It's that time of the week again, and we've got another amazing fantasy author with us. Her writing process is quite interesting and her message to up-and-coming writers out there is really inspiring. Without further ado, please welcome LeeraIvy.

What is your Wattpad username?

Leera Ivy

Is there a story to how you got your username? Tell us about it!

My pen name was inspired by the very first book I wrote! My main character’s original name was Alex Ivy, though I ended up scrapping his last name from the story, and he had a twin sister named Leera. Leera did not survive the story, unfortunately, but I really loved her character and wanted to commemorate her in some way. I put her name with her brother’s scrapped last name, and adopted Leera Ivy as my online pen name!

What or Who inspired you to write?

Writing was always something I loved to do but I was inspired to start seriously writing by Anastasia Snyder, the author of Scarlet Reign. I grew up watching her YouTube videos and listening to her stories, and read her book when it was first published. Back then, she was the age that I am now, and while watching her, I realized I had never thought that young people could be authors too. It then became a dream of mine to become a published author and it’s something I work towards every day.

Share a favorite quote with us!

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” -C.S. Lewis

Can you describe your perfect writing area?

My perfect writing area would be sitting in a bay window with frost on the glass and an autumn view outside, Turkish Delight to snack on, and some sort of hot drink within reach.

Describe Fantasy as a genre in your own words.

When I think of the fantasy genre, the first thing that comes to mind is millions of vibrant, unique worlds, each reflecting the author who created them in many different ways. To me, fantasy is the ability to make characters, worlds, creatures, and stories without any inhibitions. There is no right or wrong way to write fantasy, because anything the author comes up with can be fantastical. Look at Tolkien. He took elephants and made oliphaunts! Fantastical in every way. And while many fantasy pieces might seem similar, there are dozens of differences for every similarity. You can freely express yourself through your writing in every way.

Please tell us about your story/stories on Wattpad so that our readers can discover your works.

My account mostly consists of fantasy-romance books. I have several of my original works posted and ongoing. They are interconnected stand-alones featuring pirates, Faeries, enemies to lovers, schemes, battles, and more.

My current work in progress is about a sea monster hunter, and a mermaid pretending to be a human, who are working together to catch a dangerous monster that is wreaking havoc on the seas. They don’t get along well due to a misunderstanding in their past, and their rivalry could spell destruction for everyone if they don’t put it aside.

I also have an entire collection of Sarah J. Maas fanfictions for the A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City book series. Then there are my older Star Wars fanfictions, and some other random stories scattered in between.

What's your favorite Fantasy book/books on Wattpad?

I don’t read on Wattpad so I don’t have any recommendations, sadly.

What Fantasy sub-genre do you prefer to write?

I prefer high fantasy.

What does your writing process look like? Are there steps you follow in terms of working on your projects?

When I start working on a new story, I usually already have a general idea of who my main characters are going to be and what the end goal of the book is. From there, I start by figuring out where in my existing fantasy world this story would fit, and if it doesn’t, I create a new world.

My world building process is pretty messy so I don’t have a good way of describing it, but it mostly consists of sketching out rough maps and then throwing in locations and features that I know I’ll need for the story. I add things as I go.

Then I develop my characters and their backstories, which helps me draft up some secondary characters and plot lines. I take those plot lines and my general idea for the story and draft them into a basic outline/timeline for the events of the book. Once that is done, I redo the outline entirely, adding in more plot points, taking out others, swapping some around, etc. (That process often carries into writing the book itself.) After all of that is done and I have my characters figured out, I’m ready to start writing.

What is/are your favorite type/s of characters to write? Why?

My favorites would be my protagonists and love interests. When I write, I alternate between my two main characters’ (which are also my two main love interests) POVs. I like to see the story progress from both of their perspectives, and show how they differ or work together when solving problems and advancing in their relationship.

What is/are your favorite trope/s to use and see in the media? Why?

