Hello everyone! Welcome to September Issue of Interview with Author of The Month. 👋🏽

It's Sophie (sufiena1608) here! And with me in the studio, author of our Book of the Month, Something New Blooms. Please welcome, KaraCarreira!🙌🏽🙌🏽 How are you, Kara?

Kara : Hello Sophie! I'm good thanks. How are you? Ahh, I'd love for Something New Blooms to be featured as AdultFiction's Book of the Month for September. It's the only chicklit/contemporary tale I've written, and it's also a short story. So, it really means a lot to me that you checked it out and enjoyed it. Thank you so much for this opportunity! I'm truly honoured.

Sophie : Our readers would want to know the person behind the writings of In Fair Verona, The Gazelle (A Rapunzel Story) and of course, Something New Blooms. So, tell us about yourself and who is KaraCarreira outside of Wattpad?

Kara : Writing is such a huge part of my life that it's hard to say who I am outside of it! I may use a different name in my life off Wattpad in order to keep my writing life separate from my work life, but I'm the same person that I portray online. I'm just a student trying to get through university with my sanity intact. I have an unhealthy love for period dramas and the theatre on the rare occasions when I have time to enjoy them. I adore The Weeknd and instrumental music from around the world. I'm obsessed with academia aesthetics and flowers (that's why they're on so many of my covers for my Wattpad stories! And don't get me started on my Instagram posts). My ideal day would be spent at a museum or doing something outdoors, like hiking or having a picnic. I live for travelling and reading and writing about the places I go. I always have space for dessert and new books. I'll read anything, but my favourite genres are fantasy, historical fiction, paranormal and mystery.

Sophie : Ah, that explains the floral design on the book cover. It does look stunning, though. Kudos to the designer for the magnificent work.

So, describe yourself using three songs.

Kara : "I am titanium", as Sia once said, because I have faced my fair share of adversity, and although it has chipped at me, I've never let it break me. Instead, I try to learn from the challenges and grow so that I become the strongest and best version of myself.

I really relate to "Adaptation" by the Weeknd. Not only is it a beautiful song, but it reminds me of the relationships and ideas I've sacrificed to be where I am today. My degree is extremely stressful (I'm so glad I'm in my second last year!) and time-consuming, so it doesn't leave space for everything I want to have in my life at the moment. There are things and people I loved but had to leave behind. Listening to this song always makes me stew in regret, but it also helps me make peace with my past.

"Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran perfectly describes how I feel about writing, one of the biggest things that makes me me. I've spent many late nights sitting up alone to get stories done before deadlines, swearing never to do it again... and then I find myself doing it again. Writing is my favourite addiction, but I wouldn't call it a bad habit. Something that's so life-enriching and soul-brightening can't be bad, right?

Sophie : Who is/are your favourite author(s) growing up? Do they shape your writing styles or drew you to write?

Kara : Definitely! I loved reading as a child (back when I had more time for it), and I was at the library every week gathering books to devour. I couldn't get enough of Carolyn Keene's "Nancy Drew" series (that's probably why most of the stories I write have an element of mystery to them!). The characters, the journey, the clues, the twists, the revelations... I was always hooked within a few pages! Out of all Enid Blyton's works, I first fell in love with her children's fantasy stories. It was fascinating seeing worlds where fairies, elves, goblins and gnomes lived in harmony (and sometimes discord). I also really enjoyed her mystery stories and boarding school series. She was the first multi-genre author I knew of, and she influenced my adoration of fantasy as well as my inclination to jump between genres in my writing (which I hope to explore more in the future!). Meg Cabot was another multi-genre author who really inspired me but for a different reason. She has such a relatable, unique writing style that's always distinct, no matter whether she was writing a story about a young witch, a teenager who just discovered she's a Princess, or a woman who falls in love with her best friend's fiancé's annoying friend. I admire her for being a prolific writer with such a distinct voice that makes her so recognisable in all her works.

Sophie : Agree! I can so relate to growing up with Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew. They're the best.

Now, let's talk about Something New Blooms which created from a contest prompt. What was the writing process like? Do any of the characters, plots and scenes inspired by true events either from observations or something you experienced?

