ilona Andrews (Ilona is actually two people, a husband and wife duo) and their Kate Daniels series. Anne Bishop is another recent favorite. And of course, J.K. Rowling is a goddess.

What's your advice for aspiring authors?  

I’ll give a piece of advice I learned myself very recently: listen to your gut. While it’s important to always be open to feedback and constructive criticism, ultimately you are in control of the direction of your story, and you need to follow your heart. There are a million expert writers out there who can give you writing advice about how to turn a perfect sentence or develop a memorable character, but at the end of the day, a good story is a good story. And that’s more magic than skill.

What was the inspiration for the story you wrote for the Block Party? 

I put together a roundtable with the cast of Paladin to give fans of the book an insiders’ look into the minds of the main characters. It’s sort of like a special feature on a DVD, where you get to go behind the scenes of your favorite movie. But because Wattpad is interactive, readers can write in and ask their own questions, and the cast is sticking around to respond. 

What are your writing habits, or routine? (day vs. late night? on your phone? lots of caffeine?) 

 

I have a full-time job with fairly long hours, so I’ve become a creature of the night. I usually get home sometime between 8:30 and 9:00pm and write until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I run on a constant IV of caffeine. No exaggeration, I drink at least a liter of Diet Mountain Dew every day. Not exactly doctor-recommended. To be fair, I don’t actually need that much caffeine to write; I just really like how it tastes. I’m surprised I don’t glow in the dark.

How did you discover Wattpad? 

 

Wattpad actually discovered me! On a whim, I started writing a story on another website – one that didn’t have the same social or community aspect. A Wattpad user, @Rebekers, read the chapter or two I had posted and suggested I switch to Wattpad, mentioning the great community and the regular feedback she got for her own stories. I checked out Wattpad, and that was it for me! I was immediately welcomed by the Wattpad community and encouraged to keep writing. Today, my novel Paladin is approaching 10 million reads. It’s been a crazy ride.

When I'm not writing I'm ____________.  

When I’m not writing, I’m doing CrossFit! CrossFit is a high-intensity strength and conditioning program that combines Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics and aerobics. The goal is for trainees to become the fittest possible versions of themselves across all aspects of fitness – strength, endurance, power, speed, flexibility, agility, balance and coordination (I am particularly lacking in that last one. See my bruised shins as proof.). Five or six times a week, I go to a special CrossFit gym with a group of friends and athletes and train for an hour. My personal motto is that women both in fiction and real life should be strong! That said, if I were to go up against Sam of Haywood in a fight, I can guarantee she’d kick my butt.

What's your favorite thing about Wattpad?  

Hands down, my favorite thing about Wattpad is the community. Every day, I look forward to corresponding with my readers and learning from other talented writers on the site. I think it’s fair to say I never would have gotten beyond the first three chapters of Paladin if I hadn’t been encouraged to continue by my readers. Paladin is in many ways a collaborative effort (or at least I feel that way) because I was fueled to write by my initial readers’ love for the characters.

What can we expect from you next?   

I am very excited to announce that I will be publishing Paladin in the spring! I’m still working on last-minute edits, of course – it’s a never-ending process. The book will be available in print and as an e-book. I don’t have the confirmed publication date just yet, but expect to be able to share all the nitty-gritty detail with everyone very soon.