Hello, everyone! Today we have another mythical and amazing author, avadel, whose story achieved the status of Wattys 2022 Shortlisted and was an Ambys 2022 Winner. 

About the Authors: Laine and Aria Nichols are self-proclaimed grammar geeks who listen to too much music, write lots of magic, and never manage to read quite enough books. When they're not falling in love with new characters or talking animatedly to people they've never met, they proofread for indie authors, design book covers and logos, and study math and computer science. Mostly, though, they're just self-proclaimed nerds happy to meet fellow nerds.

About 'Of Caverns and Casters': When brutal weather and betrayal force together two scientists and a runaway prince, they'll find themselves questioning everything--and each other--to survive.

1. What made you start writing on Wattpad? What has been your favorite moment so far on the orange app?

Aria found out about it from a classmate, and it felt like the perfect place to share the stories we were all too excited about but didn't quite know what to do with at the time. Our experience on Wattpad eventually gave us the confidence to publish on Amazon, and that kind of connection with readers and fellow writers has really been the greatest thing about Wattpad. It's an amazing experience to not only talk to the people reading your work but to read someone else's story and have them talk back to you. Where else do you get to interact on a personal level with your favorite authors?

2. Which mythology and/or legends influenced your story? Why did you choose those?

We grew up fantasy nerds. We're so soaked in different mythologies and legends it's hard in some ways to see which pieces infiltrated our story. The theme of "the gods who used to live among us" is definitely an inspiration, as is the idea that mythology sometimes starts from a grain of history, mistold down the generations. At its first conception, Morineaux was loosely based off of the Arthurian world presented in the BBC's Merlin—but if you threw in some French language, made it a matriarchy, and steeped it in generations of using mythology and genealogy as an excuse to cling to power.

3. Tell us about the main character of one of your stories. What inspired their creation?

Aster Jacques is a wizard prince of the most magical country in the world—and he sucks at spell-casting. We really wanted to explore someone who had a debilitating amount of responsibility and few of the tools to succeed but still pressed on because of their high sense of duty to his country. He might not be the best wizard, but he loves his people and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill his role as the lead wizard of the land.

4. What were some challenges you experienced while writing the story?

This story started with Aria and me just telling stories to each other. We would back up and erase storylines, create an element of the world that had never existed before, and summon and send away characters at will. It created this huge, beautiful, wildly complicated world with a storyline somewhat like its own mythology—events that had both "happened" in our minds but couldn't simultaneously be true. Straightening out all of those spoken, winding threads to turn it into smooth, written narratives was both the greatest challenge and the most exciting part of the project.

5. Do you have a song playlist for writing? Can you share one with us?

We have a playlist that we like to use for Aster! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4F1urRjbCQSDIuTuWZm8iE?si=1a6a5064d00a4167

6. What is your favorite myth or legend? Why?

I always like the Pandora myth, probably because I've always been attracted to the tragically ironic. She disobeyed and caused much harm, then decided to obey at just the wrong moment. I think there's a really compelling warning there.

7. What is your favorite mythical creature? Why?

Mermaids! I love the idea of their ethereal, foreign beauty and their ethereal, foreign morals. When you pick up a story, you never know if they're going to be the type to drown you, kiss you, steal you, save you, or sing you a lullaby you'll never remember learning and won't be able to get out of your head.

8. If you could have the same powers as a creature and/or deity from mythology or legends, what would it be? Why?

We'd want to be dragons! What can beat flying and curling up like an adorable, deadly cat on a pile of shinies?

9. What is your advice for other writers who want to use mythology in their stories?

Make it your own! Putting clever twists or melding and reforming your source inspirations gives you freedom and flexibility not to tell the same old stories but something that no one has ever seen before.

That's it for the month, it was fun getting to know about avadel. You can check her stories featured in our reading list as well as her other works.

Until next time!