Welcome to Writer’s world. The first writer under the spotlight is the talented Mr. AngusErcrivain, writer of the amazing Half-Light, Co-founder of ForbiddenPlanet, King of Sci-Fi, Ladies man, and much more. What hasn’t this man done?
Question 1. First thing is first, who are you and what genre do you specialise in? I'm AngusEcrivain, as my username suggests. Of course that's not my real name. You can call me Angus, or Dan.. occasionally I respond to a random shout of "Oi," too. I most definitely specialise in science fiction.
Question 2. What is it that you loathe about wattpad? Oh where should I begin? To be honest... there's only one thing I genuinely loathe about Wattpad, that being those people who treat the site as a social network. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be social... but this is first and foremost a literary website, not a dating one!
Question 3. With that out of the way, what is it that you love about wattpad? I love the site for many reasons, but primarily for the fact it's a wonderful forum for people like you and I to share what we all love. Reading and writing. If there'd been a website such as Wattpad when I was growing up, I'd wager I'd have started writing seriously much sooner than I did.
Question 4. If you were to be published tomorrow, what would change in regards to your approach to writing? To be perfectly honest I wouldn't change a thing. I've found a formula that works well for me, and I'll stick to it until I find something better.
Question 5. For anyone starting out with writing could you throw down some advice, or any tips that might be helpful? Stay true to yourself and (try to) avoid cliches. Granted, the latter isn't easy but it is do-able. Writers tend to fall into traps - we all do it, even famous, world-renowned authors do it. How can you tell i you're writing a cliched story? Well it's simple really... if you think your story is cliche, then it probably is!
Question 6. Is there a method to your writing approach, for example do you have to be sitting down smoking a cigar, whilst listening to Justin Bieber to get the creative juices flowing? I reckon Bieber would be a definite turn-off... those juices would dry up! To be perfectly honest I'm not entirely sure I've ever heard one of the little ijit's songs. But I'm getting off track... There is indeed a method to my madness. I have a shed up at the top of the garden at home, my sanctuary where I can generally get a couple of hours undisturbed. A few pre-rolled roll-ups, itunes on random (the entire contents is metal, of course) and I'm good to go. I'm kind of jealous right now. I want my own shed.
Question 7. Is there any certain guidelines you like to stick to when writing a story? Just the one, that being that I have none. I let the story take me wherever it wants to go and put a creative spin upon that. I think that if you start playing with guidelines, you run the risk of your story not being as good as it might have been!
Question 8. What is the most important thing to you when uploading a story? That it's properly edited. So many stories end up on here and you can tell the writer hasn't even bothered trying. Now I'm not stupid, I know it's not easy to edit your own work... I cringe when simple typos and schoolboy error blips are pointed out to me but at the same time I'm grateful to those who take the time to do so. Were it not for those people, I wouldn't be the writer I am today.
Question 9. I see you are one of the co-founders of Forbidden Planet…tell us about it. The ForbiddenPlanet project is the brainchild of myself and Narivah. We were chatting one night and the conversation inevitably found its way to sci-fi, and the distinct lack of definition within the genre on Wattpad. So we discussed ways to make the genre more well known around here, starting with defining the many different sub-genres of science fiction, and interviewing prominent Wattpad sci-fi writers. Then we had the idea for which ForbiddenPlanet is probably best known; Sci-Fi Short Story Smackdowns. There've been some epic entries, some fantastic stories from several equally epic and fantastic writers. The smackdowns are themselves a forum for those who have perhaps never written sci-fi, to give it a go. We've had several first-timers do bloody well!
Question 10. What attracts you to take a look at someone else’s work? Sometimes it's a recommendation, or the blurb catches my eye. There are various different reasons to be honest, but I do tend to stick to reading sci-fi, fantasy, or horror, so if you write in any of those genres, chances are I'll find my way to your work at some point!
Question 11. Anyone shout outs you would like to give, or any authors you would recommend the fine people off wattpad to check out? You want me to name-drop? Well how cruel is that, eh?? You know for a fact I'll miss someone off the list that I really shouldn't so instead what I'll do is say this....People of Wattpaddia! Head on over to ForbiddenPlanet's profile page and check out reading lists. They're chock full of shit-hotst99ories in all sub-genres of science fiction!
Question 12. This is a challenge question; create an original character within 100 words.
Jake smiled, revealing two gaps where his upper front teeth had been removed, an effective torture technique, though Jake had given the bastards nothing. The .45 in his hand called out to him, but Jake wasn't listening. He was too busy staring at the buxom blonde across the street and paid his prey little heed.
In the breast pocket his phone vibrated, snapping him from his perverted stupor.
His .45 was still levelled at the cringing man.
As he pulled the trigger, Jake smiled again, and not for the first time he thought how much he loved his job.
99 words... hehe, how's that?
I'll tell you how it was for 99 words...brilliant!
Head on over and check out two great stories by the man:
Half-Light - years from Earth, Mankind has made a new home in a new system. A group of friends joined together seemingly by chance must battle for the freedom of an entire species.
Tales From The Easter Quadrant - Join Ecks as he battles psychotic alien broads, killer furbies, big ass pussy cats, and the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.
He's not alone though. With a supporting cast of stripper nuns with guns, airship pirates, a sexy time traveling warrior, and The Blood, it's sure to be a wild ride.
Will he ever find love?
Will he and his friends find a place to call home?
Or will Ecks' luck eventually run out?
*Also available in paper back via lulu.com & for your Kindle via Amazon*
What the readers have to say...
'What can the reader say about this other than it's a great litte space romp through the Easter Quadrant that Mr Greathead has created. In turns funny, action-packed, and witty, the characters blast their way through a variety of planets (and the odd bar) in search of their notorious prey.
A fun filled and well paced book that leaves you with a grin and a curious hankering for a swift pint and a crafty cigarette. '
'An adventure meant for the SciFi fanatics and beginners alike, Tales from the Easter Quadrant will have you laughing, crying, sitting on the edge of your seat and scratching your head--in all the good ways. Anyone who enjoys a good story will enjoy Greathead's story of Ecks and his witty crew. '
'Laughed cried and found myself open mouthed as I followed this gang of witty, loyal, and bloody brilliant people across the pages of this adventure. A brilliant novel with all you expect from science fiction and more and you dont have to be a die hard sci fi fan to enjoy. A VERY GOOD READ.'