INTERVIEW WITH: StephRose1201

BOOK: The Golden Girl 

1. How did you feel when you knew you were announced as a finalist, and then the first place winner? Describe it to us 😊

When I found out I was a finalist, I was super excited! With the crazy talent in my category I wasn't expecting it, but it was a pleasant surprise.
When I found out I won... I squeaked! I was actually just waking up and saw the notification that I was tagged in the chapter, and honestly—I was expecting to see I had an honorable mention, NOT a first-place win! I really didn't expect it 😊 it definitely made my day!! (my week, even)

2. What is the best writing piece of writing advice you have ever received?

Ooh, tough one. I guess "read A LOT". And it turned out to be true—especially on days when I was feeling down & criticizing my own work. Reading helped me relax, refresh my ideas, get inspiration, and it also helped me review some of my books and fix certain errors. I know it's an over-used piece of advice, but it seriously applies!

3. What was the proudest moment in your writing journey thus far?

Oof, I've had several (luckily) but I'd have to say... being on the Longlist for the Watty's 2018, with The Golden Flower (prequel to The Golden Girl). It meant so many things at once because this was my first attempt at writing Historical Fiction, and to see it there, among the Longlisters... made my heart race.

I'd have to say, in a close second place, is being in the Wattpad Mentorship Program (results of the final showcase are supposed to be on May 31st, I'm super nervous!) with my sci-fi novel, Home.

4. Where do you see yourself in a few year's time?

HOPEFULLY publishing my sci-fi novel and working on getting my paranormal works published too. *fingers crossed super tight*

5. Where or from whom do you get your writing inspiration from?

Everyone and everything. Sometimes it's a song, a color, a word, an expression... sometimes it's a name, an object, a sound. I mean it—if I told you how I got the idea for one of my paranormal works, you'd never believe me. I can be inspired SO FAST and so randomly, it even scares me, sometimes.

No one person in particular inspires me—I can be inspired by some stranger I walk by on the street OR my boyfriend when he says something funny. It's super spontaneous and I love it 😊

6. Who is your favorite Wattpad author and your favorite author outside of Wattpad?

I sure hope you're not asking me to choose ONE, because... I cannot. When/if ANY of these authors update/post something new I WILL read it, no questions asked: poznati LittleVee JinnNelson Queen_of_sass(oh hi there, host XD), MissVictorian Thomaseng brunette-bombshell Goddessofwisdom- HWGreenwoodstpolishookOctaviaLocke MIRACULOUSNESS BriBaker415  (I had to condense this because WOW, I have a lot of favorite Wattpad authors)

Outside of Wattpad... J. K. Rowling, George R. R. Martin, Nicholas Sparks, among the many I enjoy & read.

7. How and when did you find Wattpad and begin your writing journey on this platform?

I found Wattpad way back in 2014!! I remember searching for ways to get your work proofread/beta read, and stumbled across it. I uploaded my paranormal book "Ghost Portal" and... then sort of forgot about it & Wattpad for a while. I think I came back in 2016 after writing Home & I revamped my whole page and learned how to work the website a little better (I'm still learning to do that, lol). I've been pretty active since then!

8. Who is your most favorite and least favorite character to write and why?

My favorite is Marguerite. I think it's because I know her best, and have had her personality and back-story in mind for a while now (though it was Céleste I created first, believe it or not).

And I actually don't have a least favorite—I love writing ALL the characters in my Golden Universe, even the "baddies" 😉

9. If you could exchange lives with one book character from your book, and one character from another author's, who would it be and why?

From my book, probably Princess Cordelia. She's still a little sheltered, but is so smart and has so much potential. I'd love to be a Princess 😊

From another author's book.... hm... probably Arya from GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire, or Hermoine from Harry Potter. They're both resourceful and strong and I LOVE them.

10. Which character in your book do you relate the most with?

A mix of Céleste, Marguerite, and Cordelia (due to some back-story stuff I can't reveal just yet 😉)

11. How do you get rid of writer's block, if or when you get it?

I'm definitely one of those rare, lucky authors who doesn't have it often (refer to that earlier question about inspiration, lol) BUT when it happens, I stop what I'm doing, stop forcing myself, and read or watch a TV show to soothe my nerves and refresh my thoughts. ALWAYS works.

