Interviewer : KimIcy_03

Interviewee : happyperson081

'22 RGAs Winner - First Place in Historical Fiction

Please introduce yourself.

Hi! I'm CJ Powers

When did you join Wattpad and why?

I joined in November of 2020 because I wanted to write when the world was shut down.

What inspired you to start writing?

The school district I went to had annual writing competitions and I just always competed in them. When I started winning a lot, I decided to try writing for a larger audience.

Tell me about your story that won in the Rose Gold Awards.

She Who is King is a historical fiction about a female King Arthur. It was originally an entry for the ONC in 2022, and it made it all the way to the shortlist! There's a lot of backstabbing and a goofy wizard, so it was really fun to write.

How did you come up with the story idea?

The prompt was something along the lines of "...but the only one who can pull the sword is a she." and I was super intrigued by that because King Arthur is always about a young man pulling the sword, and it was interesting because how would a young woman end up in the position to try and pull the sword? The prompt really kickstarted everything, and it was so fun to plot out and write.

How long have you been writing it?

I wrote it in 3 months and edited for about 6

Who is your favorite character in your story and why?

Merlin because of the comedic relief! I tried to put him in as much as possible.

What is your favorite chapter/scene and why?

I like the dramatic betrayal scene (Chapter 17) because of all the drama! So much happens and those scenes are just my favorite to read and to write.

What do you love about your story? What makes it unique and interesting?

I think it's a great female empowerment story in general. It shows a young woman who has to not only face the oncoming threat of war, but also juggle learning how to be queen and hiding from the public. Lyra is put through trial after trial, and though she gets knocked down a couple times, she always gets back up.

What do you plan to do with your story in the future? Will you try to get it published, or just keep it on Wattpad?

I hope to someday fully extend it to novel length, but my life is super hectic right now. If I can ever manage to stop procrastinating, I would love to have it published! I think that's always the goal I have in mind when I put my stories out there.

Have you made any other accomplishments with your story? If so, what are they?

It was shortlisted in the ONC, featured on Stories Undiscovered, Teen Fiction, Myth and Legend, and Fantasy, and won first place at the JamBoard Awards!

Are you writing or planning to write any other stories? If so, tell me a bit about those.

Right now, I'm working on the full length version of my murder mystery story, Burn the Evidence. As for future projects, I have a fun little fairytale (with a strong female lead, of course) and I really do want to extend She Who is King!

Thank you so much!