Author Interviews

Interview with @wonderlex

What first inspired you to start writing and at what age did you start?

I believe that the first "story" that I wrote was in second grade. Granted I wasn't the most grammatically correct writer or the best, because let's be real it was the second grade I could barely color inside the lines at the time. But I'm not entirely sure as to why I decided to start writing at the time. I suppose little Lexi just thought it was cool. My teacher would always read stories to us and I remember thinking, "I wanna have someone read my books one day." It was ultimate goal. So ever since then, I've written plenty of short stories. Believe it or not, but I think I still have some of my short stories somewhere in my room oh my gosh. Nightmare lane is what I call that. But as I got older, I discovered that writing was actually a passion of mine. It became a way for me to let things out and use my imagination.

What challenges do you face as a writer?

Challenges? Well I believe that the biggest challenge I have is keeping up with a story and making sure that you keep the readers content while always keeping yourself content. It's actually a lot harder than you think. Often I would want to write something, but I know that my readers wouldn't particularly enjoy it. So that's my biggest struggle. Making both the readers and myself happy with my works.

What do you think makes a good story? Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

I believe that a good story starts with an idea. However, most writers usually make the mistake of just posting a story or starting a story without completely thinking it through. I'm not going to lie, I've often found myself doing that at the beginning. But now I've learned that it always pays off to think an through an idea thoroughly. So my tip is to find an idea that you find intriguing and something you'll feel passionate about, or else you'll end up deleting it and feeling bored with it. Think things through.

How has writing affected your life?

Writing gives me a way to express my emotions and let out any frustrations that I might have. It has helped me develop as a person I think and truly find who I am. It allows me to keep myself occupied and busy, which helps keep my mind off of the negative things. If that makes any sense.. Also, wattpad has allowed me to make some pretty cool friends who have the same interests as me which is pretty cool. I never imagined in a thousand years that I could possibly make friends with someone online, but here I am. So writing has definitely affected my life, in a very positive way.

How did you discover wattpad?

Oh my gosh, this is gonna be very embarrassing, but it was about three years ago I believe. I was in middle school and my obsession with stories was unreal. So my friend told me about this website where people write stories and I could read them for free. I was like "OMG WHAT FREE BOOKS WHERE" so that's that. The first story I read on wattpad was a one direction fanfiction, because even then I was 1D af. Now thinking back on it, it was the most horribly written thing I've ever read. Sorry. But then I found out that you could comment and vote, so I was like "oh better make an account..." And I did. I remember my first user, it was alexisjw10, which is basically my initials and a random 10 idk. After reading many stories I wanted to post my own. My first story was a one direction fanfic obviously, it was so awful oh wow. I eventually forgot about that account and deleted it completely because I didn't see the point of it. About a year later, I made a new account because I honestly missed wattpad. I didn't post anything on this account though. Eventually I forgot my password for that account ((lexi is an idiot if you didn't already know)) so I was forced to make a new account. Which is where my current account came from. I posted my first story, Easy A, which was a Luke fanfiction. I didn't really think it would get very far, but to my surprise it took off during the summer. I was so surprised and it was absolutely amazing.

What activities other than writing do you enjoy taking part in during your free time?

I'm actually involved with a lot of musically inclined subjects. Such as show choir, regular choir, musical, drama club, and I even take piano lessons. Music is another passion of mine outside of writing. I'm not the sporty type, so music is where I can be myself. I really love it.

How important do you think cover art is for a story here on wattpad?

Honestly... I believe a cover can speak a thousand words on its own. Though it should be wrong to "judge a book on its cover", but we do it anyways. Everyone wants to find something that catches their eye. A cover doesn't have to be extravagant with Photoshop and any other editing devises, it can be simple. And often simple is what works best. But it shouldn't look like you made it in paint or something. That ain't cool bb.

How emotionally invested are you in your work? Do you take parts of yourself and include them into characters or scenes?

I often find myself getting emotionally attached to my works whether I try to or not. You can't tell when reading, but I often find myself putting my emotions in the characters or in a certain scene it may reflect what I'm feeling. Especially when I'm writing 100 Days. I find myself getting completely attached to the characters and picturing them as real people with real emotions and real actions. Which is what you should do regardless, I think.

Do you read and answer comments? In what ways do they affect you if at all?

Of course I read the comments. I always read them. I try my hardest to answer them, or at least the ones I believe are capable for a reply. I love reading the feedback my readers come up with. It truly makes me want to continue writing the story, because I know that people enjoy it. Especially when I see a very well thought out comment, those truly make my day. However, with good comments come the bad. Of course I get negative feedback when I'm writing. That's just a given. It does damper my mood a bit, but it also allows me to improve. So all comments are important to me. ((Unless they are comments that relate back to a different story from a different author, those are obnoxious honestly))

Who is the character you've most enjoyed creating and why?

Out of all of my stories I think the character I've loved to write about the most is Riley from 100 Days. She is just so real and I can feel a connection with her, as do some of my readers. She also stands for a very important message that I hope my readers are able to pick up on. She is just so loving and understanding and real. I love her. I've actually gotten messages from my readers about how they love her and that warms my heart.

Do you have a favorite quote or saying regarding writing/reading?

A quote that honestly speaks to me would be, "Writers see the world differently. Every voice we hear, every face we see, every hand we touch could become story fabric." ~Buffy Andrews. It's just very true and I'm sure many fellow writers could agree with what this quote is saying. Everywhere we go, we see things that inspire us to write. It's honestly a beautiful thing.

Are there any implicit messages in your work that you would like your readers to get?

Yes, in my stories I try to make the characters true to themselves and act the way someone normally would. In this case, that means I give them all different personalities and appearances. It's a variety. Everyone is different and everyone is beautiful. However, a message that I definitely want to broadcast would have to be from 100 Days. What I was trying to display throughout the entire story was that looks don't matter. It's what is on the inside that truly counts. Everyone is amazing in their own way.

How do you cope with your up and coming popularity?

I don't really see myself as a popular writer. It's weird though, when people message me and tell me how much they love me and my works. It's a good weird though. But when people say how I'm "popular" or "famous" even, it's just mind blowing. I'm just a girl who sits behind a screen that loves to write. So, it's weird that I'm kinda popular but it's also pretty fricking awesome.

Finally, is there anything else you would like to say to your supporters?

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of my supporters. Every single one of you mean so much to me. I wouldn't be where I am without you and that's amazing. You're all amazing. I can't thank any of you enough. I love each and every one of you. Remember, you're amazing and beautiful just the way you are. Thank you xx c:

Thank you wonderlex for answering our questions.