Meet The Authors Showcase Edition #1 (1 of 3)

A showcase with @ajwoodward, author of Experimental Magic

1 what inspired the idea of your story? 

I was looking into short story contests online and I stumbled across one with a horror/paranormal prompt. It intrigued me because I had never written in that genre before so I decided to give it a go! I didn't end up entering the contest, but I was really happy with the characters I created and it eventually grew into so much more than just a short story. I had a strong feeling that there was more that could be explored with the characters and the storyline so I couldn't let it end so early! I just had to keep going.

2 what was something you struggled with for your story ?

Honestly, the one thing I struggle the most with my story is finding the time and motivation to write. It can be difficult to balance my writing with work and family life. Sometimes I get stuck and can't seem to get in the right mindset to write my story. When I do get the time to sit down, relax and just write it really comes together. But it can be challenging at times to capture those moments.

 3 what has been the overall response to your story from your readers?

I am so over the moon with the responses I have gotten from my readers. I feel so incredibly blessed to have such amazing supporters. I'm honestly blown away by this awesome community. Everyone has been so kind, loving and supportive. I may not be an award winning author, but just being able to share my story and have people actually like it is a dream come true.

 4 what did you enjoy writing most of your story? 

The best part of writing any story for me is developing the characters, and this story is no exception. I feel so deeply connected to the characters in this story and I had so much fun creating them. I love imagining what they'll look like, or how they dress, or what they'll say in any given moment. It's so exciting to me to be able to make someone from my imagination come to life.

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

I had intended it to be a stand alone story, but as I wrote more, I started getting ideas for a sequel. So, once I get through the first book, I do intend on writing a second. I'm not sure if I will turn it into a full blown series, but I am open to writing more than two books. Right now I'll just continue to write and see where it goes!

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

This story focuses on a family of four, all with different motivations and perspectives. They are all faced with similar struggles, but they all have their own version of what is right and what is wrong. I hope when reading my story, readers understand that there is always more than one side to every story. I hope they see that there is no such thing as black and white or pure good and pure evil. There are always grey areas. Sometimes good people do bad things and sometimes bad people do good things.

 7 what's a piece of advice you would provide to another writer, when it comes to focusing on their story?

It may sound cheesy, but the advice I would give to my fellow writers is to not compare yourself to others. It's easy to look at the success of others and feel like your story isn't good enough. I know I have fallen into that trap many times and it can really be demotivating. But it's important to remember that their success does not equal your failure. We all have our own paths and our own journeys. I know I enjoy my writing the most when I stop worrying so much about how my story compares to everyone else's. As far as I'm concerned, if you are happy with what you have written and you enjoyed the process, your story was a success.

 8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself? 

The main characters in my story are actually quite different than myself. The four main characters, Markos, Misty, Millie, and Meadow are all very head-strong, mischievous and a little devious and that's not who I am at all. I tend to be more timid and I definitely do not share their affinity for revenge. But them being so different than me is what makes them so fun to write. I get to fully step away from reality and be completely immersed in a world so different than my own.

9 what's something you believe would draw in new readers? 

I think what will draw people in is all the twists and turns throughout this story. My goal was to make it so you never know what was coming around the corner. I won't say too much, as I don't want to spoil anything, but lots of secrets get revealed that may be shocking!

10 do you have any future projects?

I always have lots of ideas swirling in my head so there will definitely be more from me in the future! I do have one project waiting in the wings that is very special to me. It's a story that I've kept close to my heart for a very long time. It is a story idea that came to me over ten years ago when I was still a kid. It was the first book that I fully finished writing and the characters mean so much to me. I'm hoping to be able to release it sometime in the future, but since it is so precious to me, I am going to take my time with it.