The group settles in to their seats as the spotlight comes on with a click, beaming a ray of yellow light onto a single empty chair. Heavy breaths are heard as anticipation stirs for the arrival of the next great writer. A single tiny female ascends the stage, momentarily pulling her long brown hair into a quick ponytail before straightening her skirt and floats into the spotlight. Coughing delicately into the microphone, she peers out into the panel of Greatness, all sitting, eagerly waiting with their written down questions before she raises her hands and bellows into the mic.
“Oy gents! We are here today to turn the tables on Mr. Thomas Berryman. Since the lad felt comfy enough to pick our brains it only seems fair we in turn do the same. So without further adieu, I introduce to you, the magnificent, the impressive, yet still demure like a naughty school girl, Mr. Thomas Berryman.”
Thomas walks out onto the stage slowly.
“Thank you Nika Yaya, I think?” Thomas extends his hand hesitantly, which Nika grabs and uses to plop him down in the spotlighted seat. “You have a bit of something on your shirt there.”
Thomas reaches out and pats Nika’s chest, which she in turns swats.
“I was saving that for later, thank you very much. Now let’s get this old fashioned roast started, I’m hungry!” Nika rubs her belly and points out into the crowd, her finger falling upon a grey suited male with his feet propped up, his fingers dangling a long thin blade. “MadFrak, you’re first.”
“Thom, what’s the first story you ever recall writing?” MadFrak leans forward with a wicked smile as he tosses the knife up in the air casually.
*Clears throat* Well Madfrak, is it Madfrak? Or do I call you Awesume? Or was it Frakkevin? Dude the knife throwing nearly put me off…okay back to the question…The first story I ever recall writing, is one I still have from when I was a youngster.
The story was called ‘Mars Attacks’ and it was a bout a U.F.O landing on the huge oval at my school and me and my friends joining them for outer space adventures. All our names are still in pencil and my grammar skills were better at ten then they are now. *Scratches chin* My first story where I knew I wanted to be a writer though, was one called ‘The Hit’ it was the worst thing I’ve ever written, but has progressed to becoming Dirty Money so I’m happy I did it.
Nika claps. “Great starter question, and thank you so much for not killing anyone Mr.Frak, now…” She scans the crowd and falls upon a beautiful woman holding her hand calmly in the air. “Your question my lovely Jewel1307.”
“I have several questions suitable for Mr.Berryman, but I will go with just one. Where did your love of books/writing come from?” The lovely woman sang.
Oh Jewels, *sips water* my love of writing came from when I wrote short stories at school when I was ten and then as I got older I really wanted to make films.
I guess I thought a Director, Writer, Producer, were all one job.
So I started writing ones I wanted to see – They turned out incredibly terrible and I’m sure they won’t get made, so I began turning them into novels…which brings me here now. I also found the love of writing when I began reading a book of my mums that she had when she was a kid… ‘It all happened One Summer’ look it up. I don’t know what but something about that book really got to me and then of course Jeffery Deaver…every page I read of his is like looking into the mind of a genius. Also Roald Dahl.
“Excellent choice Jewel1307, now onto the other lovely Female, Mrs. lilly-rain.”
Nika points to a Lady peculiarly balancing two children in her hands.
“If you could meet your all time favorite writer and ask him/her one question about one of their books, what question would it be and what book?”
All these writers asking me questions is making me sweat Nika…can we get the air con any colder in here? *Nika motions for a crew member to crank the air* If I could meet any writer I would meet Jeffery Deaver and ask him about the book ‘The Sleeping Doll’ I would ask how long it took him to write, how much research was involved and where does he come up with such brilliant, realistic characters.
Nika pursues her lips in thought. “Very interesting, I hope to one day be someone else’s favorite author, but enough about me, unless you want to hear more in which case…”
Nika stops as a petite female bounces up and down in her seat, waving her hand frantically. “Yes Miss xXdemolitionloverXx ? Do you have a question?”
“Two actually, if you were to be thrown into one of your stories (even though they all take place in Contro) which one would you rather it be, and why?”