I love the enemies or rivals-to-lovers and found family tropes. Enemies-to-lovers and rivals-to-lovers tropes give me the opportunity to work with some snarky banter and scenarios that will either make or break my characters relationships. In some cases, it does both! They also just add a little extra tension to some relationships which fits with many of my characters’ personalities.

I like the found family trope because oftentimes, my characters start out having little to no family, or family drama. I like showing them rise above the way they were treated or how they grew up, and giving them a family that truly cares for them, and betters them throughout the story. This trope is also very personal to me, which is another reason I like to use it.

Share some interesting worldbuilding facts from your works.

My entire fantasy world grew around Falorea, the country I made for my very first book. Falorea was largely inspired by Narnia and Middle-Earth, so I gave it all sorts of mythical creatures which aren’t found anywhere else in my world.

I’ve created many legends and stories to go with the countries in my world, and there are even legends around the few constellations I created. In my country of Valence, almost every location marked on the map is named after a piece of medieval knight armor.

My country of Orphic did not start out as a country at all. It began as a forest and about three cities, which I later decided to develop into a country. I typically use a lot of Latin words when naming locations within my fantasy world.

How do you come up with the names of your characters?

I try to find names that reflect aspects of their personality or story. I usually find them on Pinterest or just on baby name websites. If I find a name with a definition that reminds me of my character, I add it to a pool of possible names.

Sometimes, I like two names too much to decide between them, so one of the names becomes the character’s first name and the other its last. If I can’t find names I like, I use the same method but I look for pretty words in other languages. Like with my world-building, I do use Latin when it comes to naming characters sometimes.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

A little bit of both. I try to stick to my story plan but sometimes you get stuck and just have to wing it to see where you end up.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Introvert for sure.

Favorite food?

I love phở!

Favorite color?

My favorite color is red.

What is your most used app?

Google docs. It’s what I write on.

Name a country or city you would like to visit.

I’d like to visit St. Petersburg, Russia.

How do you relax after a long day?

I’ll typically read or watch a movie. The latter is more common, and 7 out of ten times I’m watching Shrek 2.

Who is your role model?

Ashley Eckstein and Bilbo Baggins.

How has the reader community on Wattpad influenced you in writing your stories?

For the most part, receiving comments and votes has really helped boost my confidence and inspiration when it comes to writing. Some days that imposter syndrome creeps in and I feel ready to just give up, then one little comment just makes my whole day and reminds me that I’m good at what I do and other people love my work as much as I love creating it. I love seeing people enjoy my work and it gives me hope for the future.

What are your future plans in writing, whether they be on Wattpad or outside it?

I’m hoping to someday publish my original works into physical books, whether it be through traditional or indie publishing. I’d love to see my books in the hands of others and get the opportunity to do things like giveaways and book signings.

What are your hopes and wishes regarding your journey as a fantasy writer?

My hopes are to become published within the next five to ten years and see my books in stores like Barnes and Noble. My wish would be for one of my books to be made into a movie or tv series.

What would you like to tell up-and-coming writers out there?

Write what you know and what you love, and don’t let others tell you how to write your story. Stick to your boundaries and do what you’re comfortable with. If you force yourself to write something you don’t want to just to cater to your readers’ demands, it will take all the joy out of writing and reflect in your work. At the end of the day, the readers who truly love your work and respect you as an author will read it as it is, and respect your boundaries and decisions.

Notebook or Computer?

Computer

Read a book or watch a movie?

Read a book

Pop or R&B?

Pop

Summer or Winter?

Winter

Series or Standalone?

It varies depending on my mood.

Music or silence during writing?

Silence, otherwise I accidentally write what I hear

Writing same time of the day or any time of the day?

Same time of the day

Deadlines or Mood?

Mood

Meet your favorite author or be your favorite character?

Be my favorite character

Halloween or Christmas?

Halloween

Read on a couch or read on bed?

Read on a couch

Spring or Autumn?

Autumn

Kittens or Puppies?

Puppies!

Edit during or edit after?

After

And there you have it. We hope you enjoyed this interview with LeeraIvy. Catch us next time as we bring on another amazing Fantasy author. Till then, have a magical week ahead.