Hello reader, is me A.Vlad, I am the creator and manager of @Storylaland. Recently I went through a rough patch, I was feeling lost, with no idea of what to do next. The reason for that, I failed a test.

I know, a test, what? That shouldn't be enough to have you quit, but it did. You see, life is messy, complicated and just to make it short a damn bloody rollercoaster.

And today, I find myself with a newfound wattfriend. Now, before I introduce you to her, let me share with you a little bit of how we first interacted, you see, we followed each other but it wasn't until I saw my dear wattfriend Stories4interest post about quitting, that we interacted, I wrote on my profile about what I believed writing should be about, and she commented. Like the two of them, I too have faced that idea of leaving this app, giving up on my stories, my characters, but I found it in me to stop looking for validation and write what I wanted to write without caring for what others thought.

This is clara_ibi and like us, she too has been struggling with writing on this app, so why don't we go ahead and give the floor to her, so she can tell us her journey and see what we can learn from her.

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1. Clara, why don't we start with you telling us what it is that has you conflicted with this app?

Well, Wattpad is an amazing app. As a reader, you can find so many amazing books that can change your perspective on things, educate you, make you happy and inspire you. But as a writer, it's filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and depression, In my view at least. It's not easy for an upcoming writer to grow in this app. You advertise your book, join book clubs and all but it doesn't exactly... Help. The fact that readers have the privilege to comment on your work, can lead to a positive outcome, other times it can be negative. I've had to delete three of my books because of "Wattpad comments."

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Let me make a brief pause here to say that, ever since I joined this app I've been feeling something very along those lines. This app is very big, like most social media apps it serves as a platform to grow and build something, but it can be very challenging. To get exposure, you have to try and invent new ways to grab people's attention, and even then it can be so complicated, for so many reasons.

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2. You mentioned the comments, and the impact those can have on one's writing. If you had the opportunity to say something to the people who have commented on your story with positive comments, but mostly to those with negative comments, what would it be? And why?

Well, I'd tell those who had left negative comments this: a writer doesn't write for the readers, he writes for himself. He writes because he enjoys it. After all, it makes him happy. Since the first time I published a chapter on this platform, I have grown and matured, and I must say, I feel saddened that I let those comments affect me to the point I deleted what made me happy. If making negative comments makes them feel happy about themselves, they should realize God and Karma exists. One day, the cause of their happiness would be looked down upon.

But I'll always be grateful to those who left positive comments and supported me along the way

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I love that so much, I feel like if given the opportunity, and opening ourselves to the endless possibilities that come with writing we can find so much joy in it, but balancing it out in today's social world is another challenge of its own.

So before we continue let me just say, thank you to Clara, for those words. I just republished my first ever story which I love so much but I was going to re-do the whole thing because of that, the comments, people wanting perfection instead of enjoying a story for what it is, after all, life is flawed and there is nothing better than seeing the thing for what they are.

I mean, yes we should strive for greatness and doing things the best we can, but you never know what people might be going through and the work that you criticized in a "not so nice way" is the thing that breaks them for good. So let's try and be gentle when sharing our thoughts.

Like I tell my coworkers, is not what you say but how you say it.

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3. Now tell me, how old are you today?

I am 19

4. How old were you when you started writing? and what would you tell your younger self when it comes to the approach you take on your writing?

I was 13 when I wrote my first book "The Mafioso's twin". I would tell my younger self to laugh at the comments and continue writing

5. Wow, it's been six years, you have seen so many changes in this app through time, both in the content that you find as well as your own. I saw you are working on three stories right now, but one of them caught my attention the most, just by the title alone "Diary of a rapist". This is a strong subject, the title can be conflicting, you know with people judging and all before even knowing what truly goes on. Would you mind sharing with us what inspired the writing of this story, and why you chose that title in particular?

Diary of a rapist is a book that has received the most criticism. Someone read the first chapter alone and said she didn't agree with it, that I should delete it. I won't lie and say it didn't affect me, I cried that night. But the next day, I woke up strong and addressed the reader before deleting her comment. I'm not supporting rapists, but there's nothing more that interests me more than criminal psychology. I want to know what happened to them, what made them think doing such things is okay? I've done my research and I'd like to share my views indirectly through that story. Do you know 60% of rapists grew up watching their mothers get raped? Their mind is so accustomed to the idea that they see it as normal. Everything has a back story, but that doesn't make them right or any less guilty of the crime... But it makes them understandable. Also, I have a passion for writing triggering topics. I write stories that some writers are afraid to write either cause of the public view or their personal views.

6. Given your previous answer, at your age, what would you say inspired this way of writing? And can you share with us your writing style and process?

