These are the voices of our mentors and mentees from past and present. They've provided their insight about the program, their processes, the Wattys, and have shared their favorite Wattpad stories. Grab a cuppa and sit down with us as we get to know...
The Bootcamp Mentors are proud to present a spotlight interview with AmyJohnson895 author of These Gilded Seas. Check out this writer's works and give them a shout out in the comments.
BCM: How did you discover the Bootcamp Mentors and what have you found most valuable about the program?
AmyJohnson895: I found out about the program when an author I've followed for a very long time posted her mentor profile. I was super excited to see what it was, since I'd never heard of the "Bootcamp Mentors" before, and so I read through the profile she'd posted. That led me to the Bootcamp profile, which led me to the discord, and so on. It was like my own personal rabbit hole!
So far, the extra set of eyes has been the most helpful. I'm not very good at seeing my own plot holes. I always feel like I write a solid draft and then someone like brittni-anderson (my mentor) comes in and says, "Actually... this isn't working." It catches me so off-guard, but that's what I love about it. Having that second person to gently tell me what I need to fix is wonderful.
BCM: What prompted you to start writing on Wattpad and what do you like most about the platform as a writer?
AmyJohnson895: I started posting on Wattled when I was in college. I'd been writing for a very long time but didn't feel like I was very good. The first half of my novel, Immune, was written, I didn't know what to do with it, and so I just spontaneously posted it. I think I was hoping someone would come along and validate my feelings—which they did! Lots of people did, and I'm so thankful for every one of them.
Wattpad has helped me grow, both in my storytelling abilities and in my own self-worth as an author. It gave me the place to post badly written first drafts and listen to constructive feedback from people who, just like me, were trying to grow and figure themselves out as an author. I guess, to make a long answer short, my favorite part of the platform is the people I've met along the way.
BCM: What motivated you to write the story you're submitting to the 2022 Wattys?
AmyJohnson895: These Gilded Seas was inspired by a lot of Pinterest scrolling and my deeply embedded love for all things Disney. I've grown away from the "damsel in distress" stories that were typical of the Disney I grew up with, and more often that not, I read a lot of strong, female MCs who get themselves into (and out of!) trouble. So, I thought—why not write my own retellings? And here we are!
BCM: If you had to describe your story in three words, what would they be?
AmyJohnson895: I think the best way to describe These Gilded Seas is magical, nostalgic, and romantic.
BCM: Tell us one thing about your writing process that has helped you the most.
AmyJohnson895: Pre-planning! I know so many people identify themselves as "pantsers," meaning they go blindly into writing a novel. Let me just tell you, if I went blindly into anything, my books would be so convoluted and plot hole-filled that no one would ever want to read them.
I have a neat self-created system of outlining and character creation that I do religiously before writing a single word. It's not thorough, and it's not ever concrete. But it works for keeping me on track!
So my advice when it comes to writing (or at least the thing that helps me the most) would be to sit down and at least have something of an outline. A timeline of events. A beginning, middle, and end. Something! Just so you know where your story is going.
BCM: Share two Wattpad story recommendations.
AmyJohnson895: Carnival Souls by RedasNight (aka E. M. Leon) is one of my favorite fantasy reads on Wattpad. The author is a phenomenal person and author—so much so that she won a Watty in 2019! I can verify that anything she writes is pure gold.
For my second recommendation, I'm going to go with another mentee within the program. Make Me by Hiz_Secret_Addiction (aka Raneisha Marsdon) is a mature read that I love binge-reading between other reads. It's well-written and just action packed enough to keep me coming back!
Thank you, AmyJohnson895. We wish you all the best in your writing endeavors.
That's all for now, folks. We will have more spotlight interviews popping up in the future.
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