NECROCITY TIMES - Issue #1 - HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Interview with winner of our Halloween 2015 contest

One of our agents hunted down willthefifthalfred, who won our Halloween contest last year. We thought we'd catch up with him and see how he's doing. 

Any news from your writing life that you'd like to share?

For the vast majority of my time writing here on Wattpad, I've mostly been touching up and posting works that have long since been written down in some form or another. This site has provided a sort of outlet to share some of these works that have not seen the light of day in years. It has been a wonderful experience hearing both praises and criticisms alike for my writings that I believed wouldn't have had a wider audience than my immediate friends and family.

Only recently has that changed with my on-going "Unfamiliar" series. The second book, "Unfamiliar Faces" marks my first attempt at writing with a strict schedule and it has been a great motivator to keep me writing each and every week.

Have you entered any contests since Paranormal Community's Halloween 2015 competition?

Sadly no, but I am looking to change that in the near future. I had a lot of fun with the Halloween competition!

What do you think the benefits are in participating in contest like this one and others on Wattpad?

In a general sense, writing for a contest can only be a good thing for budding writers and experienced writers alike. Whether you win or lose, you put in the effort and created something. You put yourself out there to be judged by people you probably don't know and who probably don't know you either. And, in the end, you walk away with a little more experience under your belt. I see no downsides there.

On a personal note, sometimes I need a little inspiration before I get that one idea that gets me in the writing mood. Practically all of the short stories I have written (including the ones on Wattpad) were spawns of a writing contest prompt. They would not have existed if I did not take that initial plunge, win or lose.

What projects have you been working on over the past year?

Near the end of last year (if I have my dates right) I finished my first official novel, "Unfamiliar Territory", so, for most of this year, I've been working on its previously mentioned sequel. Aside from that I've been working on a little fanfiction side-project "The Wicked One" for fans of Cartoon Network's old "Teen Titans" show.

Outside of Wattpad, I've got a good few stories waiting to take center stage once I finish with my current running series. Some of them are very different than the kind of writing I've been showcasing since I've joined this site, and I am very excited to share them.

What is your favorite genre to write and why?

Well, I got my start with Paranormal, and it will always have a special place in my heart. I find it such a perfect blend of the world, emotions, and people we are familiar with and the darker, more twisted parts of our imagination. I will never not find it entertaining to write about the mundane clashing with the extraordinary.

If I had to pick a favorite however, I admit that I am a romantic at heart. Usually my favorite parts of a story, no matter the genre, are the relationships that bloom admits the strife and chaos. It is near impossible for me not to include at least a little romance in the stories I write. No matter how bleak and painful the character's lives are, I like to believe that love, passion, and intimacy find their way admits the darkness.