Name of Author: Lina Hanson

Title of Book: Cursed Times - What Now

Favorite Authors: Outside Wattpad these would be David Butcher, Rick Gualtieri, Anne McGaffrey, Lindsey Davis, but also H.P Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Romantic Poetry ...

Bio:

I have been a 'wordie' all my life, I studied English literature and somehow managed to turn my passion into a profession. With limitations of course - working in PR, Marketing and, more recently, as head of a communications team usually means you are doing more editing than writing. And if you write, it's corporate, which is not usually 100% inspiring. At least not all the time...

Cursed Times - What Now?

http://www.wattpad.com/story/28196609-cursed-times-what-now

Can you explain what your book is all about?

'Cursed Times' is a paranormal adventure set in Egypt and Britain. The novels features not only the last of the European witches but also some supernatural beings aka the last servants of Ra, the ancient Egyptian sun god The deputy head of this slightly dodgy outfit is trying to make some sense of a number of paranormal incidents inside - and outside of the temple which eventually force him on a journey to solve a 5000-year old riddle. He is accompanied by the aforementioned witch - much to his and her annoyance. They solve the riddle - and discover that far from ending their journey it has just begun.

What is your target audience - and why?

My target audience is more mature than the average Wattpad story which seems to be geared mainly towards 16-year olds. My main MC are in their mid twenties, but I do have a couple on teenagers on board. As well as the parent generation. And some even more geriatric protagonists. My goal was to write a novel that could be read on different levels, by different readers. The demographics seem to indicate that this is working - the majority of my readers still are teenagers and I am very happy to see that!

What is 'paranormal' about your story?

I have one ghost and these are traditionally paranormal. Basically it's the combination of a modern setting featuring characters with paranormal abilities aka magic. I love exploring what happens with people who are way outside what is considered to be the norm.

Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?

Cursed Times is quite unique insofar as it contains elements of a historical novel, adventure, mystery and thriller - and of course paranormal and urban fantasy. I should maybe not forget that it contains humour. Lots of it. Why? Well, these are all genre I like to read about and I wanted to explore whether I could bring them all together, to write something I wanted to read. I believe, I may well have succeeded!

Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?

1) Plot very carefully. I need to know exactly what is happening when, where my key incidents, key events, midpoints etc. are. I also need to have the last sentence written before I even start.

2) Then start writing, and as I do so the plot not only gets filled, but also changes

3) I do not churn out a whole first draft, I am very finicky in carefully developing my chapters. This does not stop them from getting re-written in a number of review processes

4) First review is checking that the STORY works

5) Then I look at the SCENES

6) Then I check characters, facts, is it credible etc.

7) Then I go and start tackling all sorts of language and style in a number of revision rounds

8) Punctuation comes last.

9) This is all done outside WP and finally I would upload the chapters.

10) And edit them again when the comments come in...

Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?

I got stressed a couple of times when I realised that some of my ideas I had fixed in the plot arc were not working. Or I was missing something. I then go into the wood, or I run, or play loud music. Eventually I will come up with a solution. Or I write the next chapter. The key thing is to stop fretting about it, otherwise I will stay stuck.

You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?

For me this means an original, engaging story with a unique voice that is stylistically appealing - and correct in terms of grammar and punctuation. I will stop reading there and then when I encounter too many mistakes in WP stories.