The Odds

Interview with TheOldKiwi (DNA Victor)

The Odds is back in service, ladies and gentlemen, and have we got a scoop for you! It's the first official interview with the victor of Author Games: Dacnomania Nexus Accourt; TheOldKiwi. He stormed through the competition, and we managed to collar him for a few questions regarding the Games, his character Tommy and books in general.

Hi there! We'll start with the obvious question: how does it feel to have won? Did you ever think you'd get this far?

I have no idea where to start. It’s an amazing feeling, that’s for sure. I’ve been in the best mood all morning, and the guys I work with keeping asking me what’s so funny. Then I have to wipe the dorky grin off my face (for a couple of minutes, anyway!) but it’s definitely helped make an otherwise boring work day fly by!

Honestly? I didn’t expect to win. Each time the results were posted, I kept expecting to see Tommy's name on the list of those up for votes - but each time he wasn't, and by the time the semi-finals came around, I was starting to believe there might actually be a chance I could win. I suppose I need to have a little more faith in myself, and those who told me I could do this (thanks for the support, by the way, guys) - lesson learned for next time, that's for sure! I will admit that the wait for the final results to be posted was awfully nerve-wracking...but it was all worth it in the end! I still can't believe he made it through without going up for votes once. I truly feel honoured to have won. It was an amazing competition, with a lot of fantastic writing produced, and everyone who entered should be proud - especially those who made it to the semis and the finals.

From the very beginning Tommy was definitely one of the standout characters, but where did your inspiration for him come from?

Tommy is based (from a physical point of view) entirely on a boy I know, right down to the name. Even parts of his character were drawn from life, although as the Games went on, these changed somewhat to fit the person Tommy turned into. I don’t know if it’s a very good idea to do this, but it certainly helped me with writing the first couple of entries. After that, Tommy started to take on a bit of a life of his own, which made writing him a lot more fun.

As for the district – it was the only one available, but that was ok – Ten seems to have become ‘mine’ – thanks to Tommy and Byron from 24 Shades of Blood.

You wrote him very well, and he certainly seems lifelike. What was your favourite thing about him?

I think his attitude. It’s almost completely opposite to how I see my own, so it was great fun to write and experiment with. If I had to pick just one thing, I think that would be it, although his affection for his little sister was something I felt helped to make him the kind of character he was. I really got to like Tommy.

The arena was difficult for all sorts of reasons this year, but yet again the Gamemakers had to make it even harder. Which task was your favourite and why?

Heck, these questions get harder and harder. They were all a lot of fun to write, but I think I’d have to say that No Place Like Home was the one I had the most fun with. It gave me a chance to explore his home life a little bit, and also get some chunks of description in there (we all know that’s what I love). The arena was really good to write in, so thanks for that, Gamemakers!

Now, you've managed to win the Games at your first attempt - a remarkable feat - so do you have any advice for other potential participants?

Well, this will sound really hypocritical, but – believe in your tribute and your ability. If you don’t, it’ll show in your writing, I think. Find something that makes your tribute special to you, and work from there. Also – HAVE FUN. I think that’s the most important thing. That’s the whole point of these sorts of Games, and I think people can start taking things a little too seriously sometimes. That’s not to say you shouldn’t approach the writing with a careless attitude – be focussed, but enjoy yourself at the same time. That way, your writing will reflect it. Take some time on the tasks - don't rush them out the minute they're posted. What else - watch your tenses. If you start in first person present, stick with it throughout. Otherwise it's just confusing for those reading, which may lead to unwanted attention being aimed at your tribute. And take chances. Be bold, and daring, just not ridiculous. That’s what the Capitol wants – a good show! One final thing I'd like to point out - stay true to what you put in your tribute profile. I really struggled with this at times; some of the attempts I made at tasks just didn't feel like what Tommy would do or say. I'm sure that something like the Games would change a person, but a gentle little thirteen year old from Seven isn't going to suddenly morph into a psycho killing machine the minute they pop out of their tube, if you know what I mean.

You must be getting sick of talking about your Games now, so here's the last question about it! Can you describe your experience in three words?

Hmmm. Completely, utterly fantastic. Thank you again, Gamemakers, you've done yourselves proud on this one.

That's it for the questions about the Games; now we're getting personal. But don't worry, not that personal! You've got this honour because of your writing, but a few words behind the lines say that you're - obviously - fond of reading too. But which would you rather do?

I think read, definitely (I'm too lazy to write like I should) although writing is enjoyable in a whole new way - you're creating worlds and people, which I think is something amazing.

And finally, what's your favourite book outside the world of Panem, and who is your favourite character in it?

This question has got to be the hardest yet. I think the book that I've read the mostis Lord of the Flies, because I find the different levels in it fascinating. I'm not sure if it's my favourite though...honestly, I'm not sure I can pick just one. Jamrach's Menagerie was another fantastic story, with brilliant characters. And Lord of the Rings. I could go on and on... You know, I will say that one of my favourite books to dip into is the Old Testament of the Bible. Seriously, there's some amazing stories about the wars and kings and things back then - it's got all the ingredients of an epic novel - good guys, bad guys, wars, quests, spies - you name it, there's probably a story about it in there somewhere. Not that I'm sitting and reading it as a book much - like I said - it's more something you dip into. I dunno, that might be a bit odd?

I'm not answering this question very well, am I? I'll say that Gandalf from LOTR is one of my favourite characters of all time, because hey, who doesn't love a good wizard? Although why he always had to run off and leave everyone just before the trouble started is beyond me...maybe he just liked a dramatic entrance as he swept in and saved the day? The Weasley twins in Harry Potter were great too...Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice...I could go on for a long time, so I'll stop there.