Wow, that was really interesting! Your stories sound really cool <3

Also thank you!! 

Cool! So interesting to see everyone's writing journey!

Very lovely!

Thank you so much! *clapping ensues* Ack yeah finishing stuff is much too hard. And in primary school, I was also supposed to write sentences using vocabulary words, and I remember centering several around the same story idea and getting very inspired for a lot of stories that were (in the end) never written. It's so amazing that you did something similar >:D

[I know it took me a while sorry sorry sorry I've been so busy but hopefully it wasn't too long a wait]

Why, thank you, pangolin! It is indeed an honor to be on The Pangolin Show :)

1. How did you first get into writing? 

I think it was reading that got me into writing! I read and read from the time I was about three - The Wind in the Willows, Mrs. Pepperpot stories, picture books. Reading those books made me want to create my own. 

Then one day I was in the supermarket with my parents, and I saw a notebook. It was a perfectly ordinary notebook, a Scribe one, with a yellow cover. And I wanted that notebook to use for my writing. So my mom bought it for me. I started out with copying books I'd read, and then eventually I started writing my own stories. I can't really remember the inspiration for my first story (I'm not even sure which was the first story I wrote), but one story that I wrote early on (which might have been the first one I ever wrote) was inspired by a thicket near where I was staying - I wanted to explore the lives of the hypothetical squirrels who might have lived there :) After that, I just kept writing (almost always in notebooks).

2. Which of your characters is the most like you? Which is the least?

That's actually kind of a tough question... (For one thing, just going through all my characters takes a few moments lol) I think a lot of them have something of me, some trait or outlook that I identify with. Matters aren't helped by the fact that by now I actually don't really like a lot of the characters I wrote when I was younger... I don't think many of them are exactly like me, but I guess I'd name Sabrina - an independent and adventurous girl who's basically the same character as my AE Oriole - as one of the main ones. Delfina, a passionate and strong-tempered girl, is another.

The number of characters who are unlike me is much larger - I'm not sure which is the most different from me, but a few good examples would be Captain Hendrel, a matter-of-fact young sea captain; Vanessa, a timid and hesitant girl who blossoms into a really sweet person; and Sam, a small business owner from a little Kansas town.

3. Say you published a super successful novel - would you rather it be adapted into a movie or a Broadway musical?

Well, assuming I did publish a successful novel, which is like one of my biggest dreams, I'd want it to be made into a movie! I just really want the experience of seeing my characters and settings and plots come to life, and as they aren't going to be obliging and do it in reality, a movie is the next best thing. Besides, I love movies as a form of expression in their own right, especially the way you can combine music and images.

4. What's your favorite genre to write? Is there any genre you wouldn't want to write?

Favorite genre used to be fantasy, but now it's very definitely romance, because I've grown more inclined towards the real world as opposed to fantasy worlds - and I also love the range of emotions and settings and personalities that can be portrayed with romantic fiction.  There's something so satisfying about having a couple of characters who are completely right for each other. Plus, since the basic framework is taken care of  (A meets B and falls in love) the writer is free to explore other subplots and settings (you can set it anywhere you want, even in a fantasy world if you're into the romantasy subgenre!) And I think it gives you a little more liberty to concentrate on those aspects of the story, because the plot isn't so central. Romance is also a good way to examine various themes. There's also a lot of variety and ways to change up the storyline to make it more original. Finally, in the end, it can kind of be set in a better, happier world, one where love is central. Unless it's a sad romance (and actually even if), it can be like an escape to a purer world.

As for generes I wouldn't want to write, I've never liked science fiction - no offense to anyone who likes it, of course! But in my opinion, to borrow the words of Edward Eager, it's "like having bad dreams on purpose" :/ And I'm even more opposed to horror, because that really is like having bad dreams on purpose. And as I see it, in order to write and read it, you have to appeal to your worst instincts - like those of violence, rejection of what's right, or morbid curiosity. I just don't think it's something that writers should appeal to or encourage.

5. What do you want readers to take away from your writing?

I think I want them to feel like they've rediscovered the beauty of life. So many people get distracted by careers, money, politics, all that stuff, when really what matters is just being a good person and enjoying places, nature, people, books, stuff like that. I think one of the most predominant features of my writing is that I'm always going off about sunsets and houses and oceans and the like - hopefully my stories can make readers feel enthusiasm for the world around them, and then maybe they'll realize that the world around them is a wonderful gift.

I also want to communicate certain values and ideas, like by featuring protagonists who are ordinary good people instead of the self-obsessed comfortable-with-inappropriateness protagonists who seem to dominate the media. Anyway, I want to help people grow and learn and maybe change their perspectives and think about things that they wouldn't have considered before. I also just want to give good old entertainment. It's all very well to get into the techniques and technicalities of Literature, but in the end, most people read a book for enjoyment.  If I can make someone laugh and smile, that's a huge part of my motivation. 

And finally, maybe part of it is just the writer's urge to show people what he or she loves? I love my characters and settings so much, and whenever I really like something, I always want to share it with people - so maybe I just want to show readers the scenes and characters that I know so well, so that they can take away an acquaintance with Dalriad (who is basically my crush so) or Seleni or Iridescence or whoever >:)

6. What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

It's not exactly advice, but I love C. S. Lewis' idea that you don't start writing because you have a moral/theme in mind; you find out what the theme is by writing the story. It's so true! If you're really inspired, the theme will present itself as you go along, or at least appear in conjunction with the rest of the story. I also really liked the idea in this novel I read, that the main point of writing is just doing something that means a lot to you, not the final product.

