Name of Author: Anna Kay Tallat
Title of Book: Crazy House
Favorite Authors: J.K Rowling and Garth Stein
Bio: I am a 20 year old Literature student who has been creating stories ever since I can remember. I spend my free time either writing, watching essentially anything the CW puts on tv, or crying over the masterpiece that is J.K. Rowling.
Crazy House
https://www.wattpad.com/story/10321734-crazy-house
Can you explain what your book is all about?
Crazy House is about teenager Juliette Rivers, who has been locked in a mental hospital for the past eleven years. She's been told her entire life that her visions of the future are nothing more than insane delusions. But on her 18th birthday, she is offered a chance to enter a competition of skilled individuals like herself for the opportunity to join a vital internship and, more importantly, a way out. Once she arrives however, she realizes there's more going on than meets the eye. Perhaps a little craziness is just what she'll need to save her own life.
Who is your target audience - and why?
I would have to say my target audience is probably high schoolers. When writing this book, I wanted to create something that I myself would want to read, especially high school me. I read so much in high school it was ridiculous, but I would often get frustrated with these main characters who were helpless without their big strong (insert mythological creature here) man. Eventually I decided to write something that would inspire other girls to be more than just something to be rescued.
What is 'paranormal' about your story?
The paranormal elements in my story deal mostly with individual powers, such as psychic visions of the future, telekinesis, invisibility etc. The house in which most of the story takes place has quite a few paranormal elements as well, much like a haunted house, though not quite that.
Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?
Mostly Crazy House would be defined under the Horror genre, but it does have a bit of romance involved.
Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?
Hhhmm, well my writing process is a bit all over the place. I do a lot of research with anything I write, before I start writing as well as all throughout the story. I write down all of my ideas in a notebook I have specifically designated for the novel, keeping track of any and all loose ends, things I want to go back and change, anything I find while researching, character profiles, you name it. As for my actual writing process, I listen to a lot of dark ambiance music while I write for inspiration and to get the horror juices flowing.
Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?
One problem I have while writing that I am still working on, is I have a tendency to throw in random elements into a story when I come up with an idea suddenly and then figure out how it actually fits into the plot later. I've made a rule that if it can't be explained by the plot lines I've already created, then I can't use it. Having a notebook really helps keep me accountable with this.
You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?
To me, the thought that writing well is the baseline of success is a nice sentiment, and true to a certain extent, but unfortunately there are a million and one other factors that go into being a successful writer. There are tons of great writers out there who never get the recognition they deserve, while writers who don't have half their talent are able to make the NY Times Bestseller list (I'm looking at you E.L. James). At this point, writing a book is as much a business as it is an art.
