- About You

Luisa is an aspiring author from Toronto, Canada. She has a range of literary interests but finds herself focused on contemporary Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Her writing journey started at the ripe age of 12. However, she did not come across this beautiful orange platform until much later. Luisa has been a Wattpad user for almost a decade and has a lot of experience on the site. She was a hardcore reader before ever becoming a writer. She published her first story on Wattpad back in 2014 – which has currently amassed over four million reads online. Luisa is very much involved with the Wattpad community. She was a Community Ambassador for almost 4 years before she had to leave her position to focus on university. She was also a member of the Futures Program and is currently the head admin of a campaign account called ProjectBadBoys.

When she isn't writing, Luisa can be found creating art, daydreaming or cuddling with her dog, Bauer.

- Did you always want to write novels?

Ever since I was a young child, I would come up with these short stories in my head. But it wasn't until I read The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, that I discovered the desire to capture my wild imagination down onto paper.

- What was your story behind writing His Last Hope and Take Me Home?

His Last Hope was loosely inspired by a series of events that I experienced during high school. The setting and characters are all based off of the place I lived and the people I knew – including Lincoln Pierce. Back then (and maybe even now), I was obsessed with bad boy characters fighting to better themselves. And so were most Wattpad readers – which gave me the push I needed to share my first story online.

Take Me Home was originally a short story that I wrote in my senior year as a creative writing assignment. It wasn't until years later that I decided to adapt it into a novel. It's a fun summer adventure that I hope to wrap up soon.

- What's your favourite thing to write?

YA contemporary romance is what I lean towards most. I find it to be the easiest thing for me to jump on into. But I honestly really enjoy paranormal romance and fantasy as well. The fantastical elements of world-building, magic systems and the supernatural are exciting to explore.

- Are you a structured writer or do you let inspiration take you?

Structured – maybe even a bit too much at times. I thoroughly enjoy the outlining process, and often will not start a story until I've planned each chapter from beginning to end. I am not opposed to making changes while I write, but I like having a solid base to lean on, just in case I get stuck.

- What's your biggest weakness as a writer?

I spend too much time on the first draft. This is an unfortunate effect of posting my drafts online. It takes me a long while to get through writing the first draft of the story because I edit as I go. If I did not spend as much time writing the first draft, I could get to writing other stories much faster.

- What do you do when it's time to edit the first draft?

As I mentioned earlier, I tend to edit as I go (a double-edged sword). However, on the rare occasions that I want to rework a story, I start by reading it again from cover to cover. Most of the time, I let stories sit for a long while before I even attempt to edit them. Rereading gives me the opportunity to refresh my memory. Then I can make a list of things I liked and didn't like (what I want to keep, and what has to go) and go from there.

- Out of all the series you've written, which one is your most favourite or which one did you enjoy writing the most?

His Last Hope will always hold a special place in my heart – even if I have grown up a lot since writing it. It was the first novel I ever completed and brought me a number of Wattpad opportunities. It's going to be hard to get attached to a story like that again.

- Which of your characters would you want to have a talk over the fireplace?

Calista Hale. I feel like she and I would get along quite well. We're pretty similar. But, overall, I admire her ability to be a good friend. You can never have too many of those.

- What inspired you to become a writer?

S. E. Hinton and learning that she became a writer at the age of 17.

- What were the struggles you had to face?

Self-doubt and my uncanny ability to think of more story ideas than I can write.

- Which of your stories did you feel the most accomplishing?

His Last Hope. As I mentioned earlier, His Last Hope has brought me an amount of success that I didn't think possible.

- Why do you think cliffhangers are necessary?

In serialized fiction, cliffhangers at the end of chapters are almost an absolute necessity. This is because you want to keep readers coming back for more. Online writing platforms, such as Wattpad, hold millions of stories for readers to choose from. If your chapters (especially the first few) are not gripping enough, it doesn't take much for a reader to click away. There's not much incentive to stick it out and give the book a chance, because most of these works are being posted for free.

Cliff-hang the crap outta your readers.

- Where do you find inspiration when you feel yourself going through writer's block?

When I feel burnt out or on the verge of writer's block, I will often stay as far away from writing as I can. Instead, I'll read, doodle while listening to podcasts or binge Netflix. Writer's block tends to come from times when we're feeling uninspired or bogged down. Putting the pen down and just going out and living life can potentially fuel that reservoir back up.

- How many times have you gone through your own stories?

Probably a few thousand, by now.

- Can you give some tips to motivate ourselves?

Cheering on and witnessing the success of fellow Wattpad writers is the best motivation for me. A writing friend becomes a Wattpad Star – motivated! A mutual reaches a milestone – motivated! A writer I've followed for a long time gets a publishing/movie deal – motivated!

Surround yourself with good, positive and supportive writing friends, and you've won half the battle.

- Are there some you ask yourself while writing or before starting a book?

"Why am I doing this to myself again?" or "Maybe I should finish that other unfinished WIP first."

- Sometimes we know the plot but the continuation of the story or flow doesn't come to mind, any advice on that?

Outline. Outline, outline, outline. And if it doesn't come right away, trust me when I say it will. Start piecing things together like a puzzle and everything will start falling into place.

- Would writing be the first career choice in your mind?

If I could make a living wage off of my writing, it would absolutely be my first choice.

- Any advice for people who choose writing as their career? Like advice on getting published and all?

Research. There is more than one way to publish a story. Make sure that you're researching all avenues to figure out which stream works best for you. Some people really want to traditionally publish. Others choose to self-publish. Both have their pros and cons. Regardless of what you pick, think of it as running a business. There's a lot that goes into it.

And, for the love of everything, learn about what a Vanity Press is and stay far, FAR away.

- Do you ever feel pissed about your fans' reaction to some particular scene in the story?

I don't think I've ever been angry due to a fan's reaction. But I have been disappointed. It's the comments I get that villainize a female character who has done a similar (if not the same) thing that a male character was praised for earlier in the story. The double standard is frustrating to me. Overall, my readers are extraordinary and have been nothing but enthusiastic and supportive.

- List 5 of your favourite authors on/off Wattpad?

Some wonderful writers that deserve all the support:

@TahilePurvis

@annasteffey

@JordanLynde

@AYClaudy

@Jewlez

- Do you get your stories beta read (hire people to read the unedited draft) before publishing?

Normally, no. But I do have some writing friends that I could run chapters by if I need it. Once again, those support systems are important.

- The last question, who helped you in your whole journey of becoming a great writer?

I have been extremely lucky with the amount of support I have received from the people in my life. There have been a number of friends, family members, and readers who have pushed me to better myself. Let's just say that the acknowledgement section of my first published novel is going to be a doozy. 

© TheMystiqueCircle

NOTE: This Interview wasn't copied from anywhere. We personally asked her these questions by contacting her. Please don't copy or replicate this anywhere else. 

Interviewer, Coffee.