Story Reviews

Okay, so I know this is a little late but obviously since this is my first one I was basically trying to get the logistics of how it would work down! But I have it sorted now, and this is my first interview with one of the authors from the long running 'Cambridge' series.

Firstly I'd like to know a little about the Cambridge trilogy. Can you give a basic summary of the series as a whole, and since you weren't a writer on the original story, what made you want to be a part of it?
Cambridge is a story that revolves around Rachel, Skylar (and later Delia and Lizzie) as the navigate their way through university, and their complex relationships with the guys (of one direction and 5 Seconds of Summer). I was a big fan of the first book, and so, when I saw an opening for a new co-author, I really wanted to be a part of it.

Who is your favourite character in the series, and why?
Obviously, I love Delia, as she's the character I write for, and I feel like she gets a lot of hate for being a bit self-centred, but shes a lot more complex than people seem to give her credit for. However, my favourite character in this book would probably have to be Louis, I just love the way he's written (especially in the second and third books). I like him in the first book, sure, but I just feel like he's grown so much throughout the series and has become the kind of guy that could really make Rachel happy.
I am 100% a Louchel (Rouis?) shipper. I know that the writer of Rachel's character has struggled to decide between Rachel/Louis and Rachel/Ashton, but personally I just think they fit so well together. I adore Ashton, honestly but I love Louis so much and him and Rachel just have such a connection. Personally, I'd love to see Rachel/Louis endgame. but that - unfortunately - is not up to me, lol.

Totally on the same page when it comes to Louis and Rachel, fingers crossed on that one!Now I want to ask you a little less about this particular story (don't want to have too many spoilers!) and more about writing in general. Seeing as the series has been running for around three years, how do you think your writing has improved over that time?
Personally, I feel like my writing has definitely improved, throughout the course of this story. I definitely think that over all the quality of the writing has improved throughout the series, so for anyone considering reading it, the quality definitely does improve - which is something myself and my co-authors agree on.

As someone who binge read the first and second books in about two days, I can definitely agree that the quality of writing has improved as you go on and people really should give it a go! Do you have any tips that might help new writers to improve their own work?
For me, the only way to improve your writing, is to just keep doing it. And also, reading a lot can really improve the way you write. I know I still have a long way to go when it comes to my writing, but I enjoy writing, and I like to read over my work a lot, to see how I've improved and ways I can improve further.

What is it like to co-author a story? Are there any challenges, if so, how do you overcome them? Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to co-author their own story?
I actually love working with co-authors. It's a lot easier to get chapters out when there's a few people working together. The only challenge really is making sure everything matched up exactly. There can be a few inconsistencies sometimes, especially with the timing of things happening, when a few chapters have been written, surrounding the same period of time. Honestly, though, working with co-authors is amazing and so much fun. Its also very interesting to see how other authors write a character that you've created.
I would 100% recommend trying to co-author a story with someone, at least once, because it can be so much fun.

Now, I want to move on to reading fan fiction. Recently someone messaged me asking for advice on how to expand their readership. What do you think makes you want to read a fanfiction? What advice would you give to people who want more readers?
I think a good summary definitely catches people eye, but the characters of a story need some depth. Readers love having someone to love and love having someone to hate. I think its important that not all characters are flawless and multi-talented geniuses, because it can get really boring.

I couldn't agree more! Now to end things I wanted to ask a couple of fun questions about you! Who is your favourite member of One Direction or Five Seconds of Summer and why?
My favorite member of One Direction would have to be Harry - yes, I KNOW, how cliche. I just adore him, completely. He's such a genuinely kind-hearted person and I love him to bits. When it comes to 5sos, probably Ashton, I'm not even sure why, I guess I'm kind of into drummers.

I'm a Harry girl myself so can't argue with that! And my final question: Would you like to write professionally or is it just a hobby? If not, what is your dream job? If writing is your passion, then what kinds of stories would you like to write?
Writing, for me, is just a hobby. I love doing it, definitely, but I've always wanted to teach, that's my dream job, and I will continue writing for as long as I can, but it's definitely just a hobby for me.

Thank you so much to @Mashton_Styles for being my first interviewee! If you want to take a look at the Cambridge series, you can do so by clicking here!

I have to say, I really enjoyed asking the questions and interacting with another writer about their stories and I will definitely be continuing with this segment on a fortnightly basis!

Please let me know what you thought of my first interview, and I was thinking for the next one, maybe you guys could leave questions in the comments if there is anything you think I should be asking! I would also LOVE your input on authors that you think I should interview next!

Thank you for reading!

Love always,

Lola xo

Notes