Who Am I?

Leigh W. Stuart is a former Midwesterner now transplanted in Switzerland, where she lives with the love of her life and family. Like most children born in the 70's she fosters a keen love of 80's nostalgia that spans from Smurfs to Sweet Valley High. Her serialized novel, Two Tickets to Paradise, was featured in Cosmopolitan, and her office romance novella, Heating Up the Help Desk, was featured on Dreame. Both stories, along with her new Creator project, Through Flame and Blade, can be found on Wattpad. In 2019, Stuart won the Wattpad Pitch-to-Option contest for her novel Witching, now being posted. She has two romcoms published with City Owl Press, and has recently finished her Masters degree in English Literature. 

My Books:
https://www.wattpad.com/story/49852420-two-tickets-to-paradise https://www.wattpad.com/story/243123225-worth-any-risk https://www.wattpad.com/story/321207633-witching https://www.wattpad.com/story/321201629-through-flame-and-blade

Follow Me on Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/leighw.stuart
https://www.leighwstuart.com/ 

1. What prompted you to start writing on Wattpad and what do you like most about the platform as a writer?
I read about it in Writer's Digest Magazine, but was quickly discouraged the first time I set up my profile. I remember seeing a story called Mermaids and the Vampires Who Love Them which had a couple of a million reads, and I knew I would never be able to compete with that! I came back a few months later though and started posting stories and interacting with other writers. That was the turning point for me - I was hooked. And I still can't compete with BrittanieCharmintine's jewel of a story, but that's all right.

2. What has been your most rewarding Wattpad experience?
Becoming friends with other writers and being a part of discussions on craft, marketing, the ups and downs of writing and everything in-between has not only kept me on this journey, but kept me going in the right directions. I would never be where I am now without the support and help of my writer friends!

3. If you had to describe your story in three words, what would they be?
Bring a fan.

4. Tell us one thing about your writing process that has helped you the most.
I have started outlining my stories before I write them, and I use different craft tools to do this. The most helpful one I have found is "Save the Cat" for pacing and beats. This saves me a lot of time and heartbreak on revisions. Also, understanding how theme can tie the plot, setting, and characters together allows me to keep the story cohesive and arcs clear. That's two things. I won't apologize.

5. What is your proudest moment as a writer? Do you have a memory you will never forget?
There isn't one moment that stands out as the proudest, rather it's the comments on my stories by readers who have read one of them all the way to the end and then tell me how much they loved it. My heart explodes into rainbows and sparkles every time I see one of those comments.

6. Which of your books is your favourite, and why that one?
My baby will always be Lessoc Fountain, found on my second profile @LeighWStuart. It's a fairytale set in 1950's Switzerland, based loosely on a local legend. The main character is an orphaned girl slowly gaining powers she doesn't understand, turning into a fairy creature. As this happens, she is threatened by other fairy kind as well as becoming invisible to humans. The story revolves around loneliness, encapsulating my struggles with that feeling throughout my life.

7. Share two Wattpad story recommendations. 
https://www.wattpad.com/story/312297637-it-isn%27t-easy-being-queen https://www.wattpad.com/story/35273802-zombies-vs-aliens-respawn 

Any Questions you have? You can ask in the comments!