Scribe's Hollow Author Interviews

BOTM Interview: ASimple Mistake-Ouroboros

This interview was conducted on February 15th, 2024 with the author ASimple-Mistake for the January 2024 Book of the Month contest. Congratulations to ASimple-Mistake and their book: Ouroboros.

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Scribe's Hollow: When did you first start writing and what inspired you to start?

ASimple-Mistake, Author: I began writing little stories when I was very young but never created any greater book out of them. I grew up without any internet or TV in a house stuck between the highway and the woods. I didn't have anything to entertain me but books so I read a lot and naturally that led me to wanting to create my own.

SH: Who are some authors that inspire you?

ASM: I've always admired Rick Riordan. I loved his chapter titles in the original Percy Jackson books and wanted to emulate it on my own with Ouroboros. More recently, I've really been influenced by the writers in the community. Seeing how they overcome so much and still find the time and creativity to make their stories really helps me when I feel stuck.

SH: What is your favorite childhood book?

ASM: Percy Jackson, I loved the humor and the world he was building. To date it's still one of my favorite series. A close second would be the Gone series by Micheal Grant. If you've never heard of that series, imagine Lord of The Flies if it was good and happening to a town full of kids with rapidly developing super powers.

SH: What is your book about?

ASM: I always like to say it's about going to hell and back for the ones you love, but to more sincerely explain the plot; Ira Rule has reincarnated again. He's been trapped in an endless loop of rebirth ever since his original sin, which was not killing the Third Prince of Hell when he had the chance. This time, Ira has been born into a society of demon hunters. And the gates of hell have just been opened, maybe by the very same Prince that got Ira into this mess. To save the world he's been paired with another demon hunter named Melchior Brisbane, who has curses and secrets of his own.

SH: What motivated you to write your current book?

ASM: Just about a year ago I found a new hobby. My friend recommended me a Manhwa (Korean webcomic) to read and I was instantly hooked. I was reading so much Manhwa that I began to pick up on the trends and tropes. And a big one is reincarnation. Reincarnation is a widely accepted truth in some places in the world and it has a big influence on Manhwa. Even stories not based in reincarnation would end in reincarnation. Or they'd reveal half way through the story that the couple I'd been rooting for were past lovers. And I understand that it was meant to be romantic but it always felt like a let down to me. I always wondered if they really loved each other in this life time or if they'd just been stuck on some predetermined path since their last lives. And I decided I wanted to answer that question for myself.

SH: What themes do you want to convey with your book?

ASM: Besides finding out what reincarnation meant to me, I did have a few ulterior motives to creating the characters that I did. I wanted, really more than anything, to create heroes with entirely human struggles. I often felt like stories did not involve characters with mental health struggles unless the point of the story was overcoming it. Which I do find to be necessary and important, but not what I wanted to do. I wanted to make space in the fantasy genre for human struggles. I wanted to create a hero, the main character of a YA fantasy novel, and have him struggle with outbursts of anger. I wanted to make a warrior who's full of self doubt and fears. And I wanted to make a man who felt nothing at all and let people know that he was much more than nothing. Too often I've seen anger disorders and emotional disconnects linked to villainous characters and I wanted to break away from that and create heroes who feel a little too much and not at all.

SH: Do you have a favorite character in your book?

ASM: This is honestly the hardest question I've been asked. I feel so connected to each of my characters and I've had so much fun watching them each become their own identity. I suppose if I had to give an answer, I do relate to my main character Ira the most. I can relate a lot to how he feels. More than Melchior who's too calm and more than Bezel who couldn't care less. I'm more like him. Short tempered and sarcastic.

SH: What is your go-to snack/drink when writing?

ASM: I usually begin writing early in the morning with a coffee. Which I never finish. And then I'll get a sweet tea and drink about three. I love the idea of a coffee but actually just love sweet tea.

SH: What do you consider the hardest part of writing?

ASM: For me personally, remembering what the heck I'm even talking about. I spiral on such long ADHD tangents and then need to retrace my own steps like Bezel solving the riddle in his earlier chapters.

SH: What do you consider the best part of writing?

ASM: Seeing the end product and having others see it too. Just knowing that you created that and that someone out there is enjoying it, even if just a little. It makes it all worth it.

SH: What is a book you think is underrated?

ASM: I have not heard enough praise for Sinner's Mass by fellow Wattpad writer SEBlackwell. Her story was seriously entertaining. A perfect cop noir with religious guilt in the south, a main character recovering from his vices, and demons. Real demons. It was just everything I ever needed in a story. It has such a powerful atmosphere. It's very gritty noir and I loved it.

SH: How many books do you currently have in progress?

ASM: A lot to be honest. I tend to jot down weak story outlines every few weeks but I don't intend to seriously write any of them until I'm at least finished with all Ouroboros is going to be. But I do have 14 drafts of unseen stories.

SH: How do you overcome writer's block?

ASM: Just taking a step back. Whenever I start to feel stuck and frustrated I just remind myself that I'm only doing this for fun. Because I love it. And I walk away. I spend time with my pets, or I go to sleep for the night, or I do chores. But I just take a step back and eventually it'll click and I'll go back with a renewed sense of what I want.

SH: Thank you for your time! Do you have anything else you'd like to say?

ASM: Thank you guys! To the moderators who put this all together and to all the community members who take time out of their days to stop in and say hello, who support eachothers works, and who entertain us with their own stories. This place is really great because it has great people in it.