We continue our author interviews by chatting to Melissa, aka chinavase, another of Wattpad's 'big' writers, with almost 20k followers. Known to us for her gritty Harry fics Psycho, Eternal Sunshine and Coalescence, she chats to us about classic literature, people-watching and, er, soup!

Whereabouts in the world are you from?

I am from Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada! Specifically, I live in the city of Surrey, but I spend most of my time in Vancouver because my university is located there.

How did you discover Wattpad?

I honestly downloaded it on a whim because it was a suggested app on the app store and I realized after a month or two what I had gotten myself into, haha. Initially I downloaded it because I wanted to search for poetry to read and I got sucked into the realm of fanfiction.

You write incredibly detailed AU stories. How do you come up with the ideas for them?

THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT! Most of my story ideas derive from a mix of two sources: media (i.e. TV, Movies, Music, Art) that I've come across before, and the interaction between humans that I've experienced or that I've observed (since I tend to people watch a lot).

You seem to have a penchant for thrillers. Why do you think that is?

As an avid reader myself, I tend to gravitate towards a sense of mystery in novels. I don't like society or drama fiction (sorry Jane Austen!), and I feel that the threat of a cliffhanger or plot twist always keeps me entertained - therefore, I write what I like to read because I feel like it's more authentic to myself.

You've gone quite a while without producing new work until recently. What brought you back to Wattpad?

I think it's a mixture of reading all the comments on my works (and believe me - I read them ALL) and wanting to get back into writing. The last fic I wrote, Coalescence, was completed in my final semester of my last year of high school, and I was so busy with university and other preoccupations that I simply didn't have the time or energy to write anymore. Alas, I'm still extremely busy, but I'm making it a goal to write more in the summer!

That sounds pretty hectic! What do you like most about writing on Wattpad?

I definitely love the audience. Perhaps that's biased of me to say because I have a lot of followers and therefore their comments are ever-present, but the humour of a bunch of them honestly makes my day. I love that Wattpad readers understand that commenting on an author's work is essential to the author because it lets them know what works and what doesn't!

What's the idea behind your new project?

Eternal Sunshine is a writing project that is aimed towards making fanfiction more intersectional - that is, presenting the problems of racism, sexism, homophobia, and so on, to the forefront and working towards making fanfiction more diverse. I have to admit that in the past, my works focused on predominantly white characters, and I want to make my work more diverse. I also want to use my platform to inform my readers about the topics that may affect them in everyday life, particularly on the subjects of racism and sexism.

So why Harry Styles? What makes him your muse?

Harry Styles is honestly the cutest person on the planet, but aside from that, I feel like he has a very malleable character that's able to fit into the contexts of the AUs I write. Did I mention he's cute? ;)

You may have mentioned it! ;) How about as a reader - do you prefer real-life fanfics or AU, and why?

I prefer AUs simply because when I read real-life fanfics, I feel like it's all a fake news story and I can't get into them! However, my favourite real-life fanfic is Supremacy by rue-by-another-name.

Who are some of your fav Wattpad writers?

I don't read a lot of fanfics in general! I must say that I enjoy the works of kingsofmuke because I've watched her writing develop over the years, and JeddieJay!

Who or what inspires you, other than One Direction?

I am often inspired by human interaction, as mentioned previously. There's something intimate and intriguing about the way people associate with one another. I am also inspired by classic literature (namely Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and F. Scott Fitzgerald), and philosophical texts (namely Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, and De Beauvoir and Sartre)!

What other genres, if any, have you written or considered writing?

I've considered writing short stories, sci-fi and drama, but none of them really worked out for me :( I just don't have the knack for them!

And finally, what makes you happy?

Happiness is quite a subjective concept, but I think that my friends, family, and hot cups of soup make me the happiest :) AND CUTE DOG VIDEOS. But all in all, a lot of things make me happy - it might be easier to list the things that don't make me happy ;)

Thanks so much Melissa for taking the time to answer our questions!

Keep the votes and comments coming and we will keep the interviews coming...