Kara : It was my first time writing a contemporary story with no magic, so it was definitely an interesting experience for me! The planning went quickly because I didn't have to worry about magic systems or any other fantastical elements. I had to rush through it though because the contest deadline was approaching, but all things considered, I was happy with the end result! It was the first short story I've created for a contest that I didn't overwrite in the first draft, so I felt very accomplished about that. If any of the characters, plot points or scenes are inspired by real events in my life or observations I have made, it was subconsciously rather than intentionally. Since the contest theme was "Delve Deeper", I decided to explore the emotional aspects of the prompt in detail. That's why it wasn't a particularly eventful story, but I think the character development took centre stage over the plot. The way the prompt was phrased sounded like it was leaning towards a certain ending, so I decided to turn that around completely to create what was hopefully a more realistic and relatable story.

Sophie : Although I feel that the ending of Something New Blooms is adequate for closure, do you reckon an alternate ending to it?

Kara : The banner at the top of the prompt chapter read "Steal your Ex!", which I felt was leading me in a certain direction with the story. Naturally, I contemplated Keanu breaking off his engagement to Renata and getting back together with Acacia once they had cleared everything up between them, but I feel like that would've been cliché. I took the opposite route simply because I love subverting tropes, and I especially enjoy the challenge of doing so within a word limit. I also wanted the story to be reflective of real life. None of the relationships I've had ever had a fairy-tale ending. Stories can so often create unrealistic expectations. I wanted to represent the less idealistic side of life, all the unhappy endings that we never read about. A happy ending wouldn't have served the lesson or the theme of growth and new beginnings I was going for with this story. This was written for the "Delve Deeper" contest, so I felt like I had to dig deeper into my character and myself as a writer to write an ending that was satisfying and also thought provoking. We all make mistakes, and sometimes we have to learn things the hard way. Sometimes we break things that can't be fixed, and it hurts, but we have to hurt before we can grow, cut off our attachments to the parts of our pasts that no longer serve us, and move on.

Sophie : Are you seeing yourself making a sequel to Something New Blooms?

Kara : I am playing with the idea! A heartbroken reader requested a sequel where Acacia and Keanu eventually get together, and that got me thinking... "Something New Blooms" stands well on its own, but I do think there is space for a sequel if I choose to write one. We'll see how it goes! Maybe I'll find another contest prompt that sets the wheels in my head turning, or maybe I'll get a random flash of inspiration.

Sophie : Your magnificent works received many Wattpad awards and recognitions, namely WattALegend, DELVE DEEPER 2021 Contest, THE AMBYS 2021 Runner-Up for Fantasy and A 2021 Watty Award Winner in Historical Fiction. How these accolades impacted your life?

Kara : Each of those accolades have led to opportunities and exposure that brought readers to my stories who may not have otherwise found them. The contests themselves inspired me to write in a genre that I wasn't too familiar with, but that has helped me become a better writer, and it also freed my imagination from its self-imposed limitation that I can only write traditional fantasy. Each of these accolades changed my life in some way because I've always dreamed of being a writer, but I've also wondered if I have what it takes to be one. Every award I win is like a pat on the back telling me that I am a writer, that I can do it. The imposter syndrome definitely hits now and then, but everything I've achieved on Wattpad has encouraged me to keep writing and believe in myself and my dreams.

Sophie : If any of your stories made it to the silver screen, which one would that be and why?

Kara : Ooh, this is a fun question! I definitely think it would be "The Gazelle". It's my most popular story, and from that, I'd extrapolate that it would have the highest demand for adaptation into a movie or series and the biggest audience. It's a Rapunzel retelling inspired by ancient Mesopotamia, which I think makes it familiar enough to draw an audience in as well as original enough to keep them hooked. I've never really seen Mesopotamian culture and mythology used in fantasy stories, so I think that's an element that's unusual enough to intrigue readers about the story. "The Gazelle" is a good mix of the familiar and the fresh, which why I think it would be the most likely of the stories I've written so far to get an adaptation as well as the best suited for such an opportunity. 

Sophie : Oh, this is enlightening indeed. I'd imagine "The Gazelle" would bring something fresh into the motion picture industry with its historical values. Amazing. 

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to do this interview. I gotta say it is an honour to have you here. I wish you good luck in your future endeavors, I am certain you'll achieve everything you work towards.

Kara : You're very welcome! Thank you again for this opportunity.

☘️☘️☘️☘️

Don't forget to check out my review of Something New Blooms by KaraCarreira.