In this interview, I chat to Nicole Bea about life as an author, why she started writing, and her future plans. Nicole is an amazing author, especially in the teen fiction genre, and you guys should definitely check out her work by following the link in the dedication!


What was your first writing project, and what made you pick up the pen?

The first writing project that I can remember was when I was in elementary school and I was tasked with writing a short story. My best friend and I ended up writing a tale about two bunnies made out of snow that came alive. I think we always secretly wanted our snowy creations to come to life! Following that, I continued writing short stories for most of my childhood, which then transformed into essays and other less exciting projects through university and college. It was only about a year and a half ago when I write my first novel, Life After Riley. I had recently been diagnosed with depression and started receiving treatment and began feeling much more motivated. I had always wanted to write a full-length book and so I literally woke up one day and started writing. In three weeks I had my first draft all done.

What is your favourite part of writing?

I really enjoy being able to tell a story from a new perspective. I write a lot of my work based on real life, and I think it's almost a cathartic process to re-live some of the situations I incurred while in my younger years with fresh eyes and a different outlook. I find I'm currently in a spot where I can relate with both the kid role and the parent role and this makes writing the stories interesting for me all around. I also find writing very healing from this standpoint as well.

What does Wattpad mean to you?

Wattpad is a wonderful community of writers. It's a safe place to ask for feedback, make friends, and interact with other authors about the craft of writing. I love that there's a feedback component to the site as well, allowing writers to receive real-time comments on their books if readers choose to leave them. That set-up is so valuable as an author. I don't think my stories would be as developed as they are without my readers and critique partners. Wattpad itself is like this little writing home base.

What are your favourite stories on and off Wattpad?

I keep a Wattpad favourites list on my profile up-to-date with my favourite reads and some of the best stories to have come across my desk. There are so many wonderful storytellers out there it would be impossible to name them all off here - and because of this I have a lot of favourites! Off Wattpad my favourite story of all time is Tuck Everlasting, with Never Let Me Go following a close second, depending on the day.

What is your favourite genre to write, and one genre you wish you were better at?

My favourite genre to write is definitely teen fiction, as can be referenced from my profile, but I also enjoy writing adult romance. I'd say depending on my mood it's a toss up between the two because I enjoy different aspects of them both. I wish I were better at writing science fiction. I think there's so much that can be done in the genre and I am a new fan, so I would really like to excel at that area if I could.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I foster and rescue cats, which takes up a lot of my spare time. My husband and I have a tiny zoo of disabled cats in our house - Momo, Merlin, Macaroni, and Pi - and they require some special care. I also work full-time (and then some!), run a video blog, travel a few times a year, mentor writers, run contests, and watch my husband play video games. I think it goes without saying that I also like to read and strangely enough I also like to do laundry!

How do you come up with your ideas?

I base most of my stories in real life experiences, and then they just take off on their own from there!

What is a typical writing session like for you? A quiet room? A chattering cafe?

Absolute silence, or the same song playing on repeat for hours. I find most other things are too distracting for my easily distractible brain! I generally end up with a single song that focuses me for an entire book and I'll listen to it over and over until the story is finished. I know it sounds weird but then the song reminds me of the plot line and it keeps me in the right place. I always post a playlist of my songs in the author's note section of my books if anyone is ever curious what song I played on repeat until even my cats were tired of hearing it!

What advice would you give to wannabe authors just starting out?

There is no universal advice! What works for one person might not work for you. Don't spend too much time looking for tips and tricks and instead focus on the practice of writing itself. Seek feedback. Join a club. Enjoy the journey.

What are your writing goals for the next year?

I used to say that my goal was to win a Watty, but I have no control over that other than making sure I write good books so I try not to use that any more! Goals are such a tricky thing because so many in writing are things that you can't do anything about.

However, I think my goals for the next year would be simple: keep writing on Wattpad, build my audience, and get another book ready for submission for publication.