I just wanted to go ahead and thank everyone for the wonderful questions, I really appreciate you guys and the amount of engagement during these weird times. Also, if you haven't already, you should definitely follow me on Twitter (handle: laurynabrooks), I'm pretty active there and you can keep up with what I'm working on and get cute pics of my kitty Nyx as well :)

How is living in Nashville?

It was great until the pandemic :), lol. Nashville is a great city, but like any other city, it has it's... things. The best thing is obviously the concerts I've gotten to see, and oh my God, I would sell my soul to go to another live show. I hope that my country can get this pandemic under control, because I would love to get more out of Nashville before I inevitably move again.

Do you have an Insta?

I do not. I hate Instagram, lol, but I do have a Twitter. Just search my name.

When did you first start writing? And do you have any support in continuing your writing journey?

I first started writing when I was around 13 years old, and I'm now 25, so it's been a while.

At first, no, I didn't really have any support when it came to writing because I pretty much kept it a secret from everyone I knew. I ended up telling my first girlfriend around 18 that I wrote on Wattpad, and then my family when I was 19. I don't think my immediate family really "supports" my writing career, but they support me as a person. I don't expect them to ever read my books or acknowledge that I've chosen to pursue the path that I have, though.

But I do have people in my life that support me unconditionally and push me to become a better writer so I can be successful, which makes up for it. Not to mention everyone on Wattpad that have been around reading and supporting my works for years.

Where did you learn your grammar and writing skills?

The wonderfully prestigious United States Public Education System, lol. I'm kind of insecure about my grammar skills because it's come to my attention that they're not developed as much as a professional writer's should be at this point in my life, which annoys me. Not to mention I grew up in Deep South Louisiana, where people literally talk like Ray the firefly in The Princess and the Frog, so what I grew up hearing was certainly not correct grammar.

As for my writing/ story-telling skills, I just learned as I grew up, really. I've been writing fiction for about twelve years now. I haven't taken any college-level creative writing courses, and I regret that tremendously, but I read and write a lot, so I hope that makes up for it.

Are you in love or have you actually ever been in love?

I've been in love a few times, or I'd like to believe I have. I'm currently in a long-term relationship with my girlfriend and I love her very much. She's the most supportive partner I've ever had, and I love her deeply for it.

How have you been during this pandemic?

... lol, um, it's been rough, honestly. I was laid off back in March and I've been unemployed and pretty much isolating at home ever since. I've seen my family twice and haven't really hung out with any of my friends since. And all while I'm doing this, a lot of American's don't even believe that this virus is real, much less have the respect for their neighbor to just stay home and wear a mask when they go out.

I'm not sure if any of you are aware of what it's like in the U.S. right now, but it's not good, and because I'm so hyper-aware of it all, it's put a lot of strain on my mental health. It's why it took me so long to finish "Everyday Adventures". I've literally had no energy to do anything since like, May, and I'm struggling to find motivation to keep creating.

But, I'm gonna keep going anyway because I know I need to. I also want anyone who feels the same as I do to know, we're gonna get through this together. It's weird to know that as humans, we're all going through this as a collective, and we're gonna need each other to come out on the other side of this, so try to stay positive, even when it's really hard.

What's something that your readers wouldn't normally know about you?

I like this question because there's a lot you guys don't know about me, even though I'm pretty transparent and honest. Um, I was a Psych major for one year in college before switching over to music. I taught myself how to play guitar at the age of 13 from Youtube videos, and I'm also a songwriter, even though I haven't written music in a year or two.

I'm also very into politics, and I've thought about pursuing a political career recently because I'm very passionate about making real change in the world we live in. I know art can and does change the world around us, but I might try and mesh activism and creativity into one in my future.

Do you have a character you're personally attached to?

All of them, lol. Just kidding, um... Sam is very important to me because in way, Sam is me. It's weird to think about now because when I created her that wasn't my intention, but the more I explored her character in "Everyday Adventures", the more I realized Sam was basically my inner child.

What inspires you to write and how do you overcome writers block?

Soooo many things inspire me. Life, stories I hear from people I know, music, media, anything really, but the desire to be a part of the movement toward more equal LGBTQ+ representation in the media is a big one. I want LGBTQ+ kids to have positive representation growing up, because I didn't, and it really sucked growing up thinking that I was alone.

As for the writers block, usually I just take a break and work on the plot of the book or the book cover and it usually helps, but recently my writers block has been a real bitch. Sometimes passion goes away for a project, and that's totally normal, but instead of giving up or taking a break like I usually do, I'm gonna try forcing myself to write even though I'm not feeling it, because writing something is always better than writing nothing at all.

