Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! For the ENTIRE month of December, we'll be seeing content like this from both myself, and from the Featured Authors (going all the way back to the beginning!). Along with each of us sharing first chapters from our novels (all on, or soon to be on, Wattpad!), we'll also be getting an inside look into everyone's writing process, book reviews, and even better - getting to know the contestants trying for Featured Author of The Year 2019! Stick around for the fun!
I hope you all enjoy!
Hello everyone! For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Shay Spencer - and today I will be sharing a little about myself, as I recently realized that I’ve become a very private person since switching from fanfiction to regular fiction.
1. How long have I been on Wattpad?
I’ve been on Wattpad since October of 2013 - I was talking with a few of my friends and they mentioned this website where they could ‘read all night’ and I was hooked. I’d been obsessed with Disney Channel fanfiction for the better part of a year, and I was trying to find some less shameful way to spend my time (keep in mind I was a sophomore in high school and literally everyone was making fun of Disney at the time?). I downloaded the app and ended up posting my first story, Love at Mission Creek Mall, on January 3rd, 2014.
2. The first story I read/wrote on Wattpad?
The first story I read all the way through was called Marriage by Law. I remember reading it in about two days and being utterly obsessed with it. I ended up keeping tabs on the author and noticed she had published the book at sometime, though I never actually purchased the book. It was a huge inspiration for me going into writing.The first book I wrote was Love at Mission Creek Mall - following a rather dramatic turn of events when rival shop workers at the local mall end up falling in love, which somehow pulls their families apart in a Romeo/Juliet fashion. No one dies and everyone ends up with their true love in the end but I know when I go back to it for the Flashback Friday event, I’m going to be shocked by the drama of it all.
3. What do I like to do when I’m not writing?
At the moment, it’s not entirely about what I like to do versus what I have time to do - some of you know that I’m moving, and fixing up the house is taking a bit longer than expected. Though I do enjoy painting and hanging up new artwork for staging, I will admit that I’m going to miss my bright orange (excuse me, juicy cantaloupe) colored walls that I’ve had since 2013 (big year yo). But! When I do have some downtime, I love (am obsessed) with watching Supernatural. Another great pastime has always been working on my low-key graphic design skills (I hope the blog is a good representation of that), as well as harassing my cats so that they actually have to spend time with me. I’ve got two Siamese - one is a boy seal point, 11-12 years old, and the second is a little baby girl flame point, 2 years old and meows like she’s being stabbed in the gut. I don’t think I’ve ever known a cat that cries so much but it’s freaking adorable.
4. Share five fun facts about yourself.
-I just turned 21 and have still never had a drop of alcohol (except one time, I was 11 or 12 and I’m pretty sure I drank some spiked pink lemonade at my cousin’s wedding, courtesy of our friendly bartender who packed up the water in hundred degree weather).
-For the majority of my life I had grown my hair out to the point where it was leveled up just under the top of my hips. I’ve recently cut/dyed it, now it’s got a red-brown ombre coloring and cuts off around my collarbone.
-I can only write on my phone. This started when my computer got hacked in the ninth grade - really great story, my sister and I were playing this online game, Zwinky, and we had created versions of the Pretty Little Liars characters, so when we continuously threw cakes in peoples faces someone took some serious offence to it and sent a virus on over my way - because of this I only had my tablet and wasn’t great at typing on that keyboard. I turned to my then iPod touch and only ever posted from mobile (which I still do?). It’s become such a part of me that the only story I’ve been able to write on my computer to this day, has been The Truth About Chance Dabney.
-A fun medical condition I have is called a ganglion cyst because of me typing on my phone. Image a blister, but it sits just under the skin on the inside of my wrist. It collects stray fluid from my joints and tendons when they rub together and has built up this cyst over the last year. I’m finally going to get it drained in December/January after thinking it was some serious carpal tunnel (and after I had a less than professional appointment with a sucky doctor who thinks he’s all that).
-I switched schools my senior year of high school and ended up at an online school (with a physical location a few blocks away from my house), to which I graduated second in my class out of 64 kids, I think? Whereas at my old school, because I dropped below honor roll my junior year, I would have ended up in the early 300’s out of nearly 550 students. I also have a fun medal because I was that cool - but I skipped the ceremony so I could decorate my hat and eat cake at my grandparents house.
5. Any tips to new authors?
I would honestly recommend doing stuff like this - I don’t know if I’m speaking for all the authors in this event - but entering contests, getting into things like the Block Party or this Get Together, will help you get out there. One of the main things about being an author (one that I didn’t expect) is having friends/a support system outside of your family. The other more popular authors have comments flooding their inbox on a daily basis, but even one comment from a good friend-fellow author person in your life can really make a difference. It certainly was for me on my bad days!
There we have it! I hope you all enjoyed getting to know me a little better! If you've got any questions, send them in and I'll answer them in the new year!
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