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 RowanCarver author of King Eden. 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?
RowanCarver: I was so kindly referred to the program by Holly Hamilton hchladybug1218 who has also shared some extremely helpful resources with me while I tackled the writing process. I expressed that I was interested in using the Wattys deadline as motivation to finish my manuscript this year--whether or not I would enter I wasn't sure, but I just needed some sort of goal to work toward, otherwise, I would never complete the story. I've been trapped in an endless cycle of revising for years now and Holly mentioned that the Bootcamp program might be a great way for me to receive some actual feedback and that it would help me meet my goals. I'm so happy that she did!
I've found working with just one knowledgeable mentor to be the most helpful aspect of the program, and I've finally been able to untangle my manuscript from a confusing web of conflicting feedback that turned it into a mess that wasn't even mine anymore. I've learned so much through this program and I've finally been able to get out of the cycle of constantly starting over, rewriting, changing writing styles completely, changing the characters, the storyline, the worldbuilding, etc. I've finally finished a full draft of my story after throwing it away and starting again nine different times without ever getting to the ending. I can't thank david_hull enough for working with me this year, it's been such a pleasure to study with this talented author!
BCM: What prompted you to start writing on Wattpad, and what do you like about the platform as a writer?
RowanCarver: I'm a technical writer professionally (I draft grant proposals and design education modules for biotechnology products) but I've been writing science fiction in my free time for years. I don't aim to publish and I've always been a bit embarrassed about my writing. For years I kept everything to myself. Finally, I decided that maybe I did want to share my writing with some people and meet some other authors, so I thought that Wattpad would be a great way to accomplish that. It's been a good option for someone like me who just writes fiction casually and wants to make some friends with people who share my passion for the craft.
BCM: What motivated you to write the story you're submitting to the 2022 Wattys?
RowanCarver: I've been working in King Eden since 2019. The story was inspired by classic cyberpunk works like Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira and Neuromancer by William Gibson. Cyberpunk is my absolute favorite genre and I wanted to try my hand at writing it. This genre typically features male characters (although that's changing with new releases like Netflix's Arcane!) and I wanted to write a pure sci-fi cyberpunk post-apocalyptic story with BIPOC, LBGTQ+ female characters in the leading roles. I also wanted each chapter to be infused with energy, and I wanted readers to feel like they just had a shot of espresso every time they finish reading a new scene. The plot moves quickly, but the world-building is dense. Katsuhiro Otomo is masterful at this style of action-packed storytelling, and I wanted to reflect that in my own work.
BCM: If you had to describe your story in three words, what would they be?
RowanCarver: Intense, action-packed, and fun!
BCM: Tell us one thing about your writing process that has helped you the most.
RowanCarver: I draft by hand first, and then I transcribe. This part of the process helps me think through my prose very carefully and it makes me feel more confident about my first drafts because, by the time I transcribe, everything has been revised once already. That way my 'first drafts' are a bit stronger and easier to work with when I start revising.
BCM: Share two Wattpad story recommendations.
RowanCarver: Please check out the stories of my friend spelunkadunk I love The Claimed series and her ONC story from last year Human Bait. She's immensely talented and she writes with so much heart! I fall in love with her characters every time.
If you have a taste for hard science fiction, the epic story Guardium by SeanScruffy is an extremely impressive work about intergalactic battles between alien factions and ancient gods. It's fantastic for fans of Ender's Game, Star Wars, Hyperion, and Foundations. I also had the pleasure of working with Scruffy this year for ONC and I learned so much from him!
Thank you, RowanCarver. We wish you all the best in your writing endeavors.
This is not the end. We have more to come!
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