❝My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.❞ - Maya Angelou
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On this profile, we always strive to present you the best written pieces you can possibly find on this platform. And this month, we're focusing the series on the genre winners of The Ambys 2021, presented by the Ambassadors!
In this chapter, we're happy to introduce you smidorii, the author of "Rosé"; a story which won the romance category in The Ambys 2021.
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We were the greatest love of all time. Until we weren't anymore.
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For the Ambys, have you revived a story/idea you haven't finished in the past, or have you started a new one to participate?
Rosé was a new idea for me! It was inspired by the album Folklore by Taylor Swift, which is one of my favorite albums of all time and came out during what I'm sure we can all agree was a difficult time. Music has always been a huge inspiration to me, but I'd never attempted to write anything based off of an entire album, so that was fun! Each part is inspired by a specific song, but there are a lot of overarching themes, one of which is how beginnings and endings are so perfectly intertwined in the best ways.
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What comes to you first? The plot or the characters?
I want to say characters because they're always what get me hooked into a story, and I definitely write more character-driven stories than anything else, but I'd also say it's a happy medium. It's hard to imagine creating a character without some vague idea of a plot. But the characters inevitably become more realized quicker.
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How would you describe your main character(s) from Rosé?
The main character, who purposely remained nameless, is really just meant to represent anyone who's gotten out of a serious relationship. She's not only trying to regain her sense of independence, but also come to terms with what she lost (and gained) from that relationship. She's hurt and sad, but also grateful and ready to continue to grow, and I think, all things considered, that's a good place for her to be.
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If a movie was made based on your story, who would you cast in the leading roles?
She's not really an actress but I imagine her as Kelsey Merritt, who's a model, and Maxence Danet-Fauvel as her love interest!
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Confession time: how many WIP stories do you have? Can you please share a little bit about the one you're most excited about to start writing?
Honestly, too many! At the time of me writing this, I have three in progress on my Wattpad account and three more I'm working on behind the scenes, plus a bunch of others I dabble in here and there. I definitely give myself a lot of liberty with exploring my ideas when the inspiration is hot.
The one I've been loving the most is a story up right now called Adrenaline, which is a romance between a lead singer and an F1 driver. I've gotten really into Formula 1 during the pandemic and thought that writing a sports romance, which is not my usual style at all, would be a fun challenge.
But, more importantly, the lead singer is a Native Hawaiian character and her band is from Hawaii. While I've had the most fulfilling experience writing more intimate stories about Hawaiians living in Hawaii and will continue to do so, it's given me so much joy to write a Native Hawaiian character on this kind of scale because there aren't many big names in the entertainment industry. I'm thrilled to show a Native Hawaiian character thriving in this kind of career in such a big way, and hope my readers are able to connect with her (and my) culture.
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What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
I hope my readers come from any of my stories with the understanding that there is no set timeline on how we grow as people. Everyone has their own path in life, and it may not match up with even the people in our own life. But we take things one step at a time, recognize our faults and strengths, and continue to grow from each new one we discover every day.
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What Wattpad story/stories are you currently reading?
If you could tell your younger writer-self anything, what would it be?
Don't be afraid to tell your own stories. Don't be afraid to write about yourself, your culture, and the unique way you view the world. People like you deserve to have their stories told, no matter what anyone tries to convince you of otherwise, or what the world wants you to believe. It's important to recognize your worth and your right to exist in whatever capacity you wish. And once you accept yourself and your place in the world, you'll be a much happier person for it.
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That was all from smidorii! We thank you again for working with us on this interview and congratulations on the win!
If you want to read more from smidorii, please do go follow them and don't forget to add their winning story to your library!
