Welcome to our interview for this month! We are with this talented author, avadel, who penned the story, A Heart of Snow.

Dark Fantasy Team: How did you come up with this story?

avadel: Have you ever thought it was awfully convenient that Snow White would be next-in-line for her step-mother's throne? It made me wonder, in a darker version of Snow White, where political tensions are dangerously high and power is everything—how far would one person go to get what they want?

DF: Tell us something about your protagonists.

A: A'snowlyne is a politician accustomed to the silky, spider-web lies of the kingdom's court. She's beautiful, manipulative, and determined to the point of obsession.

DF: How do you think a story is considered Dark Fantasy?

A: Dark Fantasy doesn't promise any happy endings. It's not afraid to let the protagonists suffer the consequences of their actions. Most importantly, though, no matter how fantastic it gets, it doesn't gloss over the crueler, realer stuff about human nature that we'd rather turn a blind eye to.

DF: Tell us about your process in building dark fantasy scenes and worlds.

A: Remembering that people, at their core, are not good goes a long way. What happens if you take the heroes out of the story and leave the world full of people whose greatest motivator is ambition? Answer that question honestly, and you've got a very dark world on your hands indeed.

DF: What is your writing journey? Tell us about it especially your journey with your dark fantasy book.

A: "A Heart of Snow" is really a short story, so I was able to write it in a single fever of about five hours. Before that, I spent days rolling the concept around in my head and getting a feel for who A'snowlyne was. I've been so busy with my full-length fantasy project, "Of Caverns and Casters", though, that I haven't really gotten a chance to edit like I normally do. I'd love to go back and layer even more political intrigue and make-you-cringe details to round out the dark tone and reality of the story.

DF: Are you writing other genres? If yes, how do you think dark fantasy compares to the other genres you're writing? What are the challenges in writing dark fantasy?

A: I dabble in soft (and usually tragic) science fiction, but fantasy is where my heart is. Still, my main project, "Of Caverns and Casters" and its sequels, is more psychological, adventure, and arcanepunk fantasy than dark fantasy. No matter what genre I'm writing in, though, the biggest thing is realism. With dark fantasy, the hard part is that you have to convince people what they're looking at is real even while they try not to look it in the face.

DF: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser? How does that work with writing dark fantasy?

A: For longer works, I'm a plotter. For shorter works, like A Heart of Snow, I'm a pantser. No matter what method you use, though, for dark fantasy I think it really helps to have a solid grip on your world so you can really develop and sell it to your audience.

DF: A mirror is known to show a person their deepest desires. What do you think it will show you?

A: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all—

Just kidding. I couldn't resist. I think it would show my stories having a real impact on our readers. My co-author and I don't write Christian fiction, but at the end of our major projects, we like to tell people what God has done for them. Even though every human has broken His rules and rejected Him, He still came to save us. Both human and God, Jesus lived a perfect life keeping all the rules we break, willingly died to pay the price for what we'd done, and then came back to life. He'll return one day to judge the living and the dead, but if you repent and put your trust in who Jesus is and what He has done, He'll give you the same everlasting life He has. My deepest desire is for everyone in the world know Jesus, obey Him, and love Him. I'd like to do everything I can to spread the good news. <3

DF: What are the goals you'd like to accomplish in the future whether at Wattpad or in your writing career?

A: Right now, I'm looking to finish my first series alongside my wonderful sister and co-author Aria. The Lost Roads Quartet is a YA fantasy epic featuring scientists in a world they don't belong, a run-away wizard prince, and dark legends coming to life. We'd love if you'd join us for "Of Caverns and Casters", the first installment of the story. It's complete and published on Amazon, but we leave it free on this platform for all of our Wattpad family, friends, and fans. <3

Thank you so much, avadel, for being with us and agreeing to our interview. Check out their work, A Heart of Snow, to support our author!

- The Dark Fantasy Team