Behind the Story #4: EternalZephyr

Behind the Story is my biweekly feature post spotlighting Wattpad writers.

This Saturday I have the honor of hosting EternalZephyr!

Author: Ari
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance, Humor

Summary from Wattpad: 

When Reyna Winters finds out that she's failing Chemistry, she's given one last chance. She enlists help from the school's White Coat Freak, Wesley Black. The boy who goes all over school in a white lab coat. He is a snarky, anti-social, chemistry nerd who surprisingly has a soft side. Much more lies under Wesley's solitary persona that Reyna can't help but wonder about. While Wesley teaches Reyna about chemistry, she learns more about him and her feelings. There's more to Chemistry than just chemicals. 

There's love, science, and Skittles.

Interview

About You:

What’s one random fact about you/something most people don’t know about you?

One thing most people don't know about me is that I'm also an artist. In fact, before I started writing, drawing was my biggest love. I still love it, but I don't do it as much anymore. I'm best with pencil portraits and still life, but I always liked attempting anime­-style. I'm just not very good at it!

Is there a genre you haven’t written but really want to try?

There are a couple, yes! I've been wanting to try sci-­fi, and I'm in the process of starting a sci-­fi story. I'm not sure if it'll see the light of day, but I hope so! I also want to try nonfiction. Before my mum passed away, she had been working on a book about her journey fighting cancer. She stated in the beginning of it how much she wants it to help and encourage others going through similar battles. Someday, I want to finish her story from my perspective and share it with others in the hopes of fulfilling her wish.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Never, ever stop writing. Always do it for yourself first before others. Don't let any negative feedback discourage you; if it's not constructive, it's not worth your time or tears. It can be easy to feel like you aren't good at it or you didn't do a good job, but that's not true! It takes a lot of practice, rewriting, and editing, but writing anything in itself is a huge accomplishment. And if you're like me, I get new ideas for stories every day. Keep a "Potentials File" of all of your ideas. So if you ever find yourself staring at a blank page, you'll have a notebook full of stories waiting to be written.

I have to ask, what’s your all-time favorite chemistry joke? 
I make chemistry jokes periodically, but I think my favorite to use is: "Want to hear a chemistry joke? K." Another one that I love: "What did the scientist say when he found 2 isotopes of Helium? HeHe."

Story Time!:

Describe Skittles and Science in five words.

Sweet, Funny, Light­hearted, Nerdy, Charming

What was the idea behind Skittles and Science? Why did you choose the theme of candy in both S&S and Pop Rocks & Home Ec?

Initially, about 6 years ago, I was just going to write it as a short story. I was big into anime and manga at the time, and I just wanted to write something cute and kind of romantic for the fun of it. The thought of an out­going, lovable girl obsessed with Skittles as the main character was what really set it in motion. I also had an interest in Chemistry at the time, so a boy in a white lab coat sealed the deal. I wanted it to be really unique and fun to read, without too much drama, and a message about accepting who are and what makes you different. Writing the majority of it and coming up with most of it was a rush though. It was my first NaNoWriMo novel, so it was really a write first and figure the rest out later thing. I wanted Reyna to have something that made her special, or a silly quirk. That's the little bit of me that I threw into the story; my love of Skittles. I exaggerated it with her, of course. Even though I do have my own stash... And after I finished S&S, I knew I couldn't really do a sequel, but I wanted to do something along that line. So why not a series? Using candy in both of them, and any in the future, in a way describes the feel of the stories; sweet and fun!

Talking about sweet, check out this song that goes perfectly with the book!

Who would you say is your favorite character so far and why?

Ian. Need I say more? I enjoyed writing every scene involving Ian. He's extremely funny and crazy, and I love the relationship between him and Reyna. Yes, he may be slightly over-protective, but his heart is in the right place. I think that boy should have his own book. Maybe someday he will! 

I have to say though that Jarod from Pop Rocks might end up being tied with Ian. He's very quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

Wesley Black  

How did you come up with Wes’ personality, which contrasts so differently from Theo in Pop Rocks?

In my experience writing, I've noticed the characters tend make their own personalities. I know it sounds crazy! All I knew about Wes when I started writing was that I wanted him to be an attractive nerd who didn't really associate with others. Then as he opened up to Reyna, he was opening up to me too. He just became the sarcastic, infuriatingly charming, and slightly sadistic guy we all love now. With Theo, I plan to break the stereotype of bad boys. He might just have a few surprises in store for everyone.

How many stories do you think will be in Short and Sweet Theories?

I have no idea! I plan to keep it going as long as I can, and the possibilities are endless right now. Part of it is my unwillingness to say goodbye to the characters. Another is that I might come up with new material for S&S when I edit it for publishing. So don't expect to see that little green check mark anytime soon!

Quick Round:

Skittles or Pop Rocks? Skittles

Anime or K Drama? K Drama

Fantasy or Reality? Fantasy. Reality is overrated.

Reading or Writing? Both! I don't think I could ever choose between the two.

My Thoughts

I won't lie; I may have fangirled a little when Ari accepted my interview request because Skittles and Science is just that amazing. A couple of my other friends have read this as well, and we honestly had a group message once just sending chemistry jokes. This is what happens when you read S&S; you become obsessed. 

But in all seriousness, this story is without a doubt one of my all-time favorites on Wattpad, and I've read an embarrassingly large amount of Wattpad books. Skittles and Science is the only book I've ever read featuring an adorable, socially awkward, lab coat wearing chemist and a girl with an extreme love for Skittles. This mixture of genuine characters, Chemistry, and candy created an unforgettable plot. Reyna, Wes, and Ian were easily loveable character, especially with their unique quirks. I love Short and Sweet Theories because it's a collection of random short stories about these awesome characters. Also, publishing? S&S is going to be an actual book? I hope this happens! I seriously love Ari's writing. I would pretty much read anything she writes, from romance to sci-fi to nonfiction. 

I highly recommend both Skittles and Science and Pop Rocks and Home Ec to lovers of cute, humor filled romance stories. Trust me, once you start reading you won't want to stop! 

Rating: 5 sweet cupcakes!