Wattpad Exclusives

12-7-19 KurokageJS

So I'm here interviewing Alex J wynter KurokageJS

Alex has written a book titled "Agent" which caught my eye pretty quick and did and excellent job of immersing me in her book! Not to give anything away, because there's some mystery in there, but these aliens called the Sigari come to earth and this government organization (kind of like the MIB) are making sure things stay under control. (Actually watched MIB last night before writing this up interestingly enough) it's action packed and a page turner to say the least.

You can check out Aelx's Books here:
https://my.w.tt/9Mk4FV2s21

AH - Thanks for the interview Alex! It's an honor to have you on here. So let's start out with a little about yourself. Can you just sum up a little about your life for us?

AJW - Well, let's see.... I'm from a little rural community in central Canada, smack dab in the middle of Farmerville. This is very fitting, since I work in the procurement department of a grain mill and get to talk to farmers every day. I live on a little acreage with my garden, dog, and siblings (one of which has special needs). In my free time, I usually write, play video games, or waste massive amounts of time watching random stuff on Youtube. All while eating snacks and drinking coffee, of course. My favorite snack kind of depends on my mood, but right now I'm feeling dark chocolate...

AH - Canadian eh? I could tell you seemed too nice, that explains it. Lol I've been to Canada twice beautiful country! Especially when you get out into the farmland obviously this gives you plenty of time to think about the stories your writing. Speaking of which, how long have you been writing, and how many books have you written?

AJW - I've been writing almost as long as I knew how to read. Books fascinated me from day one and I've always had characters and ideas and worlds spinning in my head since. As for how many I've written, well – for actual novel-length books, I have two finished, a third that is a couple of weeks from being finished, and two others that are in the works.

AH - nice! A little something for us fans to look forward too! So in your book "agent", which so far is the first book I've read by you but definitely not the last, I was really impressed with the quality of writing. Could you tell us a little about your writing process and style?

AJW - Generally, I'm a pantser. When I get an idea for a book, I figure out the character, their general goal and where I want them to be at the end. That's usually enough for me to start writing, and I'm constantly getting inspired by new twists and ideas as I go. My characters dictate the story and I'm often surprised at where they end up, even though I always have a general direction in which I'm steering them.

That said, this writing method has its flaws, as things are very spur-of-the-moment with minimal planning, and getting stuck can be a definite hazard. Thankfully, I'm pretty good at getting through any writer's block that tries stop me! I'm also constantly making notes in a side document as I go

AH - I do the same thing with the notes. Actually I prefer to write them down on paper, then if they graduate they make it to my digital notes, just a weird organizational thing that works for me. Getting through writers block can be tricky for most writers, what's your secret?

AJW - Oof. Good question. In Agent's case, I had no choice but to keep going. It was NaNoWriMo, and I was determined to get the book done in 30 days. It's a huge adrenaline rush, especially when you pull off huge word counts each day. The excitement, the enormous sense of accomplishment, the thrill of it all – that's what kept me going.

As for my other books, those happened at a much slower, more sustainable pace. I took long breaks from some of them, and that was the worst thing I could have done. Writing Agent taught me that momentum and persistence is important. Writing every day, even if it's just a few words, is key. Because once you stop, it'sincredibly hard to pick it up again and a short break can turn into a several year hiatus.

But that's getting slightly off topic, I suppose. There are two things that help me keep going. First, my excitement for my characters and the story I want to tell. I want to see them reach the end of the journey, and I can't wait to see them get to that final, triumphant moment. And second, my readers. Their comments are my fuel, my motivation, my kick in the butt to keep on writing. It also holds me accountable in some regard, because they're expecting me to keep posting updates!

AH - You can really tell you have a relationship with your characters, that's probably why they seem so real. I love your comment about your readers, too many wattpad writers are more worried about reads than they are readers. They want to numbers but not the responsibility to connect with people. I appreciate, I'm sure all your fans do for that matter, your appreciation for your readers and you wanting to do them right by your writing. So how long does it take you to write a book generally?

AJW - This book in particular – Agent – is a bit of a special case. I wrote it in one month, and it's the shortest completed novel I have written at just over 50k. I wrote it for November's NaNoWriMo challenge. It usually takes me much longer to write a novel, and its sequel – Shaded – is perhaps a good example of that. It's actually been on hiatus for a couple of years so I can focus on finishing my other work-in-progress.

AH - nice! I need to get in on one of those challenges one day. Now you mentioned being a pantser, I write somewhat the same way, kind of a mixture. And the great Steven King is a well known pantser, and in his book on writing he mentions a "writers tool box". What tools do you like to use to build your books?

AJW - I try to be a colorful writer. I love using words with strong connotations in my descriptions, and I do use similes quite often. I want readers to be able to picture everything as vividly as I see it my head. It's quite fun! The trick is not to go overboard, however.

Another thing that is just as important is pacing. Since I write a lot of action, I always work at keeping the narrative flowing at a steady pace, and if things slow down due to an influx of details, it's intentional. Some scenes are meant to rush headlong at a frantic speed, and others are meant to be taken slow, to be nibbled at with consideration. Sentence structure is of itself a unique tool in this regard.

AH - Yeah I can see that. You apply that well right from the first chapter.

AJW - Yeah, I want to grab my readers' interest right away, while introducing them to the main character. I also want them to get a rough sense of the world the book takes place in.

AH - I feel it. The first chapter had me hooked especially the way it ended, and by the second chapter I had completely forgot I was reading, it just all seemed to live for me.
So I feel like every author should have a reason for writing. Like a message they want to convey. Do you find a common message among your books?

AJW - Life is what you make it. Even if things are tough, there's always something to fight for. So keep struggling forward, never let go of the ones you love, and don't give up. There's a saying I've been using for years, and I think it's very fitting for my books – don't be afraid to fall before you fly.

AH - So let's quickly talk about reading. What do you look for in a good book?

AJW - Minimal romance, but that's more of a personal taste. In general, I look for flawed, complicated characters. Protagonists that get hurt, that make mistakes and suffer the consequences. Antagonists that you can sympathize with, perhaps even relate to. Unexpected twists and turns and a plot that keeps you guessing right until the last moment. And for bonus points – no clear definition between good and evil. I love where both protagonist and antagonist are morally gray. I also look for good pacing, especially in action scenes.

AH - Any particulate books that have inspired you?

AJW - Matt Reilly's "Scarecrow". I love the action scenes in that book, and I have yet to read other books that have managed to maintain that hectic, relentless pacing. All of Reilly's books are fun, action-packed reads. I've also got a bit of a soft spot for anything Jules Verne. What an imagination!

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Thanks so much for reading! Seriously go give KurokageJS a look, you'll love her work! And if you liked her interview give the chapter a vote.