7. And finally, what are you currently working on (writing-related or otherwise?)

Assignments >:/ But as for writing, I've been trying to finish two short romance stories (surprise...) I've also been working on a poem for the poetry contest :)

Tysm for the interview, @pangolin! It was really fun :D I'll try and have the next set of questions up by tomorrow.

dude, i am beyond flattered. it is well known that any form of verbal compliment causes me to giggle and kick my feet, and this is no exception. 

answers!

1. Which authors or ideas have influenced you most as a writer?

good starting question, i think. i generally say that Flannery O'Connor is my favorite author, and that is true, but i am not certain i would call her an influence on my writing. that dubious honor goes to other folks. the fiction of David Wong and Kent J. Starret, certainly. the've done an incredible job in the New Weird Genre, which i would consider my genre to be. also, the filmography of the Coen Brothers, certainly. finally, the works of Harmony Korine have done much good for me. the sort of... universal base level of empathy he provides for his characters is touching, especially as they are characters that you would rarely empathize with. good stuff!

2. Are there particular themes that you like to have in your work? Any that you don't?

i am almost certain i have talked about this before... but i am going to talk about it again, of course. i loathe the writing of H.P. Lovecraft. a good deal of my writing has the intent of refuting his nihilistic, shallow views. humans showing love and compassion in the face of unknowable forces causing their suffering. i would consider myself a romantic. if that surprises you, i do understand. but i don't believe pain is for nothing. beyond that, most of my themes are, i think, fairly obvious. broken families, the redemptive power of love, the destructive power of love, and plenty of queer themes. and horrible monsters, of course.

3. What's your favorite character's (of the ones you've created) favorite song? Or what's a song that suits that character?

this is a question i like a lot, because it allows me to answer two questions at the same time. firstly, you know, who my favorite character is. which feels like picking a favorite child. hm. i guess the character closest to me is Diana Zhu, who is a major player in the terminal but didn't first appear there, she was in some early short stories. she is, and do not think i am being ironic here, literally me. as such, i have a deep affection for her, although Sam Aberdeen is likely the most fun to write. her favorite song would probably be Ahab, or the Whale, by the Reverant Marigold. an excellent song that starts out slow and ends in deranged shrieking. as all good things do. it also features the line "I want to see blood in your sweat," and that isn't even the hardest line in the song. it is an awesome song! 

4. What would your characters think if they knew they were characters?

they would find me, and beat me up. this would be a fair reaction. every bad thing that has ever happened to my characters, and their loved ones, was caused by me. i wrote it into being. i would be like Satan to them. or, perhaps Yaldabaoth. i love my characters, but i am not certain they would like me.

5. What do you want readers to get out of your work? What's your ideal compliment from a reader?

if i make you feel something, i have won. when i was very young, and a work of fiction first made me cry, i knew i wanted in. i want to move you. i want to implant images in your mind. i want to react, negatively or positively. preferably positively, of course. i also, as far as morals go, want to encourage empathy. for good and bad people. for people. my ideal compliment would be knowing i moved someone, in some way. any way you communicate that works for me. although it is also incredibly gratifying when people theorize about your work. there's been a good deal of that on the terminal. knowing i have occupied that part of a person's mind makes me very happy. and fanart is an entirely searate thing. awesome 

6. What personal meaning does your writing hold for you? Do you like reading it?

im fairly certain ive talked about this as well, and im very grateful for the opportunity to say it again, because it is something i am very willing to get on my soapbox about. in short, i believe every single human being in the world is meant to write, to make music, to create art. talent doesn't factor into it. in the past, every human told stories, it was part of life. now, we have more stories available than we know what to do with, and yet most people don't really have a creative outlet. in my personal experience, i tend to get images stuck in my head. i would paint them if i could paint, but i can barely hold a pencil, so i encase the images in stories. with the terminal, i found myself wanting to read a work of fiction that did not exist in the exact form i wanted it, and so i decided to make it exist, with the help of the cbers. so write! or paint, or draw, or sing, or play an instrument. i don't care if you're any good! i hope you're terrible, so you can look back a few years in the future and see that you're getting better! 

7. What's your ~life story~ (as petrichor called it) if you'd like to share?

okay. i was born in Seattle, and i lived in Salt Lake City for six years. i am currently in North Carolina. i have been most of my life. i had a learning disability, and i could hardly write my own name legibly until the sixth grade. no fine motor skills, you know. however, i could read. i started reading when i was about four. i sort of taught myself. i wrote as well, very poorly of course, but it gave me control i lacked otherwise. i had a few friends, mainly losers such as myself. i am a proud loser. i improved to the point i am at now, where i am no longer affected by those issues. along the way, i figured myself out, i guess. nonbinary and bisexual, you know. i found similar people, community. i improved as a writer. now i have friends i can actually call when im in trouble, foster brothers, a writing group, and a sweet guy who i like a lot and somehow likes me as well. when people say it gets better, that is true. hold on. it will be okay, i promise.

8. What are your interests aside from writing? 

i am in a band, as a vocalist and (i love telling people this) drone technician (like, musical drones. i make drone noises with... ok, shouldn't explain the joke). i am also in the drama program at my school, i am actually in three separate shows this year. im active in GSA, less active in book club, and you know, i hang out with my friends pretty regularly. i also run a couple ttrpg's, because i decided if I'm gonna be a nerd, ill go all out.

i will have questions up sometime soon. is there a list of participants anywhere?

that is all very interesting, thank you. and i have admired your writing for a while, that you did not know is a clear sign that i should strive to give positive feedback more frequently