Story Feature: Watcher by AWFrasier

Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Story Rating: Mature

Story Blurb:

Seth is a quiet guy who stays out of trouble, but trouble seems to have a way of following him as soon as he gets involved with a very attractive immortal.
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Although he never wanted any of it, when Seth runs into a genderfluid god, he is taken on a whirlwind adventure that will change his life forever. Beyond having to accept the parallel magical community that exists alongside the world he grew up in, Seth must face angry angels and gods while journeying around the world with his new friend...or lover.

★ What gave you the inspiration for your story?

One of the main characters, Saga, kind of just walked into my head. The sentence "I'm a god, baby" kept ringing out and I knew I had to do something with that. So Saga emerged as the arrogant idiot that they are, and Seth needed to be a complete opposite. And off I went. I wrote some scenes with them and then I just kept writing.

★ Did you plot or pants your way through your story?

I'm a super chaotic pantser so nothing was planned at all.

★ How does writing energize you?

It actually makes me relax. I'm an anxious person and writing really just centres me, makes everything quiet and it takes me to a happy place.

★ What are your writing habits? (Or what does your writing space look like?)

I write whenever I have the time. And I write whenever. I sometimes write in notebooks, on my phone, a napkin - but usually on my laptop buried in pillows on my sofa.

★ What part of your story was the most enjoyable to write and what was the most challenging?

I think generally actually diving back into editing it was the most enjoyable and challenging. I wrote the first draft when I was 22 years old, and did a major overhaul of it again when I was 28. It was awesome to see the progress I had made, being able to add more that enhanced the overall plot (the romance between the two main characters) and work out some kinks in the general narrative.

★ What does literary success look like to you?

Making someone feel seen with my novels. Especially my trans siblings.

★ What is your favorite trope to read and write?

Oh there's so many. "And they were roommates" "only one bed" "friends to lovers"... I can't pick just one.

★ If you have to describe your writing self in three words, what would they be?

Tragi-comical, hopeful, accessible.

★ What's your favorite story on Wattpad?

There's so many good ones, it's actually impossible to pick just one. So I'm just gonna say: Anything queer.

★ Why is it important to have diverse voices raised in both our literature and on Wattpad?

Because there's people out there actively trying to silence us. Look at what's happening in the US. It started with book bans and now trans people, especially children, are losing rights and have to move states.

As someone who grew up in a country that didn't have equal rights, my first exposure to queerness was fundamental. Especially one that was positive - and one where we didn't die. I didn't know we were allowed to revel in our queer joy and write it on the pages, because this life was always set up for misery, wasn't it? And then I found a story with a queer main character who was allowed to feel joy, to love, who didn't end up miserable. These stories are so important, because when you grow up in a country that is inherently hostile to you, down to the part that you're actively erased and cannot be spoken of, you need some kind of hand in the dark who can grab yours and tell you "You're okay. I see you and you're okay."

That is what I aim to do with my own novels the most. And uploading them to Wattpad gives me the platform to reach countries that aren't welcoming to us. Books helped me when I felt the most alone. I hope mine does the same for someone out there.

★ Is there something that you're working on right now that you're comfortable sharing with our community as a promotion?

I'm working on two sequels right now.

One for Petty Little Monsters, which is currently uploading to Wattpad but is finished offline. It's a cosy murder mystery in a small town university setting, with an all queer and supernatural cast.

And then I'm working on the sequel for Mars Can't Die. The novel featuring large parts of my own gender journey, trying to figure out what gender even is and unsubscribing from it all. All the while they're trying to finish their thesis and not get killed by a raging witch, that they might've sort of pissed off.