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❝There's nothing more horrifying than a miracle....❞
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Hello and welcome to an interview with the lovely QueenDarquesse. [Congratulations on being nominated for the interviews!] Is there any name you'd like to go by during this interview?
Well some of my followers call me Queen but I feel like I should be more personal for an interview. So please call me Ruby!
Haha, Queen is a bit formal. Anyways, nice to meet you, Ruby. For starters, what's the story behind your username? I've never seen the word ''Darquesse'' before.
Haha, I get this question all the time but the answer is actually pretty simple. Darquesse is the 'true name' of the main character from the book series Skullduggery Pleasant, and I've always thought it was a beautiful word. Although, when I read the books (about four years ago now) I used to pronounce it 'dark-wes-aye' in my head but I've recently learnt that is completely wrong! It's actually pronounced 'dark-ess'!
Honestly I've thought about changing it a few times so it's easier for my wattpad friends to spell, but I love it too much now to change it. Maybe someday in the future...
Oh wow, I'm not sure what I was expecting but that surely wasn't it. That's a great backstory for the name, haha.
So, what first got you interested in writing about people with superpowers?
I've loved superheroes since I was a little girl. There was always a great allure behind the freedom and strength that their powers gave them. I used to compromise with my princess-obsessed neighbours when we played and be 'superhero-princesses.' Princesses by day and superheroes by night.
I guess that's where the obsession started. After that I began reading comics; any I could get my hand on in my small local library, and watching lots of superhero shows. The Super Hero Squad was my favourite- as silly as it was.
So it just seemed natural that my love for superheroes flooded into my writing.
That's really interesting! Superhero-princesses sound like a great concept for a story ;)
We're glad you got into superhero writing, as it spawned your story The Hero Project. It was featured not too long ago, so congratulations on that. What was it like when you found out Wattpad had featured your book?
I remember the day very clearly. I had been in awe at the amount of messages and votes I was getting and then I realised....I'd been featured! The first thing I did was text my brother and all my friends who know I'm on Wattpad and rant to them I really appreciate all the support they've given me.
Being Featured was a great way not only for people to find me, but for me to meet other fantastic writers!! I'm extremely thankful to Wattpad for the opportunity.
It gave me a lot more confidence as well, and made me think more seriously about my writing.
Getting featured is a wonderful feeling. One of our very own admins had his superhero book featured back in April. It's great that books in this subgenre are being recognized more!
So, tell us, what exactly spawned the creation of ''The Hero Project''?
The Hero Project began with a small scribble in the margin of my notebook while watching some tv show: 'Teens kidnapped and turned into superheroes.' It wasn't much but once I had the time I immediately began planning it. I wanted a superhero origin story- one with a twist. Something dramatic and mysterious. One set on the brink of the apocalypse instead of an average city where most superhero books are set. Once I created the characters- the story seemed to grow itself. I know where I wanted them to go and they seemed to drive themselves there.
That sounds like a unique premise. I, for one, can say I fell victim to the ''teens kidnapped and turned into superheroes'' trope, haha. An apocalyptic superhero story is incredibly different, though, so I applaud you on that.
Are you happy with how the book turned out? What changes would you make, if any?
The Hero Project is currently only in its first draft so I hope to edit and improve it soon. I would like to edit the start so it's less awkward and slow, and I want to make the characters more consistent. They feel like melodramatic caricatures at some parts and I feel as if my readers can't quite relate to them.
I'm actually quite happy with how the romantic subplots and the ending turned out though. I also like the character's powers.
I constantly have to remind myself that no author got their book right on the first go. As a famous author once said (I'm not sure of their name): "Rewriting is the crucible where books are born."
Rewriting is crucial to getting your book polished. First drafts are important but editing can take it much further in quality. Also, making characters consistent and relatable is quite the task. We wish you luck with those changes!
For those of us who haven't read your story, would you mind giving us a quick summary?
Sure! The Hero Project follows four teens as they are kidnapped and brought to a special prison called 'The House.' Trapped and tested again and again, the captives begin developing strange abilities, and must learn to master them if they wish to escape. However unbeknown to them; the outside world has been thrown into chaos after the appearance of a strange silver ship in the sky. The teens have to work together and break free as they just might be the only ones who can save humanity from extinction.
A very interesting take on the hero genre, if I do say so myself. Everyone checking out this interview, be sure to check out her book!
What other genres do you think your story would fall into?
I would say it also falls into Mystery (my favourite genre!), Sci-fi, and Adventure. There is also some romance and horror.
I love Mystery as well! Adventure is also a nice genre for superhero books.
Last question for ya', Ruby. Who is your favorite supehero/villain?
That's a hard choice. I've been watching Gotham at the moment and absolutely loving The Riddler and The Joker, but I think my absolute favourite Hero/Villian would have to be Scarlet Witch.
Thank you so much! This has been fun!
Of course! Thank you for answering our questions!
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A few final notes:
- Make sure to check out Ruby's profile and book, The Hero Project.
- Vote for this chapter if you liked the interview!
A few lasting questions to be answered by you, the readers!
? Does your username have a cool story?
? What are your thoughts on the upcoming Scarlet Witch and Vision TV show?
