Wattpad Block Party Q&A

1. What advice would you give to young or beginner writers?

I'd say mainly to not expect your writing to be flawless on your first try. It's easy to get your hopes up and then be disappointed that you aren't writing as well as you'd like to, so make sure to remember that there's always room for improvement. There's always something to tweak or edit so when you're just starting out, focus on ways to improve yourself rather than being upset when things might not go as planned.

2. Out of all of your stories, which one have you enjoyed writing most?

I would say my favorite so far has been Evergreen. The storyline and characters are very special to me and I'd say that I've put a lot more work into this story alone than some of my other stories combined. It's just very fun to write for me and I have exciting plans for it.

3. Do you have any plans for more stories after Evergreen and Grey Matter?

Yes! My problem is having many ideas but little time. I have lots of plans for lots of stories that I can't wait to share.

4. What are your favorite TV shows?

My favorites shift from time to time but right now it's Parks and Recreation, The Office, the Big Bang Theory, Bob's Burgers and Once Upon a Time.

5. How old were you when you wrote your first fanfiction? And what fanfiction was it?

I was fourteen and I cowrote the story with my best friend. It's called Lights and we wrote it over one summer.

6. How to come up with unique ideas? How to plan a story?

I'm a strong believer that the best/most unique ideas you don't come up with, but rather they come to you. Be patient and an idea could come to you when you very least expect it.

As for planning a story, it's good to sit down and write it all out by hand. Open a notebook and use an ink pen (that way you can see what you've scratched out potentially and see everything you veto or approve) and just write out all aspects of your idea that you've thought of. Then from there add events or happenings and make yourself an outline.

7. Do you live in the USA?

Yes, I do.

8. Are you going to OTRA?

No, sadly! The boys aren't coming to my state but I really wish I could go.

9. What advice do you have for people that want to start writing but aren't sure where to start?

Hmm, I've never exactly had this problem. But what I'd say is that you absolutely can't force it. If you want to write, by all means write, but let it come naturally. You can start with anything, really-if you have an idea you like, sit down and plan it out and when you're ready, start on the first chapter or really any chapter. Write out scenes you've figured out first and then connect the dots. There should be nothing from stopping you from sharing your ideas with the world (or a piece of paper), you just need to start slow. Plan and then gradually start writing, and always make sure you edit.

10. How do you come up with such original ideas for your stories?

Firstly, thank you! I appreciate that. And I suppose, like I said, it's all really random for me. I'm very easily inspired and my brain automatically will try to make a story out of anything, literally. It's about putting parts of yourself into a story and making it yours; putting your fingerprints all over it. Write a story that you would want to read.

11. What do you think is the hardest part about writing?

For me it's making sure everything goes as planned. Sometimes I'll write out an outline for a new idea and then get into writing it and realize I've strayed from my original plans. Writer's block is hard for me too since it's unavoidable.

12. You've created a different Harry in three of your books. Each portrays a different personality. How do you do it?

I have a relatively simple answer for that question, but it might not make a lot of sense. I guess what I do is that I think of each of my stories as a separate universe in my brain, so that way they don't get tangled with one another. I find Harry's character (in real life) very interesting, and with each of the Harrys I've written I've wanted to experiment with what I can make his character into. It's important to me that all my characters are different so that they are memorable.

13. Why are you most proud of Evergreen?

I feel that it is the best my writing has been thus far. Of course I have tons of room for improvement and I will never cease to better my writing skill, but Evergreen is very special to me because I've lost a lot of sleep over it and spent a ton of time thinking about it. If I lose a lot of sleep over a story, it becomes very important to me. My other three serious stories haven't caused this much insomnia for me, with the exception of maybe Phantom. I love writing the characters in Evergreen and I love what I have planned. It's also special because it came to me in a dream (at least, the preface scene did) and I like the idea that maybe my subconscious is behind this particular plot.

14. When you started writing Hidden, did you have a lot of reads and/or how did it start out?

No, absolutely not. It took me a really long time to accumulate reads on Hidden especially and it took a lot of patience. It started out just like any story does-with zero reads, zero votes, and zero comments.

15. Out of all the three Harrys in your three books, which one would you want to date?

I'm not really sure considering they all came from my brain so in theory I'd be dating my brain but...Evergreen Harry.

16. Do you relate to Bones from Grey Matter?

Of course! Who doesn't relate to Bones?

17. Where did you get the inspiration to write Hidden?

I was sitting and watching TV blankly and thinking about conspiracies. Then the idea hit me and I wrote it down. I do love a good conspiracy plot so I combined my love of that with my love of Harry.

18. Do you ship Larry?

Yes.

19. Why did your parents name you Tess?

I guess it was just one of the names they had picked out. I was almost named Lillian (I wish I had been) but they ended up decided on Tess so here I am.