12. Do you think this work encapsulates who you are as a writer now, or have you grown a lot since then?

Well, this work is really recent. I only started writing Historical Fiction about a year ago, and though I HAVE grown since I entered this genre, I can say what was judged for this competition is definitely who I am now (maybe with a few tweaks here and there, lol).

13. When did you realize that writing was your passion?

OOF, I think I've known for a long time but never saw it. In my early twenties I started taking it seriously, but it grew beyond a passion in the past 5-6 years or so.

14. When did you first start writing?

LOL, according to my closest friends and family, as soon as I learned how to spell.

I've been writing for a LONG time. I used to write songs when I was younger (they're all HORRIBLE but I kept them!) and started writing actual stories probably in my late teens. As I said in the previous question, I started taking writing seriously in my early to mid-twenties. Now, at 32, I'm SUPER serious about it. I don't see myself doing anything else.

15. What advice would you like to give to all the struggling yet aspiring writers out there?

DO NOT GIVE UP. Keep writing no matter what people think of your work. The more you write, the more you'll learn, the more you'll improve. And READ—yes, it's cliché, but it's SO true. When you doubt yourself, read. When you need advice, read. READ READ READ. And don't hesitate to reach out to other authors, to seek courses to improve your craft, to look up resources to better compose your sentences. Thesauruses and dictionaries and vocabulary lists are AWESOME.

16. What inspired you to write this particular book?

I actually ask myself this question a lot, but it's hard to answer. I've always loved reading & watching Historical Fiction, but never thought I'd be able to write it. And one day, after finishing an awesome series on Wattpad (the Season series, by MissKatey—her daring decision to basically come up with her own countries really got my juices flowing) I decided to take the jump. I started to get an idea, and it wouldn't stop brewing (it was centered around a young girl, the mistress of a school, and a HUGE secret, *wink wink*) and I figured eh, why not try it? That's where the plot for The Golden Girl came up, and then I had the opportunity to test the waters with The Golden Flower, a prequel written for a #justwriteit contest (it was one of the two winners, btw). After that... well, I think I'm building some kind of empire now and I'm drowning, SEND HELP

17. What was the writing process like?

Really smooth and fluid, actually. Unlike some of my previous works in different genres, I had a LOT of research to do (it was fun!) and I really structured all my ideas and organized the plot. I also had "chapter outlines", a chunk of paragraph sort of resuming what I wanted to happen in each chapter, and that helped me keep on track (though sometimes characters did whatever they wanted anyway, lol).

18. When did you start writing this winning book?

Technically, May of 2018; but I started plotting it in April.

19. Are you planning on professionally publishing your book? If so, when?

AH, THE BIG QUESTION. This particular series... I don't know. It's so bulky and excruciating to edit... so I'm not sure. MAYBE online only, once I'm done *hopefully* publishing my sci-fi and paranormal stuff. I kind of want to keep it on Wattpad, though, because of its random success and because I really love my Wattpad readers!

20. Does every comment, every follow and every vote for your work still surprise you?

Absolutely. I smile every time and I'm so happy to bring emotions to my readers, to the point that they have to express themselves & vote to let me know they like what they're reading. And those who follow me always surprise me because I wonder how the heck they found me among all the crazy talent on this website. Those who see my notifications will know—based on my shout-outs and broadcasts—I TRULY get excited and shocked and pleased and overwhelmed by reads and votes.

Random, fun & personal questions:

21. One country you want to visit in the future is?

Italy, hands down. I lived in Europe for almost 12 years and NEVER MADE IT THERE.

22. Do you have any pets? If so, what animals are they (and their names to if you'd like!) and if not, do you want pets and why/why not?

I have a black cat named Onyx. He's tiny and will always look like a kitten (which is funny because he eats SO MUCH) and I've had him since 2011. I call him my baby and he's probably one of the best things that ever happened to me.

23. Your favorite milkshake/smoothie flavor is?

Vanilla, but I would take some chocolate chip cookie dough and/or mint chocolate chip mixed in ANY DAY

24. Do you like spicy, sweet or sour food and why?

Nope, yes, and nope. Spicy makes my stomach hurt (and I'm an absolute wimp, so that's a no for me). Sweet is good (CHOCOLATE, anyone?!) though I tend to go for salty instead. Sour... no thanks.

25. Any guilty pleasures (writing or otherwise)?

Dark chocolate. CHEESE. Grey's Anatomy & Riverdale (I watch MANY shows but these would be my guilty pleasures). COFFEE (lots of it). French pastries (macaroons!!!!!!)