These are the voices of our mentors and mentees from past and present. They've provided their insight about the program, their processes, and have shared their favorite Wattpad stories. Grab a cuppa and sit down with us as we get to know the writers...
The Bootcamp Mentors are proud to present a spotlight interview with LucyAnnWrites author of The Girl Who Was Afraid. Check out this writer's work and give them a shout out in the comments.
BCM: How did you discover the Bootcamp Mentors and what have you found most valuable about this Wattpad community program?
LucyAnnWrites: I discovered the Bootcamp Mentors way back when I first joined Wattpad in 2019, but I was barely a teenager at the time and not very used to posting work online, so I preferred to watch from afar instead of applying. Now that I have applied, the program has been extremely valuable; it gives you a huge boost of support and allows you to feel like part of a group, while also developing your writing skills.
BCM: What prompted you to start writing on Wattpad and what do you like most about the platform as a writer?
LucyAnnWrites: I moved to Wattpad after writing on a much, MUCH smaller site since 2016. Unfortunately, it started to crash, so I thought I'd give Wattpad a try. It was intimidating at first, and I remember being in absolute awe of anyone with ten-plus followers, but I slowly learned to navigate the platform. I love that anyone can write there, whether you're an established author or a newbie, and I will always be grateful to everyone who reprimanded me gently for my spelling in those early days!
BCM: What motivated you to write the story you're submitting to the 2023 Wattys?
LucyAnnWrites: In truth, I didn't know what the outcome would be when I sat down to write The Girl Who Was Afraid last year. I was stuck in a rut and had lost motivation to write, so I picked a random writing prompt and told myself that I could write whatever I wanted, anything at all, for as long as it took to finish the book. I've struggled with OCD for many years, so those experiences crept into the story as I wrote. Basically, I planned nothing and found new motivation to write every day :)
BCM:. If you had to describe your story in three words, what would they be?
LucyAnnWrites: Overcoming. Self-growth. Family.
BCM: Tell us one thing about your writing process that has helped you the most.
LucyAnnWrites: Letting myself write freely, without worrying about what critics might think. I used to force myself to plan everything because that's what an industry expert once told me, but honestly it doesn't work for me. I prefer to just "go with the flow" and write whatever comes to me in the moment, so I've been doing things the way that works for me.
BCM: Share two Wattpad story recommendations.
LucyAnnWrites: Merlin's Curse by Benhauthor - a middle-grade scifi-fantasy full of adventure and humour, and Cocytus by empiresofwater - a historical sailing story full of ghostly horrors and superstitions.
Thank you, LucyAnnWrites. We wish you all the best in your writing endeavors.
More BCM spotlight interviews are on the way!
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