Avant-Pop Literary Magazine

Author Interview: @jastelosphere

Time now for an exclusive interview with jastelosphere , the author of Adoremus: CLOVER featured in our Holden - Bildungsroman reading list!

Welcome to Avant-Pop! How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for almost four years now. I actually started writing when I was in the 7th grade and by that time my grammar and sentence construction was extremely poor to the point whenever I come back to my old notes I would always ask myself if I wrote this piece or not. However, I subconsciously stopped writing when I was in the 8th to 9th grade and I began writing once more when I entered 10th grade. From there, I told myself: "This is the start of your formal writing life."

Actually, even when I was in the 10th grade, my grammar and sentence construction were still poor but not as poor as before. From time-to-time, I would always reflect on the things I write, especially with the essays we were asked to create, and doing it was a really big help for me.

In my 11th and 12th grade, I would create short pieces just to exercise my brain in thinking creatively and it was a success for me. From prose to poetry, I began to excel in them, despite having times where I would be creating pieces that can be considered as rubbish.

Presently, with the release of my very first book for the Adoremus Trilogy, which is Adoremus: CLOVER, and of my life, I guess you can say this is my biggest collegiate project as I enter college this school year.

What inspires you to write?

I believe that the satisfaction and the emotions being felt by my readers when they read my story/ies charges me in writing. The ability to convey the appropriate emotions of the characters through arranging words creatively and excellently is a skill that is hard to master and sometimes require a lot of time to spend learning, let alone mastering. I also want to show the world that there are also small-time writers who can write creatively in a manner where it would be entertaining for a person, a reader or not. Another thing is, I leave a mark that not only the heterosexual people can write a good story but also those coming from the LGBTQIA+ community.

What's your biggest challenge/struggle as a writer?

I actually categorize myself as an amateur writer and from there various struggles arise such as writer's block, demotivation, and having no time to write due to other obligations.

Who do you think your readers are?

I want to believe my readers are also from the same community as I am since we are still subject to being discriminated against by the society we are in, but I want to let them know that we are valid, we deserve the love, and be proud of who you are.

Speaking of demographics, Wattpad presently shows that most of my readers are males, which is quite a big difference especially when I was starting out my story. Back then, a lot of female readers were indulging in CLOVER but I guess the tables have now turned.

What do you like to read outside of Wattpad?

I am very much interested in reading non-fiction books, especially diaries and memoirs of significant persons in history. However, since I am still a kid, by heart, I still read fictional stories since it helps me in crafting my stories better. I also happen to have a dozen of books with me.

How do you feel about the works here on Wattpad? Do you struggle to find what you like?

I rarely read on Wattpad probably since, to the authors and writers who might find this statement very offensive for them, I am really sorry this early on but most of the stories here are cliches and it's the truth. From time-to-time, I would spend a huge amount of time browsing for original stories written in the platform and it is quite bothersome for me.

Have you given any thought to traditional publishing/self-publishing? If you tried, how did that go?

I actually thought of publishing CLOVER when the pandemic ends and we are allowed to leave our houses even without quarantine passes (yeah, this is shit). I will of course publish only a handful of copies which will be distributed and serve as a memento for me. In such cases some publishing company would try to accept my story, then we'll see each other in bookstores near to you.

How do you feel about literature in this age? Do you think it's harder now for Literary Fiction writers to get a good following?

The literature in this age has become more diverse, and by diverse I mean there are representations coming from different people from different societies and communities. This question suits me because as a beginning writer, of course it would always be hard at first to find the community your story belongs and to the people who would be willing and interested to listen to your story (I used listen not read because it would always be better if we are to hear stories rather than read; there is much depth in it). When one finds their appropriate community, it would then be easy for authors, not only limited to me, to spread their stories out there.

Do you have any advice for Literary Fiction writers trying to find their place here on Wattpad?

Firstly, at first, it would always be hard to ground yourself on Wattpad because of a myriad of reasons but don't let it hinder your passion and excellence in writing. Secondly, do not call your story a book or a novel, call it your story because it originated with you and from you. Thirdly, be yourself whenever you're writing. Fourth and last, read, read, and read, then go write.

Give us three books you love from the real world and three books you love from Wattpad.

Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, and Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore. (I haven't read any stories from Wattpad).