Interview by strawberry1d

● How was your experience of judging in the Just One Day Awards?

Well, I must say I was a little bit crazy and very apprehensive about taking up such a daunting task. My first real judging experience was in two mini-categories (best antagonists and protagonists). This award gave me a chance to face-plant into the deepest ocean while reviewing an entire book, which was nerve-wracking. I thank the host for granting me the opportunity to be part of an exciting journey of self-discovery.

● What's your take on healthy awards or competitions?

Competitions are not about winning tons of prizes and becoming Wattpad famous; they are about valuing the opportunity to participate and enjoying the experiences. But it can also become a bloodbath between hosts and reviewers and between reviewers and participants based on contrasting opinions. Which makes awards shows highly toxic and a pain to endure.

An award show can only be healthy if the hosts, participants, and reviewers treat each other with mutual respect. Respect for others' craft must be the highest priority. It might not be the next Amazon best seller, but reviewers should be cognizant of how they view others' work. Some of the participants needed a lot of bravery just to put themselves out there. So, any reviewer must keep in mind that not all participants are English majors in college or native English speakers. Show respect and don't break an author's spirit by giving harsh reviews; give helpful feedback and find something good in their work even if you secretly hate the fandom or genre or had previous beef with the authors, etc. We are all amateurs and still learning. That will make competitions exciting, and more authors will be eager and confident to participate in other awards.

We as reviewers must know that if we sow bad seeds (being overly severe in our opinions), we will also reap a bad harvest where our books will be criticized more harshly by other reviewers. I love competitions, and as a former host, I will participate in an award show when tagged, just to show my support, win or lose.

● What was the first book you liked after joining Wattpad? And why?

Oh, my goodness! My first experience on Wattpad was in 2013 as a constant reader with approximately 35 reader lists, no books, and 12 followers. I was obsessed with One Direction (lol, look at my username) until the group went on a millennium-year hiatus. I loved the 1D, Twilight, and Harry Potter books. I loved reading Mindaras' books. The first book I read was random teen fiction, and let me tell you, I lost my innocence right there and then. I was appalled at the amount of ' hanky panky among 15- to 16-year-old characters and the lack of moral compass. But a few years later, I have an open mind. Nothing shocks me now.

● What inspired you to begin writing?

Believe it or not, I dared to write a BTS fanfic in 2020. I didn't know the boys but thank God for the COVID season. Being cocooned helped me become obsessed with watching C- and K-dramas on YouTube, and I came across the seven 'gods' of the Army's world. I wanted to know what the big hype was about a South Korean boy band that everyone was so obsessed with, and liking another boy band was like, "Hell no!" What if they went again into ' hibernation ' (disbandment), never to experience 'spring'(comeback) again? Breaking millions of hearts again.

But my beautiful friend, (I'm a thousand years older than her, so I am officially her vampire Eomma), dared me to write for the first time on this platform. Mind you, English is not my first language, and I was petrified. "What if they hate me?" I've only read and thought in my native language, and to write all of a sudden about a strange fandom and not even a 1D book was utter madness. But as a divergent thinker, I took on the challenge, jumped on a crazy horse, and started researching BTS.

I fell head over heels in love with the fandom and later found myself deeper into the rabbit hole with no rescue mission to get me out. My first book was 'Sweet Night', a KTH fanfic (my besties bias; I'm an OT7, by the way), and it had a very rocky start with the worst grammar mistakes ever. My English teacher would sue me or die from embarrassment, but I didn't stop writing, and my oldest child, 'Sweet Night, has 153k views to date. I'm lucky to have grown with my loyal readers since 2020. I have written 20 books on all 'seven of the boys since then. And I love every moment of it. The comments on my books always put a goofy smile on my face. I respect my readers and work hard to give them a great update each time

● What suggestions would yougive the authors from your writing journey?

Writing is not a destination but a lifelong journey.

Every new author must find his or her writing signature. Their unique voice (writing style). Find inspiration in other best-selling authors, but be unique. Tell an interesting story that is engaging. Let your readers go with you on the creative journey. Remember, some readers think in pictures.

Never copy someone else's way of writing. Be yourself. Choose the genres and fandoms that you love most. Even if you get the worst reviews or your confidence is thinly strung by haters, keep on writing, keep on pushing, keep on learning, keep on practicing, and find resources to help you.

Write because you love it, not for accolades. Recognition will come later, but it's not important right now.

Always remember that your books give an insight into your unique personality and thought processes. Enjoy the journey, and don't let anyone make you feel undeserving, pressured, or insecure about your stories. Take criticism with an open mind, but don't let it derail you from your purpose. Eat the hay and throw away the sticks. Take what is good for you, but never change the essence of your stories to please the masses; you might lose yourself in the process. So, enjoy the journey and create awesome, insightful, and exciting stories that will stay with your readers forever. We might see the next Jane Austen or Stephen King in a few short years. Believe in the creative force that God grants you. Hope it's ok.