Interview with whikerms

1) Throw some lights on "whikerms' as a person and as an author.

I heard once that in a lot of ways, writing your first novel is autobiographical. There may be a ton of close ties between the author and his main character. I can see that now.

Like my main character, I'm very curious. I think none of us were born with "the answers," and part of the fun of life is trying to figure them out. Anyone that judges another and thinks that they have it all figured out isn't really someone I want to be around. We weren't exactly given an instructional manual on how to live life, so I try to be as open-minded as possible.

In less abstract terms, "whikerms" is a programmer and geographer living in Northern Virginia. For some reason, I feel way happier when I'm outside and in nature, so I'm drawn to that sort of stuff: hiking, kayaking, camping, etc.

2) What inspired you to write?

I think initially it was just the feeling that I needed to tell a story. When I was younger, I didn't really care what medium I used to tell it. I was a pretty creative kid, so I was always writing stories, exploring outside, or replicating some scene from a movie with my action figures. Fast forward ten years and I've dropped the action figures and picked up a pen (or keyboard).

3) Do you have a writing desk? Describe it to us, please.

Well, I have a desk. Not as much writing occurs there as I'd like, but I did finish my first novel using it, so I guess I'll keep it around.

My desk is a corner desk, so it's sort of triangular shaped and pushed up against the corner of my bedroom. It's made out of light brown wood. I have two plants on either side of it, one is a fern and I'm not sure about the other one but it has a bunch of chutes that resemble the ears of the little green alien toys in Shrek.

I love listening to music, so I have about four speakers propped up in different sections of the desk. I have a big monitor that plugs into my computer. And there are normally half a dozen cups of water scattered about from the previous week (drives my roommates crazy).

4) How did you write your first book? What were the writing procedure, tools and methods you used? (Like do you write in a notebook or type straight in pc/ipad.)

I pretty much wrote the entire novel on my computer. I had joined Wattpad when my novel was about 50% complete, so the Wattpad community really helped motivate me to finish it. I had people asking for the next chapter each week, so that was definitely a factor in pushing me to finish it.

5) How was writing "Before the Sky Fell' been? It also has a sequel, what is it all about?

It's been amazing. Writing my first novel has been an interesting journey. I took a ton of breaks. Sometimes I wasn't sure where the novel was going, so I'd put it down for a while until I had another idea. Meanwhile, my fans on Wattpad were asking for the next chapter, so that was encouraging.

I just started the sequel a few weeks ago, so I only have two chapters completed. I have a vague notion of where it's going, but I enjoy the discovery process of writing a novel, so I'm enjoying the freestyle approach (no outline, etc.).

The sequel basically picks up where the first book left off, just after Whik Winfield, the main character, transfers into his childhood self's alternate reality (yes, you may need to read that sentence one more time).

Whik is a couple years older than this reality (it essentially froze in time until he returned to it), so he has some interesting foresight into what the coming years will bring (since he's already lived them). I'm going to move on to a new question now, since I have utterly confused the reader, but essentially the sequel follows our favorite characters from the first novel and brings some new ones into play (i.e. Anaeyl, the girl who got herself sucked into her own alternate reality). I'm really looking forward to her story.

6) Give us an insight about the main character of the book.

I think the word "curious" would sum Whik up nicely. He's curious about everything. He's bored a lot and he has a short attention span, which gets him into a lot of trouble.

One of the inciting events in the novel occurs when Whik finds a "mysterious device" in his professor's cellar. He had just cut his finger on the cellar door, and when it bleeds onto the device, he creates another reality. Now there's essentially two of him, living in two separate worlds, but connected when they're both in the same place on the island. I think that event sums Whik up: if he has the choice between exploring and sitting still, he'll explore.

Whik also lives in a society where science is valued a great deal and religion takes a back seat. He's not allowed to believe in the gods. His nation is essentially comprised of atheists, but there are hints of characters defying this norm and really wanting to know "what's out there" with regards to the gods. Whik is one of them.

He also has a very guilty conscience. In one of the early chapters, the antagonist invades Whik's nation, and Whik isn't able to save his best friend, Sonora. The antagonist captures her while Whik escapes.

That event effects Whik for the rest of his life. Even though he was young and probably couldn't have done anything, he still feels immensely guilty. That's a deciding factor in a lot of his decisions throughout the book.