Nice to see you here! *nods* I would have to say You Wish because there are different elements like aliens and genies involved. I would probably either try and make friends with Jahvari or Smoke and go on adventures.
“Great question Demo dear, now moving on…” Niks stops as xXdemolitionloverXx’s hand remains raised. “Um… was that not all then?”
“I believe I said two questions.”
Nika cocks an eyebrow and counts silently on her fingers as Thomas waives xXdemolitionloverXx to proceed.
“Ahem, who do you think you are more similar to or who would you rather be- the dangerous yet lovable Paul, the loyal and fierce Sin, or the mystical and charming smoke?”
Wow this is a really tough question. To be honest each of them have traits from different stages of my life. No I was not a serial killer, genie, or a gangster. I mean when I was being a recluse and not socializing for so long I created Paul (I’m also usually thinking something different to what I am saying when talking to people). When I was growing in confidence and I’ve always been a loyal hard worker; so with these traits Sin came along, and Smoke was created when I was going out and having fun all the time. If I had to choose one though it would definitely be Sin *wipes sweat* all of these characters are kind of bad guys in their own way and yet still retain good qualities, but Sin because he is loyal yet remains ambitious.
Nika stares at xXdemolitionloverXx for a moment as she gleefully sits in her seat, her hands gripping the sides as she sways back and forth. “Right then, does anyone then have a question in line with Mr. Berryman’s fine work?”
A sunglasses decked female leans forward cooly and calls out “Where did the inspiration or idea for the creation of Contro City come from?”
I love your sunglasses. Well I was trying to think of where one of my stories would be set…Australia? America? How much would I have to change? Which city would they live in? Then I decided why not just make up my own city? I can create whatever I want. My favourite weather is rain so it is a city that rains most of the year and has bushland, beach, a CBD, party district, industrial area, a growing population, and a variety of characters. I hope that answers your question.
“Interesting, so very interesting JasmineHarvey10, and may I say I love your ray bans.” Nika stuffs the rest of her donut in her mouth, spitting as she announces inaudibly for another question “Nepth pfeese”
A large metal man clunks as he raises his hand to draw the attention of the spotlight before clearing his throat.
“Otay TheRobot!” Nika smacks Thomas’s hand when he reaches for her donuts.
“Dirty Money looks to be a wonderful nod at times past when gangsters had respect rather then the street BMX riding punks of today. Dirty Money appears to show the struggling and traditional view of crime families being faded out by street thugs. Would it be safe today to say that Dirty Money is not just a story but a subtle swan song to classic gangsters and mobs which now lay in retirement homes or in graves? For example, how in London the face of crime were names like the Cray brothers, Charles Bronson, Mad Frank, Dave Courtney etc and crimes like the Great Train Robbery. And now because of government intervention and changing time’s crime is BMX riding teenagers vandalizing and getting high?”
Pieces of donut fall from Nika’s gaping mouth as Thomas gently closes her jaw with his finger and leans forward to answer.
You could have given me just on Nika -.- Well mister Robot you described it perfectly. There is a strong theme of the old fading out, I grew up watching movies like Goodfellas, and the Godfather. For some reason I really admired the old school and how they had their own codes and traditions. I know they were considered bad guys but they had certain qualities. Now there is a new breed of criminal like you described kids with no honor. It is kind of sad in a way like you said the older ones are either in graves or retirement. I feel like it will become extinct. Criminals much worse will evolve from destroying it. The government has a lot of blame to carry – they are not exactly innocent. Great references by the way tin man Charles Bronson was an epic figure.
Nika shakes head. “Great question Mr. Roboto, now let’s veer back towards the juicy innards of Mr. Berryman, the what makes him tick tock like a well oiled clock. Yes, the fair maiden in the middle there.” Nika points at a woman wearing 1920’s garb. “Your question SissaRomanov ?”
The female curtsies and adjusts her corset before proceeding “How do you manage to conceal such different emotions to your characters? Is it hard to write about opposite emotions and be neutral?”
