Back in 2016, on a whim, I decided to write a short 30 chapter story about traders in a zombie apocalypse, just to say that I did it. Well, long story short, a new addiction was born and that 'short story' exploded into a 495,000+ word series. Since I liked writing, I kept posting more stories. :)

Inspiration can come from many sources. Books, pictures, movies, music, life experiences, jokes, memes, overactive imaginations, daydreams and so much more. Often, I look back at my stories and how they turned out, and I have no clue where those ideas came from or that they'd fit together like they did in the end. I believe it's a gift from God, just like some people have the gift of cooking (not me!) or the gift of art (alas, I don't think my stick figures would qualify as art).

I'm actually a very slow writer (about 100 words every 10 minutes if I average it out, so I'm definitely in the slow & steady camp!), but I try to complete most of a book offline before I start posting, so my update schedule makes it look faster. I spread out my updates so I don't have many empty months between books (hence why I no longer post 3-5 times a week). I just can't write that fast.

I'd love to see all my books on Amazon one day, but editing and formatting take time - a lot of time. And often, I prefer to write new things instead of spending 6-9 months polishing an old story. I'm slowly working on it. A Different Virus Heartfire is in a very good exclusive contract with Wattpad, so I can't touch that book right now. Otherwise, I'm trying to publish one book a year.

This is a tough question. When it came to my decision to keep writing, I think the readers and their enjoyment of the stories were key. The comments were like gold, and I thoroughly enjoy the anticipation of seeing how readers would react to the next chapter. On the writer side of the coin, I made several author friends and learned a lot from various author groups. Their encouragement, tips, and feedback were - and still are - super helpful. I’ve discovered that writing is a journey, not a destination, and I’m very happy to watch the scenery as I stroll along the path.

I have a "Tips for Writing on Wattpad" guide on Wattpad, although it's geared toward a lot of younger writers or those not familiar with things like dialogue tags. There are some good exercises in later chapters though. If you're looking for writing tips, my best suggestion is to look for those exercises and seek out fellow writers for company (discord, social media, or a local in-person group. Whatever you prefer). Finding some beta readers really helped me, since people pointed out all sorts of things. If you have some followers who'd be willing to give you feedback in exchange for an early sneak peek at a book, this could be an option for you. Write what you love, be open to constructive feedback, and you'll grow by leaps and bounds.

Unfortunately, I lack the time to help people edit their stories, but I did create a Tips for Writing on Wattpad guide that will give various to make your story more readable and likely to draw readers in. It has things for beginners and more experienced authors (such as first chapter writing exercises). There is also a resources page with various communities and resources. It also contains various ways to advertise your stories.

Yes, I allow fanfictions or spin-offs AS LONG AS proper credit is given (Full title of my story and my username) in the summary and/or chapter 1. (And this means you can use my "world" and "rules", not copy my book or change it a bit and repost it.) Feel free to add a "CrystalScherer" tag so other readers can find it. As for why, why not? I know some authors are really touchy and feel that their work is being plagiarized, but if readers liked it enough that they wanted to take certain ideas or aspects of my stories and write a fanfic/spinoff, I don't see any problems as long as proper credit is given.

Diane from A Different Virus Heartfire. She was my first character, and her personality and skills still hold a special place in my heart.

Mercedes Lackey, particularly her Valdemar series and the Fairy Godmother series.

I don't read much poetry, but this particular one stuck in my mind for years: To God be the glory; "His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the raging flood; When every earthly prop gives way, This still is all my strength and stay."

"I don't write my characters. I just watch them do stupid shit and write up the incident report."