Our Featured Spotlight in December is BellOfSilence - she's the author of "Lost Boys of London", which plot is set around the tale of Peter Pan!

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About her:

I am a young hobby writer from Germany. I work full time in contract management for a big company, so I fill the rest of my time with colorful stories to escape from everyday life. Besides writing, I play board games and pen and paper. I am a harmony bunny and love sweets. However, writing is and will always be my great passion.

I've been a huge Neverland fan for a long time. Especially of the dark adaptations like Christina Henry's "Lost Boy" or BROM's "The Child Thief". My first major heartfelt project was the "A Neverland Tales - Hooked" series with my best friend, which can now also be found on Wattpad. I'm attracted to the things that can be read or interpreted between the lines.

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About "Lost Boys of London":

London 1888. Investigator Captain Hook of the Metropolitan Police Department is confronted with gruesome child murders: A maniacal killer, whom everyone calls only "PAN," is wreaking havoc in London. He is stringing boys up in their rooms and always leaves behind an acorn and a message written in blood: LOST BOY.

To prevent further deaths, Captain Hook must find the hideout of the cruel slayer as soon as possible. But time is running out. Will he be able to avoid more boys becoming innocent victims?

Her Favorite Quote:

»There was nothing more terrifying and at the same time more enchanting than the fury of his wife.«

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1. What made you start writing on Wattpad?

Answer:

Together with my co-author, I created the Neverland Tale project. It got a lot of interest from our friends and we wanted to offer them the possibility to read the story without having to buy the printed book. Until now, I was logged into Wattpad just to read. But then we uploaded our first story in POV perspective here. On that occasion, I became aware of the Wattys and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to challenge myself for once. I wanted to see if I could manage to plan, work out and write a complete story in 2 months. I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone to something new and am overjoyed to have won the Wattys German Grand Prize with my story "The Grimm File". This has reignited my motivation to write - and to share it, too.

In the meantime, I love the exchanges here on Wattpad, the authors, and the behind-the-scenes look at other writers. I don't want to miss the lovely people and the community anymore.

2. What do you love most about writing and why?

Answer:

What I love most about writing is the ability to create your own world without restrictions. There are no rules to follow. You're not forced to share everything you write, but you can express yourself in a new way. It gives you the opportunity to put yourself in different perspectives and have adventures that you (unfortunately) can't do as easily or at all in real life. Writing lets you live through romances, become a brave hero, sail the seven seas and fight sea monsters, or hunt down a villain in the wild west. You can suffer, love and fear with your characters. Thoughts are free and so is writing - and that's wonderful.

3. Your book "Lost Boys of London" is set around the tale of Peter Pan. What inspired you to write this story and especially about the said theme?

Answer:

I originally wrote the story "Lost Boys of London" for Rewind the Classics 2022. I put some thought into which classic to take and rewrite and ended up with one of my favorite stories again. Even though my boyfriend already rolled his eyes because I got stuck in Peter Pan again ;) For me, it was clear from the beginning that I wanted to set the story in the Victorian era. It's my favorite era next to the Middle Ages, which is where I usually set my writing.

When you think of London and its history, the thought of Jack the Ripper comes to mind quite quickly. Peter Pan, in places and with some quotes, gives possibilities for interpretation in a very dark direction. Especially concerning the Lost Boys and Peter's dealings with them. So I decided to link exactly these two themes together to a darker variant.

4. Can you give other authors and users on Wattpad tips on how best to write a book, especially about the tale of Peter Pan, and then put it into practice?

Answer:

I think the story of Peter Pan is known to pretty much everyone. Reading the original story by JM Barrie again and maybe comparing it with one or the other reinterpretation is in any case a good start for inspiration. I myself enjoyed reading the scenes in the book piece by piece and then thinking outside the box about them.

What else could that sentence or statement mean?

What happens when you spin that thought further?

What might make the character be the way he is?

There are countless, wonderful interpretations, ranging from somber to romantic, that are worth reading or watching. Then you can think about how to keep the spirit of the original story while standing out from those that already exist. The important thing, in my opinion, is the little things that add to the charm of the story and are recognized by readers - and yet subsequently surprise them with something new.

In all books, and in writing a story in general, I think planning is the most important thing. Planning the story from beginning to end gives you the opportunity to put in the first breadcrumbs at the beginning that will lead to the goal at the end.

5. If you could ever experience to be any character of the tale of Peter Pan for a day, who would you choose and why?

Answer:

I love the story of Peter Pan. But at the same time, I wouldn't really want to be one of them. Each of them has its charm but also its obvious flaw - especially from the point of view of today. If I were to choose, it would probably be Tigerlily. Even though she is saved by Peter in the story, she is proud and self-confident. Even when the water is literally up to her neck. She is a female warrior among the Indians, imposes her will and fights for it. She wants to protect the island and her tribe and has an incredible amount of fire. I also appreciated the tribe's connection to the island and nature. I imagine it's wonderful to be free and untamed in Neverland, and at the same time to return to the tribe's embrace and fire in the evening.

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If you'd like to read Lost Boys of London or know more about the author, you can find her at BellOfSilence !

Thank you for reading!