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 LucyAnnWrites author of The Girl Who Was Afraid. Check out this writer's work 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?
LucyAnnWrites: I discovered the Bootcamp Mentors way back when I first joined Wattpad in 2019, but I was barely a teenager at the time and not very used to posting work online, so I preferred to watch from afar instead of applying. Now that I have applied, the program has been extremely valuable; it gives you a huge boost of support and allows you to feel like part of a group, while also developing your writing skills.
BCM: What prompted you to start writing on Wattpad and what do you like most about the platform as a writer?
LucyAnnWrites: I moved to Wattpad after writing on a much, MUCH smaller site since 2016. Unfortunately, it started to crash, so I thought I'd give Wattpad a try. It was intimidating at first, and I remember being in absolute awe of anyone with ten-plus followers, but I slowly learned to navigate the platform. I love that anyone can write there, whether you're an established author or a newbie, and I will always be grateful to everyone who reprimanded me gently for my spelling in those early days!
BCM: What motivated you to write the story you're submitting to the 2023 Wattys?
LucyAnnWrites: In truth, I didn't know what the outcome would be when I sat down to write The Girl Who Was Afraid last year. I was stuck in a rut and had lost motivation to write, so I picked a random writing prompt and told myself that I could write whatever I wanted, anything at all, for as long as it took to finish the book. I've struggled with OCD for many years, so those experiences crept into the story as I wrote. Basically, I planned nothing and found new motivation to write every day :)
BCM:. If you had to describe your story in three words, what would they be?
LucyAnnWrites: Overcoming. Self-growth. Family.
BCM: Tell us one thing about your writing process that has helped you the most.
LucyAnnWrites: Letting myself write freely, without worrying about what critics might think. I used to force myself to plan everything because that's what an industry expert once told me, but honestly it doesn't work for me. I prefer to just "go with the flow" and write whatever comes to me in the moment, so I've been doing things the way that works for me.
BCM: Share two Wattpad story recommendations.
LucyAnnWrites: Merlin's Curse by Benhauthor - a middle-grade scifi-fantasy full of adventure and humour, and Cocytus by empiresofwater - a historical sailing story full of ghostly horrors and superstitions.
Thank you, LucyAnnWrites. We wish you all the best in your writing endeavors.
More BCM spotlight interviews are on the way!
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