Wattpad Interviews [Closed]

SchuylerThorpe

How did you discover WattPad?

Through Facebook. I had just recently left another networking site that wasn't doing me much good or getting me anymore and I saw a link of Watt Pad and thought it might be interesting to check out.

Once I saw that it catered to writers of all ages, I knew I might have a better chance at getting some much needed feedback and reads on my work.

How long have you been on Watt Pad and how often do you use it?

I've been on Watt Pad for almost 2 years now (Jan 3) and I use it daily. (It's an addiction.)

Is there meaning behind your user name?

My name has some interesting phonetic roots. Schuyler means "wise man" or "scholar" and Thorpe is Teutonic meaning "from a small town". (At the time of my birth, Anchorage, Alaska was a small town, barely deserving of the city designation in 1974.)

Why did you start writing? What age did you discover your love for it?

I started writing to escape the problems of my troubled childhood and teenage years. It was the only way I could feel normal and not be in so much pain. My first love of writing started when I was 14--in 1988.

I've been writing ever since.

Who are your favorite authors? What are your favorite books?

I have some favorite authors. In the beginning, mostly STAR TREK ones that I found compelling and very instructional for my writing in the latter years. These days, it's Jacqueline Carey, Melissa Keil, and Melissa Meyers. (Kushiel's Dart, Life in Outer Space, and Cinder.)

Favorite genres?

Science-fiction/fantasy, some romance, paranormal, and a few other genres. I'm very multi-talented in them.

Do you want a career in writing?

Naturally. You don't spend 27 years writing and *not* want a career in being a published author some day. But the process is slow and painful. But patience is the key.

Who supports you in your writing?

I have very few supporters in this venture of mine. I could never get my family on board--no matter what I tried and did. My wife is the only one I could consider a true supporter of my craft. She often engages me on and it does her character assassination thing from time to time.

But in reality, I have very few supporters--as it should be.

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Choose one of your books:

What is your book called? What genre is it? What is it about?

My newest novel is called "The Death Dealer and the Orb of Truth". It's a light paranormal/romance novel dealing with the exploits of a living dead girl, Camille Young, her best friend, Jack Nickerson (whom she has a crush on), and her other friend, Dustin Connors.

Cammy inherits the Orb of Truth from her mother and then it gets stolen and all hell breaks loose soon after.

How often do you update? When was the last time you updated it?

Daily for as long as my energy holds out. I'm on another systematic writing tear like I had in June for two weeks, and I'm hoping I can finish this book in 34 days.

I updated the book about nine hours ago. Two chapters a day. Seems reasonable.

How long are your chapters? Do you find short chapters to be better or long chapters?

My chapters are about 2,000+ words in length--or about 10-14 pages on average; for this book anyways. My last novel I was pumping in about 15-21 pages at a pop.

Chapter length really depends on my mood, but I like longer ones because you can flesh out the story more and put more "meat" on the bone as a result--rather than being skimpy or stingy.

Are you proud of how well your book has done? Are you happy with the amount of reads it has?

With my new Death Dealer novel, I'm particularly pleased with the fact that I can actually write YA--whereas before I couldn't. I just suddenly had a burst of inspiration and a couple of ideas for the novel which formed the premise for the book--and the ensuing novels which will follow.

Since the novel is just starting out, all I have are less than a 100 reads, but give it time. I'm still writing. My last vampire novel got over 4K reads for the first part of the book. So that's not too shabby.

Besides, I don't usually concentrate on the number of reads I get. I just write the book and worry about the statistics later--when they actually matter.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Yep! Whatever you're planning to write, be it known that it is a lifetime *commitment* to the craft. Don't expect things to be easy or simple.

Writing is a complex art that is understood by many and undertaken by so few. If you have the will and the drive to write, then *write*. Don't be afraid to experiment, don't be afraid to fail, and don't be afraid of having to do the hard work yourself.

It's nice to get help from people on some of the tough spots, but in the end, it's always going to be *you* who is in the driver's seat.

So make it a good one.

Why doesn't this author have more reads? Their books have amazing grammar, spelling, punctuation and a fast update schedule. They obviously haven't had their big break yet. So go and check him out because his books are amazing.