Will you ever write another teacherXstudent story?

Probably not, and I think you guys know why. I'm sorry.

"Assisting Miss Adams" New or Old Version?

Both. Lol, they're not going anywhere, and they're both very different experiences, so why not read both? Obviously "Everyday Adventures" will make a lot more sense if you read the New Version because it's based off that one rather than the original, but it's totally up to you.

What inspired you with writing Sam's character?

At first, I just wanted to explore the badass attitude lesbian archetype, which resulted in OG Sam, and then Sam's character became a mirror for myself in the "Everyday Adventures" series. So, a lot of things inspired me to write and continue writing Sam's character, because she allowed me to explore my own inner demons and fears, and eventually became a sort of therapy for me and a lot of other people who related to her.

Were Blair and Tony still dating at the end of the series?

Well, yeah, lol. Maybe reread it, there was a lot going on, so you might've missed it!

What would you do, if you found a Samantha Carson out there, as Lauryn? Would you treat her like Megan did?

If I'm being completely honest, absolutely not, lol. I don't have the patience for someone like Sam, who obviously needed a lot of that. Besides, I'm around Megan's age now and I can't imagine being with someone that much younger than me. I don't know. Also, I'm in a wonderful relationship, lol.

But¸ I would definitely want to be their friend, 100%. Someone like Sam would be a good time, and I think we would have a relationship more like Blair and Sam, if anything.

Will you be adding bonus chapters on Sam and Megan's story every now and then?

See, I'm gonna say no because the entire "Everyday Adventures" series was essentially "bonus material", but... I love Segan. Like, a lot. So, I won't say yes, but anything is possible.

Do you plan on publishing "Assisting Miss Adams"?

There was a point in time that, yes, I wanted to publish "Assisting Miss Adams" because it's still my most popular work, at least on Wattpad. The idea still lingers in the back of my mind... but I'm not sure if I ever will, because it doesn't represent who I am as an author anymore, in my opinion, and it also means I'll have to take it off of Wattpad, which I don't think many people will like, lol.

Now that Segan is over, will you continue to write new novels?

Always. Writing stories is something I'll do forever, and I always have another novel in the works. Although, I'm not sure what I'm going to post on Wattpad next. Maybe some fanfiction to keep things light. Any suggestions?

Have you considered writing a spin-off like Segan for Drew and Bree?

No, not really. I have thought of polishing up and publishing "If I Fall", though. ;)

How did you come up with "If I Fall"?

I had a huge crush on my younger sister's dance instructor awhile back, and she essentially inspired Bree's character. Then it kind of snowballed from there. I thought about a contrasting character and developed Drew, and there you had it. I also wanted to write about sexual abuse and sexual abuse victims in a more positive light than what mainstream media seems to do and show that people who have suffered from that can live happy lives and find love again.

What happened to "Dear Mrs. Rose"?

I knew one of y'all was gonna ask this, lol. Wattpad deleted it :) I have a longer post somewhere on my message board that you can check out.

Do you think you'll rewrite "Dear Mrs. Rose" again?

There is no way I would be able to write that book again and get it right. I mean, we all saw how much people hated when I rewrote "Assisting Miss Adams". I'm not making that mistake again, lmao.

Would you ever consider making a story hadesXpersophone (gxg)?

Interesting idea, but I think someone's already doing something like this, except it's a cartoon and it's hetero. It's always great to make things gay though, so you never know. I might think of something!

What type of story are you planning next? And when are you planning on posting your new content?

I have no idea. I have quite a few ideas on hold right now, but there's something that's telling me I need to focus on "Dear Jamie," after this. The thing about "Dear Jamie," is that, because I want to publish it with "The Mural" I most likely won't post "Dear Jamie," on Wattpad and instead make it available physically and digitally either on Amazon or another platform.

I know that might upset some of you, but a lot of you already know I've been pursuing getting paid for my work for some time now.

Do you get paid to write on Wattpad?

I used to when they started this program called The Futures Program back in like 2017? Or 2018? That's when Wattpad rolled out the ads that you used to see on popular stories. Now I think the ads are on every single story, but they recently discontinued The Futures program, and I no longer make money from the ads. It was only a couple hundred dollars every three-four months, but it certainly encouraged me to keep writing and sharing on Wattpad.

