Meet The Authors Showcase Edition #3 (3 of 3)

A showcase with @EliP56, author of Sackcloth and Ashes

5 is your story a stand alone novel or a piece of a series ?

Sackcloth and Ashes was originally going to be a standalone novel, but then I realized there is so much material to work with. Right now it looks like, there is going be roughly four to five books. 

6 what would you like your readers to take away from your story?

This is a hard question to answer, unexpectedly. There is a lot of things (hopefully) that readers can take away from my story. It's not one main theme, that's kind of the issue--- there's a lot of themes, so whatever theme pops out more to you, you will probably be more impacted by that theme and get something out of that, then from the plot. For example, my mom loves romance-- that's the theme she focuses on (she ignored everything else, hahaha) and she got something out that. 

Sackcloth and Ashes is a literacy fiction. It's not exactly a rigidly defined term, but it means that it follows non-conventional plot structures while containing a lot of details of symbolism, allegory with character-focused narratives. Literacy fiction books are books that cannot be marketed neatly into any other genre fiction, for example: fantasy, romance, action/adventure, sci-fi, etc... So, there could be a lot themes and a lot of touches from other genre fictions that makes it possible for a reader to really come up with their own idea of what the story is about and what's the most important theme to them.

7 what advice would you provide to fellow writers, when it comes to focusing on their own story?

 My best advice is don't let Wattpad play games with you. In fact, don't let the majority of people from Wattpad play games with you. The system and the idea that views, comments, and ranking is the most important thing, is wrong. Ask yourself this, do you think your book will be remembered for years to come, if it's filled with plot holes but have large number of views, comments and ranking? Or do you think your book will be remembered for the years to come if your book is thoroughly well written, impactful with the dedication and hard-work clearly shown through your writing but with lesser views?

Sometimes, less is more. Sometimes the few people that are reading your book and commenting are going to talk about your book to others and that's bound to create some community. Stories with impact are going to be talked about-- it's going to be spread and adored. Dedicate your energy to your story, not system and not to expectations. Write what you believe in. Write what you want to write. Don't be afraid to do something different and don't be afraid to take longer to update. Quality makes a difference. It has more impact than quantity.

8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself?

My main character is a very curious man. In fact, he loves doing research--- he loves to questioning things. That's basically me. I got tons of questions about society, about why we are the way we are, religion, and history. He really portrays that curiosity, of course in his own way. He's got extreme strong opinions and if someone wants to change his opinion, they need to bring hardcore research and evidence to fight their case. He's open to evidence, but he's not open to biased opinions. 

9 what is something about your story you believe would draw in new readers?

My main character once said in part 1, "I'm not a cliche." He's self aware. He's basically a genius- he will make you think. It's a puzzle --- it's a race. You can't be one step behind him or else he's gonna keep playing games or he's going to start taking pity. I play a lot with the structure and voice--- right now, I'm working in part 2, there's a lot more to come and new characters are coming in. I can't really say much because it's up to a reader to come up what they think about the story, characters and what theme they like the most. 

10 do you have any future projects?

Yes, completing the rest of the series. I do have other stories, but as of now, my whole focus in on completing Sackcloth and Ashes series. That said, thanks a lot for taking the time and read this whole little interview.