Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Author Spotlight, we are featuring our own Artemis Watson! Thank you for joining us Artemis, we’re going to jump right into the questions today! All of our questions are submitted by our own Discord members!
To start, how long have you been writing?
I started writing when I was 20 more or less (now I’m 32). It was a weird start, especially given my complicated relationship with the genre. But if I think back, in school I was always the kid that loved writing essays and all, so I guess it wasn’t that much of a surprise. The funny part was that in school I always got better grades for my English writing than for my Italian writings (I’m Italian native).
I was the same with my French studies; it’s like English I’m all good there, French best pay attention! I didn’t know you were a Italian native speaker, that’s really cool! So you enjoyed writing essays in school, but why did you then decide to start writing books?
Ah, that’s a tough question. I actually … don’t know why. One night I couldn’t sleep and I started jotting down this fantasy story about a witch, but it soon became more romance than fantasy. At the time romantasy wasn’t a thing lol Before then, I’d been writing down thoughts, over the years there had been diaries/journals, but I’d never considered actually writing books. All I can remember is I was a super shy 20 year old with a hopeless crush and I’d just been reading Throne of Glass. So basically I took the fantasy part of Throne of Glass and my unexpressed feelings for my crush, and started from there. I soon lost the fantasy part, like I said (I had no idea that years later romantasy would become huge! lol), but continued with romance.
That’s neat to hear the progression! I know romantasy is huge now but if you enjoy what you’re doing that’s what matters! You dropped the fantasy, and you now stick with romance but do you have a specific genre you like to write?
I would define myself as a thriller mind that was taken hostage by romance. I grew up reading mostly thriller/mystery, with interludes of fantasy (aka really just Harry Potter) and a lot of classics. Oh and I absolutely loathed romance. Like, real hate. Every time I saw a romance book I rolled my eyes. I could never tell whether this was karma or just God’s weird sense of humor. I was a very cold teenager, for a long time I felt nothing at all (in hindsight, part of the reason was probably trauma). Or so I thought. Because in a way I did feel and I felt deeper than most people around me. So, it was highly confusing and someone as shy, introverted and taciturn as me could hardly express any of that…other than in writing. By 20 or so I felt like I kept smashing my head against a wall of my own creation, until one night, desperate to feel something, anything, I quite literally asked God to let me feel something, anything. The response came through the urge to write romance, I guess. Because it was an urge, one I couldn’t fight. For a long time I felt ashamed of it, not going to lie, which is also why I never tried the publishing route. I posted my stories on Wattpad, then later came Inkitt. Only very recently I came to terms with the fact that yes, I’m a romance author and there’s nothing wrong with it.
Wow, you sound like me! I was the same. I would eye roll every time I heard romance or saw a cover with a shirtless man! Now I also write romance, in many forms! Now you talked about Wattpad and Inkitt, have you started to publish?
My beginning was with web-based platforms, but I tried to publish with Amazon a few years ago. It didn’t work, of course. Only last year I actually started making real plans for it, though. To date, I have 1 book on Amazon, 1 upcoming. Both are part of a spicy series, though. My main goal is to rewrite and publish my main books that are on Wattpad/Inkitt, so right now I’m trying to work out a publishing plan. But at the same time the initial book I published on Amazon became a 4-5 book series, so I am trying to work on that as well.
There is just never enough time in the day for all of the projects is there? I love that you’re looking to publish your web-based books as well. Do you have a specific tense or POV you prefer to write or read in?
I usually write in past tense. As for POV, I do dual POV in first person, but also third person. I don’t understand the hate for third person I’ve seen lately lol a writer’s talent lies in being able to convey the character’s emotions even if the character isn’t speaking personally. Third person also gives more room for exploring not only main characters’ perspective on a same scene, but also side characters. I use first POV when I want the reader to not being in the know about the other main character. Or to give more insights, making the reader know more than the character knows. Example: she’s thinking he finds her pathetic, but the reader has read his POV and they know that in that moment he’s likely thinking she’s adorable. I use third person when I need to switch in between characters in the same scene, but also when I want to be an omniscient narrator. In general, experimenting is fun.
I agree! I think the only way to grow and change is to experiment. For me, the journey is the fun part, not whether or not you get the success you want out of it. I think that’s a great thing for any fellow writer to do to help them develop their style. Do you have any other tips on how to improve as a writer?
Practice. A lot of practice. It’s really the only way, or at least the main one. Yes, reading about writing can help, but if you don’t actually write then it’s like being a bodybuilder. You build up all that (brain) muscle and for what? Just to say you have? Reading fiction is also extremely important, but not only your genre. Diversifying helps a lot, especially in an era where genres are so easily mixed with one another. The trick is to read and absorb different styles without copying them.
That is exactly right! My sister-in-law told me that your first book will be bad, and so will your second and probably third, and that’s okay. If you don’t write you’re never going to learn. Excellent advice for sure! How was it that you were able to find your voice as an author?
I’m not sure I’ve found it, actually. My style has evolved over the years and today I could say my writing is a mix of sarcasm, highly emotional moments, some spice, plus a lot of drama. As I said earlier, I have a thriller mind, so my thought process, I believe, is not the same as most romance authors. I’m not sure how to explain it other than, a twisted mindset that makes my readers cry their hearts out, gives them wicked cliffhangers, then eventually relieves their heartache with a HEA.
