Name of Author: Spectre
Title of Book: Aghast
Favorite Authors: Terry Pratchett, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Diana Wynne Jones, Jonathan L. Howard, Scott Lynch, Derek Landy and Brandon Sanderson
Bio: I'm a girl living in New Zealand and have just finished my first year at university studying design. I love reading, writing and drawing, video games, rock music and TV shows. Sci fi and fantasy/paranormal are my jam.
Can you explain what your book is all about?
Jackie is an apprentice slayer, working in Wellington to kill paranormal monsters. However, one night she screws up and leaves a witness. To make it worse he seems to be stalking her.While she's worrying about her own situation, paranormal attacks are on the rise and the other slayers are busy searching for the cause before their funding gets cut. Things get hectic.
Who is your target audience - and why?
Young adult, without a doubt. I just felt like that was the way to go. Besides, this story was actually conceived while I was still in High School. If I'm honest my friends and I were probably the target audience, there's a lot of subtle inside jokes that people will miss out on.
What is 'paranormal' about your story? (creatures, experiences, setting etc.)
The slayers kill monsters, for a start, then we've also got some vampires and spirits later on so that probably covers it.
Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?
Not really? I like to think there's a fair bit of humour in there but not enough to qualify as a genre.
Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?
Well, I've tried and failed to write right out of my head and onto the page and it just doesn't work for me, my plot gets tangled and I don't know what to do next. I need more than ideas, I need a solid plot before I start. What I do these days is write up the plot, then split it into bullet points for chapters so I have a rough idea what will happen in each chapter (though I'm willing to split chapters or join them later if it works, or even tweak events slightly if I have a better idea). I keep that outline as a document and bold each part as I complete it, so I can easily keep track of where I'm up to. It prevents me running off on a tangent, or being stuck 'cos of no inspiration, because even if I'm not in the mood I know exactly what I have to write, so I can do it anyway and not worry about messing things up. I can always edit later.
Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge is actually finishing. I have heaps of bits and pieces of stories, but to actually finish a whole book is a lot of work. There are times when you're not in the mood, when there's other things you could be doing, when you lose confidence in the story itself, when you're sure you won't write good. The trick is to force yourself to keep going regardless. Aghast was pretty short, but it was the first full-length story I completed and it taught me a lot in that regard.
You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?
I've not heard that? I have no idea.
One final question, this being the Paranormal genre: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Nope. I don't actually believe in the paranormal, I just love the idea of it in a fictional context. I'm far too skeptical for my own good.
