We interviewed OnceUponALily, the winner of General Fiction Category with their book 'Tethered Souls'

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Hi, please tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to know about Wattpad.

Hello. My name is Lily, and I am from Louisiana, USA. I'm thirty-seven-years-old, and I am married and mother of one son. I discovered Wattpad in the fall of 2018 after discovering Anna Todd's book, After. I read her revised versions of her series first and later read her original copies on Wattpad. Since then, I have enjoyed this writing platform.

What inspired you to start writing?──────

My biggest inspiration came when I started reading in grade school. I read many classic stories such as The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, and Pollyanna. Then in high school, I wrote a few short stories and became fascinated with the idea of writing a book. It wasn't until I was in my early 20s that I wrote a few full-length novels in my notebooks. I put pen to paper and continued on until I was finished with my vision. Once I opened my first account on Wattpad, I became intrigued by the stories I read on here, and started sharing my work. Reading and writing are my favorite hobbies now, and I like to read stories to my twelve-year-old son.

What time of the day do you usually write, and why that time?──────

Each day is different for me. One minute, I could be writing at 5 am, and the next, I could begin a new chapter a few hours later around 7 am. If I am asleep and a new idea pops into my head, I wake up and begin jotting down that idea on my notepad, then begin writing that chapter sometime later. My favorite time to write is from 9 am to 2 pm, and sometimes from 5 pm to 9 pm. Why those specific timelines? I seem to get a lot of writing accomplished then. One day I wrote ten chapters and let nothing or anyone distract me. Only between breaks is when I have a break and try to catch up on all my Netflix movies or shows. I am a 'Netflix and chill' kind of person, too. Haha.

Do you have a favourite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special?──────

I have a few favorite characters, but my ultimate ones are Sarah and Amir. Sarah is a sweet and intelligent young girl, and Amir is the ultimate love interest that many readers obsess about. He is accepting to everyone, devoted to his faith in Islam, and a dedicated Scientist who is trying to make the world a better place. And he also cares deeply for those around him. He loves passionately and is a genuine person. All the characters love him, and so do the readers. Yay!

Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?──────

My husband, Chas. He has a Wattpad account as well; ChasMedaries . He reads my chapters before I post them and tells me what he thinks I should work on or change. He has dealt with me being up many nights writing the dickens out of my book, neglecting responsibilities, and he has also helped with many parts of my storyline. He helps with our son, works his behind off full time, and he is a huge supporter of mine. I can't thank him enough for being my biggest supporter.

My other supporters are my readers and fanbase. I have the best support a writer could ask for, and the comments and love shown on my work gives me a boost to produce chapters for them. I wouldn't be anywhere without their love and encouragement. My readers are a gift that I was blessed with.

What famous author do you wish would be your mentor?──────

Nora Roberts. And Danielle Steel. Wait... Let's bring in J. K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer into the mix. All four of them have wonderful and well-written novels that have played a huge part in inspiring me to write stories, and I could read their stories all day long. Of course, Rowling and Meyer have different styles than Roberts and Steele, but still, I love all their works!  If I had to choose from these authors, I'd choose J. K. Rowling. Her work was rejected by publishers many times, and she never gave up improving her craft or finding a publisher who would sign her. She inspires me, tremendously. And she and I have totally different writing styles.

I'd also like to add... Dean Koontz. He is not all about romance, but he writes Science Fiction and Fantasy, which is up my alley, too.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal, and why?──────

I would say animals that create. Such as a spider. Even though I dislike spiders, and are deathly afraid of them, they can can weave a web so beautifully just like authors can weave a story. It can be well-crafted.

There are also birds, who build a nest to live in and pick up twigs here and there, similar to telling a story. Although, I also like owls because they have an ability to see in the dark. As an owl, you can see things about life and humanity that others can't. Owls can also fly inches from their prey without being detected. Many writers do the same. They watch and observe their surroundings for inspiration. Don't dare think I wouldn't put someone I know in a story. I enjoy weaving my web and observing my prey. It's the beauty of creating.

Do you think someone could be a writer if they don't feel emotions strongly?──────

Sure! If not, there would be very few compelling suspense novels (which many authors have feared for their lives before), ghost novels (which many authors have experienced some sort of supernatural presence in their life), fantasy and science fiction novels (though, no one knows how a dragon or alien experiences emotion, but it is the art of storytelling), and any number of other genres. Many books have different characters and storylines that can be relatable, especially if it is something a reader has experienced. Literature is full of stories that require authors to write about emotions that they may have never experienced, in a way that authentically reflects that scene.

How do we do it? We research it like everything else. We talk to people about their experiences in life, and we read writings of others for inspiration. Researching reviews of books on a particular subject to see which author had experienced that emotion helps writers, too. Watching movies and films are also a great asset to finding that lost emotion, because we absorb the gestalt of those scenes until we understand the emotions well enough to write them. That's part of a writer's art. If we didn't do that, there would be fewer books in the world.

Name an underappreciated book that you love──────

There are many books I have read online and offline that are underappreciated. I believe that books with a diverse cast that stand for unity are often overlooked and not as popular. It is hard to pin-point the titles of such books, but those kinds of books are special to me. I am all about diversity and unity, like my stories.

Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?──────

Yes. I am working on the rest of my trilogy. The books are currently posted in the same book, and I gradually update as often as I can. Once I am finished with these books and the pre-planned spin-offs, I'll upload more books that I have written. Most of my stories consist of romance, but I am always throwing twists into my storylines. I do have some horror and suspense stories lined up, but for now, I am writing whatever comes to me.

Finally, how do you celebrate when you finish your book?──────

When I finish the final chapter of my book, it is almost like celebrating a holiday. My family and I get dressed up and go all out. Why? Because I finished a story that I obsessed over repeatedly. I agonized over how I would end the story, and victory never tasted so sweet. However, later comes the agonizing pain of editing and revising. But on the bright side, though, I finished my book, so that is always reason enough to celebrate.

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Thank you very much for your time!