Name of Author: William John Alfred V
Title of Book: Unfamiliar Territory
Favorite Authors:
Steven King, Christopher Pike, and Darren Shan are the first three that come immediately to mind. Though there are many authors I have enjoyed, but have admittedly forgotten their names.
Bio:
I am just your average, everyday, twenty-something with a job, a girlfriend, and a dream to one day be a published author.
Unfamiliar Territory
https://www.wattpad.com/story/38176679-unfamiliar-territory
Can you explain what your book is about?
In essence, this book is about a boy and his journey through a world hidden within the one he thought he knew so well. The story follows his highs and extreme lows as he struggles to come to terms with what this new world is about and his place within it. It is a very character driven story as the reader is put in a roller coaster ride of emotions right alongside the protagonist as he fights and struggles to hold on to his sanity.
Who is your target audience, and why?
My target audience is basically anyone and everyone, barring those who aren't old enough to read yet. I wanted to write strong, believable characters of both genders for both realism sake and so that no matter who it was, someone would find something they'd enjoy about a character in my book. That being said, there is cursing, violence, and mild gore at play as well so those who are a little squeamish deserve a warning.
What is 'paranormal' about your story?
Without giving too much away, there are dogs that smile, a fog that steals away teenagers, and a group of kids who call themselves the Dead Tea Drinker Society who brew tea with supernatural side effects. There are some more common paranormal tropes at work in this book, but telling you here would be spoilers! Nice try though.
Does it contain other genre elements, if so, which ones and why?
Oh, man, does it ever. There is a heap of mystery involved as a good portion of the book has the protagonist trying to figure out just what in the heck is going on. There are many thrills and chills as well so I would say Thriller and Horror easily find themselves at home in this book. Oh, and I suppose there is some cutesy Romance in there too, if that's your kind of thing.
Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a wattpad published story?
Honestly, it's one simple word. Music. Nearly every single story idea comes from some song that I listened to and then thought up a scene and characters to fit the tone and words of the song. From there, I just sort of fill in the blanks. Who are these people? Why are they involved? Just what in the heck is going on? A lot of times my writing is very freeform. I have a general idea of where I want the story to go, but I leave it mainly up to my characters to decide how to get there. A lot of times they take me on directions I never would have expected and the end result is completely different to how I first imagined. It's part of what I love so much about writing.
Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?
What a perfect segue. More than once when I decide to let a character take the helm I find myself at a crossroads at where to take the story as the character can believably choose more than one option. In this scenario, I choose the 'wrong' path. The one that's a mistake and is most likely going to put the character in a world of trouble. I do this in part because I am a terrible person, but mostly because hard times and suffering helps to shape characters in so many different ways. Sure, it's good to give them a little breather and let them feel like they have it going their way every now and then, but you'll be surprised at how much a character can grow when put through the ringer(assuming they survive, of course ;)
You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?
To me that means first making sure your writing is clear and easy to understand. It doesn't matter if you have the greatest plot out there with the most well rounded characters, if people can't physically read what you are writing all that wonderful potential will be washed away like it was never there. Beyond that, write what you know or write what you like enough to research more about. We writers have enough excuses to procrastinate on our writing without having to include writing about something we do not enjoy. Trust me, it'll show in your words!
