Hello to all!

Today, I, RoseBlossom79 👧, will be interviewing the author of The Door,  the September's featured Book of the Month!

As one of the members of Adult Fiction, I have arrived in the magical world of Canada (even if its only for this visual segment), for this is how ShaunAllan 's story started.  But how mysterious is it for WP Headquarters to be part of a Horror Story? 🤔

So I came on board to investigate to see what I could find.

Meanwhile, I thought this is also the best place to meet the author himself. So, would you like to come inside with me? 😎

Come inside into WP HQ's wonderworld! 

As we enter the doors of Wattpad Headquarters in Toronto, a whole new world of storytellers awaits us. 

Walking up the stairs, we turn to our right and enter a 'new dimension' of the unknown!

And there's the gentleman 👴himself waiting for his interview to be conducted. Let's take a seat and see all that Wattpad HQ has to offer!

RB: Hello Shaun! Thanks for meeting me here.

SA: It's my pleasure.

RB: Wow, it looks really nice in here. I love these comfy couches. It isn't a wonder now how you can write any story here. I'm in deep awe!

SA: That's exactly what I said to myself when I first came here too. It has quite a setting like no other! I shall show you their story tree!

RB:  Wow! That's so cool!  Leads us to another world 🌏 in our minds!😀

So, shall we start with the interview now, since I know you are a busy man.

SA: Sure we can Rose, and don't worry, I took some time off to enjoy the day!

RB: Thank you, Sir. (Taking out her notebook from her backpack, which contains all the questions she made for this meeting.) 

RB: Okay, let us begin!

I'm interviewing you today based on your short horror story The Door. I found it quite amusing as if I were entering the character entering another dimension. In your blurb, you mentioned that you wrote it based on the hotel you stayed in next to Wattpad HQ. That must have been an exciting time for you to meet everyone there.

SA: Oh, without a doubt. It was one of the absolute highlights of my life! The whole experience was amazing. The Wattpad staff here – are – so welcoming and the working dynamic there is enviable. The Stars I met there were fab. I felt so out of place among such talented authors and many of them now feel like extended family. I met GregCarrico there and we became close friends. We stayed together at last year's London Wattcon and are doing so again in Toronto.

The weirdest thing was meeting people who were fans of me! It's the most bizarre feeling ever!

RB: Could you please tell our readers then why you made this story's genre a scary one? Was it the atmosphere, the new 'adventures' or 'risks' you were about to embark that made you want to write in that format?

SA: Horror tends to be my genre. I do write MG and YA, but most of my work is horror. Often, though, I start writing the story and it goes where it wants to. I sat down, once, to write some of the sequels to Sin. Before I knew it, I'd written a story about how Rudolph saves Christmas!

I read Stephen King's From A Buick 8. In it, he said how he got the idea after seeing a car abandoned at a petrol station (I think). He began to develop an image of what might have happened to the owner. When I saw the woman coming through the door and spoke to the man I couldn't see, the story seemed to lead to itself. I wasn't sure where it would go until it got there.

RB: It was also funny how you compared the doors as those that 'swooshed open' for you like in the Science Fiction show. Do you like that series?

SA: Oh, yes. I'm a massive fan. I love science fiction and the genre was one of the first I read. I loved Star Trek, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, etc. I'm such a gadget geek and the worlds created in those books and shows fascinate me.

RB: So, with your story in mind ... if you were like your character, Steven, what you tell your younger writing self and why? Would you want to morph into your future self?

SA: I'd tell him to not be so curious! Curiosity was what got him into that mess!

To be honest, though, Steven – the real one – isn't such a bad person. He likes himself. It's the same with me. I've been through various dark times (much of which comes out in my writing), but I like who I am. I think I'm a decent person. All the crap has made me who I am. If things were easier, perhaps I'd be a different person. Perhaps I wouldn't be a writer or a star or have worked for movies or any of that.

RB: What does literary success look like to you? Have you published any of your books? Do you write in your free time or is writing stories something you like to do for a living?

SA: I had self-published Sin originally before I found Wattpad. It reached #1 in psychological horror, which was amazing. The book was also #1 on a list of Books That Get You Hooked, above Harry Potter and The Hunger Games!

I don't count financial gain as a success, though Since being a Wattpad Star, I've achieved much more. I've written for such films as The Purge: Anarchy, Sinister II, The Boy, Incarnate and, most recently, IT! The support and comments I've had for my books have been astonishing. I once had a radio interview and the presenter couldn't understand why I was so delighted about that support. He tried to tell me that comments don't pay the bills. No, they don't, but money? It's called 'cold hard cash.' I like the warmth, thanks.

