Welcome to the second interview of the 7.0!

Today we'll be taking a short glimpse into the life of OliviaBinfield.

Olivia created her account on June 21st, 2014. She currently has a few stories up on her account, so go ahead and check them out! The link to her profile is in the external link.

Enjoy the interview!

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1. What is your name?

Olivia

2. How would you describe yourself? (in three sentences or more)

I tend to come up with ideas that usually end up being a bit weird & strange, and I tend to get caught up in my own imagination and forget that the world around me still exists. I am probably way too obsessed with books, animals, and grapes. I daydream way too often about turning into a bird and flying away from life. 

3. Have you ever been to a foreign country? Anywhere other than the one you would call home? If so, what are some interesting things you saw there?

France, the USA - Disneyworld in Florida, Turkey, Ibitha, Tenerife, Majorca, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Corfu, Wales isn't technically a different country but going to Snowdonia was probably one of the best experiences in my life - the mountains and the beautiful hawks, going gorgewalking up a raging river and climbing a massive mountain- the view was astounding. Most of the places in Europe were just beautiful beaches and sunshine, but I went up a forest on a volcano in Tenerife, that was fun. I go to Cyprus at the end of August, I'm looking forward to that. 

4. What inspires you to write? A person, a place? Anything!

Music, the kind that makes you feel alive or haunts you. Pictures, I browse Pinterest a lot for inspiration, stuff like an angel's wing burning or a hand in the darkness. Anything that sparks my mind to think of stories. The swinging chair in the back garden motivates me to write, and I guess just watching the world around me? Nature, I guess. Sometimes I'd like to just go into the fields outside of my house and find somewhere to sit down and write. 

5. How old were you when you took an interest in writing?

I honestly don't know, maybe around seven? six? I wrote a poem for BGT and went on that when I was 7, so that counts, and I always liked English as a subject in school, I'd love mostly making up the stories and the worlds. I've loved reading for as long as I can remember, and writing too. I'd always enter the BBC's 500 words competition, (though I never got anywhere).

6. Why did you choose your current username? Does it represent you? Does it have a story behind it?

It's my name because I made the account when I was an unimaginative youngling and I don't know the password so I can't change it to Turtle. 

7. Do you prefer to write fanfictions or spoofs?

Fanfiction.

8. Do you prefer to write a story in pencil on paper first? Or do you use a computer?

On my phone or laptop.

9. How did you find Wattpad, and what about it was the reason you decided to stay once you found it?

I can't remember how I found it but I stayed because it was a place to put all the things that kept going around in my mind, all the half thought up ideas and plans that didn't ever have anywhere else to go.

10. How did you find out about Warriors, and what made you stick to the series?

I didn't really find out about them, I just found a book in the back of Waterstones, thought it looked interesting and read it, and I ended up really liking it, the first real fandom I joined and the first book series I actively followed. I fell in love with the world-building and the characters and I kept on reading because I always wanted to find out more. 

11. What is your favorite arc in Warriors? Why?

Dawn Of The Clans. It was a whole different perspective and timeline and I really enjoyed seeing more of the world get fleshed out and see the past of how things came to be. I liked the original series and the second arc as well, the third arc is kind of "meh" to me and I enjoy the fourth one a lot, especially the latter books, but I don't really like the new arc at all. I enjoy the super editions a lot as well, I enjoy the focus on individual characters more.

12. What inspired you to write Warriors fanfiction/spoofs?

I wrote Warriors Fanfiction because the books opened a door in my mind and the world was open and ready to be explored, and the concept of intelligent cat societies could easily be used to write something different, and the possibilities of what could be written using the format and idea were kind of endless. 

13. How many people do you know in person who also read Warriors?

Zero.

14. Who is your favorite character from the series? Why?

I like lots of characters, but especially Ivypool and Mapleshade, who are really interesting characters, especially the latter with her backstory and history, and some of the more adult, darker themes hinted at throughout the story - like Mapleshade watching her kits drown - are what make for some of the more interesting characters, characters that you can understand the motives for.

15. What tips would you like to give to any aspiring authors?

Believe in yourself. What you write isn't terrible and it deserves recognition, but don't be upset if it doesn't get that at first. Don't refuse to accept criticism but also don't ignore praise. Sometimes it will feel like there's no point in going on anymore and that your work is terrible and you should just give up, but don't ever do that. Keep on going, keep on writing, keep on learning from your mistakes and you will keep on improving as an author. Never give up. 

16. What would you say is the most important when writing a story?

Think about where your story is going to end up, you can't write a story without knowing what the endgame is, what you're writing towards. Plot and character are important, but the world you're writing is as well - but if it's fanfiction you're not starting from scratch, for worldbuilding at least. You need to think about what kind of story you're trying to tell. The start and the middle can be worked out later along the line, once you have the basic outline. I think that's the most important thing, knowing what kind of story you're going to tell, because everything else comes secondary- the plot, the characters, the world - those are all part of the how you're going to tell this story, once you know what kind of story you're going to tell.

17. Tell us about any of your Warriors fanfiction(s), what it is about, and why we should read it.

Well all the ones that are mine are hiding in my drafts because I hate them all, but there was one about the backstory to certain characters from the dark forest and their backstories and what they did to end up there, and was sort of about how they're not all one dimensional cats but have backstory and reason for doing what they do, there was a story I made up on a group account, it was my plot and my idea, Shades Of Murder, about a really intelligent cat society that functions kind of like our own, and follows a serial killer called Bloody Rose and the chase to find her and takes a look at forensic science and also follows seasoned cop Rowan and rookie Ebony, who (spoiler) was Bloody Rose the whole time and the book was meant to end with Ebony revealing herself and killing Rowan, her fun over. Unfortunately that group account died (rip) There's a really old cliche story in my drafts that's about two sisters setting up their own clan after running away from their family, and then over some years ruling the clan together the two sister's relationship slowly begins to fracture until one of them breaks mentally and kills her other sister's kits and convinces half of the clan to leave with her and it was honestly the worst thing ever.

18. Is there anything you'd like to say to your friends, fans, and readers? Any shout-outs to specific Wattpad members?

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That's all for today! Feel free to ask Olivia more questions below in the comments, and if you'd like to recommend another person to interview, let us know who in the "Interviews" chapter at the start of the magazine. Make sure to post your recommendation ONLY in "Interviews" — we might miss it if posted elsewhere. Thanks!