Interviewing The Wattpaders![And Crazy Challenges]

Interview! @KittyCrackers

Assalamualaikum!! It's interview time and yes you read that right.

It's KittyCrackers!

■|■

1).How did you discover Wattpad?

KittyCrackers:I was looking for Islamic Fiction and I came across a story called 'A Muslimah's Love Story'and began reading. Then I realised I could write and I'd been writing for a while and before I knew it, I was hooked on the site.

2).What inspired you to write?

KittyCrackers:I've been writing since I wrote a story based onGreek mythology in school and realised making stories is fun. But at some point, I decided I wanted to write Islamic fiction. I really got inspired when I read Islamic stories which had unislamic elements or characters too perfect. So I decided to make an Islamic story with likeable flawed characters because we're all flawed!

3).What is your favourite Spritual book(s) on Wattpad?

KittyCrackers:In His Love, In Your Love, and His Child, Her Baby, Their Family. I also liked Breaking Point and Chasing Dreams but I think I'm behind on those.

4).Tell us about your first book on Wattpad!

KittyCrackers:I had a book called 'Strangers' but it didn't contain Muslim characters because I wasn't sure how many Muslims there were on Wattpad. It was a short story and I was just testing the waters. Actually spent ages makinga cover for that on Paint! Was quite proud of the results.But my first actual book was A Muslim's Romantic Journey.

I wrote it for,

1)live out my dreams through writing.The search for marriage in real life is far more difficult because of reasons that shouldn't be reasons so I decided to take all these factors away in my book. Hence no one has a specific ethnicityand the characters haven't got fully established careers.

2) It contains certain reminders which I think is vital for young teenage girls to know - such as self-esteem (I've struggled with this since the first time someone called me fat at 8 and then spotty started at about 12. Grown out of it physically but not mentally). Also, lessons on how you can have a good halal relationship. I went to bitof an extreme in the couple not seeing each other (I would never marry someone without seeing them!) but it was to drill in the point thatyou don't need to spend some haram time alone with each other to fall in love.

3) To show that marriage is not always a happily ever after.But that doesn't mean that it's the opposite either. It's a balance of happy and struggles as all aspects of life are.

5).How long did it take for AMJR to get known?

KittyCrackers:About 3 chapters in, it had about 2,000 reads and I thought that was a lot! Then I think it was about 3 months in when the book for featured and suddenly, I was getting thousands of reads a day. Still can't believe it!

6).Do you think of publishing your books in future?

KittyCrackers:Yes, I've been looking for a Literary Agent but I've been really lazy with it because my work needs editing and that'll take so long!Also, my Microsoft Word stopped working so I can't even edit it anymore. I was on Chapter 10 from what I remember.I'd like to publish my other books too. Maybe I should just get an editor...

8).You're writing an AMJR Sequel! Tell us about it and what can we expect from it?

KittyCrackers:I wanted to write a story about a different type of struggle a married couple might go through.It seems all struggles we represent in stories threaten to tear the couple apart. But there are some struggles which couples have to face together and it makes them stronger. So we won't really see Amy and Hamza arguing but they'll have other issues to deal with. Many may have predicted the storyline but I think I have a few twists in store. Especially in regards to keeping it realistic!I also missed my AMRJ characters and I thought Amy and Hamza fit this storyline well so... tadah!

You can expect hope, confusion, irritation, smiles, frowns, hopefully some 'omg, you can'tdo that!' reactions! And since this is Hamza, hopefully some giggles...

6).What is your way out of Writer's Block?and tell us about your first encounter!

KittyCrackers:Once I start writing, the characters in my head kind of take over so I rarely encounter writer's block, Alhamdulillah. I just need to be botheredto write. Sometimes, I'm not sure what will happen in the next chapter until I begin writing!

9).Your response to hate comments?

KittyCrackers:It was due to hate comments that once, the Muslim community got together and we made an entire group and I made so many friends onhere who were defending me. I used to be sensitive towards hate comments and now I barely bat an eyelid. I don't think I really get many hate comments anymore. It's more that a few readers stop liking one of my characters (gosh they're unforgiving to flaws in characters!) but that's not really hate because Ithink they still like the story.

This brings me to the question of why readers have to take sides when a couple are arguing? Because sometimes, they're both wrong!

10).What is your advice to the Wattpad Authors?

KittyCrackers:Practice! You're writing will improve with each story. And read good books an lots of them. It helps improve your writing style. And if one is writing for Islamic purposes, it's good to have a pure intention which is to benefit others (while entertaining them, of course)

11).How has Wattpad impacted your life?

KittyCrackers:Right now, I'm afraid I have no time to read anymore. I'm working every hour I'm awake! Teaching is not easy! Planning, teaching, marking day in day out! Wattpad has let me live out one of the dreams I've had for a long time! It's helped me be committed to completing books. And being able to receive comments on it is also amazing! I love reading what people think about what I've written.

12).Final Question (that nobody wants to read of course!)
What do you think I can do to improve my Interviews?

KittyCrackers:Hmm... you have good interviews. But maybe start off your interviews with different questions. Ones that are more related to the specific interviewes and their works to make it start off different. That could be more engaging than starting with the same set of questions for every person.This is just a suggestion, though I've never really interviewed anyone. But I do watch a lot of interviews on youtube...

|■|

Jazakallahu Khayran to KittyCrackers for taking her time for this Interview.

And Thank you guys for reading! See you soon in my next interview that'll take another century to come out,hope you'd be living until then!😁

Bye!