Fantasy Authors Interview

Meet KaraCarreira

Historical fantasy is another one of my favourites. Myths and legends from bygone eras have fascinated me as long as I can remember, and I love seeing those recognisable elements in fresh new tales. I'm always finding story inspiration in the past, and nothing takes me further from the wear of life than a fantasy story inspired by an ancient civilisation, which is why this is also one of my favourites to read and write.

I'm also fond of paranormal/urban fantasy. It tends to be less pretty than fairytale retellings and historical fantasy, but that's why I enjoy it. It's gritty, sometimes gory, but I love the fight scenes and the plot twists. Mysteries involving ghosts and stories about supernatural worlds and the politics between the different races never fail to hook me.

F: How do you develop your fantasy world?

K: The fantasy genre is known for its elaborate settings, but these worlds can be tricky to develop in a natural way. I build my fantasy worlds around my characters as they move through it to avoid info dumps. If certain information isn't necessary for the reader's understanding of what's happening at a particular point of the story, I leave it out until it is. Another thing I find helpful to do is always having more knowledge about the world than I give readers. They don't need to know EVERYTHING, especially if it's not relevant to the plot, because that can just make the writing heavy to read. I believe knowing the ins and outs of my world comes through in the story and makes for a richer setting. Knowing all those details makes my fantasy world feel more real to me, and I think that's what helps me bring it to life for readers.

F: What do you think makes a good plot twist for your story?

K: Thinking about what would be the most predictable thing to happen right now—what seems so certain that readers would bet money on it—then doing the complete opposite! No, that's not to say that it's right to bring in a twist from nowhere. Twists must be earned. They should be hinted at even if readers aren't aware of it, and anyone who's interested should be able to reread the story or think back on it and say "oh yes, I should've seen that coming!" Some tropes and character archetypes (and even certain writing prompts) lead you in a specific direction, but there's nothing wrong with taking a less trodden path [if] you do it with care. What better way is there to engage readers than by sneaking in clever surprises?

F: Do you prefer combining action or thrilling bits to your fantasy story? Why or why not?

K: I certainly do! I'm not very comfortable with writing action scenes yet, but I feel that it adds balance and evens out the pacing of a fantasy story. Too [many] characters talking about things without doing them, introspecting or romancing each other (as much as I love love!) can become monotonous to me as a reader. That's why I try to give my readers a varied experience in my stories. Besides, real life has its quiet moments and it's thrilling ones, doesn't it? That's why I believe fantasy should as well.

F: Who inspired you the most to write in Fantasy? Whether they be from Wattpad or not.

K: Enid Blyton, an English author of children's fiction, was a big inspiration to me as a child. Some of my fondest memories are of my mom reading her books to me and me reading them to my brother a few years later. Enid Blyton wrote children's mystery and fantasy, so her stories couldn't be more different from mine, but I think my love for magic, mystery, and fantastical creatures began with reading her books.

As I'm sure many other fantasy writers would say, it was J. K. Rowling and Rick Riordan who first made me seriously think about writing in fantasy. I loved their stories and looked up to their characters (and still do), but no matter how much I loved them, I still couldn't be a part of their world. I'm not a witch or a demigod, so I became the next best thing: a fantasy writer.