Welcome to the Halls of Olympus!
The Muses are proud to announce the Olympus Spotlights,
A place where our young warriors are showcased.
Join us in the thunderous applause of Zeus as you learn more about this week's champions!

"I think new writers are too worried that it has all been said before.
Sure it has, but not by YOU." -Asha Dornfes

This mighty champion hails from the House of Ourania, the Muse of the Stars and Creatures of the Night. Breaking down barriers, WolfUnderTheMoon89 is an aspiring author with a bright future. Ray and Rajini will grab your heart and never let it go.
Check her amazing book "Selected" in the link below:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/213244313-selected

A story of trial, honor and love
--
Against her wishes a wolf changeling is called forth to be tested as a potential mate for a beta of another pack. And the beta well, he completely disapproves of this arrangement. As the two struggle to follow their own desires while traversing the trials ahead of them, can they find a common ground? Or are they destined to falter?
--
Rajini, a strong and talented wolf changeling, sees her life ending when she receives a letter informing her that she has been selected as a possible mate for a beta of the Ghuardian, the highest alpha within the changeling community. She is to leave her family and undergo a three month trial just to see if she and the unknown beta will be a mated pair. A tremendous honor to any female, but not what Rajini wanted.

As a beta, Ray is meant to be mated before the age of thirty. If he isn't, the changeling community's ruling council,  the Leyum, will find suitable candidates for him. He's on the third candidate, having dismissed the first two in a matter of weeks.

But things are different this time. This potential candidate isn't like the previous two, and that sparks something within him, something new, something primal.

Interview with Champion WolfUnderTheMoon89:

1. What inspired you to start writing?
I've been doing RP with a friend for over 14 years. That's where these characters started to grow and come to be. So in 2020 I decided that it was time to write down their story instead of only using them for RP. I wanted something real, something I might be able to hold in my hands one day. Just telling their story and sharing it with the world.

2. Do you complete research for your books? If so, what's your method?
Not really, if I need to do research I do it when I need it and even then, it's pretty little. I should do some more I think.

3. If you had to pick one animal or thing that would represent your writing, what would it be?
A chameleon, something that can adapt to situations and feels good in a lot of different environments. That way I can work with a lot of different characters and get in all their heads.

4. What do you consider your writer's kryptonite?
My kids . My twins are my love and goal. So anything will move for them.

5. Any plans for books or a series?
Yes, the story I'm writing now will be the first one of 5 books in the series. The whole plotline is set out and all the major points of all five books.

6. What is your ultimate goal for your book? tv show? movie? best seller? hobby?
A best seller, but what are the chances of that? So in reality, getting it published. A physical copy in my own hands, that's what I truly want.

7. Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special?
It's hard to choose, they're all very deeply in my heart. But I do have a thing for Bryan in my books. I think because he's the most like me. Outgoing, fun and likes to rile people up.

8. Any last notes about your book for the readers?
That's really hard! I guess I would say, give it a try and help me grow with your ideas and suggestions.

This fearless gladiator hails from the House of Erato, the Muse of Romance and Beauty.  Reimagining a Welsh legend, SarahSchott pulls the heartstrings and dives you into an epic, paranormal romance.

Read Jayme and Kelyn's story in the link below:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/221017743-dark-country
Sentenced to life in a supernatural West, outlawed Jayme Vann had one goal: anonymity. But then she goes and catches the eye of a lawman long thought to be a myth: the Lord of the Wild Hunt himself, Sheriff Kelyn Ap Gwyn.

When Kelyn intervenes in a dangerous crossroads deal, Jayme reluctantly agrees to be his newest deputy. As she rides with the Sheriff and his spectral Hunt, Jayme grows to love the strange, dark country she's now sworn to protect. If that wasn't surprising enough for her, she also finds herself falling for Kelyn's wicked humor, gentle hands, and wild soul.

While the two track down a killer, Jayme finds herself torn between her heart and her conscience. The Sheriff is completely unaware that Jayme is the reason why he was sentenced to the West himself five years before. She knows that it's only a matter of time before Kelyn, a veteran hunter of souls and secrets, figures out hers. But even knowing that doesn't make Jayme's choice any easier to make: to love Kelyn as long as she can onto the hope of a lie, or to risk losing him forever by telling him the truth of who she really is.

Interview with Gladiator SarahSchott:

1.What inspired you to start writing?
I've been writing since I was ten years old; I had a teacher at that time who went out of her way to encourage my creativity. I wrote a little story for English class (I can't remember what it was about) and read it outloud to her and my peers. The response from everyone, teacher included, just sort of lit a fire that's never gone out since. I'm in my mid-thirties now and I've gotten to where I am professionally and academically almost entirely because of my writing, so it's just a part of who I am at this point. When I haven't been writing for work or school, I've spent most of my time and effort up to this point writing fanfiction (it's low-stakes for me, so I didn't have to stretch myself as much. It was a helpful balance between wanting to have a creative outlet, and not having the spare time and energy to create something from scratch because of work/school.) When my state went into self-quarantine measures, however, at the end of March, I realized that I needed to create something that was uniquely mine. The basic premise of Dark Country just sort of came out of nowhere and within a day of thinking about it, I started writing. A few days later, I decided to give Wattpad another try (I had signed up several years ago, but hadn't really done anything with it or the community) and now here we are!

