Interviewing The Wattpad Angels

Interview with @KatherineArlene

@KatherineArlene is the author of 'Love You Forever' which is a Watty Awards 2013 finalist. She has also written an amazing guide called 'How To Get Reads, Votes, Comments - A Guide' which explains the ways to get loyal readers and reads on your story! The link is provided in the external link ^^!

Enjoy !

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1. What do they call you?

A. Everyone calls me Katherine

2. For how long have you been writing?

A. About two years now, although I've written off an on my whole life.

3. Which part of writing a story, do you enjoy the most? (Creating characters, the plot and the subplots, the beginning/ending or the middle)

A. The best part is coming up with the mysteries that surround my characters, and then finding ways to give hints to the readers about those mysteries. I'm like a kid at Christmas when I post a chapter, just waiting to see if anyone can guess the truth.

4. Have you faced any embarrassing moments, in terms of writing?

A. I'm not sure if it's really embarrassing, but I will divulge one terribly stupid mistake I made when I wrote my first story, Stolen Hearts. I didn't know why Robert (my main character) had been kidnapped. And quite frankly, I didn't really care. I just wanted to write a story about a guy who desperately didn't want to fall in love for all sorts of really good reasons, but fell in love anyway.

When I started posting Love You Forever, I still didn't care about it and I wasn't planning on ever bringing it up. But then I started getting all these comments from readers asking if they were ever going to find out why, and I realized I had a huge problem on my hands. In the end I managed to come up with a very good reason and the readers were satisfied but I almost ruined my story. I would consider a plot hole like that to be a rookie author mistake but I learned a valuable lesson about not leaving any loose ends.

5. Which is your favorite color? Have you made any reference to it in your story/stories?

 A. Pink. Yes, it's Georgie's favorite color too (my main female character). The most fun I had with it was when Robert visits her in Chicago in Love You Forever and is given her bedroom to sleep in. He already doesn't want to be there, but he's stuck there staying in her pink, frilly bedroom. I couldn't resist torturing him. *grins evilly*

6. Out of the stories you have written on Wattpad, which is the most memorable one?

A. It's hard to choose between all of them. They're like my children. Stolen Hearts is memorable because it's my first ever. Love You Forever was like a giant puzzle I had to assemble. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it, but it exceeded my expectations. The Most Precious of All was written and released over three days this past Christmas. It was an emotional and bittersweet experience, saying a final good bye to Robert and Georgie. And The Boy in the Woods, my first story with completely different characters, Jess and Marty. There as different from Robert and Georgie as I can make them.

7. Are you planning on publishing soon?

A. Not soon, but if 'The Boy in the Woods' turns out as good as I see it in my head, that will be the story I seriously take that step with.

8. Which is your favorite book/series on Wattpad?

A. I've read many great books but my favorite series is The Return/The Resurrection by Cfunk3. It's a YA romance that's a well-plotted murder mystery that takes place over many time periods and multiple lifetimes of the same girl. It's exactly the kind of story I love to read!

9. What kind of help do you provide - critiques, free advice or editing?

A. I basically suck at grammar and writing (really!) so I doubt anyone would want me to critique or edit anything. But I love to help people and am always willing to share what works for me.

10. Which author do you idolize (off Wattpad)?

A. J.K. Rowling. I devoured the Harry Potter series, reading all the books multiple times, and then I listened to the stories on audio when I went to bed at night for literally years. The way she wove mystery throughout the entire series inspired my own writing style. I don't think I could ever write a story that isn't a mystery.

11. If you were a newbie, which part of the story would you focus on most?

A. Well, since I was a newbie not that long ago, other than the mystery, the thing I couldn't get enough of was getting in the minds of my characters. I loved exploring the psychological reactions they had to the situation they found themselves in as well as their evolving feelings towards each other.

12. Which is your favorite character (off Wattpad) ?

A. Harry Potter. I loved him as a little boy, alone in a world where he was famous and everyone either hated him, loved him, or wanted to use him for their own purposes. And I loved him as a young man, forced to try to find a way to save his friends and world when he didn't really want that burden. That moment when he realizes the only way is to sacrifice himself still makes me cry.

13. If you were given a choice to become one character (of your story posted on Wattpad) which one would you be and why?

A. Oh, jeez. That's a really tough one. LOL My characters really don't have easy lives. Out of all of them, Robert is the least tortured, but I think I would probably choose Jess from The Boy in the Woods. Even though times are tough for her, she has a strong drive to see the positive in things, she has a lot of self-confidence, and she's got a lot of spunk. I wish I could have been like her when I was her age.

14. Do you prefer dark romance or the usual?

 A. Dark romance all the way, baby!

15. Where do you look for your inspiration?

A. I get it from everywhere and everyone. I feel very lucky that these ideas just seem to come to me and weave themselves into these fabulous stories.

16. What’s your favorite TV show?

 A. The Office. That show never gets old.

17. Do you prefer more reads, votes or comments?

 A. Comments. Feedback is what keeps me from being the worst writer in the world.

18. Imagine the world is collapsing around you, what would you choose to save – technology or books?

A. Well, if the world is collapsing around you, there would be no electricity, or it would be tough to come by, so books. LOL I would also want pens and paper to write my stories. But it would be like torture to have to write and edit without a computer so I pick technology. Ugh! It's a really hard choice! LOL

19. What is the best advice you have given and received?

A. Wow, that's a tough one. I can't think of any advice I've received that really stands out but one of my favorite quotes pretty much sums it all up, for me at least. "Acceptance, forgiveness, and love - now that's a philosophy of life!" which is from Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose.

As for my favorite advice to give, if you write something you love, someone else is bound to love it too. And if only a few people love it, or nobody at all, nothing can take away the enjoyment you got from writing it.

20. Any extra tips for our young writers?

A. Yes, I have a lot of them! And luckily, I've just written them all down in a book called, How to Get Reads, Votes, and Comments - A Guide. It's all the tips and advice I have for other authors here on Wattpad.

Well, I'll throw one more out there - WRITE! Never stop writing because it will make you a better author.

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I hope you enjoyed this interview !