Well I usually draw from parts of me from different stages of my life. If one of my characters is sad I think about a time when I was last sad or if they are in a certain situation at a bar or something I think of times I have been at a pub with friends. Also I think everyong progresses in life and develops certain interests at certain stages. Like when I was living with my friends You Wish came about more developed...it was already written terribly, but the characters grew. Before I had a licence and was crammed in amongst people catching two buses to get to work everyday I thought of Paul - some nights I would have to walk two hours just to get home as there were no more buses and took different routes home; exploring and creating characters as I listened to my ipod. As i've gone through different emotions and mind sets I have taken on different stories and I can revert back to those mind sets to work on those stories continously.
“Lovely insightful question your majesty, now onto…” Nika stops and looks in dark corner of room where a couple are feverishly making out. “Um… xangelsmomx, psdoffhby, can we get you two teenagers to pause for a moment so we can get a question?”
David plops Tara on his lap and waives his hand up in surrender as she giggles and asks. “What is the craziest or wildest idea that you have ever come up with to add to a story?”
Probably Jahvari; a night club owning Alien with a taste for the fast lifestyle of drugs and smuggling along with his best friend Smoke, a cool genie who has forgotten how to use his powers properly and begins learning bit by bit; with his first regained power being the ability to create cigarettes. I think most of You Wish is pretty crazy even the nightclub chapter. Overall You Wish is the craziest.
“Thank you Thomas, now psdoffhby ‘s turn, oh really!” Nika throws her hand up as she finds the couple making out again. David pauses and while staring deep into Tara’s eyes, smirks and asks. “Have you ever used your stories as a way to say, want, or do things that you couldn’t or wouldn’t in real life?”
Oh you two…I’ll try and answer before you two are at it again. Yes I actually have a lot. Especially characters in Dirty Money – like Sin he has a lot more leadership skills and says what he needs to. I feel like I never actually say what I want and the best way for me to communicate is with writing. I should probably just start writing my dialogue and handing it to people rather than talking anymore. That is a point in a lot of my stories – my characters are a lot more out going and they do things I wouldn’t. A few of my stories even include some of my ambitions in real life! I let my characters play them out or discuss them with each other and see how they feel about it and get reader feedback.
“Oh for heaven’s sake they didn’t even wait for the answers. Spotlight over here please.” Nika points to the opposite end of the panel where a large furry ape sits consuming half a banana. “TheOrangutan, please.”
“Er… Why do you like interviewing people?”
So glad you could make it Gav…I’m a big fan of yours! I like interviewing people because I can find out more about their process. I also like to have them more recognized… *scratches head*… for example if I love a movie I always watch the special features, and look up everything about it to learn about its origins, and then I usually tell people about it and how they should watch it. Well here it is the same if I like a writer I want to tell everyone about them and I want to know more about the writer. The people I have chosen to interview are definitely amongst my favorites on Wattpad and I always wanted to do it and I could never think of an interesting way to do it until recently. I wanted to ask different questions not like what is your favourite color? Oh cool that writer loves blue and they have a pet dog. I wanted to learn more about the writers writing world. I hope that covers it.
“Thank you Frijolito viejito, there are more bananas available at the mini bar. Now who do we have left?”
Nika strains her eyes into the darkness as she spots a rather large footed, longhaired subject sitting atop a motorcycle holding up his rather enormous hand. “Yes, patas grandes, uh I mean AngusEcrivain.”
Dan laughs and wiggles a foot, causing Nika to blush. “What do you find most irritating when reading the work of others on Wattpad?”
Huge fking spacing! Sorry I got a bit carried away there. But when I am reading a story and I have to scroll down half a page for each paragraph I get pretty annoyed. Also if I am reading a story and it feels like I have heard or read that story a million times before – I like uniqueness. I also can’t stand when I see a summary that says ‘beck was your average girl who was the head cheer leader dating the superstar and lived in her parents mansion with good grades’ If that is an average person I have no hope. Sorry a little off topic but this got me started. Also I can’t stand if the characters are all the same if that makes sense? Like it feels as though they all have the same personality. Spelling mistakes is also a no – the occasional typos are okay and I point them out via PM if I see them but when it is full sentences it nearly kills me. Thanks Dan! I am honored to have you here. I also always call you Angus in my head.
