Interviews

February 2022 - Interview with Jinn Tiole

Q. First, tell me a little about yourself.

A. Hey, I'm Jinn Tiole, or jinnis on Wattpad. My home is Switzerland, as you might have guessed from reading Raven's Heir. I live in a rural town and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities, from gardening to sailing and hiking to diving. When I find time, I read and write — science fiction mostly, sometimes fantasy, and lately also paranormal mysteries. I must admit they are fun.

Q What inspired you to write Raven's Heir? Was it specifically for ONC 2021 or was it a story idea you had previously?

A. It certainly wasn't an idea I had before. I planned on writing a Sci-Fi novella for the ONC 2021, but then I found a prompt that fit well with an idea far a fantasy story I had been mulling over for a while. I started writing it, stopped after the first chapter, and re-consulted the prompts. And then the idea for the Raven popped up. The rest is history.

Q. Which story on your Wattpad profile was the easiest to write? Which was the hardest?

A. That's a tough question. On one hand, Raven's Heir was one of the easiest, perhaps, together with the Curse of the Topsy-Turvy, my entry for ONC 2020. Somehow, these stories just flowed in the contest's context. I think the reason is the support writers give each other during this event. On the other hand, I've never done as much research as with the Raven. I wanted it to be accurate, and that's a real challenge if you write a story with so much historical background.

Q. What are you currently working on, writing or otherwise?

A. Writing-wise, I'm translating Raven's Heir to German. I take this as an opportunity to edit and flesh out the story to full novel length. Now, I've interrupted this work to write a sequel to the Raven for ONC 2022. Aside from this, it's earning my keep, and that means sitting on an office chair 8,5 hours a day.

Q. Are you participating in ONC 2022?

A. I just published the first two chapters of Raven's Curse, which obviously is a sequel. It's a few years since I wrote a sequel to one of my stories, and as Wattpad doesn't really work well for series, I'm not sure this is a good idea. But the prompts pushed me in this direction, and so far, I have fun with it. I hope the readers will as well.

Q. Is the castle in your story based on an actual location? If yes, have you visited it?

A. Yes, it exists, and the historical details given about it are correct. You'll find it above the artificial lake of Gruyère, in a beautiful landscape, and there are the remains of several farms submerged in the lake below it. So, this part of the story is based on reality. The castle is private property, though, and I didn't get the chance to find out how it looks inside. Everything about the interior is made up. I chose this castle because of the coat of arms with the Raven and the rich backstory. The idea of making it a backpackers' hostel was borrowed from another castle not too far from here.

Q. What advice would you give to new writers on Wattpad?

A. I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask for advice, but as you've done it anyway, I'd suggest writing what you would like to read yourself. Stick with the things you find interesting and, most of all, have fun. Wattpad offers you the chance to try things out, go for it. Do connect with other writers and your readers. You can learn so much just by talking to them, tossing back-and-forth ideas, and help each other with advice. And if someone tells you that your writing is crap, ignore them. Everyone has to learn the alphabet before they can read. The path to becoming a writer may be long, but you can get there, step by step, if you believe in yourself.

Q. Anything else you would like to share?

A. I guess I packed my whole outburst of writing wisdom into the paragraph above. Now I'm kind of wordless. Thank you for choosing Raven's Heir for your book of the month and for having me in this interview.