Wattpad User Name: @Goodnight_Saigon

Author Name: Goodnight_Saigon (Or Kaitlyn, I don't really have one)

Works:

Current Finished Works: She's Right On Time | Once More With Feeling | The Farm | All in Our Head | Omens

In Progress (Hopefully to be Completed Soon): Miami 2017 | When Mermaids Cry | Feeling D.E.T.A.C.H.ed | Roles Reversed (ongoing)

Coming Soon!: Goodnight Saigon | Man's Best Friend | White as Snow, Red as Blood, Black as Death | Christmas at the Talbot House | And Then There Was One... | Snake in the Garden | and a She's Right On Time One Shot of the first time Rahul and Brook met!

Tell us a little bit about yourself

Hi everyone! I'm not that great at intros so bear with me for a moment. My name's Kaitlyn and I use the name Goodnight_Saigon here on Wattpad. Seems a little random? Not if you know your songs from the early '80s.

I probably seem a little younger than I actually am, but I'm in university in Ontario, Canada. I joined Wattpad four years ago, but only started actively participating online in the last little while out of shyness.

Here are some random facts about me:

*I reeeaaaaallllllllllllllllllyyyyyyy love Billy Joel. His songs are incredible and he's a great, insanely-talented person in general. Check out Angry Young Man live and watch his fingers fly on the keys of a baby grand. It's so awesome

*I play the piano (mostly Billy Joel music *sheepish grin*). In fact, I ordered two new sheet music collections yesterday :)

*Other musical groups like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and CCR are my jam too (Now, where's my peanut butter to make the complete sandwich?)

*I've got purple streaks in my hair

*TV, comic books, novels and movies gobble up most of my free time, along with Last Week Tonight webisodes. I've lost track of the number of fandoms I'm in. Fan Fest Toronto 2017!

*I've got a dog named Gizmo and he is the sweetest little lump on the planet. What did we do to deserve dogs?

*Food brings me a lot of happiness

*I really like soccer and tennis, the only two sports I'm actually decent at

So, yeah, that's a little about me :D

What genre do you write in? Why are you drawn to the genre?

Oh boy, well, it's hard to put myself into one category. I usually dabble with whatever genre my latest idea fits into, but it seems like the majority of my stories are horror, sci-fi, and action/adventure.

I feel like I'm drawn to genres that I like to read. For instance, I've got Pet Sematary beside me as I write this right now and I recently finished a novel in the Cthulhu universe called The Feeders From Within, a sci-fi/horror story set in the '20s. However, I still love a little romance and I've tried my hand at love in one of my short stories, She's Right On Time, which I'd probably classify as a rom-com.

Mainly I write what I'd like to read, so the genres I read are the genres I write.

What is your most memorable moment on Wattpad?

There have been several unforgettable moments on Wattpad in the last year and a half I've gotten more active, involving hitting reader goals on my stories and participating in awesome contests/anthologies, but I would have to say that the most memorable moment to date was the first time I got chosen to participate in the Wattpad Block Party.

I had heard about it the year before in the winter and after excitably following every post, I applied to be a part for the summer session. I didn't expect anything as my followers numbered in the teens and the reads on my books were meager at best, but the day when I opened up my email to find out I'd been chosen to participate, I nearly screamed with happiness. It's been an absolute pleasure to continue participating ever since that amazing first time.

Do you think that writing on a platform such as Wattpad has helped you grow as a writer?

Definitely. Not only have I taken part in contests/anthologies that have brought about the beginnings of short stories and novels galore, but it's made me more confident to share my work. It's brought me into a close-knit community where the majority of people are trying to support each other, and it's humbled me based on pure volume of stories alone. I'd recommend it to anyone, writer or reader or both.

What advice can you give to those that are just starting out on their online writing journey?

Write for yourself. Screw your judgmental English teacher, your unsupportive family, your friends who think you're wasting your time, and write for you.

Don't let readers control the way your book is going. Take their comments into consideration, but don't try to be a people-pleaser. I'm fond of saying, "All these opinions are mine--except the ones you don't agree with."

Don't be a dick. Just don't. No one likes a dick. Respond to your readers, thank them for their support, DO NOT leave comments that are rude, be happy for what you have and be happy for yourself; don't act like you're God's gift to the world. (This can apply outside of Wattpad as well.)

What books have most influenced your life most?

Tough question. The Harry Potter series, for sure. My parents read it to me as a kid and I know it will stick with me for the rest of my life. Not to mention J.K. Rowling is as magical as the world she created. (Don't believe me? Check out her Twitter. Damn, that is one sassy woman!)

Readers can connect with Kaitlyn outside of Wattpad as follows:

Twitter: @gnight_saigon

Instagram: goodnight_saigon

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GoodnightSaigon/

Recipe Name: Four Cheese Spinach Dip

Is there a special story behind the recipe? If so can you tell us a little bit about it?

Montana's and Kelsey's both have spinach dip at their restaurants, and though I've only had the former's, I can safely say that this recipe surpasses it. For my birthday, my grandparents come up from Windsor and we go to Montana's. Because they know I love it and because it's a "special occasion", we'll usually get an order. (It's so good you can eat the dip with a spoon once the chips are gone!) Disclaimer: It's not my recipe.

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon freshly grated Romano cheese

1 tablespoon very finely chopped red bell pepper

1 green onion (scallion) white and green finely chopped

1/2 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup grated medium Cheddar cheese

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine the cream cheese, garlic powder, Parmesan, and Romano with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until well mixed.

3. Add the red bell pepper and green onion and mix on medium-low until just mixed in.

4. Add the spinach and mix on low.

5. Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish and top with cheddar cheese and cayenne.

6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are bubbly.

7. Remove the dish from the oven and let sit for 5-7 minutes before serving. Serve with fried or baked pita wedges or tortilla chips. I usually take a pita, brush it with some olive oil, and put it in the oven for five-ish minutes. I find tortilla chips to be a little too salty, so the pita bread is perfect.

Spinach Dip is my favorite dip. Thanks Kaitlyn for sharing the recipe.

Make sure you check out Kaitlyn's story Miami!

https://www.wattpad.com/story/100087627-miami-2017