Interviews

Nov 2020 - Interview with Dawn Ashes

Good morning everyone, elveloy here, with dawnashes the author of A Gentleman's Secret our Book of the Month for November.

Elveloy: Welcome to the Adult Fiction studio, Dawn. Firstly, can you tell us a little about your non-wattpad life?

Dawn: Of course! As a Python-phoenix hybrid, I spend my day in the binary jungle, as a Python, then venture into the vast human world at night, as a phoenix. Humans are such complex creatures, uniquely shaped by their genes and experiences, and it is this uniqueness that makes their minds so appealing to study about.

What combination of brain structure, hormones, and environmental factors made a person the way they are? What drives each of them? What makes certain humans so famous or so notorious among their species? Ah... the notorious ones. What is the fine line that delimits normality and abnormality? And is it possible to heal from damage done by experience? The journey is rewarding but consumes me like a fire. So, tired, I return to ashes and wait for the break of dawn to rise again.

Elveloy: Er... right! I see you have just celebrated your second anniversary on Wattpad. What drew you here?

Dawn: It started as a friend's recommendation, but I fell in love with the community.

Elveloy: Yes, I've found Wattpad a diverse and welcoming community myself. Moving on to your writing, do you consider yourself a 'plotser' or a 'pantser'?

Dawn: Plotser, mostly. I usually start with a theme then derive a story from it. I write a general outline then go into details with a chapter-by-chapter outline, character sheets, and some information about the universe. Sometimes, I also plan the background songs or graphics for each part. For a poetry or story collection, I split the theme into sub-themes then I associate one or a couple of works to each. I usually order them to form a progression or a parallel. I love when each work can both be a story of its own and part of a larger story. I'm not always a plotser though. I write some poems based on songs that keep popping up in my head. It's another form of thrill. Both ways of living are enjoyable in their own ways.

Elveloy: Poetry eh? How have you found poetry to be received on Wattpad - as distinct from Stories?

Dawn: I do feel that the site's attention is more directed toward longer stories, but I am glad that opportunities, such as the Wattys Shorts, give different authors (including poets) a chance to shine.

Elveloy: I see you also specialise in graphics. Can you tell us a little about that?

Dawn: Yeah. I believe it all started with my story collection A Hundred Words Are Worth a Picture. It's a blend of crime fiction, speculative fiction, and satire that explores the immutability of human nature. The collection is split into two sections: one about the Past and the Present and the other about the Future. I wanted to draw a parallel between the different eras, so each story from a section corresponds to another in the other section, and vice versa.

To emphasize on the theme, I created a banner for each chapter that hints at the sub-theme the story represents and also the story it corresponds to in the other section. I also designed a cover and a book teaser with symbols that match the theme. They feature mirrors, the ouroboros, and technological innovations, hinting at the unending cycle of creation and destruction humanity has to go through. Designing all these graphics stirred up my interest in designing graphics and occasionally book teasers/trailer for my own works and, sometimes, for others'.

Elveloy (pauses for a moment to look up "ouroboros" then smiles): Oh, so that's what that image of the snake eating its tail is called. We live and learn! Now, A Gentleman's Secret is a gem of a story, if utterly chilling. Can you tell us what inspired you to write the story?

Dawn: Years ago, I realized that ruminating on my emotions can at best provide me brief relief – without ever changing my reality. So, I decided to put aside my works at that time and focus on the world I live in instead. I wanted to comprehend this inescapable, absurd reality and share my version of the world through writing, hoping that it can add to my readers' versions.

A Gentleman's Secret is a part of this world. The Gentleman of "many names" is not a single individual but a group of people who live among us – in greater number than we expect. He is also the embodiment of purely human desires that transcend eras and pervade many cultures.

The Gentleman who inspired me is especially present in societies where the appreciation of moral values cannot keep up with the booming economy. When one possesses all the means, but their heart's demons are unrestrained, we can only imagine what might happen – especially when the preys are guided by the same demons.

Elveloy: Such an interesting concept! And what's next in the pipeline for you?

Dawn: I'm currently expanding my feminist poetry collection Blue Bells, which tackles gender inequality in the 21st century. Then, I will continue my Chinese Warlord Era fantasy novel A Monk's Journey, the adventure of a soldier-turned-monk in Hell alongside the ghost of the child he killed.
I've also been working on some other poetry collections on the side: The Desert Wolf, a story about disillusionment, and Carotids, with poems as criminal as the title.

Speaking about crimes, I've long been interested by crime stories, so I might write more works in this area, maybe exploring themes related to morality, loss of innocence, and social mobility. I might also resurrect my unpublished fantasy crime fiction Where Eggs Bleed Brimstone, which follows serial killer Jane from her childhood in a patriarchal, close-minded society, where eggs rot and stink like brimstone, to her adulthood of crime in the prospering, fast-paced Capital.

Elveloy: And lastly, do you have a few adultfiction stories here on Wattpad that you'd like to give a shoutout to?

Dawn: Yes indeed. Sam_le_Fou 's works! Running With Scissors made me laugh and think about life. I'm also reading The Soundmaker. It has a completely different vibe, but it's just as beautifully done so far.

Desiderium by MaskedParkers is a thrilling ride with a sense of fatality. Carrion Girl by Parabellum has the right amount of horror, action, murder, and heart-wrenching/warming moments. I'm looking forward to reading its sequel.

Elveloy: Thank you so much for coming in today, Dawn.

And to our readers, you can find A Gentleman's Secret by clicking here or by checking out Dawn Ashes' profile. The work is complete, so no need to wait for updates. 

You can also read more about the story in our AdultFiction Book of The Month for November 2020, by clicking here.