Hello everyone,

It's me ICTinBlood back again with another awesome interview.

Here we have LucyAnnWrites, the winner of Historical fiction genre  in our very own Teen Fix Mini Awards with the amazing book "The Girl Who Was Afraid"

Without wasting any more time, let's get started..

1) May we know a few words about yourself?

My name is Lucy, I’m currently a seventeen-year-old writer, a chocoholic and a history lover. I love books of all kinds and find comfort in classical literature.

2) When did you start writing either on this platform or in the normal way?

I started writing on Wattpad in 2019 after the writing platform I was originally on shut down, but I’ve
been making up stories in my head since before I could read and first began to jot them down at the age ofabout six. By the age of eight, I was writing as much as I could and by ten I started telling people aboutmy secret dream of becoming a published author. I’m not sure when the exact starting point was!

3) What is your motivation to write?

My motivation to write is usually the things around me. I like to use books as a sort of mirror in which tosee myself, as my writing and I are… one and the same. I write mostly for myself, but I also love sharing my work with other people. It’s my way of expressing and learning about who I am in ways reality can’tdescribe.

4) How did you feel when you got to know that you were the winner?

I felt very surprised at first, and later very proud. I was also extremely thankful to the judges and people
behind this competition for creating this opportunity – it really meant a lot!

5) Did you ever face criticism? If yes how did you overcome it?

I started sharing my writing online when I was twelve and, as you might expect from someoneinexperienced and self-taught, my writing was very, very bad. Not even bad in a cute way… just ‘bad’. SoI did get quite a lot of criticism from angry adults who’d read my completely inaccurate stories and hated
them. Those unconstructive comments stung a little but never dented my enthusiasm. For some reason, I
work harder when I’m criticised; I’m a perfectionist, so I love receiving harsh comments from readers,even if they hurt me at first. If they’re true and can help my writing in any way, great! All thoughts, forme at least, are useful thoughts.

6) When did you come across this genre or this fan fiction category?

I came across the genre of historical fiction when I was about ten. I’d always loved writing books set inthe past but never really realised it until then. I insisted on writing fantasy, usually books set in some kindof magic school or with characters who had powers. I went on a school trip to a historical site, came up
with a character… and my love of historical fiction began. I haven’t written fantasy of any kind since, butI might try to go back to it one day.

7) What was your opinion about our awards and how we hosted them?

I loved the efficiency of the judges and also the layout of the book; there wasn’t a long wait for the results as there often is with other rewards. I also really enjoyed meeting new writers and getting to know their work.

8) How do you handle writer's block?

Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t actually believe in writer’s block. I don’t think I’ve ever had it,anyway. There have been days (lots of them) where I’m less motivated to write than I should be, but thatcan always be solved by sitting down at my desk and putting pen to paper. Inspiration is there if you look
in the right places!

9) Do you plan on taking up writing as a profession? If yes, what are your plans for it?

I’d love to be traditionally published someday. I don’t plan on publishing my current book anywhere other
than Wattpad – it’s my “getting my mojo back” project – but maybe I’ll try sending a future project toliterary agents when I’ve finished. It’s a long process, though, so it definitely won’t be happening for a
couple of years yet and it would mean stepping back from Wattpad for a while to get it done. For now,I’m just writing my stuff, sharing it and feeling happy.

10) What was your response when you first published this book?

I’ve loved writing my story (“The Girl Who Was Afraid”) so far. I had a long unproductive period during
lockdown and wasn’t active on Wattpad during that time, but I created this account in April and it’s been
amazing getting back into the swing of things. I’ve really missed writing on this scale and my readershave been incredible. I couldn’t have done this without them.

11) As a writer, what are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?

I’d like to think my side characters are my strengths, but I still have a lot to improve. My weaknesses are
probably melodrama – sometimes my descriptions can sound a little too dramatic – and also probably
pacing. My books tend to be pretty slow-paced, with events happening over a long period of time. I alsooften have problems with making the main character likeable and will occasionally forget to write“through their eyes”. Hopefully I'll get better at those things as I practise, though!

12) Is there any advice you would like to give to teenagers out there?

Get to know yourself. You can pull off any aesthetic, any personality trait and any feeling if you knowhow to express it authentically. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to yourself – you’refluid and ever-changing, so don’t let yourself get put into a box. It’s always hard to smash your way out again.

13) A few words about our community

This community is a great place for teens to hang out and get to know one another through books.

Whether you’re a reader or a writer or even just someone who wants to make some friends, there’s aspace for you. It’s a lovely place for sharing things.

14) Would you like to join this community?

I’d love to be a part of it on a relatively low level, as I don’t have enough time to devote myself fully tosomething bigger. I’m already a mentor for another community and a reviewer somewhere else, so Iwouldn’t want to commit to something I couldn’t manage (alongside all my personal stuff). Thank you for
the offer, though!

15) How did you feel about giving us the interview? Any suggestions would you like to give?

I’m always very happy to talk to other writers, so this interview was a great opportunity to do just that. Interms of suggestions, I’m not sure I have any regarding this interview. It was amazing to talk to you :)

Thanks again!

Thank you for giving us your interview, it was great time with you. All the best for all your future endevours.

And that wraps up the interview.

We'll meet you soon with another interview.

Until then take care