Tell us about yourself, Rob! You have an interest in writing comics, but your stories on Wattpad are longer than that. What's your preferred medium? 

Comics will always be my first love, they were what made me fall in love with storytelling at a young age. I have the first comic book that I ever owned framed over my desk. That being said, I've always been an avid reader. I am constantly surrounded by novels and the thought of getting back to a book I can't put down gets me through the day. 

Tell us about the day you got the call to sell your film rights. 

I've had a few things optioned, most recently a one hour drama for TV. It's always that feeling of 'I did something right...accidentally'. I tend to write under the nagging thought that I suck, so for someone to say something I wrote has commercial value is always cool. I hope Harper's in Hell ends up there, but it's a loooonggg road, unless anyone reading this owns a film or TV production company, in which case, yes I'd love to chat.

Early on in my own Wattpad experience, you -Rob Shapiro- were kind enough to give me -a total stranger- support. Do you enjoy mentoring as much as you do writing?

Absolutely! I've been lucky enough to have some wonderful mentorship in recent years and I think writers need to help other writers whenever possible. It's a craft where we constantly face the odds to be successful, and I don't think you'll find a single writer who hasn't been helped in some way. If you take the time to write and are serious about it, then you deserve help.

How did you discover Wattpad?

My wife introduced me to it. I was on Wattpad as a reader for about six months until she convinced me to write a story for it. I was inspired by all of the writers who were putting their stories out there, and especially, their humility. I wanted to write an adventure like the ones I grew up loving, and Wattpad seemed like a great home for it. Plus, my wife blocks most other sites on our home computer.

You seem to run with the some Wattpad Superstars (Sarah Benson, Kelly Blount, et al). 

I don't know if I run with them, but I really admire those who have found success on Wattpad. To find an audience amongst the millions of stories is saying something. I only know a few personally, but it's great to connect with others. I'm more a fan than anything else. 

You were Runner-Up for a Quentin Tarantino contest, judged by the director himself,  and Eli Roth. Tell us about that. 

During promotions for Inglorious Basterds, MTV ran a contest to Basterdize a Tarantino Scene. Some friends and I (including Wattpad author of Strange Yarns, Josh Saltzman) did a Tarantino Abridged video and we were selected as one of the top three. We ultimately lost but I have to say, the winners did a way better job than we did, so to this day, I tip my hat to them.

Do you think it's easier to be published in Canada, than the US? How about becoming a Best Selling author there vs. here. Can you explain your answer?

I think getting published in any capacity is something to be proud of. The U.S. will always be a tougher and more competitive market for just about anything outside of maple syrup and hockey players (there, I said it). The standards are different and if you get published in either country you should relish the moment, and throw it in the faces of everyone who didn't believe in you. It's definitely harder to be a best-selling author in the U.S. just by the sheer volume you have to sell. 

Name a book that has haunted you for years. 

There are two books that I think about daily. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and City of Thieves by David Benioff. Ready Player One took me on an adventure that I hadn't experienced in years. City of Thieves was a different kind of adventure and delivered wit and charm set in a horrific time, and I still haven't shaken the feeling I had reading it. 

What's one thing most people don't know about you?

As a toddler, I was cast to be a Cheerios baby but got the whopping cough and had to back out. I was told I would never act again, and they were right. It's still a point of contention between me and my mom.

That's cool! So... what's next for you when the party is over? 

 I'm working on a new draft of Harper's in Hell, that's quite different from the current one on Wattpad. I'm working with a mentor to get it in the best possible shape to take it to agents and publishers. I work on it for about 90 minutes in the morning before work and many evenings and weekends. 

Well, that was fun! Thank you for talking with me, Rob.

I really appreciate you doing this and including me.