For part one, check out my other book, Pining Through Calamity (Bromance)!
[ February 8th, 2024 ]
Do you think the friendships you write are too romantic?
Hm, I don't think so, but I do believe I experience love differently than most. I desire romantic connections with everyone special in my life. Whether that be a platonic romance with family members and friends or a more passionate romance with a lover. For me, love isn't fulfilling if it isn't romantic—if it isn't affectionate, needy, dependent, and soul-aching. I believe in platonic soulmates just as much as I do romantic/passionate ones. I'm sure this is noticeable in the stories I write: just how much I long for relationships like these. Not everyone will understand it, and that's okay. I just hope you guys and everyone who does understand can enjoy my stories anyway.
Why use the BL tag if you write bromance?
That's exactly why I use the tag. Because a "bromance" tag doesn't exist on Webnovel or anywhere else, really, the BL tag is what I resort to in order to attract the right readers. I do write love between men, and it's affectionate and soul-crushing, but it is also platonic.
Do you plan to write romance again one day?
Maybe. But it's a chore for me to read straight romance between lovers as well as it is to write it. And I'm also inexperienced when it comes to that type of love. Truthfully, platonic friendships are much more fulfilling to me where I am in life right now. I've never had a lover before, so I can't say I know what I'm missing, but perhaps that's why I don't crave for it. And if a love like that isn't something I desire, I won't write poems about it.
Do you ever get tired of writing?
Sometimes. As I do with everything else in life. Writing is my passion. It's my art and fun, and I love it dearly. But as a writer, even when I'm not physically writing, I'm always in a creative mindset. That energy goes to brainstorming the next scenes for a book, finding songs for inspiration, outlining, posting on social media to promote my books, etc. And as much as I love doing all of that, it is draining sometimes, and my brain just shuts down. When that happens, I take some time away from creativity and relax, because forcing creativity as a writer can make you dislike or even resent the creative/writing process.
Do you have any doubts about success?
I believe the genre I write is very niche. I've read a lot of books, and never have I seen a story that centers affectionate friendships between men. So, I do believe it will be difficult to build a large and loyal readership. I also know there will be some people telling me I'm too in-between, to either make my characters couples or dial back on the romance. I chose neither. I like platonic romance. I also no longer write smut, and smut is what sells A LOT today. In a way, I'm already behind because I won't succumb to the pressure. However, I don't doubt my skill. Not at all. I don't doubt my ability to improve my writing & story telling, and I don't doubt that one day I'll be successful in this under-recognized niche I write. I'll wait patiently for the right people to stumble upon my work :).
Do you have any other passions besides writing?
I used to be so passionate about art that I went and purchased an I-Pad late 2021–early 2022 so I could pursue a side career in digital creation. It was my plan to turn my stories into webcomics. Haha…I had potential but I wasn't so good at it! Realism was more my deal, not the anime-style art I was trying to achieve. I might get back into it one day to create my book covers, but I love writing so much that I don't even feel sad I don't draw anymore. I'm still creative in other ways.
When is the first time a book made you cry?
Winter of 2022 I stumbled upon Broken by Nicola Haken for the first time. I was at one of the lowest points of my life then, and hadn't expected the book to be as dark as it was. To this day my mental health is really bad (which is another reason why I take unexpected breaks from my stories). Anyway, I broke down at a particular scene in the book, (no spoilers) when I was certain one of the characters was giving up in a similar way I'd planned to. I won't go too in-depth about that, but I resonated with the strenuous mental health battle one of the main characters went through.
And it gave me hope. Something I rarely feel these days.
Do you write for yourself or your readers?
This might seem selfish, but I always write for myself first. For me, there is no point in writing a story I don't enjoy just to cater to readers or bring in a large check. I would never be happy doing that. And all I ever want to be is happy. Writing is my therapy in a way. A way to express my neglected desires and have them fulfilled in the fictional worlds I create. I do this for myself, but I am always happy to bring along anyone that enjoys the journey with me.
How many hours a day do you write?
On a good day I write around 3-5 hours either in the morning or late at night. I sacrifice my sleep for it, since usually my day is busy with the responsibilities of cleaning after a large family and being present for them. I also go to college part-time this semester. And I like to make sure I at least have a little time to take care of myself and do things I enjoy. Fortunately, writing is what I enjoy most :).
Have you had any crazy experiences with your stories?
Two years ago I published a story that became popular quickly on a separate author account. Some of you might have read it. For that story I received many contracts from different platforms and even an Amazon publishing deal for once it was completed. It was all so bizarre. And it's interesting to me now that I was offered so much for a story that was written mediocre at best. I've since taken it down from Webnovel since I don't write smut anymore, but sometimes I do wonder how big I could have made it if I'd continued writing that story. Maybe I would've been a top author on Webnovel or made a lot of money. Who knows. I long for that kind of traction and recognition again one day, but with the kind of stories I write now.
What inspired the names of your main characters?
If you guys read my other book, Pining Through Calamity, you'll see that the main character Prince Ruith has an "R" name like Prince Reyin. I'm fond of "R" names. So many of them are delicate while others are strong. I meditated over Reyin's name for a while. The original spelling for it was "Rayen", but I believed the change in vowels made the name softer, like him.
As for Hael, well, glimpses of his character actually remind me of Hua Cheng from TGCF, if any of you have read the novels. I have, a little. But I stopped on volume four I believe, when Xie Lian was trapped with the villagers who were trying to atone for their sins and…well, you guys know the rest. Off topic, but that scene actually sent me into a panic attack, especially after seeing the image with it, so I dropped the series altogether, LOL. Anyway, I wanted something that was both powerful and soft for Hael (because he is soft behind the violence), something that reminded me of an angel and started with the letter "H". I then discovered the name "Hael" across one of my Pinterest boards, and thought it was perfect.
Ellis' name came to me easiest, actually. It sounds regal, responsible, and authoritative like he is. As for Ember, well, tragedy is the source of his name, and you'll have to read to learn about what happened to him.
Wow, this was a long one, wasn't it? Well, that's all for today! Haha, one day I'll build a website and have all sorts of questions like these answered. I hope you all continue to support me and my work :). Please leave any more questions you might have in the comments, or connect with me on social media!
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