Spotlight Writers: March 2016

Interview with LotteHolder

1. I like writing a variety of different genres, but the ones I enjoy the most are Adventure, Werewolf, Fanfic (based on TV series and books - not celebrities), and Science Fiction. I love these genres because I'm quite into dystopian books, but I also try hard to write stories that aren't cliché and stories that are original. My favourite genre to read is probably Humour (Control The Beat by specifically) because I can have a laugh and forget about the stress of exams. I also enjoy reading werewolf, and sometimes I will find a science fiction novel worth reading.

2. I have been writing ever since I was little, and I can't remember when writing wasn't a passion of mine. But wattpad wise, I began writing in November 2014.

3. As a kid I was influenced by people like Helen Dunmore and the Ingo series, as well as other authors such as Cornelia Funke and J.K. Rowling. Most of the things I read back them were fantasy, and were the foundation of my imagination today.Today I read the normal teen fic reads like The Hunger Games, The 5th Wave, and The Mortal Instruments. They are more or less all dystopian themed, but I love post-apocalypse novels. Veronica Roth (Divergent) influenced me in particular to write a trilogy, although I haven't found a book that I'd like to write a sequel for just yet. The Mortal Instruments also inspired my book Warrior, and the book I am soon to write: Pandemonium.

4. Different people find different ways of inspiration. For me it's reading a successful series like The Maze Runner, but also listening to music. I listen to songs that have lyrics relating to my books, and this inspires me to continue writing. If you're struggling to find inspiration, I would say read other people's work, and listen to music that reminds you of the scene you are writing. Dramatic music can help with fight scenes, for example.

5. Yes, I have somehow managed to complete three, although only two are on my profile. I wasn't always like this though: I would write a story and then realise it was terrible or get bored when I reached the second chapter. But when I completed one it was a huge achievement, and the only reason I finished it was because I enjoyed writing it. So this is one of my tips: write what you enjoy writing. That's how you'll complete a book.

6. My favourite story to write was Warrior because I absolutely loved the characters and the relationship dynamics within the story. It was a mix and match of all my favourite genres, and I enjoyed writing it because I knew what was going to happen, and the multiple action scenes kept me on my toes at all time.Sacrifice has also been fun to write. It's based off the TV show The 100, but I enjoy writing it because I can add my own little twists, and Falcon is a badass and I love her.

7. I think that I relate to Falcon (Sacrifice) most. She's sarcastic and sticks up for herself, but she's very protective over her friends and knows what's right and what's wrong. Granted, I wasn't born in space, but she's just a character who has gone though a lot and has still come out of the other side strong. When I write about her, I always channel my feelings into my writing, and think how I would respond to a certain situation.I also love Bella (Warrior). Although I can't shoot an arrow with complete precision, I'm pretty sure she could. She comes a long way in Warrior, and she is genuinely a loveable character who I wish was real and could hug.

8. I have my best friend to thank for discovering wattpad. I was on fanfic.net for a week, but then Freya recommended Wattpad to me, and I have never looked back. It has literally been a life changing experience and I don't know what I would do without wattpad.I think that my first read was My Alpha Mate and probably the most cliché werewolf book you could come across. However, it got me into the werewolf genre and inspired me to write Frost.A wattpad user who had inspired me is , although I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know I exist. She inspired me to write my Bellamy Blake fanfic Sacrifice, since hers (Conflate), is amazing and written so well, I can't even explain in words how good her writing is.

9. This campaign means a lot to me. It would kill me if someone told me that Warrior wasn't a proper book because it is posted online. Granted, it is a first draft, but it is still a novel. It took 10 months to write Warrior, which ended up being 86,000 words long (a novel is over 40,000 words). Every night I sat down and wrote as much as I could when I could've been doing homework or revision instead. Warrior, Frost (although it's terrible), Sacrifice and Alaska are all real books, like all the other books here on wattpad: they just haven't been discovered yet.What people don't realise is how long we spend writing and planning and editing, and this campaign is making people aware of the effort us authors put in. It is an amazing idea an will go a long way if we get it out there.

10. I have quite a lot advice, so here goes:• Your readers are the most important people when it comes to your story. Do not worry about the amount of reads: as long as the readers enjoy it, that's all that matters.• Go through a re-read your chapter before publishing. Many readers pick up on spelling mistakes, and the more editing you do the first time round means less editing for the second time round.• Write in your own style. Everyone's writing style is different, and your unique style is what makes your stand out. If people tell you to change, don't listen to them. This is the way you write and it's the way you will produce works to the best of your ability.• Plan your story before you start writing. This makes it easier for you as an author to know what happens in your book, and therefore you are more motivated to finish it.• Know your characters. They will be with you for the whole book, so you must know them like the back of your hand. If you struggle with this, perhaps create a list at the bottom of your story document with the personality and physical features of each character.• Make your characters realistic. Nobody is perfect, and you don't become a badass over night (although I wish you could). So, give your character flaws. How have events in the past affected their personality? Are they sacred of water or spiders?• If you have writers block take a break for at least an hour from writing, and distract yourself from your story by watching a TV show or reading someone else's work to get inspiration.• And finally: LOVE YOUR BOOK! Thank you so much for the interview. I hope that this campaign gets the recognition it deserves.