Most of my inspiration comes from:
- Jane Austen with her sarcasm
- Jonathan and Christopher Nolan with their wicked ways to torment viewers
- My need to never be predictable
I think style and voice may always be a work in progress! Just hearing about what your readers should expect sounds amazing! It’s like a roller coaster, I like that in a book. I like that you take what you know of one genre and bring it into your romance writing, I think that’s a skill in itself! Aside from your thriller mind, is there anything else that inspires your stories?
Anything, really. I don’t take inspiration from real people, but anything can trigger an idea. A movie scene, a conversation, a book quote…anything. As for the type of books I write, my main characters tend to have flaws and trauma, because I like to think there’s a redeeming and healing aspect to love. Yes, the person that never believed in love believes in soul mates and in true love. It’s ironic, really. While my real life self runs away from love, my author persona embraces it to the fullest, getting into the depths of its most heartwarming but also heart-shattering aspects. Ultimately, what I intend to achieve is to show that trauma isn’t your doom and you can find yourself with the help of the right person. It doesn’t mean that that person will rescue you, they may just be a catalyst that triggers your need for change and fuels your motivation to break out of your own mental jail. That’s why most of my books feature characters in deep need of someone to just … see them.
I think that’s just lovely. I completely agree you see it all the time, people thrive in love. It doesn’t have to be romantic or sexual, just love is a very powerful thing. You listed some authors who inspired you, is there a certain novel that inspired you? Or one that spoke to you?
Jane Austen. 100%. Jane Austen is my hero, my goddess, the one author I love unconditionally. I may frown at the age gap in some of her books, I may be aware that she’s not perfect, but I don’t care, she’s my goddess. And I will forever hate Hollywood for degrading her books. The thing about Jane Austen is that through her writing she intended to show her society, pointing out the condition of women and the hypocrisy. She’s the one that taught me romance can do all that and still be a cute love story. I wouldn’t say she’s what made me become a romance author, but she’s most definitely the author that made me realize romance has a lot of potential and is not simply just about two people falling in love. Another author that inspired me is Italian, Alice Basso. I don’t think she’s ever been translated. Her books are witty, highly sarcastic and full of suspense, which is what I try to do in my small world as well. For the crime part of my writing, readers will have to blame the crime shows and movies I’ve watched, but also a German author, Karen Sander. As for the taste for cliffhangers and emotionally torturing readers…yeah, definitely Jonathan Nolan with Person of Interest (not a book, but still gives me paranoia about whether a character will survive or not).
Jane Austen is a classic and one of my favourites as well! I’m sure she has inspired countless authors out there. Unfortunately yes, she’s inspired a lot of Hollywood producers too! If you could give a writer some of your advice what would it be?
Just write. Don’t think about who will read it, what will they think. Absolutely don’t get stuck on tropes and don’t write around them. Don’t think about the trends, who reads what, what kind of author are successful/popular. Write your own thing. Don’t worry about the originality of your plot. You will hear people say everything has been written, and maybe it has. But no one sees the world how you do, no one can write it how YOU would. Lean into your characters. They will come to you whenever you least expect it and they will demand your attention, whether you like it or not. Those are the best characters you can write. The ones that will keep screaming in your ear until you write their story.
That’s great advice, so very true. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone will read something I have written and mention that it’s the same kind of plot as this book or that one – books I’ve never read. It’s true, that there is no such thing as a new, but how we approach things and how we write them is the change that is needed. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel as they say.
Thank you so much for taking the time to come on the blog Artemis we appreciate it. Before we go is there anything else you’d like to include? Perhaps maybe even a sneak peek into what you’re currently working on?
Multiple things. I’m currently finishing Book 2 of the A Kinky Christmas series, which is a highly spicy series that was originally only 1 book and now is 4-5. I’m also working, or should be working on my main books. Most will be split into multiple books and have a reading order because of crossovers. The one that is closest to me is a swoon worthy billionaire romance. It was one of my very first stories. It’s called The Golden Bachelor and I plan on publishing it within this year or the next, I’m not sure yet. There’s also Roommates with Benefits, though spicy romance, which might come before the other.
I’d like to leave you with a quote from one of my characters. I know authors aren’t supposed to have favorites, but I took his last name for my pen name because even I fell in love with him. He’s the most complex character I’ve ever written, but given his struggles, he gives me the strength to keep pushing.
This is for all the people that struggle with believing in themselves and that feel constantly inadequate. This is what my writing really is about. Telling readers: you matter, and you will find a way out of your mental prison.
“This … insecure, paranoid, troubled girl that replaces the feisty angel with horns I see during the day. Don’t let her win. This … fragile girl that comes in once you’ve shut down the world and you’re alone with yourself and your thoughts. Don’t let her win. Because she’s wrong. She’s wrong, wrong, wrong. You’re much stronger than she wants you to think, much better than she claims, and much, much more important than she’ll ever let you realize.” (Jake Watson, I’m Here to Fix You)
Please be sure to check out this wonderful author using any of the links below!
Artemis Watson is an evil author who thrives on the tears of her readers. Rumor has it she has a whole set of buckets for the purpose. When she’s not glued to her keyboard, you can find her reading, fangirling over Chis Hems-um…binging Marvel movies or one of the many TV shows she’ll never finish because she has the attention span of a puppy. Her love for pizza, cats and books is matched only by her passion for writing the most heartthrobbing but also smuttiest books that make you laugh, cry, and everything you don’t want your mom to know. You can expect a wild ride through the pages of her books – just make sure to have a box of tissues at the ready!
