Welcome, Everyone !
To another interview with wattpad's rising star, I am your host and interviewer for today _sakshiimishra_, with the writer of the most famous book of wattpad, 2020 Watty's winner "The Psychopath Next Door '' with over 70k reads.

Let me introduce you to our rising author CarsonFaircloth

Welcome, and thankyou for agreeing for the interview, it means a lot.

So let's start with, Your real name and age?

My real name is actually Carson Faircloth! And I'm 24 years old.

Oh cool. You are my di (hindi word meaning- older sister)

I love that!

So di I am just curious.
What was your reaction when your books won the Watty?

And I was definitely stunned. I've been apart of this community for years (since 2012), so to win a Watty was such an unexpected honor.

Yeah true.
So what is your next aim you want to achieve?

I would love to get The Psychopath Next Door published, which is a long, long process - but I'm working on it! If I could see my book in bookstores, and on bookshelves...that would be incredible.

Yup. I guess this wish of yours is going to come true really fast.

So what do you like to do in your leisure time?

Reading, of course. But if I'm not reading, I enjoy taking long walks. And curating Spotify playlists for every possible mood or occasion.

Cool, I do the same.

As you said you are on this platform for quite some time, so who is your favorite author you found on wp? What are your favorite books which you read in one go?

One of my favorite authors (and someone who constantly motivates me in my own work) is fallynsinclair. Her book, Falling Out of Time, is amazing. I'm also really looking forward to tearing into Inspector Rames by MorganMollyHunter.

Cool. So as a writer it is natural that we expect something from our readers right?

So what do you expect from your readers? Was there any time you felt bad that your readers didn't understand you?

Hmm. That's a tough one. I'd say that I expect my readers to keep an open mind - when it comes to character development, the unraveling of clues, and so on. I can't say that there was ever a time I felt "bad" about a miscommunication, per se. If my readers aren't seeing what I see, or feeling what I feel, then that means I need to do a better job as a writer. Their feedback is invaluable in that regard!

Okay so there must be some readers who supported you from the start of your journey, so who are they? Do you want to give them any message ?

Definitely! fallynsinclair and  frickin_bats were a huge motivator for me. Back when The Psychopath Next Door had only a few hundred reads, they gave it a shot, and have been with me every step of the way. I really don't think I could ever thank them enough!

That's so sweet.

So as an author what do you like being the most a reader or an author? Which do you enjoy the most?

Oof, that's hard! I adore reading and immersing myself in new worlds. But at the end of the day, I love being an author more. There's nothing more rewarding.

That's true.

Our reader would really love to know about how you came up with the story for 'the psychopath next door'. What was your inspiration?

Another good question! I came up with the idea back in high school, when I was sixteen. I didn't have a plot yet, but I had a character in mind: Cooper Daniels. A gangly, awkward boy with obsessive compulsive disorder, who would find himself at the center of a murder mystery. It took a few chapters for me to realize I wanted to include Calla's perspective as a teenage psychopath, and it took even longer to fully figure out the plot, the motive, and the ultimate reveal.
That's so cool. You won't even believe but you just gave me a bundle of motivation from this. Like you waited and improved this story from your teenage to adulthood and you never gave up on it. That's so cool and motivating.

So I am curious, how was your teenage life? As you have crossed it now, what is your perspective on that phase of life?

That's amazing - never give up! I'm glad I could offer some motivation :)

And being a teenager was just like everyone says it is: hard! I had a lot of academic pressure on my shoulders as a student at the top of my class. And of course, girls in high school can be cruel. Reading and writing were really my escape from all of it. Looking back, I wish I could tell my younger self to r e l a x. High school is barely the tip of the iceberg. Those years are nowhere near the best years of your life! But I did learn who I wanted to be - a writer. So I suppose my teenage years gave me that!

Everyone says that being a teenager was hard. But it is true indeed that it is barely the tip of the iceberg.

Well said.

So many adults and all think that teenagers don't have good stability of mind and they have mixed emotions all the time. Most of the wattpadians are teens , so what do you think about this?

I hate this idea that teenagers are "unstable" or "emotional". Of course teenagers are hormonal - but why should that make their feelings and experiences any less valid? There are so, so many lessons to be learned throughout those teenage years. If anything, it takes quite a bit of strength and tenacity just to live through it - and still have a sense of humor and hope for the future! Teenagers are way more resilient than other generations give them credit for. And if you ask me, being / having strong emotions isn't a bad thing. It's a strength. Not many adults are capable of simply feeling the spectrum of emotions that teenagers can.

That is so true. I often feel that teenagers are harshly judged by adults just because they are energetic and spontaneous.

So what are your best and worst memories of your teenage years?

The best memories mostly revolve around a few close friends and many, many wonderful books! Late nights, and lots of laughter. The worst memories are more so related to my own insecurities. Lost friendships, growing pains, academic stress...I definitely wouldn't relive my teenage years. But I wouldn't erase them, either!

True.. same for me.
As we know, that you are on Wattpad for years now, so what do you think, is this platform safe for teenagers?

I definitely think so! Wattpad is extremely proactive when it comes to making the platform a safe space. Even controversial decisions (i.e. taking down the forums) were for the safety of the community, particularly teenagers. It's the most regulated, proactive community I've encountered.

True, many teenagers also highly use social media, It has its pros and cons. So what's your opinion on this?
_
Like anything else, social media can be harmful when abused and overused. But it's also a great way for people to connect. And for teenagers who may feel isolated, I think that's invaluable. But it's also important to remember that social media, much like literature, is not reality. It's an escape.

Do you want to share anything with us? Or do you want to express something that you think everyone should pay attention to?

Firstly: thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you and your readers! And secondly: I just want the writing community to know how much support there is out there. Keep going. Keep learning. Keep growing. Never give up on what you love. And that's really all the advice I can give!

Aww thankyou so much for that.

Is there anything you want to ask your readers? Or us?

I would love to know what my readers love most about a story / my stories in particular. What makes them root for a character? What makes them dislike a character?

I am going to start reading and become one of your reader. I would definitely reply to this question in some days ;).

Lastly, what do you think about our community (teen fix)?
Thank you so much!

And I love the community! Any safe space for teen writers / readers gets an A+ in my book. Keep up the good work!

And the last question. How do you feel , giving us an interview? Is there anything you want to suggest to improve ourselves?

I'm very thankful you reached out! I always enjoy making new connections, so I really appreciate you getting in touch.

Oh we are thankful that you agreed to give us an interview. It means so much. And congratulations once again on winning watty's. All the members of our teen fix community wishes you more success in future.

Thank you so much!

Thankyou for reading!
-Teen Fix