20. What was the first thing you ever wrote?

Believe it or not, it was a story called Palm Trees about a bunch of orphans that go on an adventure to find an evil tree. I wrote it when I was eight but sadly I never finished it. It has five chapters.

21. How did you come up with your username?

I like the ocean and beach and I like Harry, so I came up with seasidestyles. I never actually said it out loud until a few months ago and it's kind of hard to say considering the alliteration I have going on. It's like a tongue twister. That was a happy accident.

22. Do you work hard for your ideas and vocabulary or do they just come with your passion for writing?

Both. Writing comes very naturally for me and I am an intense logophile so the vocabulary part is not difficult for me. As for ideas, like I said, they come at random. Sometimes I'll get a flop idea that I think will be good but end up writing it and being disappointed. It's trial and error, really.

23. What gave you the idea to start writing Grey Matter?

I was sitting in chemistry class and my teacher was talking about study tactics and she mentioned the grey matter component of the brain. I had earlier had an idea to write about a young genius but it hadn't clicked into place until she said those two words. I was also inspired by Sheldon Cooper's character on The Big Bang Theory with writing aspects of Niall's personality.

24. How do you plan stories a lot so you know or have a guess at what's going to happen during the middle and end of the story? Do you just make it up as you go or do you plan ahead? And which one is better for a writer?

I practice a combination of the two. I plan my stories to an extent, but some of it is bound to come spontaneously as you write. One's not better than the other, it's really more about personal preference and what fits you best.

25. What kind of feeling is having readers from different countries? And do you have a message for them?

I think it's absolutely amazing to have people from all over the world read my books, and some of them don't even know much English! I'm literally just someone who sits behind her computer and to think I have so much support globally is so incredible. I guess my message for them is just a huge thank you for reading my work and sticking with me through all the literary decisions I decide to make. You're amazing and I love you a lot.

26. How can I make my story popular?

I kind of answered this already but really you just have to be patient. Don't expect to wake up tomorrow and suddenly have an explosion of attention on your story, because it takes a lot of hard work. Continue to put effort and quality into your work, update often, and don't lose hope. Your time will come.

27. Do you have any upcoming stories that you'd like to share about?

I recently had a very unorthodox idea that I've been writing down in my notebook. It's very untraditional and not everyone is going to like it but it's more fueled by me exploring my writing abilities than audience opinion and I'm so excited for it.

28. If you were dying and you had one word left to say before you took your last breath what would it be and why?

This is a really interesting question and I hope you know I spent like fifteen minutes contemplating it! I don't know if I'd be able to sum up my dying wish in merely one word, but I'd probably go with the word "you". It probably makes no sense but I'd choose that one because it reminds us who is really the most important-yourself. Put your health and feelings first and remember to take care of yourself because as far as we know we only get to spend one lifetime on Earth.

29. Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you hadn't made one decision like you did?

I used to more than I do now because I know dwelling on the past won't change it. I think everyone wonders about the outcome of their life based on a decision at one point or another, really.

30. Are there any books you can compare your writing style to?

My writing style is a continuous accumulation of aspects of other people's writing styles that I like all mushed together to synthesize my own. I can't really compare mine to anyone else's because there are billions of different writing styles in billions of books around the world. Also, my style of writing is tweaked based on the plot of the story. For instance, the technique I use to write Grey Matter is immensely different from the one I use to write Evergreen. I guess a writing style isn't ever static and therefore can't really be compared.

31. How are you able to balance your Wattpad life as well as your regular life?

As I've developed as a writer and grown up as a person, it's become increasingly difficult. When I joined Wattpad about two years ago I had semi-complex ideas and lots of time, but now I have majorly complex ideas and little time. I guess it's about organizing your priorities and utilizing any free time you get. When I'm not doing homework, I'm always writing.

32. Whenever you're not as motivated to write what do you do to sort of inspire yourself to be productive?

I have a few rituals I go through because writer's block is my worst enemy and I want it eliminated from the Earth. I like to blast music and lay on the floor of my room (my family has walked into that a few times and asked me if I'm okay) and taking a hot bath or a shower helps too. Sometimes I watch a few episodes of Parks and Recreation (TREAT YOSELF!) or go on Twitter/Instagram or I talk to a trusted friend about my writing dilemma. Then, by the time all of that is through, I usually have a sense of what I'm going to write from there. That probably won't work for everyone so it's really just finding what motivates you personally.

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Where You Can Find Tess (@seasidestyles):

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/seasidestyles_
Tumblr link: http://bbrooding.tumblr.com
Instagram link: http://instagram.com/seasidestyles

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25 EPIC Prizes for the Wattpad Block Party Event:

http://kellyanneblountauthor.blogspot.com/2015/02/over-20-amazing-wattpad-block-party.html