2. Do you complete research for your books? If so, what's your method?
Okay, this question made me chuckle a bit. Let me put it this way: I had to write a 35-paged thesis in order to get my Master's degree. I procrastinated for a year, and then did all of my research and writing in one go in two weeks. That's the best example I have for explaining how I research; I'm a pantser extraordinaire. Now, having said that, I research things I'm interested in for fun, even when writing isn't in the equation. Dark Country is based on Welsh mythology, fairy lore, and Aurthurian legend. I've been in love with all things Authurian, fairy, and Celtic since I was a teenager and picked up The Paradise War by Stephen Lawhead (an English author who writes almost exclusively on Authorian legends and Celtic mythology. The Paradise War is the first book in a series he wrote that retells the stories of Nuada of the Silver Hand from Irish mythology.) I think I was 13 or 14 at the time I came across his books and I've been reading fiction and non-fiction in those categories ever since. So, I have a strong foundation, in general, in the legends, myths, and stories that form the background of Dark Country. What I find myself researching as I write are more of the "details" that really make or break a story, like "what was a Victorian kitchen like?" (since Dark Country is set in an alternative, early Victorian era). The majority of the research that I do is done in the very beginning, before I even start the first chapter, just to orient my ideas. After that, I just fill in the gaps as I write.

3. If you had to pick one animal or thing that would represent your writing, what would it be?
A rabbit, hands down. Rabbits never move in a straight line, and neither do my stories. Rabbits never do what you want them to do, and neither do my characters. Rabbits constantly rearrange their habitat to suit themselves, no matter how their owner might feel about it personally, and my plots operate the same way. Rabbits are going to be the way they are, and do what they want to do; as an owner of three sort-of-kinda-free-range "house rabbits", I just hang in for the ride and adapt to whatever mood they present to me from day to day (and sometimes hour to hour). I've found that it requires a similar level of "go with the flow" when it comes to my writing and how I tend to organize it. It's taken me a long time to figure out the balance in both cases: what my rabbits need to be happy versus what I need to be sane, and what my writing needs to keep flowing versus what I need to stay focused up to the last chapter.

4.What do you consider your writer's kryptonite?
My mental health, actually. It's been near impossible for me to stay focused on previous (fanfiction) attempts and I don't think I've finished any story I've started as an adult. Life gets in the way, a lot, and I've had a lot of trouble in the past trying to balance the responsibilities of real life with my desire to write. More often than not, real life just sort of steamrolls over my energy and it's very difficult for me to write when I get home from work. Focus, for me, takes a lot of energy, and writing is an exercise in focus. I have diagnosed ADHD, so focus is difficult for me at the very best of times. I also have clinical depression and anxiety, so whenever those hit in full swing, anything "extra" like writing for myself just drops to the wayside. When the idea for Dark Country came so suddenly on the heels of my state and hospital going into lockdown, though, I realized that writing is an outlet I've used my whole life to control what I can while everything around me is absolute chaos. I've held onto that insight for the last eight weeks, and I'm really hoping that having figured that out about myself and my writing will help me finally succeed in finishing a story I've started.

5. Any plans for books or a series?
Well, Dark Country has grown behind the scenes in the last few weeks and I'm planning on writing two more books afterwards (tentative titles are Dark Heart and Dark Skies). I also have a Hobbit fanfiction that I was in the process of converting over into an original fiction until my inspiration for it ground to a halt about three years ago. I do have plans of resurrecting that, since I absolutely love the story's female MC (original character, even as a fanfiction). The title of that endeavor is The Throneless King and I have vague plans of making it a duology (book two's title being The Uncrowned Queen). Beyond that, who knows?

6. What is your ultimate goal for your book? TV show? Movie? Bestseller? Hobby?
I would be over the moon if Dark Country just became a bestseller. I'd be lying, though, if I didn't say that the culmination of all my dreams would be for it to become a movie or a TV show. I'm a very visual person, so seeing my characters come to life in such a tangible, public way would be amazing. Although, as the total geek that I am, the ultimate achievement would be to see ordinary people cosplay my characters, because they just love them that much.

7. Do you have a favorite character you have written? If so, who? And what makes them special?
Kelyn, the male MC in Dark Country is fast becoming a favorite; he's based off of a character I created in 2014 in Star Wars the Old Republic and who has seen several incarnations since, most recently as a DnD character that I play every other Friday night. (Ya'll have gotten the message that I'm NERD, right?) But, I think my favorite character of all time is Kivi, the female MC I mentioned above, in The Throneless King/The Uncrowned Queen. She's the queen of a matriarchal dwarven society, exiled from her homeland because of invaders that have all but destroyed everything she's loved. When the story first starts off, she's a master mason living among humans and essentially terrified of her own people, most particularly male dwarves. The reason for that is because of rape and abuse at the hands of the ones who invaded her home and killed her family. I'm not a fan of using rape/sexual abuse as a plot device for character creation or development (especially by authors who have never personally experienced it), but it is a reality for many people in real life, and it is a reality for me. Kivi's story is very personal in that way; it's not one about revenge, or misplaced 'strength', or being broken by her circumstances. It's one of healing, of reclaiming her power as a woman and a queen, of learning to love and trust men again (one in particular) in a healthy way. Kivi's story focuses on the journey of loving and living again, after enduring the worst actions of others determined to break her. It's a story I know intimately.