7) What genre do you mostly write and why?

I mostly write fantasy. I've dabbled with science fiction and thriller as well. I need some element of plot to push me forward. I want a book to build upon itself. Each chapter should contribute to this sense that, as a reader, we're going somewhere and it's going to get even more intense along the way.

Whether that comes out in a fantasy setting or a space opera 3000 years in the future, that doesn't matter as much to me. But that suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat vibe needs to be there for me.

8)Do you work to an outline of the plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?

With Before the Sky Fell (my first novel), I did a combination of both. The novel is split into four parts. Alternating parts tell Whik's story when he's two different ages (nine and seventeen). Because of that, things got complicated quickly. In addition to that, I was telling the story from two different realities, so there were multiple plots going on. I really needed an outline to keep things straight in my head.

That said, near the end of the first novel, I completely ditched the outline. I wasn't sure where it was going, and that was a little scary (especially since I was publishing the chapters on Wattpad after I completed them).

At that time, the writing took on a mind of its own. Things just "clicked" and after I finished the novel, I knew that was the only way I wanted to tell it. It just felt right, even though I didn't adhere to the outline.

9) What are your thoughts on good/bad book reviews?

I hate bad book reviews and I love good ones. Haha, no, but I do think an author needs a thick skin or they need to find a new hobby.

I think people forget that authors have very experienced fans. Especially on Wattpad, people read a lot. They're good at it, they're fast, and they'll do one of two things if they don't like what they're reading: they'll tell you or they won't.

I'd rather them tell me, even if it's a negative review. I'm still learning. I'm by no means a pro at this and I welcome constructive criticism. That said, you can write a book review without being a jerk, unless you're really mad the author killed off that favorite character. Then yeah, yell at them until your face is red. But if you're that invested in the story, it sounds like the author did her job.

10) One thought, quote or phrase that had inspired you

I have the memory of a fish, so I've never been great at remembering quotes and phrases. That said, I do somehow remember songs. "The Dead Flag Blues" by the band "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" is one of the most inspiring (and dark) songs I've ever heard.

I think it's because the song is just this native American-sounding guy recounting a post-apocalyptic nightmare that occurs in the future. He's just talking throughout it, describing how it happened, how he lost his lover, etc. It's inspiring to me because it would have been great as just a poem. But put to music, it was incredible. Stories can take any form, and for the time being, I chose writing. I also dabble in making music, so it's empowering to think that once you have a story to tell, you have a ton of different tools and methods to tell it. That's liberating.

11) How many books have you written? Which is your favorite and why?

I've only completed one novel, Before the Sky Fell. Right now, I'm working on the sequel and another work in progress, but I'm nowhere near completing either of them. I've also written a few short stories and screenplays in the past.

12) Your message to the followers and advice to writers.

Message to followers: thank you. There are so many stories on Wattpad, so the fact that anyone found and enjoyed mine means a lot. I really value everyone's opinion and I think readers will take different things away from my novel, so it's just fun to see that my book is affecting someone's life, even if it's just for a weekend.

Advice to writers: keep writing. I've been there. I know how hard it is to write without wanting to attack the "delete" key for five minutes. You don't have to be published to be a writer; you just have to write.

That said, if you just write but block out any criticism, you'd never improve. So I think an open mind and thick skin is crucial. If you don't have that, start looking for it now. It's lonely enough being locked in your own head as a writer: you need to reach out and seek feedback, but also have the open mentality to consider what people are telling you.

Lighting shot. Pick one from each and state why.

Luck or Hard work.

Hard work. You can't count on luck to be there.

Music or Games

Music. Music. Music.

Taylor swift or Selena Gomez

I honestly am not really invested in either of them, but Taylor Swift. She gets a ton of heat for writing songs about breakups, but she owns it. Clearly she's doing something right.

Name or Fame

Not sure on this one, but I think name. I'm allergic to attention, so fame would not work well for me.

Reading or writing

Writing. I love the idea of jumping in someone else's mind through a book, but I enjoy jumping in my own just a bit more. That natural high that you get after finishing a chapter and knowing it worked is unparalleled for me.

Classics or Modern Romances

Classics. I'm not a romance fan. I need swords and strong mead.

Enjoy Reading!

Thank you.

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