Wattpad Interviews With Writers.

Interveiw #45 with AshleighNeame

When did you join wattpad? How did you find the site?

I've been on Wattpad since August 2011, after discovering it on thesims3 dot com. I was reading a sims story on there and the author said she posted her works on Wattpad, so I came over and checked it out and I've been hooked ever since.

What is your favourite part of Wattpad?

The clubs, definitely. The clubs have allowed me to connect with others who can help me out with my story and my writing and make it better.

How long have you been a writer?

Uh, since I was 10 years old. I've been writing since primary school (elementary for Americans). My first 'book' was about a girl who kept trying to get into the cool crowd at school. It was about 10 pages long.

How many stories have you posted? Which is most popular?

I've posted 10 stories on wattpad, the most popular being 'Rebel With A Cause'. I self-published it in December 2012 and I left a sample up, gaining nearly 19,000 reads to date.

What kind of stories do you write?

I started out writing teen fiction, which up until recently I thought I was pretty crap at. Turns out, 'Rebel With A Cause' has had five 5-star reviews (that I know of), four of which are on Barnes & Noble and one on Kobo. Now, however, I'm writing fantasy, and I've started a whole fantasy series about magic, secrets and history. And vampires, of course.

Why should readers check out your work?

There are two ways to answer this question: the inspirational way and the selfish way. I could say something like my stories are easy to relate to, providing a sense of freedom from reality, while still maintaining a sense of normalcy in my books, which makes for a very enjoyable read. Or I could just say the more people who read my works, the more chance there is of me getting published by a major publishing house, which is my dream.

What is your favourite part of writing?

I like when I get so absorbed in my writing that I can shut off the world around me. I write what I'd like to read, instead of struggling to find the perfect book that allows me to escape. I can shut off my life for a while and live someone else's.

What inspires your writing?

Music inspires me. Celtic music is the best to listen to when writing a magical fantasy story. My country's history inspires me. It allows me to create new supernatural creatures. Language inspires me. I love learning languages, and writing a fantasy story gives me a chance to have a go at creating my own.

Who are your favourite authors? How do they influence your work?

My favourite authors are J.K Rowling and Rachel Caine. Both write amazing stories full of drama and fantasy/supernatural elements, and I love that. Rachel Caine inspires me to put humanity first, magic second, like in her 'Morganville Vampires' series. I think that's what a great writer does, putting character first so people relate to your story and a more inclined to buy it.

Is writing a passion or job?

Well, it's both. Writing is my passion, first and foremost, and I hope for it to one day be my full-time job, which is why I'm currently studying Creative Writing at AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand.

When do you prefer to write?

When I can sit down for a good four or five hour chunk and just write until my fingers are cramping, providing inspiration strikes of course.

How do you tackle the editing process?

Well, I have help. I have a friend who is really pedantic about errors in continuity, grammar, and spelling, so once I'm finished with a book, we usually take a month or two emailing each other back and forth with suggestions on improving the story and whatnot. He points out any errors he finds so I have a chance to fix them before I self-publish. While I'm writing however, I'm constantly reading 'Improving your writing' guides and taking notes, so ever five chapters or so I go back and make edits and such to sentence structure and dialogue.

Any closing comments?

If you're serious about improving your writing style and becoming a better writer, check out a story on here called 'The Writer's Clinic' by CarolynLorelle. Her guide has helped me more than two months of university has. Oh, and visit my website www.ashleighneameauthor.weebly.com (: