The official Coffee Community book for exclusive interviews and advice from Wattys winners, Wattpad Stars, Ambassadors and various upcoming authors and poets. Peak inside, we have cups of Ristretto too!
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The 2nd place of the ONC 2021 belongs to James, who is known as SubwayChud on Wattpad, with his story Almond.
Let's get acquainted with James!
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Welcome to the interview, James!
So, to begin, tell us a little bit about yourself as an author on Wattpad. For anyone who hasn't met you before, how would you describe your fiction?
I write pretty much exclusively in the urban fantasy genre, mixed with some dark humor and a bit of horror. Ideally, I'd like a reader to be sort of creeped out while still giggling, but not so scared they have to sleep with the lights on.
When did you start writing and what does writing mean to you?
I've been writing for years - since high school at least. To be honest, I'm not a fan of writing. I don't like typing, I hate editing, and I despise proper comma usage. But I love story-telling and that washes away all my whiny dislikes.
How has your writing journey been so far? What are your goals as a writer?
I can't complain. Only in the last few years did I finally start putting out any of my work into the public eye. Most of my feedback has been positive, but 2nd in the ONC is definitely my biggest win to date. As for goals - I suppose like most writers, I hope to see a copy of my work on a bookstore bookshelf someday, even if I have to sneak it in myself.
How did you find out about Wattpad and what do you like the best about the platform?
If I recall correctly, I simply found it online doing a search for writing platforms. Best parts - book clubs, contests (ONC, Wattys, etc), awards, and read-for-reads. All of these practically guarantee feedback and reader interaction. I haven't seen a single other site that could provide this.
Why did you participate in the Open Novella Contest?
I'd been kicking around the concept behind Almond for a while, but honestly, I just kept getting lazy and giving in to the writers' block. The ONC was a nice fire to heat up the creativity.
Which prompt(s) did you choose this year?
I picked Prompt 62 - death omen delivered to the doorstep. I got the notion this was a popular one. It was too good to pass up. I think most paranormal/horror writers would agree to this actually happening to them in real life, just to be able to tell the story.
Besides the prompt(s), what else inspired you to write your ONC winning story?
The basis of the story is rooted in some fact. My wife used to make homemade almond milk. Hence, we always had tons of these things. Things got weird when I started finding them all over the house. The first one I found in a shoe. The motherload came when I unboxed our artificial Christmas tree and several dozen almonds spilled out. I even found some under the lawnmower. For a while, I thought it was a prank and that got creepy because I couldn't expose the prankster. The culprits ended up being mice, stealing so many nuts they just made stashes for later. Those were some industrious rodents and they were a pain, but they were my inspiration. I used a live-trap to capture and relocate them, so we're even.
How did you experience your ONC journey?
I really enjoyed working on a new project, with the intention of actually finishing it. But deadlines, ugh, those were rough. Worth it though, in the end.
Give us your ONC winning speech!
It's pretty simple. A hearty thanks to Wattpad and all the hard-working Ambassadors who conducted this massive endeavor. I was humbled to make it to the shortlist, so a top-five finish blew me away. Also, thanks to everyone who took the time to read my bizarre, nut-based horror/comedy novella.
Thank you for the interview! We wish you all the best for your future writing endeavor. ☕
