Of The Week

Author of the Week|afterthoughts

August 17, 2014

Congratulations to afterthoughts for being the newest Author of the Week!

afterthoughts, also known as Fatima, has been a member of Wattpad since June of 2013. She's collected quite a few followers in the past year, yet many believe that she really doesn't receive the recognition deserves. Easily the most nominated author, Fatima is a writing superstar, with several completed novels: Iridescent, Wayfaring Companions, and Intricacies.

Iridescent is a novel about two people who make eye contact at the New York City subway. Both have their flaws and neither are the happiest of people, but seeing each other, something awakens in the main characters. Althea and Lincoln are two very relateable character, having numerous flaws and emotions that seem some raw and realistic. The small details Fatima scatters in the story make is ten times more poetic and sophisticated, enticing readers to read chapter after chapter.

Quote: "Her name was Althea. Not Althea as in the magical marshmallow plant with healing powers from Greek mythology; she can't even begin to vouch for how many times she's been teased in relation to that, or even Althea Gibson, the famous tennis player from the 1950's, although she wished she endowed at least one athletic bone in her body. No, just Althea, she'd say." (I Chap. 1)

A Word of Thanks: It honestly means so much to have been picked as the next author of the week. Thank you so much to Anne for being so wonderful and positive with this project; I've discovered so many wonderful people through it and have made so many wonderful friends, and it's an absolute honor to be standing next to them. Thank you to all of you who have read my works and supported me, whether it be through Wattpad or off of it. I've made so many amazing and talented friends on this site and I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I'm so so honored to have met so many talented people. Thank you for all your kind words and constant support; it means a hell of a lot knowing that so many of you believe in me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Some Tips; As a person who's super self-conscious about their writing themselves, it can be really hard to appreciate and be proud of what you write. Especially when you're on a site like this and there's so many talented people around you.

If you want to write, then write. Honestly, the desire to write that's inside of you is just waiting to be set free, so don't hold back. Don't keep telling yourself that your idea won't be as good as another person's, or that your writing isn't worth reading because you're not as experienced - there's a part of you that's just waiting to let loose; don't be afraid to let yourself go, because your words and thoughts are meant to be heard. They mean something to someone, and you'll never know it unless you try.

As for actual writing tips, always write down your ideas! It'll get a bit annoying, especially if you have a brain like mine and any little thing that you encounter can set off an entire plot that's just screaming to be written. But I've lost a lot of cool ideas because I've forgotten them. And no matter how small they are at the time, just write them down; they can always be developed.

Always write; if you're passionate about it, then don't let anything stop you. Sure, you'll have your down days, but let your thoughts and emotions out on paper. Don't waste a single moment doubting yourself, even when there are people doubting you, because you have the ability to create a masterpiece.

Don't get discouraged; it's easy to back down from following through with posting an update or uploading a story for the first time just by taking a look around the community. It can be hard to keep up with the pace of everyone else when there are so many people out there that are more successful than you, but just remember that everyone has to start somewhere. Don't let numbers get to your head; they're just numbers in the end, and the people you've touched with your own words and the different views that readers once couldn't see if what will get you to where you want to go. So be patient; the best of things always come slowly, and the good things that come too quick never last very long.

Thank you all again! This means an absolute ton and I'm so incredibly happy that I'm getting the chance to share my work with wonderful people like you all. Thank you.

Go congratulate Fatima!