dragonwritesthings: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself, and what you do on Wattpad.

illusionboy: So I'm illusionboy (real name Maëlla or Miles). I'm 16 and a junior in high school. I joined Wattpad about three years ago when I was in a creative writing class. Up until that point I had only ever written short stories, but once I joined Wattpad I became immersed in the poetry community and discovered how much I enjoyed writing it, despite thinking I'd never go down that path. Now, I mostly write poetry or short prose. I use wattpad to express parts of me I can't outwardly show- for instance, expressing my queer identity. Although I'm out to everyone close to me, I still deal with a lot of internalised homophobia and writing about the beauty of the love I experienced (as opposed to the tarnished image we are exposed to growing up) really helps me accept myself

dragonwritesthings: How long have you been writing, and how has your writing changed over the years?

illusionboy: When I was a kid I would pretend to be an author, writing stories and making book covers for them and such- so I've been writing most of my life, my earliest memory of it being about 7 years old. When I was really young, throughout elementary school I'd say, I wrote these realistic fiction short stories which essentially mirrored the types of books I read at that time, ranging from Enid Blyton to Jaqueline Wilson. They were mostly stories about a young girl who reflected who I wanted to be, leading a rather tame, very British life. Once I reached middle school, though, I suddenly started writing a lot deeper, darker, more tangible things, questioning death and why we exist and the likes- very gory, emo, and quite pompous! Finally, once I reached high school age, I emerged from the (quite cringey) dark phase and really focused on the quality and richness of my writing rather that the wow-factor or cheap shock that gained attention. Although I do cringe at some of my past writing, I don't regret it at all. I'm still learning, and it takes experience to know what to change in the future.

dragonwritesthings: What's the first book that made you cry?

illusionboy: Life of Pi- I never cried at books or movies when I was younger, but when Richard Parker left into the forest at the end of Life of Pi, I teared up. I think that was the first time a book made me cry.

dragonwritesthings: Favourite under-appreciated novel?

illusionboy: I don't know that it's under-appreciated, but Perfume by Partick Suskind is definitely one of my favourites

dragonwritesthings: Oh, I've never heard of that--what's it about?

illusionboy: I suppose it could be broadly classified as a Bildungsroman, so dealing with the psychological growth of the character, but it's a book that can't really be described. The character in question is essentially a boy with an extraordinary sense of smell who is ostracised from the rest of society. He basically seeks more and more intricate scents and grows further and further away from society and the book keeps getting stranger and stranger in ways you can't anticipate. Definitely recommend.

dragonwritesthings: Oh, that sounds really cool! What are your goals in the future for things to improve at in writing?

illusionboy: I definitely want to start becoming more literary in my poetry- that is, paying closer attention to structure and rhythm as well as lyrical devices- to make it more sophisticated. As it is, I feel that I have been centering my work around imagery but am not making full use of the multitude of other writing tools at my disposal that can surreptitiously convey meaning alongside imagery. I take English at higher level and poetry makes up a large part of the curriculum, so I plan on applying what we have studied to my own work. I am also writing my IB extended essay on Sylvia Plath's poetry, which should also positively influence my work.

dragonwritesthings: What's your favourite place to visit (within your own country)?

illusionboy: I live in Boitsfort, Belgium, which is surrounded by beautiful parks and forests. I'd say that's my favourite place to go to get away from life a little.

dragonwritesthings: That sounds really nice! What do you think most characterizes your work?

illusionboy: I hope that what characterises my work is its honesty. I hate the idea of my work being superficial- I really try to reflect my emotions as purely as possible, in the hopes that maybe my readers will see a piece of themselves in it, or at least enjoy it.

dragonwritesthings: What topics do you find yourself writing about most often?

illusionboy: I write a lot about human emotion in parallel with nature- abstract ideas such as love embodied by the tangible physical elements of the Earth

dragonwritesthings: How long does it take you to write a poem? (On average)

illusionboy: That's a tough one. Sometimes it can take me 15 minutes, other times it can take me over an hour. If I feel more passionate and urgent, it takes less time. It takes me more time when i'm in a softer kind of mood

dragonwritesthings: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

illusionboy: Mostly it does a bit of both. I usually write late at night when I can't sleep, and writing helps me slow my thoughts and fall asleep. It's not that it exhausts me though- it's more that it calms me and organises things in my mind, helps me focus on the important things.

dragonwritesthings: What's the hardest thing about writing for you?

illusionboy: Writing about a person. When I'm trying to write a poem about a person I feel strongly about (romantically or just generally) it can take me forever to find the right words. I often need to forget about it for a bit, distract myself, and then come back to it and write down the first images that come to my head when I think of them.

dragonwritesthings: What projects are you working on at the present?

illusionboy: I'm selecting my favourite works and editing them to create a hard copy of my poetry. It's taking a lot of effort, and a lot of my older poems need a lot of revising, but I'm lucky to go to a school with lots of resources for printing and designing a cover and such, so it's worth it. It won't be anything major, just a hard copy for myself to serve as motivation and something to be proud of.

dragonwritesthings: That sounds so exciting! I'm gonna have to let you go, but it was so much fun talking to you. :)

illusionboy: it was a pleasure! thank you!

Make sure to follow illusionboy and check out their work. :)