I interviewed DenmarkHarris next, because I have read a lot of his previous stories, and even though some of them aren't not up now, I can tell you that I was able to relate to all of his main characters. Especially Jenny in When you Feel Beautiful. It's really cool to me how he incorporates all of the struggles that girls have in his stories. Not something that you come across every day. You should most definitely go check him out. So, here it is:
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How did you find out about Wattpad?
I nearly created an account on this site in 2008, when I was still in high school. Back then, Wattpad was fairly new and unpolished so I wasn't impressed. I stuck to a poetry website I loved until that website went belly up in 2010. I came back to Wattpad in 2011 and have been here ever since:) I was looking for writing sites and that's when I first stumbled upon Wattpad.
What gives you inspiration for your stories?
Girls. Girls. And more Girls. It pisses me off having to read online about a girl who killed herself because of bullying. I try to empathize with that girl and when I write a story, I try to see life through her eyes. Sometimes, the girl serves as the emotional boost I need to write the more challenging parts of my work. While teenage boys have their own sets of challenges in life, I find the challenges girls face on a daily basis to be fascinating especially when it comes to body image. I also love how diverse girls are. Humans are, in general, but I love how you have tall girls, short girls, thicker girls, skinnier girls, girls with red hair, dark brown hair, black hair, blond hair, dyed hair, short hair, long hair, no hair. Girls who are sweet, bitchy, talk a LOT, fan girl, depressed, happy, confident, insecure, girly girl, tomboyish, the list goes on. :)
You have over 1,000 followers, most likely because those people enjoy your stories. Why do you think they do?
I'm sure it's because people enjoy my stories, but I also try to be as accessible as possible. When you read my bio, I'm very open about my stay in the psychiatric ward when I was a teenager. I openly state that yes, I did suffer from depression. The only thing I don't mention is that I winded up in the psych ward because of a suicide attempt. So I feel like people really love my bio and I hope they do because I want to let Wattpad users in. I also try to write from the heart. I'm not too concerned, well I'm not concerned at all, about what's trendy. You'll never catch me writing certain stories on Wattpad. Ever. I stick to my guns. Whenever I write a story, I write to make a girl smile, even if it's only for a second.
Do you have any advice for up and coming wattpad authors?
Stick to your guns. No matter what, write the story of YOUR heart, not what will give you instant popularity. Don't sell yourself short. Writers can get too caught up in how many votes and reads their story has, or doesn't have, and they let it get to their head. Don't let it get to your head. Write the story you want to write and that you'd want to read and that you feel Wattpad users could fall in love with. As Robert Frost said, "take the road less traveled." Be "original."
Who is your favorite author?
Jean M. Auel.
S.E Hinton is a distant second, but still a favorite.
Can you relate to any of the characters in your stories?
Samara. She's a high school senior, like I was, who was very popular but was still a bully victim. She struggles with math like I struggled with math. However, Samara struggles with all of her subjects but math is her worst one. She's afraid of failing like I was afraid of failing. I can also relate to my protagonist, Jenny Ballena, because I haven't seen eye to eye with my Dad lately. I'm always conflicted over whether I want a relationship with him or not.
Do you see yourself still writing in ten years from now?
Yes.
Is there an author who influenced your style of writing?
Jean M. Auel for the way she develops her characters. Her characterization is impeccable. In this, I try to emulate her. I want my characters to have as much depth as possible and I try to add more depth to my characters, even the minor ones, through various literary devices.
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Thank you so much to DenmarkHarris for allowing me to interview him! I enjoyed reading his answers. Go follow him, and read his story When you Feel Beautiful.
BINABASA MO ANG
Interviews With Wattpad Authors
Non-FictionHey there! Here's a compilation of interviews with successful Wattpad writers. I made this in the hopes of helping people who want to write good stories, and to give a more in-depth look into what these writers are doing right! As of right now, it...
