Interview with writer Jordan Lynde

by Brittany Geragotelis

photos courtesy of Jordan Lynde

So, as you know, I'm publishing my latest book, Life's a Witch, on the online community writing site, Wattpad. Well, while I've been on there, I've had a chance to check out some of the other writers on the site and one in particular has blown me away. Jordan Lynde, wattpad user name XxSkater2Girl16xX, has had more than 12 million people read her books collectively. This in itself is a huge feat, considering it's tough to find many published authors with a following like this. But Jordan's only 16-years-old!
Read on for more about this amazing teenager and how she became an online writing sensation!

Brittany: You’re one of Wattpad’s star authors! What’s been your reaction to the fact that you’ve had over 6 million people read one of your books? Were you expecting that many people to read your stuff?
Jordan: It’s pretty staggering! I remember when I was excited that I’d reached 100 views. When it reached 1 million, I was blown away. Now it’s at 6 million and still climbing—it’s crazy! To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting that many people to read my stuff, but I figured at least some would—I had a little confidence in myself after all. But I never would’ve guessed I’d reach millions of people!

Brittany: What’s your writing process like? When do you write, how often, where, anything you have to have around you when you write?

Jordan: As I mentioned earlier, I like to write at night. All my best ideas form between the hours of 8:00PM to 3:00AM. I write at least four hours every day, unless I’m with my friends. Usually I have to have something on in the background—my television, music, a fan—there just has to be some sort of noise. Usually I’m in my room. I have to be alone to write. And I also write better when I’m chewing gum. Ha!

Brittany: What made you decide to join Wattpad? What’s been your experience on there so far?

Jordan: A fan from another website I write on, Quizilla, messaged me one day telling me to check out Wattpad, so I did. Joining the site was definitely one of the best choices I’ve ever made. The layout is very professional, organized, and easy on the eye, which makes it attractive to people like me. You can search stories by genres and keywords, and you can also check out the “What’s Hot” list if you’re looking for something that everyone’s reading. The best thing though, is that they have actual people running it—keeping the site free from copyright and offensive messages. It’s really the best writing website out there and I just had to join. Without Wattpad, I would’ve never gotten as much feedback as I do on my stories, nor have reached such a high number of fans and views. Some of my stories probably wouldn’t even exist without Wattpad.

Brittany: Are there any authors/books on the site that you’re a fan of? Who are some of your favorite authors in general?

Jordan: I am an extremely picky reader and I don’t have much time for reading between writing, school, friends and work, so I’m not really a fan of a lot of authors on Wattpad. However, there are a few I am a fan of. One of them is you—BrittTheBookSlayer. You recently started an amazing story, Life’s A Witch, about modern-day witches and it’s awesome so far—very unique and original!

Another author from Wattpad that I’m a fan of is YvetteRussell. She has multiple finished stories and they’re all amazing. She focuses on paranormal stories—one of my favorite genres. The story I like most of hers is The Psychic Next Door. As far as published authors, my favorite series is Harry Potter. I'm a complete nerd for HP. I’m also a huge fan of Stephen King…have been ever since I read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon in sixth grade.

Brittany: You recently uploaded your latest story, A Surreptitious Relationship, which is a sequel to your most popular book, A Proscriptive Relationship, and already you’ve have 180,000 reads! What’s the secret to creating such a loyal readership?

Jordan: Well, for the building of my fan base, I try to write stories in many different genres so I could reel in all types of fans. If they like my work, then they’ll tell their friends, who tell their friends, and so on. And hopefully they’ll want to read more of my stuff, even if it isn’t exactly what they’re interested in. Sadly, I don’t have a secret for a loyal readership. Ha! If I did, I’d definitely let everyone know. I just have amazing fans who can’t get enough of the complex relationship between my characters, Chris and Holly.

Brittany: Besides writing, what else do you love to do?

Jordan: I really love playing the piano, even though I can’t read sheet music. I usually just play by ear or watch videos on YouTube and copy people’s hand movements. That actually works really well! During the summer I spend hours playing badminton with my friends or hanging out downtown. I also like playing soccer and basketball!

Brittany: Can you give me a few fun facts about yourself that people might not know?

Jordan: Sure! I’m a huge animal lover. I’ve also been taking Spanish for five years and I hope to be fluent at some point. I’m obsessed with music and penguins. Many of the characters in my books are based on my friends. The character Jeremy in APR is my friend in real life. Oh, and everyone always asks me if I’ve had a crush on my teacher (APR is a story about an complicated relationship between a student and her teacher). And no, I’ve never had a crush on a teacher. Ever.

Thanks so much, Jordan! And if you haven’t already, be sure to check Jordan’s work out at wattpad today!

5x5,

B.