Nika turns and spots a male sitting upright, his hand straight in the air properly, wearing a suit bottom and pasties. “Um… LostDMBFiles…”
He smiles and twirls once for Nika, who now is beet red, and turns towards Thomas Berryman “Give the worst and best tip or advice you’ve been given and why you love/ hate it.”
The best bit of advice I ever got was from a filmmaker and that was work hard at it, and your first story is going to be shit and so is your second one, but don’t give up. Sadly I sent them my first story and I never heard form them again. I also have to point out a few writers on here have given me some of the best advice ever in regards to writing you included. The worst piece of advice I have ever been given would be to be more of an aggressive person/asshole I guess. I hate it because I don’t think you have to step on and over people to get what you want if you think outside the box and are clever enough you will find other ways. I just think you should always be respectful and courteous. Manners are a huge thing for me and if that means you get stepped on…change things around so you don’t.
“Now that is almost everyone for this set, save for our last remaining question, courtesy of El-Cat-O, you all know him as Vanitycat.”
Nika points to a tall thin feline type male who tips a glass of brandy at Nika as he smirks and turns to Thomas. “Tom, you have several completed works in your library, what is the next stop for you? Will you consider approaching publishers with your works or will you consider the self publishing route?”
Ah vanitycat one of the first people I fanned I never thought you would be asking me a question. Well I would have to say both. At the moment if I had to break it down to percentages I would say I am focusing 80 percent of my energy to editing and 20 percent to writing. Editing is important I found out the hard way. Yes I uploaded without editing…I had to get the ideas on there I am always scared of losing everything on my computer and USB and backup USB so I took an extra precaution so don’t fear I am fixing everything. Once this is all complete I plan to approach publishers with Paul Lantar and Dirty Money. You Wish is something I will most likely self publish because I’m not entirely sure if any publishers would be game enough to give it a chance. I think it would have more of an underground following. I still have a lot of work to do to prepare also I don’t even know how to approach a publishing agency so if anyone knows how to contact one let me know!
I am truly lucky to have such amazing writers ask me incredible questions and I would like to thank you all for attending.
Thomas turns to stand up as Nika pushes him back into the seat with her hand.
“Not so fast Mr. Berryman. This concludes our first round of panelists comprised of the writers you deemed good enough to interview, but we have a new slew aching to enter and bombard you some more with their questions. At this time I would like to thank MadFrak, TheOrangutan, Jewel1307, xXdemolitionloverXx, xangelsmomx, psdoffhby, JasmineHarvey10, LostDMBfiles, SissaRomanov, TheRobot, AngusEcrivain, lilly-rain and Vanitycat for your participation, you may now resume your writing. We leave the audience at this time to refreshments in our lobby area as we prepare for the next group of panelists as we leave the fantastic Thomas Berryman in the hot seat. Watch for the Bananas! I think The Orangutan called dibs on the pile.
You Wish - Upside, a genie you accidently summoned owes you three wishes. Downside, he has forgotten how to use his magical powers.
Willis, Arthur and Lily are adamant about getting their wish’s fulfilled, and embark on a series of drug induced escapades and awkward situations in order to help the genie figure out how to get his powers restored. Friendships are tested and they make enemies along the way as the trio are pushed to their limits...all for the sake of getting their three wishes granted, but have they bite off more than they can chew?
Dirty Money - In a corrupted world, whom can you trust?
The family and the business is shrinking under the strain of the fast growing Korean’s, along with pressure coming at them from a Drug lord, and on top of that, the government is all over them. Albert Giuseppe is trying to salvage what he can, he is one of the last of the old school left; with no kids and only past legends, can he bring his empire back to the top? While passing on the tradition of the old ways to the younger generation...if anyone is still loyal enough, or is everything he has spent his life achieving going to crumble before his eyes?