This book will have our talk with the talented ESL authors about their writing journey on this orange land. Let's dive in to read about what their journey looked like, what advice they can give you, and what makes them stand out as an ESL author.
This month, we've got the pleasure of chatting with NovaNicalynn, senior engagement ambassador and author of Glitter Glitches!
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Learn more about her writing skills, inspiration, and her life as an ESL author on Wattpad! Plus, here's a small glimpse into her ChickLit novel, Glitter Glitches!
Melia Williams used to be popular. But that was high school. After facing public humiliation during her senior prom Melia dropped back to cold, hard reality. She realized that even pretty girls get their hearts broken. She swore to never climb back into a anyone's mould of perfect ever again. Her glitters tuned to glitches.
Axel Sterling used to be the fat kid, a late bloomer and troublemaker. His body issues left him with an aversion to intimacy and vulnerability. Eventhough he out grew his bullies and lives a healthy lifestyl, he still hides his perfectly sculpted body under baggy clothes. He felt loose around the edges with his need for acceptance.
She is emotionally broken. He is emotionally unavailable. But they both seem to fit eachother's jagged edges. He thinks she is perfect in her imperfection. She thinks he is all she could ever need. Kisses, once so sour, now tunrned sweeter with desire.
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0.
Tell us something about the language(s) you're fluent in.
My native language is Afrikaans, so that gives me the ability to also read Dutch and Flemish, I can also understand it if they speak slowly =) But I worked really hard to consider myself fluent in English as well.
1.
How did you start writing on Wattpad? And throughout the journey so far, what moment felt most special to you as a writer here?
I joined in 2013, but only as a reader since I just couldn't believe there was a site with so many free stories. I'm a regular Wattpad cliche really, I love reading so much! One day I just found myself craving a very specific story. When I couldn't find it, I decided to write the story I wanted to read. I wrote my first story called 'Nightshade' in 2015 and it has been my pet project eversince. Back then my English was horrible, it's much better now, so I'm rewriting Nighshade to feel a little less embarrassed =)
I worked hard to improve my English writing, and part of that journey was creating a book club which taught me a lot about the Wattpad community. I also managed to join the NBR which was a well known book club at the time. I was part of the Writers Edge and there I learned the most. I even managed to publish a short story titled 'Kitchen Witch' with them in an anthology titled 'The Mage's Aprpentice' and for that to rank as number two on Amazon's Best Seller list was pretty special. I was also part of the '31 Blind Dates' anthology and this was super exciting because most of the people in there are really big names within the Wattpad community.
2.
The theme of chicklit and romance is at the heart of your story 'Glitter Glitches'. There are some interesting play of words as well. What was the inspiration behind this story? Did any real-life experiences fuse into the story?
No, there are no real-life experiences involved. I was just in a silly mood one day and wanted to try my hand at a funny girly story. I usually enjoy writing more darker, moody themes but Glitter Glitches was a fun experience and I giggle a lot while writing it. It's a fun and quick read. It didn't take too long to write, the humor and sarcasm is very close to my actual personality so it flowed easily onto the paper.
I wanted to show the ditsy girly side and how the female character matured and broke the mean girl mould, while having a troubled male character with body issues find acceptance and meaning in relationships. My male character is also younger than the female protagonist, so I just wanted to switch things up. The narrative might be humorous, but the characters have real-life issues that make them vulnerable.
3.
If you could use three adjectives to describe the relationship arc between the protagonists, what would they be?
Imperfect. Accepting. Healing.
4.
In honor of Women's History Month, what makes a women-centric story empowering for you? And since ChickLit offers real insight into a new generation of women's fiction, do you have any tips on writing ChickLit stories equally empowering and entertaining?
Growth. I can appreciate a flawed character, but seeing her mature and grow is empowering. If you write chicklit it's okay to be raw and emotional, showing the struggles and then the progression in overcoming them has power. Chicklit might be fiction, but it holds life lessons.
5.
What does an 'average' day of writing look like for you? Are there any particular challenges you face as an ESL author when writing/editing your work?
Oh gosh, I'm a mom with a job so writing at the moment is a luxury. But when I do get to write, I always have the music on. I struggle with English tenses because we don't have so many in my language. My biggest drawback is my excessive need to edit as I write because I am a bit of a perfectionist and I struggle to move on if the first bit is not edited. This makes me a slow writer. But overall, I'm a panster so I write in the moment and never plan my chapters ahead, which means I need to go back and plug plotholes quite often. Basically my writing is a lot of back and forth.
6.
If you could offer one piece of advice to ESL writers looking to improve their grammar, creative world building, or vocabulary, what would it be?
I guess the obvious and easiest advice would be to read, and then read some more. But for me, my Eglish reading and listening—the perceptive part—was good. I had to improve on the producing skills, the speaking and writing. I can speak English when I need to, but speaking and writing English is very different. I improved my writing skills the most in book clubs and getting involved in review activities. This showed me not only the flaws in my own writing, but it forced me to spot grammer errors in other's works which I, in turn, learned to be mindful of it in my own writing. In a nutshell, get down in the trenches and write. You won't only go jogging to improve your swimming, you need to swim. So write, and be open to feedback.
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That's all folks!
Thank you for chatting with us, NovaNicalynn! We wish you all the best for your future works!