Well, ever since I was young I was always a fan of action. I wasn't one of those girls who dreamt of having their very own fairytale, prince charming, happy ending, and all that. Like I said, I was always interested in criminal psychology. As a child, I used to watch action movies with my dad. There's just something about criminals, the mafia that has always fascinated me. I used to, I still do dream of directing and producing an action movie. So when I discovered Wattpad, I saw it as a way of writing my script and how I imagine my movie to be played out.

7. What advice would you give writers on this app or anywhere for that matter when it comes to writing?

I'd tell those writers to never give up. Like me, you can have serious writer's block but don't let it pull you down. There's no such thing as a bad story, all you have to do is add a little spice to it. Let it be cliche, let it be odd, let it have mistakes because that's what makes it special.

8. In one of your responses you talked about writer's block. I know you mentioned you stopped working on three other stories. Would you mind describing and sharing with us your experience with writer's block and how you managed it to the point you got out of it?

I don't think I'm completely out of writer's block. It's hard for me these days to just think of two people sitting in a coffee shop and writing out scenarios. It wasn't like that a few months ago. It took me one month to write my book, Roxy. It's my greatest accomplishment as a writer, even though I know it needs some editing. Anyways, back then I used to write up to three chapters per day. The ideas were just flowing! But now, I can't seem to find a way to write one paragraph in any of my books. Writer's block is the worst thing that can happen to any author, but I know I'll come out of it soon.

9. Before we head to the last question, what does your writing process involves, and has it been inspired, challenged, or redesign by someone else's?

No. My books are just a figment of my imagination. I had a lot of thinking time during quarantine so it was easy for me back then to come up with different and amazing scenarios. So in a way, I guess I inspired myself.

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I want to take a second dice a hit into this, writer's block, what is it? What does it look like? Can it manifest differently to you? In my opinion, yes, it very much can. Writer's block by definition is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown.

I had a story, Hazardous, when I started writing the story I was so pumped about it, building this world set post-WWII and how an incident almost drives a city to extinction while the world leaders prepared for yet another war, it was thrilling, but somewhere along the way, I lost all motivation for it. I didn't want to write about, hell, I didn't know how to write about, I had all mapped out, the plot, the story points, the ending, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do with it, but I didn't know how to do it.

What brought me out of that? I stepped away from this app, I started making posters/covers for my other stories, and slowly I started craving writing again, I haven't been able to get back to that story, but the ones I am working on are what I would call, my best work thus far.

So to you or any writer out there who may find themselves blocked, it is okay, take your time, try different things, maybe diving into the building and creation of a new world, out of your comfort zone will help you, or maybe, doing posters/covers for different stories that may come to mind but you don't know how to get started will do the trick.

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10. Now, any final words you would like to say about this interview? any changes in your thoughts? You mentioned wanting to see if this could help, did it?

I enjoyed this interview. It helped me reflect as a writer, it helped me remember why I started writing in the first place. It wasn't for the readers, it was never for the readers. It was for myself, and I'm grateful to you and this interview to help me remember that.

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I have to say, as I wrote some of these questions I didn't know where the interview would go, let alone the way it would unfold. I love the part where she mentions she used Wattpad as a way to write a movie script, I felt that. I am a writer who envisions so many different scenarios and part of my principal approach to writing was writing a script. Some people didn't understand it, some called my work unprofessional, and I let it get to me, I changed my story to make one reader happy when in truth, I should've focused on being happy with it because I loved it.

As writers, we put ourselves out there, vulnerable and exposed all through our work. There are so many different types of writing and I plan on talking about them with all of you. Whether you write in first person a murder thriller, o a third person coming of age story. I want to dive into it, not every story is meant to be enjoyed, read, and celebrated by everyone, but every story you write should be enjoyed by you. so, I hope one day we can see all of our dreams come to life and live happily with the creative decisions that we have made.

Now, Clara shared with us some important things to keep in mind when it comes to our storytelling. Believing in your story, standing up for it, and working hard day and night to make sure it turns into something you can feel proud of. Wattpad is an amazing platform that can help you reach thousands if not millions of people. All of whom, have the power to comment, vote, and share your story. Some of those will do it with the intent of helping you on your journey as an author, others will do it to bring you down. But remember, ultimately you have the power to decide the things that will affect you, so I hope that you find in yourselves to focus on your story, your characters but most of all enjoying the process.

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Well guys this is for the interview aspect of this chapter. I hope Clara's story and journey on this platform and how she feels today about her writing, after the different battles she has faced, are ones you can learn from and use as motivation. Whether it is to find different approaches to your storytelling and or dive deeper into what you believe is a story worthy of being told. Everyone has a different passion, a different approach to everything, but as long as you believe in what you do, and do it respectfully I believe you can succeed.

Until we see each other again, be sure to take care of yourself, take time to breathe, and continue doing what you love!!!

This is Let's talk: The Art of Writing with A. Vlad for @storylaland

See you next time!