Today we’d like to introduce you to Julianna Writing As Lalalalawriting.
Hi Julianna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. After falling in love with reading romance as a tween, I started writing my daydreams down so I could read them for fun later. I stumbled upon Wattpad and wrote my first novel when I was fourteen years old. With the support of the Wattpad community, I wrote five young/new adult romance books. After winning a Watty Award in 2021, I self-published Potentially You and Me in 2022 and The Culture of Hooking Up in 2023 under my penname, lalalalawriting. Since writing The Culture of Hooking Up, I was inspired to pursue a M.A. in Sociology. I’m interested in researching anything related to gender, women’s issues, hookup culture, and relationship dynamics.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The transition between writing books on Wattpad to self-publishing was fairly smooth. With the help of other authors and publishing communities on Youtube, blogs, and social media, I had been researching how to publish since I was a teenager and debated between traditional publishing or self-publishing for years. I think only true writers or book nerds know the thrill of going into bookstores, opening the front covers, and reading the copyright information. And if you’re an even bigger book nerd—you skim the acknowledgements for the name of the author’s agent as well. Although I still keep tabs on the traditional publishing world because one day I would love for one of my stories to be published by a traditional publisher, I’m forever thankful for the existence of self-publishing for allowing authors to stick their metaphorical flags in the ground and claim their territory in the writing world. I also still check on my Wattpad account every once in a while, because I’m forever grateful for the platform and community there.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve always tried to inject as much realism into the romance genre as possible, especially when it comes to the struggles of dating within the young/new adult genre. Not only the first flutters of flirtation, smile-inducing banter, and burning sexual tension, but also the embarrassment, frustration, and even miscommunication involved in learning how to love. While this happens at any stage of life, I’m especially drawn to the young/new adult age bracket, not only because I currently identify with it, but also because it often feels like we’re all at different stages. There are people who don’t have dating experience and are just learning what it feels like to fall in love, like Lacie O’Connor in Potentially You and Me. There are also people who know the dating playing field like the back of their hand and are tired of playing, like Laney Emerson in The Culture of Hooking Up. (Of course, there’s everyone else in between!) I hope to shed a more realistic light on romance, love, and the trials and tribulations of dating, so we can not only happily kick our feet together, but also lament and learn together, too.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I feel very lucky to have something I’m passionate about. As we all know life doesn’t come with a rule book. Some days we feel accomplished and grateful for how far we’ve come, while other days we feel lost, confused, and anxious about the future. Since discovering my love for writing and romance at a young age, it has not only kept me grounded but also has always given me something to look forward—the reason I keep moving forward. While I’m still learning to accept that it’s okay to not always know what you’re doing (because no one does), I’m also thankful to know that no matter what happens, where my life or career takes me, I’ll always have writing. I will always keep writing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lalalalawriting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lalalalawriting/
