These are the voices of our mentors and mentees from past and present. They've provided their insight about the program, their processes, the Wattys, and have shared their favorite Wattpad stories. Grab a cuppa and sit down with us as we get to know...
The Bootcamp Mentors are proud to present a spotlight interview with neverfakeit also known as buzzmama Check out this writer's works and give them a shout out in the comments.
BCM: What motivated you to become a Bootcamp Mentor and what have you found most valuable about the program?
Morgan: I love helping writers find their voice. When I first started writing, I didn't know what the term 'voice' meant or even how to find one. But it's there, underneath every story, and writers who tap into that voice and learn to trust it will begin writing more authentically.
The Bootcamp Mentorship is a fantastic initiative for bringing together storytellers at every stage of their writing journey. It's a safe and supportive environment where we can all learn and grow as writers and as people.
BCM: What prompted you to start writing on Wattpad and what do you like most about the platform?
Morgan: I had outgrown my critique group and was desperate for different opinions on my work. I read an article about Wattpad and that Margaret Atwood had endorsed it as a nurturing environment for new writers, so I signed up and started sharing my work here.
The second half of my answer should be kind of obvious. I love the writer/reader interaction found on the platform. You really can't find it anywhere else, and I believe the community of readers help encourage these budding writers to continue working at their craft. Speaking of communities, the writing communities that have grown out of the platform are next level, and I will continue to promote and support them as long as they'll have me.
BCM: Tell us one thing about your writing process that you've incorporated into your mentoring.
Morgan: I am an editor by trade, and I'm kind of obsessed with story pacing. When done well, readers won't even notice the words on the page as they're taken into the writer's world. I believe each word should serve a purpose, whether in a story, a blog post, even a text. I love to show writers which words and phrases are helping their story and which words can be dropped from it. Sometimes one word can make the difference between a good passage and a truly memorable one.
BCM: If you had to describe your mentee's story in three words, what would they be?
Morgan: Loyalty, Heart, Celestial.
BCM: Will you be entering a story into the 2022 Wattys? If so, what motivated you to write the story?
Morgan: I'll be entering two; the sequel to my historical romance series, The Captain's Beloved, and a contemporary romance/romcom, The Bartender's Guide to the Galaxy. As for my motivations, the sequel just happens to fit into the Wattys 'first published date' window, and the romcom was an experiment. I had never written one before and I wanted to see if I could pull it off.
BCM: Share two Wattpad story recommendations.
Morgan: Edgewise by krazydiamond - swashbuckling steampunk pirates, yes please. Prince Charming Must Die by BrittanieCharmintine - you'll laugh your arse off.
~ 2023 Spotlight Interview with Morgan ~
BCM: What is the username of your 2023 mentee and the title of their story? If you had to describe your mentee's story in three words, what would they be?
Morgan: This year I had the pleasure of mentoring AriaOfStorms and helping tighten up her high fantasy story The Obsidian Marks. I was jonesing for a good fantasy when she applied, and this story really fit the bill.
Three words I would use to describe The Obsidian Marks are: Discovery, Betrayal, Epic.
BCM: Will you be entering a story into the 2023 Wattys? If so, what motivated you to write the story? If not, can you share what you're working on?
Morgan: I will not be entering a story in the Wattys. I've actually been too busy to write lately. Instead, I've been pouring all my energy into the BCM program and into the work I do for the ambassadors, which is extremely rewarding. However, soon my time will be divided between these things and editing the Lexi series, which will be published through W by Wattpad Books under the new series title Olympus Rising!
BCM: Share two Wattpad story recommendations.
Morgan: I love to read stories with humor, so I have to recommend one of my fav humor stories on Wattpad, Peter's Little Peter, by mestrin. And if you enjoy stories with a bit of a dark twist (think Series of Unfortunate Events), another fav read of mine on Wattpad is Rosehead by kseniaanske.
Thank you, Morgan. We wish you all the best in your writing endeavors.
Don't touch that dial. There's more great spotlights coming your way.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
