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 Aptionia author of Daybreaker. Check out this writer's works and give them a shout out in the comments.
BCM: How did you discover the Bootcamp Mentors and what have you found most valuable about this Wattpad community program?
Aptionia: I found it through a mixture of Wattpad friends and the Wattpad community itself. I saw it advertised everywhere, and I'd heard nothing but good things about it. I decided to submit and see if I was accepted, and I was! I've found the sense of community BCM fosters, plus learning new things about the writing process and myself as a writer, have been the most valuable aspects.
BCM: What prompted you to start writing on Wattpad and what do you like most about the platform as a writer?
Aptionia: I joined way back in 2012 to read (although, admittedly, I didn't use the platform that much lol), and started writing in 2016. This was a very on-and-off process, and I didn't start taking any form of writing seriously until 2021. Anything I'd attempted before then were poorly thought out plots and stories that didn't get more than ten (short) chapters written, and I was lucky if I spent time on a chapter to make sure it was good. I love the platform for the engagement potential. I've made a lot of friends through Wattpad, and a lot of them have been through my books or their books. It's very gratifying to receive comments and votes on the story you've worked tirelessly on.
BCM: What motivated you to write the story you're submitting to the 2023 Wattys?
Aptionia: I was taking a high school class where we had to work on a "senior project." At first, I was planning to do something related to biomedical engineering, because at the time, that's what I believed I was interested in. I am so grateful I went with my gut and chose to try to write a novel instead! I've been working on it as a passion project for close to 3 years now, and I never thought it would grow into the story it is today.
BCM:. If you had to describe your story in three words, what would they be?
Aptionia: Magical Gay Rebellion (lol)
BCM: Tell us one thing about your writing process that has helped you the most.
Aptionia: I give myself breaks when needed. I used to not do that, and I'd write constantly without feeling the desire to, and it quickly led to burnout. Now I'll take anywhere from a day to a month's worth of a break in order to make sure I don't suddenly start hating writing, and I've been writing consistently since 2021. The senior project I worked on, I'd forced myself to write, and it led to me not being able to write for over a year after. When I returned, I came back guns blazing, and I've improved rapidly since. So I suppose it's a good thing I burned myself out, but it did not feel good at the time to have no tangible results for a selective class I was supposed to pride myself on getting into. Even now, I struggle with feeling unproductive if I take small breaks, but I do my best to remind myself that it's better to take a break than force myself to do something, no matter how much I love it.
