"ᴱᵛᵉʳʸ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵃ ʷʳⁱᵗᵉʳ'ˢ ˢᵒᵘˡ, ᵉᵛᵉʳʸ ᵉˣᵖᵉʳⁱᵉⁿᶜᵉ ᵒᶠ ʰⁱˢ ˡⁱᶠᵉ, ᵉᵛᵉʳʸ qᵘᵃˡⁱᵗʸ ᵒᶠ ʰⁱˢ ᵐⁱⁿᵈ, ⁱˢ ʷʳⁱᵗᵗᵉⁿ ˡᵃʳᵍᵉ ⁱⁿ ʰⁱˢ ʷᵒʳᵏˢ."
Welcome to our lair, where you'll find interviews with the amazing winners of The Orca Awards! Get inspire by the authors o...
Hey guys!! Here's our Interview with RiisingNovels whose book Becoming A Legend has won 1st Place in Vampire/Werewolf.
Read on to find more about this wonderful author!
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Who or what inspires and motivates you to write?
That's such a hard one though. XD I think I have always liked to make up stories. When I was younger I liked to draw pictures, and I was imagining them as part of a story when I drew them. I used to jot down ideas sometimes in documents to remember them. And I have always loved to read, especially fantasy. This story, Nightfall, has been at least partially in my head for around 20 years. And I've been building on it for a long time (the world and the characters). I tried to write it 11 years ago. But couldn't, because I was convinced I had to know everything beforehand. Like a plotter. But last year I stumbled on writing videos on YouTube. Ellen Brock, Jenna Moreci, iWriterly, and Alexa Donne. They inspired me to start writing. I dug up my old unfinished stories, found that the beginning of Nightfall wasn't that bad, and continued writing on it. It also taught me something about myself. I am a pantser. I cannot plot things in advance. It comes when I write. I get inspired to write every time I watch those writing tips videos, every time I read a book, or talk about writing with others. I also get inspired whenever I sit down to read what I have written, and want to continue on it. I get inspired when I write. Sometimes I also get inspired by dreams and by exercising too. I think that's it. :) More or less.
What genre do you love (to read/write) MOST and why ^^
Like I said before. Fantasy! And horror. Tiny bit of sci-fi. I don't know... maybe because it's more fun than everyday life? I don't need to read about romance or mysteries and murders... because that happens in real life all the time. I like realism to some extent. But I like the fantastical settings, the magic, the strange beasts and creatures. Fantasy and horror can explore themes like racism, morals, and death, and other serious stuff, but in a more interesting setting that doesn't put anyone real in the spotlight, I guess. Also, I love dragons. :3I prefer to write fantasy and horror as well, maybe because they're the genres I'm most familiar and secure with? It has always been this way. :)
What is your strongest point in writing? What advice would you give to your fellow writers who are struggling in that category?
Nice! Any favourites? I grew up on Lovecraft I think. But also lots of Stephen King and other random short horror stories. :D Eeh, my strongest point in writing I think is action scenes. That's hard, because it depends on what they struggle with. But one thing is to avoid filer words. Don't say "He felt the man's fist connect with his chin" say "The man's fist connected with his chin". When you avoid filter words your writing becomes more immediate and personal. Some examples of filter words are "saw, felt, sensed, noticed, heard". Use shorter sentences. Don't forget to use all sensory inputs. Feelings, both physical and emotional - fear, pain, excitement, joy, surprise, exhaustion, warmth, cold - Visuals, smells, and taste. Avoid the word "suddenly", it makes things less sudden because it warns the reader that something's about to happen. Don't forget to set the scene. Where is it? You must ground the reader in the place they're in and keep things clear. Though, if it is confusing to the character, you can use more fragments in your writing to make it confusing for the reader too. Don't over-describe. We don't need to know exactly how her foot was angled, how fast it moved, and exactly where it landed. It's sometimes enough to say, "she kicked her in the face". When people fight or are full or adrenaline, we don't notice every detail. I think that's all I can think of for now. XD
Oh, and I have horror elements in all of my stories. More or less. :P Can't seem to help myself.
Which character in your book fits your personality?
Oh wow, haha. Do I dare answer that? XD I mean, they all have a small part of myself, they're my brain-babies! :D But I guess Sern. Maybe. It depends what you mean with "fits" my personality. Who is the most like me? Who would actually fit with me as a friend? XD Sern and Ranloo are both my favourites. They're also the main characters. I also really liked a guy that I removed from the book. lol. Oh well. I guess that'd be Sern then. Haha. Too positive. XD But neither is a lot like me. Hmm... yeah.
Do you have insecurities about your story? If yes, how do you deal with them?
Oh yes. Especially about a rewrite I did where I removed two characters. It gives me angst now and then. But I can't do much about it. I guess I'll never know if I did the right thing. It would require people to read my story in full, both the old and the new one, to compare and give me feedback. And that won't happen. XD So, I don't deal with it? I guess. I'm just hoping the new version is better. And if nothing else, it's much shorter. Shorter is needed, so I focus on that. : p I also try to keep in mind the new scenes that I also like.
Also, I worry about the ending. It's hard to end a story in the right place. The current ending is gonna be shortened. It goes on to long after the end battle.
Is there any scene you particularly enjoyed writing in your book?
Many!XD Unfortunately, two of the removed scenes. But I loved to writer basically all of it, especially the action scenes. Action is very fun to me , andI think that's why it's my strongest point to. Also, I did enjoy the almost romantic scenes .lol. it's not a romantic story, but it's got a few hints towards it now and then .
It has been lovely to take your interview! Thank you for your amazing words. Best of luck and keep shining!