Now Wattpad has the Paid Stories program where it's a coin-based system and Wattpad Premium, which I inevitably chose not to participate in, even though Wattpad has offered it to me multiple times. I just don't think it's fair to my specific audience of readers, but I hope in return you guys will one day support me by buying my books once I publish them :).

So, I guess a shorter answer is no, but I used to.

What are the steps that you've taken and are going to take to become a published author?

Well, I've started developing my online presence, which is my Twitter and my author blog/ website in hopes to gain a bigger following outside of Wattpad. I've been working on a more professional book cover design for "The Mural" and "Dear Jamie,", and have also been polishing up "The Mural" manuscript, filing a government copywrite, and all the other technical things you need to do before putting your work out on national and international platforms.

I have a lot of goals and aspirations for my writing career that I hope I can achieve within the next few years, but obviously getting my name out there is the biggest first step I need to take. But I'm a perfectionist, and I like to do things right on the first go, so that's something that's been hindering my progress when it comes to actually becoming a published author.

Theoretically in the future, if you were given the chance to create merchandise for your stories, what would you create?

I haven't thought of creating merch for my stories specifically, but rather using quotes from things I've written to do your typical sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts, etc. Merch isn't a huge priority right now, which is why my ideas are so basic, so I don't really have a well-rounded answer for this question, but hey, if you have ideas, I'm open ears for future possibilities.

Do you plan to get published anytime soon?

Funny thing is, publishing was in the plans for 2020 until shit hit the fan and I lost my day job and ended up on unemployment. It's something I'm still pursuing, and hope to accomplish in 2021, so yes, I do plan on publishing a few of my books in the very near future.

Do Peyton and Jamie have a sequel?

So, I am working on a book called "Dear Jamie," which is a sort-of sequel to "The Mural" that focuses on Jamie's life after high school in Atlanta as a young adult. Peyton's definitely a prominent figure in the book, but if you've read "The Mural" ***SPOILER ALERT***, then you know Peyton doesn't stay in Georgia after high school.

What's happening with "Dear Jamie,"?

At this moment in time, nothing. Lol. Like I said earlier, I had this whole plan to publish "The Mural" and "Dear Jamie," in 2020, and then things fell apart and I hit this huge creative block and blah blah blah...

Anyways, I'm polishing up "The Mural", and now that I've finished "Everyday Adventures" I'm gonna try to refocus on "Dear Jamie," and figure out where I want to go with it. You guys will definitely be some of the first to know when Jamie's story is ready, so don't fret. It's still happening, it's just happening at a slower rate than I would like.

Do you have a deep, dark desire?

I really can't think of a desire of mine that would be considered "deep and dark". I'm a pretty basic ass person, although people close to me would probably disagree. Sometimes I think about how cool it would be to be immortal and watch the progression of humanity and use that knowledge to help manipulate civilization in a positive way rather than use it for evil. And not like a vampiric immortal-ness, but just be able to live forever. There are so many more things I would be able to experience and watch grow, but I think eventually I'd get bored because humans are predictable, lol.

Does it ever get tiresome being a semi-popular writer on Wattpad?

Um, if I'm being completely honest? Yes. I'm a perfectionist, and I suffer from a lot of self-doubt, which results in me never feeling like I'm doing enough or doing the best that I possibly can. That, paired with the fact that sometimes you guys don't like how long I take to update or what I chose to write, sometimes gets to be really draining. There's always this expectation that I feel like I have to meet, whether that's true or not, and I also think it's a result of the American culture where we're always expected to be working on something. That idleness is laziness.

But, I know that what I'm doing is good work, so I just have to talk myself out of that toxic mindset sometimes.

Out of everything you could've chosen to become your motto, why did you pick "Be Proud. Stay You."?

"Be Proud. Stay You," successfully encapsulates the inspiration and motivation behind writing the stories and characters that I do. For the longest time, I wrote in secret and told no one because I was afraid if they found out I wrote LGBTQ+ fiction with same-sex romances – specifically my parents – then they would ostracize me. When I started writing, I was hiding a huge part of myself from the people I loved most, and I wasn't proud of who I was at the time.

So, "Be Proud. Stay You," is a reminder to myself and others that being true to yourself is essential and doing what you love and sharing it with the world is important, especially if it has the potential to help others.

Thanks again guys, I really do love doing Q&A's. It gives me an opportunity to connect with you all, which I really enjoy. Follow me on Twitter and stay tuned. I'm hoping to do a lot come 2021 that I'm sure you guys will want to know about. Much love!

Be Proud. Stay You.

Lauryn