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This month's spotlighted author is @Minimoxx with their story A Fighting Chance!
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Right from dreaming about being a writer, to struggling days to get words on paper, our this month's highlighted author's journey resonates with us like no other! Read on the interview to know more!
What sparked the inspiration to write the story?
I wanted to write a romance with a difference. My husband comes from a military town, and our best friend's stepdad was in the army, so I often hear stories from them about army life. After going through depression and PTSD myself, I wanted to combine those within a realistic romance with all of these elements.
I had the idea of Bryson (the male lead) as a soldier for a long time, so it kind of just worked when I brought all the elements together.
What inspired you to start writing on Wattpad?
I used to be on a site called Inkpop, which was run by Harper Collins, but that shut down and everyone moved to Wattpad.
I started there in 2012 and have just found home! I took a long break when I graduated from university and got married and had a family (I even took a break from writing!) but then came back and have never left.
Budding authors face countable hindrances, what hindrance(s) did you face the most?
I think for me it's writers block and motivation. Well, life, really! I find sometimes life can just get in the way, and when that happens, I lose my motivation and thus go through writers block. Sometimes, it's just not "feeling" the story and not knowing where eto go the most. I find them all meshing together most of the time, too.
I usually find a good walk, or shower, or even working on another project can just help me get that creativity back. If it's life getting in the way, well, that's harder to face, but I always try to make writing time a protected time - when my son is in bed, or at school, and I protect a good few hours to just sit and write. My husband is usually pretty good at leaving me alone - he knows never to interrupt me or face my wrath!
Negative criticism is inevitable, how do you deal with it? And what would you suggest the others do when faced with such?
Usually, I will ignore it. If it's someone REALLY being negative for no reason, it has no place in my life. Constructive criticism is *always* welcome with me, but I won't take harshness for no reason. Sometimes it can really get me down, though, so in those times, I will read some amazing comments I have or talk to my friends about it and move forward.
You will never please everyone, and thats okay! It's just how those people go about it; and when it happens, you just have to pick yourself up as hard as it is.
What according to you sets Military Fiction apart from other genres?
Military is part of life in every country, in every world - even if it's fantasy, there will be a military! It's something that as hard as it can be to face, is real. And in that, I think you can have all ranges of stories: good, not so good, tragic, romance, *anything*.
That's the beauty, it can be so versatile and still be relatable - even in high fantasy!
What do you feel is the biggest myth about writers?
That it's easy! I have days where I can write 10k words and feel accomplished, but I can also have days where I don't write anything because my motivation is bad and I just get frustrated! Writers pour everything into their books and while it's amazing, it can be so draining. Then there's editing, rewriting, plus if you're on Wattpad, there's getting feedback, marketing... it's a multi-faceted job, and it's not easy!
I had a romantic view when I was 18 and about to do my writing degree that it would be sunshine and writing a book and BAM I'd be a best seller. It's not that easy - and that was what I learnt on day 1! I'm genuinely in awe of anyone who writes a book - and even more so of people who finish them!
Your go to cure for a bad day?
A cup of tea, cuddles with my family and films! Or a good book!
How do you avoid or get out of writers' block?
Long walks and showers - cliche I know! They really help me think though! Sometimes even working on other projects does help - even as something small as editing. Something to really clear your mind from that plot will sometimes be what your brain needs.
I find if I think too much about that plot I'm working on, I'll never solve it. The moment my brain goes elsewhere it gets sorted!
Any advice for your fellow/new writers?
WRITE! It's the most simplest of things, but you can never edit an empty page. You'll never sell anything if you don't write. You will get better with every single chapter you write.
So write; even if it's a bad first draft, thats okay! Perfection will never happen in art, even when it's on the shelf, you will always wonder "what if I had just done that", so never strive for it. Just write your plot <3
We're delighted to have @Minimoxx as one of our spotlighted authors! Interested to know how you can become one?
Each author in here has been noticed by us for their outstanding book. Keep working on your story and submit your story to our reading lists to get noticed more easily.