RB: If you have published your stories before, then do you have any tips on how to market your books?

SA: As I mentioned, Sin was self-published. I've also self-published other stories. I tried blog tours and paying for reviews, but didn't find that it worked too well. Social media was the main marketing tool I used in the end. I'd interact on Facebook and Twitter mainly. Nowadays, I don't have as much time as I used to, and most of that spare time is spent writing! It's very difficult and it can be harder than actually writing the book – almost a full-time job in itself.

But, it clearly has its benefits, or I wouldn't have made it to #1. You have to find a balance, and that can be tricky.

RB: Did you always want to become a writer when you were younger?

SA: Definitely. I would, I'm told, draw pictures and write the stories to go with them. I can't, actually, remember a time when I wasn't writing. When I was in school, my English teacher, Mr. Staniforth, read To Kill a Mockingbird to the class and we were all spellbound. I wanted to have that effect on others. That changed me from writing stories to actually wanting to take it somewhere. Sin is partly dedicated to him and he even appears in it. I met him a couple of years ago to give him a copy of the book and thank him.

I incorporated mockingbirds into one of my tattoos.

RB: So, here is a question that interests me. Do you read what others write about your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad or the good ones? Is criticism hard to take or do you learn from your mistakes?

SA: I read them, but don't necessarily let them worry me. What matters most, are the positive comments and obviously, they lift my spirits! The occasional negative ones? Well, people have their opinions and are entitled to them. It's fine. I thank them for taking the time to comments and I move on.

I remember one scathing review of Sin. The person, on their website, took huge chunks of the prose and wrote extensively about why they hated it. It really shook me, but then I thought no. That's only one reviewer. So many others have loved my work. And, more importantly, I, myself, like my stories. I'm proud of them. I've worked hard on them and, to be honest, I would have to write them even if no-one else read one word.

A review is that one person's opinion. Good or bad, that's up to them. I use them to validate what I do, not define it.

RB: Good point Sir! 

So, What was your hardest scene to write – and this does not necessarily have to do with your story The Door. Do you also have a story genre preference or do you just write whatever comes to mind?

SA: That's a hard question. I don't usually find scenes difficult. The writing takes its own course. Writing Sin, though, was quite burdensome at times. There's a massive part of me in the book. My life, my thoughts and wonderings and more. Writing the book was almost a form of therapy. It took me ten years to write and, at times, I could almost feel as if I were sitting talking to a psychiatrist!

RB: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

SA: I love films. If I'm not writing, I'm probably watching a movie. Or, I'll be watching a film while writing. I will watch most things, but action, horror and science fiction are my favourites. Other than that, there's my boy – Ripley. He's a King Charles spaniel and is totally amazing. He even has a Tap story written about him. He's my shadow and my friend. My daughters love him too.

RB: Ripley 🐕 must be some lucky dog!

Do you have any suggestions to help us readers become a better writer? If so, what are they?

SA: Don't give up! To become a better writer, you must write. Don't let others stop you, either. There have been people who have said to me, why read the book when you can watch the movie. I didn't let them put me off.

Also, you need to read. That can be difficult, but it helps you pick up techniques and can guide you.

RB: And lastly, what authors on or off Wattpad have inspired you in your writing experience?

SA: Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, was one of the first. Of course, there's also Stephen King. His memoir, On Writing, was invaluable to me. I wrote the story entitled, Kill a King, about him and was blown away when I was asked to write for the IT movie. 

On Wattpad... there's so many. Not just those who have influenced my writing, but who have influenced my life and, as such, me. People such as GregCarrico,  GavinHetherington , Bella Higgins  Bella_Higgin , RebeccaSky, FinnyH, , KellyAnneBlount, Mary Diamond, BenSobieck, wrightstory, Rachel  Meinke aka  knightsrachel , Zara Ali, Kristin Jaques, gabycabezut and Tammy Oja aka tamoja  I could easily go on. They've helped me grow as a writer and as a person. They've helped me like who I am and what I do. Some of them I will never meet. Some I have met and love and some I will be meeting in Toronto.

Wattpad is a truly wonderful community and it has been, genuinely, a life-changing experience.

RB: And that concludes our interview. Thank you, Shaun Allan, for your time.

SA: Again, it is my pleasure and I hope you have enjoyed seeing the inside of WP HQ (even if it's through your computer screen!)

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So, now I know the secret to the mystery to The Door. It's a story like no other! I guess WP HQ can do that to you! 😊

And I'd like to share with the Wattpad community a former Toronto meetup pic now. 

Have fun!🎈💥
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This is RoseBlossom79 saying 'Till next time folks, champagne wishes and Cavite dreams! 🍹 Cheers!