Vira Riddle, who I am super lucky to co-write a series with, let me interview her. Well, more like I told her it would be super fun and short and so she agreed and then we realized that it was super super fun but not at all short.
Vira Riddle is a writer who has a passion for adventures, heart retching stories, and turning the cliche into something new and utterly amazing. You can find her on Facebook or on her website/blog. Vira also interviewed me, and you can find that here.
And here we go!
Where is your favorite place to write?
On my bed, but now I have a desk so it will be my desk.
What is your favorite part of writing?
Really just getting to be a part of a character and feeling their emotions as you write them. And your least favorite part of writing?
Not know where to go with a scene or like when you write the perfect scene with the perfect cliffhanger but it's not long enough to end the chapter so you have to keep going. Do you have writing habits or rituals?
Not really. What books or authors that influenced your style the most?
Naw
Okay, naw it is. Moving on,
What is your favorite character you ever created?
Main char: Mercy, from when hero's fall and Sage from Battle scars, also I like Katara. Oh! and Eve from the good doctor. Side char: Aleric, just because he's so unapologetic. Do you have a favorite author?
J. K. Rowling is a top fave. As in writing style. I'm sorry, I'd say Rick Riordan and in story line but I want to say c.s. Lewis. But c.s. Lewis inspiration me the most. Favorite trope to write?
Hurt and heluctant hero. The world has hurt them so much but they can't stop caring. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.
THANE!!! *waves hands* SORDIA!!! But if I had to pick someone else I'd pick...? Anderson. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?
Like.. nothing. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?
Like.. 2 words. I think about it almost all day and I mean, that counts for something. Single or multi POV, and why?
Single mostly. If I were to do more it would be one POV per chapter. In reading I don't like multi. Poetry or prose, and why?
I can't write poetry to save my life man. So I guess prose.
I can testify to this fact. And... If someone is really interested in hearing some of Vira's failed poetry.. You can ask nicely in the comments.
Standalone or series, and why?
I have a lot of stand alone's but I prefer series more or books that could have a sequel. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? Also who do you share them with?
I share with Thane and Fiona. Who do you write for?
I don't want to sound weird but I write for the characters. I started writing for me to get everything off my chest and get the person I thought I was off into the page. But now it's evolved into these are people who have helped me and to tell their story and how their story can help others. Favorite line you’ve ever written?
I've had a few good ones.. *scrolls through all the documents even written* umm.. *scrolls*... In chapter how do you plead in Scepter of Blood. "what do you say for yourself" He mocked, leaning forwards so that his breath mingled with hers. "How do you plead." "Guilty" she whispered, as she drove the knife between his ribs." Hardest character to write?
*Deep breath* goes back to books.. *mutters about different characters* um.. hmmmmmmm..... *Scrolls* uhhhmmm. Oh I forgot about her... I'd say probably Fate. Or Mina Wilson. Easiest character to write?
Probably Katara, Jade, or Onix. Do you listen to music when you’re writing?
Um, if depends on the scene. But not normally. Handwritten notes or typed notes?
Typed. I hate having to re write things. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you?
By Tolken *makes funny sounds..* where are you? where are you?! AH
"A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities."
Future Vira objects to that answer and changes it toooo....
Albert Einstein, "There comes a time in everyone's life when you have to stop reading other people's stories and write your own."
Do you base your characters of real people or not?
Not really. Sometimes I'll fashion a character after a general idea of a person but they won't act like that person. Like Thane as Brandy. Or Hannah as Hannahthold.
I love Brandy. And Hannahthold. Great job on those characters V.
How many stories do you work on at one time?
*Laughs nervously* Do you really wanna know the answer to that? Okay.. let me count.. 1 2 3 4... 30... 35.. 39.. 40.. 49 is how many that is on my.. what it called. My book catalog. But I haven't written on all of them. Are you an avid reader?
Yes! What would your story Scepter of Blood look like as a tv show or movie?
I honestly don't know. A lit of special effect. A lot of cgi. There's just so much complexity but to short for a TV show.. if that makes sense. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story?
The Characters, the plot evolves and takes shape around them. Favorite genre to write in.
Fantasy. So much fantasy. Midevil fantasy but doesn't fallow midevil rules. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end?
Umm. Probably end. I know where I want it to go but not how I want it to end. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.
Umm.. weirdest.. *sucks on finger and makes weird noises.* I'd say would be Alice or Bountry. Bounty is about an alien that is one of 50 that can shape-shift and when people attack they couldn't so now she is being hunted across the Galaxy and crashlands in earth and she takes shape of a human but she's totally blind so she operates using echo location. Describe the aesthetic of your story Scepter of Blood in 5 sentences or less.
*Crosses arms* *thinks for a long time* It's the silence on a Misty night. The sun peaking out over the hill at the end of a battle where your not sure if neither side won. It's the broken and the hunt. And not know if their the victim or the vilian. How did writing change you?
Once I finally realize I was writing about myself it helped me to isolate the negative ideas and thoughts processes that were running through my head. That if readers don't see Katara as evil or horrible then maybe that's not how I see myself. What does writing mean to you?
Writing means hope. It mean adventures. It mean soul-searching. It's that tether that you hold onto when you don't know where to go. It's the release of all the pent up anger and bitterness or that you've been holding inside and mulling over. Or it's it's, it's the joy that you could share with the friend because they had a bad day. What themes are especially important to you to write/talk about in your stories? Ironically the moral compass. Showing that the world isn't just black and white and that sometimes the good guys are remembered as bad guys and that victors write the stories.
These last few questions are about The Sordian Chronicles.
Why is this story (Scepter of Blood) first? I think probably because it's ment so much to me, growing up with Thane and playing it everytime we got together. And it was just the person I thought... I was managing to be a hero and if I needed to know that then other people do to. If you had to become one of your characters in SoB which char and why? That's hard because honestly they all have terrible lives. I wanna say Katara because I modeled her after me. But I think I'd pick Aleric or Landon. Their lives aren't as terrible. And Landon, despite losing his mom and having his kingdom thrust into war, still has a family in the end. And Aleric, I don't know a lot about his backstory, I really identify with his sense of duty and not being apologetic for something he needs to do. If you could pick which class of Lucid you got to be, which one and why? Probably Atromec because I would say shadow realmer but since they are hated I probably would have been on their side of the war. But their powers are so freaking cool!! But again, Atromec one really know what they can do, their a mystery and powerful but there is so much history there. What time would you want to live in Sordia? I'd say either the discovery age or the underground age. Underground because people are fighting for their rights. Fighting a war against hundreds of years if tradition and bigotry but there is so much hope. In discovery there is None, it's pretty cool. But the realms are finally at peace. At least Sordia and the highlands. They find, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but so any cool things about their history that had been lost for so long. So I'd probably say the age of discovery. If Katara met you would she hate you or be friends? To be honest I don't know. Um, I think we'd see eye to eye on a lot of things. But I'd call her out on a lot of her crap. And kinda become a Landon ish char to her.
Well, thank you for reading, if you have any questions for Vira (Like when will she finish Scepter of Blood) ask away in the comments below!
Much Love,
Thane