1. How did you start writing on Wattpad?

It honestly started out as a whim. I've always been writing stories, and when I was much younger and more impulsive, I decided to create an account. I suppose the thought process was if I could share my stories with strangers, then I'd get raw, unfiltered opinions and potential feedback. Admittedly that wasn't what ended up happening since I underestimated what it took to actually have any readers, but it was how I started. And now, here I am.

2. What inspired you to write Flowers in the Snow?

Flowers in the Snow came from a variety of inspiration, though I suppose the core concept sprung from a 2 AM what if scenario which was shelved until a perfect writing opportunity came around in the form of the Open Novella Contest or ONC. The thought was what if the last people who survived were the ones most protected? What happens when a small group of young and severely underprepared people face the fact that they are alone in an empty and hostile world? I tend to find that a lot of apocalypse stories focus on new beginnings, hope and romance but my 2 AM brain was asking what if it just...didn't? What if instead we focus on the interplay of grief and dwindling hope? That's what became the story's main focus though I ended up shelving it after a few chapters of its first iteration since it was still underdeveloped. Then the ONC came around providing some perfect prompts to really develop the setting and early character drama.

As well as motivation.

3. You often write science fiction stories. What's your favorite thing about the genre?

I like the genre mainly because there are already boundaries from the get-go but they still leave a lot of room for creativity. In fantasy, I find that rules have to be established from scratch which can be quite challenging to do, especially when there isn't much inspiration. Science fiction, I've found, is often much more forgiving in the fact that I get to rely on some form of pre-existing physical rules or science-like logic. There is already an assumption that rules are going to be similar to our own world, if a little bit...fictionalized to allow for, say, space travel. That isn't to say I don't spend much effort on research, but it does enable more direct applications of my pre-existing knowledge.

4. You've participated in the Open Novella Contest (ONC) several times. What is your favorite memory of participating in the contest so far?

 I think my favourite memory was the first time actually finishing a book. For context, I'm one of those people that tend to have a million story ideas and a thousand projects, all of them being in progress and all of them at least a trilogy. Having to write a novella means that I have to find a discreet story idea, one that is relatively short, and finish it. So when I finished my first book, even though it was rough with interesting but underdeveloped ideas, it was a complete story. That was a big milestone for me.

5. What is your favorite ONC entry you've read this year or during a past iteration of the contest?

While I haven't finished it, a 2023 entry called Blank Slate by ToWolfKin really caught my eye. Remember reading the first few chapters and loving the concept and execution. The central question of what makes you...you and whether you are responsible for sins you do not remember committing is a rather philosophical take on the question of identity. Add this to the tension in the story and the juicy, juicy character dilemmas, and Blank Slate is incredibly compelling. I've been slowly going through the story, a little bit more than half-way through now, and that opinion hasn't changed. It is and remains one of my favourite books I'm currently reading. 

Huge thanks to keepthywits for the amazing interview, and best of luck to everyone participating in the ONC this year!