8. Any last notes about your book for the readers?
Not really. I just want to thank everyone who has read so far, commented, and even posted about Dark Country. I wasn't expecting to find such an amazing support group on Wattpad - I wasn't really expecting much, truth be told! The success that Dark Country has had so far has just blown me away, and I owe it all to every reader and budding fan!

This warrior hails from the House of Eutrepe, the Muse of Truth and Adult Fiction.
Escape into the dream world LaneyInRed has crafted and follow along with Winny's amazing story.

Read her work in the link below:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/216564488-dreamweaver

Winona was a woman who had her life planned out - until she didn't.

With her mind caught up on her ex-fiance she can't forget, Winnie heads back to her childhood home for a break; a place where forgotten memories and dreams run rampant.

When she meets mysterious dead boy, Peter, in a dream world of her own creation, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine what's real and what's not.

Torn between a life of her own design or one sufficiently more exciting, a question is asked: How far are you willing to go to save a world you once built?

Interview with Warrior LaneyInRed:

1. What inspired you to start writing?
I've just always been interested I guess! I distinctly remember in primary school, every Friday we were allowed to work on a 'project' of our choice. Any topic. We had to do a few pieces of art, an article, and write a story about it. I chose mermaids for my first one, and ended up writing a 17 page story on it. I know it doesn't sound like much, but for an 8yr old, I was so very proud.
That's when I started writing a lot more, instead of just playing with the idea

2. Do you complete research for your books? If so, what's your method?
Not straight away! To keep momentum going I'll try and write out the whole first draft first. Then, if there's anything I think needs researching, I'll go back, do that and edit it.

3. If you had to pick one animal or thing that would represent your writing, what would it be?
I'd like to say a snake. They shed their skin often, and I guess I'd like to think that my stories have multiple layers to them. I always try to include allusions to mental health, and to have my characters overcome that in some way, which is kind of like shedding a part of you. That sounds so lame, but I'm not sure what else to put.

4. What do you consider your writer's kryptonite?
Can I say life?  I get distracted quite easily, so when I write I have to almost make sure I book it in. I'll tell myself I'm writing for the next two hours or however long it is, put music on, avoid picking up the phone and hope the kids don't wake up.

5. Any plans for books or a series?
There are a few plans! There will be a sequel to Dreamweaver, which I'm currently writing. Same with Debauchery In Graphite, but those will be more stand-alone, just featuring some of the same characters. I have three planned out so far for that.
I'm also planning on co-writing a story with caCrisostomo. The idea just kind of came to us one night while chatting on discord. It's not anything that's going to happen soon, because we're working on our own stuff, but we have an outline.

6. What is your ultimate goal for your book? tv show? movie? best seller? hobby?
I would just love to be traditionally published and see my book as a physical copy in a bookstore. To have someone say that my writing has affected them in a positive way, or just that they loved it, would be the icing on the cake.

7. Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special?
Probably Winnie. She was the first character I wrote after a long hiatus, and I can relate to her. She struggles a lot with emotions, and doesn't always say or do the right thing, but she does try, when her head is in the right place.

8. Any last notes about your book for the readers?
I guess just to say I know it starts off slow and is kind of description heavy, but I'm working on that and I promise the plot does get more exciting haha!

Want to know more about the amazing Houses and members featured in this Issue?
Check out our recruiting book in the link below:

What is the Olympus Writing Group?
"It's a Writing Community with a unique twist on it. We create a positive environment in our Community and allow our members to be mentored by their Muses (House Leaders) in nine houses inspired by the Nine Muses of Greek Mythology. Writing is a journey and we recognize that. But just because you're taking a journey, doesn't mean you have to take it alone or that you can't ask for help. That's why we're here. Take your writing journey with us. Experience the mentorship of our experienced Muses (House Leaders). Be a part of a positive environment. Meet people who will support you on your journey. And above all, know that you do not walk this path alone."

The Houses are:
Clio (Historical Fiction)
Euterpe (Non-Fiction, (General Fiction: New Adult, Young Adult, Adult))
Thalia (Humour, Short Story, Poetry)
Melpomene (Thriller, Mystery/Suspense, Horror)
Terpsichore (Sci-fi)
Erato (Romance, Chicklit, Drama)
Polymnia (Fan Fiction, Teen Fiction)
Ourania (Paranormal, Vampire, Werewolf, Urban Fantasy, Magical Realism)
Calliope (High Fantasy, all other forms of fantasy aside from Magical Realism and Urban Fantasy, Adventure, Action)

If you are interested in joining the Olympus Writing Group, apply in the link below:
https://www.wattpad.com/story/220998019-olympus-writing-group-open-for-new-members-and