Project Athena | Author Spotlight

TalleFey

We are delighted to showcase TalleFey as our highlighted author this month. With her captivating paranormal stories, Talle brings a distinctive and enthralling perspective to the world of storytelling. Join us as we delve into her writing style, immersing ourselves in her imaginative narratives, and gaining insights into her personal journey as an author.

What inspired you to become a writer? When did you first start writing?

I've always had an imaginative mind and loved hearing and making up stories. Although I can't remember exactly when I started "writing" stories, I was creating stories well before I could write. A couple of weeks ago, I found a self-made little book where I had drawn pictures and let my mom write the story to go with it. And when we'd go on family holidays I would always have a notebook with me in which I wrote stories. Even so, I completely abandoned writing during my bachelor's degree. I started writing again for NaNoWriMo, in 2020, and around that same time, I discovered Wattpad as well. I haven't stopped writing ever since. My life has had some uphill battles, so losing myself in stories was a big coping mechanism. I hope to write stories that will let other people forget about their own worries for a little while as well.

Can you discuss your experience with building a readership on Wattpad? What strategies have you used to attract and retain readers?

Building a readership can be pretty tough. There are so many amazing books for readers to choose from, so you really need to stand out. When I wasn't that active in the community, I found updating regularly (at least once a week) was helpful to get some readers through the algorithm. But I think the best way is to make friends. I'm active on the Wattpad subreddit, on some of the official ambassador-run pages, in a book club, on social media, and the place I love the most: Discord. If you're active in the community, people will start recognizing your name and look you up. At the same time, you make some friends.

How do you handle writer's block or other creative obstacles when they arise? Are there any specific techniques or practices that help you overcome these challenges?

OUTLINE! I can't stress this enough. I know there are pantsers who feel limited by outlines, but they are a great defense against writer's block. It doesn't have to be too detailed. You could write a sentence per chapter or just write something for the big plot beats. And you can always change the outline later if the story takes you somewhere else when writing it. But outlines are a great way to not get stuck because I've already planned what I'm supposed to be writing.

What do you do when you encounter writer's block or feel stuck in your story? How do you get unstuck and keep writing?

If I'm having writer's block, it's usually because of two things: I'm either stuck on a specific part, or I have writer's burnout. If it's the first, I will usually go back to my inspiration sources (music, mood boards, etc.), or I'll leave a placeholder like {character will do x} and move on to the next part (this is why an outline can come in handy). When I have writer's burnout, all I can do is take a little break, and then I come back stronger with new inspiration.

Can you tell us about a time when you had to make a difficult creative decision in one of your stories? How did you approach this decision, and what was the outcome?

When I was writing Lost and Found, I wanted to just write a simple high school romance, but with my own twist. In high school, I got sick and diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and I wanted to add that to this story. So I had my genre and outline and started writing. However, during the writing, my story went in a completely different direction. I started to focus more on the effects of being ill and trying to balance high school life. The romance genre didn't really fit the narrative anymore, so I had to decide, to turn it back into a romance novel or stick with my gut feeling and change it into something else. I decided on the latter. That's why it's important to know that you can change outlines, switch genres, and even change POV/Tenses if you think it's for the best. I'm really proud of what the book has become, and it was quite cathartic to write as well.

Can you tell us about a particularly challenging scene or chapter in one of your stories, and how you tackled it?

First chapters. I've struggled a lot with writing the first chapters because I'm someone who info dumps in the beginning only to realize I'm already weaving it into the story later. I've rewritten the first chapter(s) of Scars and Secrets a few times, and I think I can still improve it a bit. The way I've tackled this problem is to just keep writing and fix it later. I'll cut everything out that I'm already mentioning later, and I might add some more details to bring more life to the first chapter so it doesn't feel like an info-dumping chapter but contains a good hook.

What do you think sets your stories apart from other works in your genre? What unique perspective or voice do you bring to your writing?

I think every writer brings their unique voice into a story which makes it authentic. That's why I'm always sad to see a writer abandon a story they loved writing because they saw someone else had the same idea. For me, I feel it's really important that the characters feel real. It's not just the main characters either, each character has their flaws and their lives, and that I think is what I like the most about my stories.

How do you handle criticism or negative feedback from readers or other writers? What strategies do you use to maintain your confidence and motivation?

Not everyone is your audience, so not everyone will like what you write. I always try to remind myself there are popular books people love that I just didn't and vice versa. The same goes for your own books. So there's always going to be people who won't like your writing, but you're not writing for them. You're writing for the people who do like your books. It's also wise to write a book because you like the story and because you want to read that story. You may not have found your audience yet, but you will someday, so don't let negative comments or views/votes stop you.

What are your goals for your writing career, both in the short term and long term?

I've always wanted to hold a physical copy of a book I've written. Wattpad was supposed to be a step towards that goal, but I loved the community so much, I got a bit sidetracked. I hope to self-publish Scars and Secrets as an e-book next year (2024) and in the future, hopefully, physical copies. That doesn't mean I'm leaving Wattpad though. I'm planning to write a Sci-Fi romance novel I would like to publish on Wattpad next year (2024). My big dream is to one day be able to self-publish my novels under my own publishing company and to help authors who want to do the same.

Can you share a piece of writing advice that has been particularly impactful for you? How has it influenced your writing process or career?

Technically, this isn't specific writing advice I heard, but it's a quote from the Dalai Lama XIV: "Know the rules well so you can break them effectively". You'll hear a lot of advice to not use adverbs, but sometimes it will add that little extra to your sentence. Or the 'show don't tell' rule. There are moments where text will be improved with a bit of telling instead of showing. It's good life advice and good writing advice, you don't always have to color in between the lines.

We are thrilled to present Talle as our featured author in this series! Take a moment to immerse yourself in her captivating stories and show your support.

If you're interested in being featured too, keep honing your craft and submit your work to our reading lists. We're constantly seeking exceptional books to showcase and share with our readers.