When did you begin writing?
I was actually much more a reader than a writer, to start. I used to go to the library, drag home thirty books, and finish them all in one sitting. (Wish I could still do that with the same gusto!) I remember writing stories in elementary school, mostly in the context of creative writing assignments, and I always enjoyed storytelling – they were just mostly stories that floated around in my own head, never to see the light of day. I jumped at the notion of “roleplaying” when I discovered that the internet could be used as a creative outlet where there were others like myself who enjoyed doing the same thing, and really latched onto creating stories together with other people. Now it’s to the point where I can’t remember a time that I haven’t been doing it.
What’s your favorite genre to write and/or read?
I’ve always preferred to both read and write fantasy, but I have a guilty pleasure of slice of life sort of books, as well. While I enjoyed fantastic books like Number the Stars and The Giver, for years I devoured The Babysitter’s Club series, and felt no iota of remorse for the hundreds of hours I spent fantasizing about starting my own babysitter’s club. (I wanted so desperately to be Claudia, with her artistic ability, never ending stash of candy, and landline in her own bedroom.)
The series that certainly had the greatest impact on my preference of fantasy was of course, like many others, Harry Potter. It was through that series that I really began to take an interest in writing, and started to seek avenues to share that with others.
Describe an early original character and/or world that you created:
As you probably could have expected, Candace was a red headed, blue eyed witch in her fifth year at Hogwarts, played Chaser for Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team, and made friends easily. It was a forum-based roleplaying game that took place fifteen years or so after Harry Potter graduated Hogwarts, and was entirely built with original characters with only mere mentions of those from the actual book series. My participation in it fell in two waves, the first time when I was no older than maybe eleven, the second was when I rediscovered the group at fourteen.
Were I to put her through the Mary Sue litmus test, I think she might genuinely pass… but it probably wouldn’t be by much. She’s probably best left behind as a simple, happy memory.
When and how did you become interested in “faerie stories?”
This is a difficult one. For probably the bulk of my life, I didn’t necessarily have any interest in “faerie stories” – at least, not the sort like Dreamwalker. But, many of the stories I naturally gravitated to did indeed fall under the spectrum of crossing into faerie stories, even if I didn’t recognize them as such. Since exploring faerie lore, and learning more about the fae folk, it’s taken a pretty strong forefront in my mind.
Do you prefer writing from a male, female, or other gendered narrator?
When I was young, I naturally wrote females because they were familiar to me. As a teenager, I found myself writing almost exclusively males. Now, I enjoy writing a variety of genders – whatever suits the story best without falling into stereotypes. I do find myself trying to find more ways to include women, as there is a severe lack of them in any form of media, and I feel there needs to be better equal representation.
Describe the origin of the character name you like best?
With no doubt that would be Matar, more commonly penned as “The Betrayer,” and is also L’Arc’s late father. Ever since the conception of the Dreamwalker world, I’ve only ever referred to him by his title (or… “L’Arc’s dad,” to be quite honest), and finally I decided that I needed to sit down and actually give it some thought. I went through baby names websites, trolled Wikipedia for constellations, pretty much anything that could have given me inspiration.
I came across Matar completely by accident. It’s a Hebrew name meaning “rain,” which relates well to L’Arc (or “rainbow”), but is also the Spanish verb matar, meaning “to kill.” And I thought that was deliciously ironic given Matar’s purpose in the story.
Describe the character creation process; where do you get ideas for characters?
Honestly, inspiration comes from anywhere: various forms of media, literature, the people I know and interact with, the events I experience in day to day life… there’s no one hard and fast rule. Once I’ve decided on a character and their basic persona, everything else tends to just create itself with time – it’s as though I’m learning about a person who already exists. It’s a bit odd, and not all can understand it, but characters tend to create themselves.
Who is your favorite and/or least favorite character to write?
Favorite antagonist? What do you like about the character?
My favorite antagonist is Augustus, and I have absolutely no explanation why other than I feel like I must view him through the rose-tinted filter of Bobbi, and she thinks he’s just the greatest person whose ever lived. I do appreciate that ultimately, he’s working toward a common goal – his execution may not be in line with what others think (namely his brother Julius), but Augustus has very strong beliefs, and what’s problematic is that he’s ambitious enough to carry them out no matter the cost.
Who is the character you identify with most, and why?
Favorite minor character that decided to weasel into the spotlight?
That would probably be Milo. As the prince of the Seelie court, he’s a minor character in reference to the overarching story of Star and the Unseelie court, but the moment he started interacting with Ciel and Julius, I knew I was in trouble. It’s through Milo that I explore the relation of werewolves (or skinwalkers) to the fae, and it’s because of Milo that the reoccurring theme of “mates” reared its head.