When Wattpad and Simon & Schuster get together to publish a book centered around our favorite celebrities, you know you're in for a wild ride.
Here's my side of the story with a pinch of English charm.
On April 18, 2016 I interviewed with Erin Gross from Fangirlish.com. Feel free to visit the fangirlish.com page for the original interview: http://fangirlish.com/imagines-author-interview-marcella-uva/
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It's not too much longer until the book Imagines hits shelves and we can't wait for you all to have your hands on it. It's a book that keeps us turning the pages and wondering what is going to happen next.
Some of our favorite things have come together in the form of a book. Wattpad and Gallery Books have teamed with International Bestselling Author Anna Todd for Imagines. Imagines is some of the greatest Fan Fic authors from Wattpad writing a unique anthology of "imagines." Imagine your favorite day with celebrity. What you imagine isn't half of what these authors imagine – well at least it isn't half of what I imagined.
We brought you the first interview with Katarina Tonks and today we're talking to Marcella Uva. She wrote all about Benedict Cumberbatch. Who doesn't love Cumberbatch.
What was it about Wattpad that made you want to start writing on it?
The community! I love interacting with other writers and my readers — we can all learn so much from one another. Since joining the Wattpad community, everyone I've met is so open, warm-hearted, and accepting of one another. I immediately felt welcome, accepted, a little nervous about whether I was doing the right thing or not, but always comfortable. Also, I was able to meet writers from all over the world and knew that I could make lasting friendships.
What's the biggest lesson that you have learned from writing on Wattpad?
The biggest lesson I've learned from writing on Wattpad is how to write for a larger audience. The readers on Wattpad have managed to pull the blinders off of my own narrow perspective and open my eyes to a wider venue. Knowing that more people will read my work, my thought process behind crafting ideas has become more careful and meticulous.
How do you write – do you outline the book or do you just write off the cuff?
When I first started writing, all of my stories were completely off the cuff. Like many first time writers, I was a hobbyist and needed a creative release, so it was very freeing to just take a pen to paper and write whatever it was that inspired me (at that time, it was pirates).
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After nearly ten years of exploring the craft, I found myself asking a lot more questions:
What is the character's dramatic purpose in the story?How does the character relate to the plot, mood, and theme of the story?How should the reader relate to the character?What is their motivation?
A character analysis paired with a detailed plotting of the story arc is the best way to get myself thinking about the big picture and how to address these questions in the narrative. I find that careful planning before the first draft leads to more successful storytelling!
