Welcome to our first interview for this month! We are with this talented author bigfivedonaldduckfan, who penned the story, Infamous Last Words.

Dark Fantasy Team: When did you start writing this story? How was your experience while writing it?

bigfivedonaldduckfan: I started writing this story back in February 2021, when the Open Novella Contest of that year began and a prompt about an omen of death showing up at someone's door really spoke to me. When I started thinking about Will-'o-the-wisps serving as my omen of death, I got the idea to make my entry a contemporary/dark fantasy tale about a journey into a cursed swamp. While I'd written in that genre before, 'Infamous Last Words' still felt very different to me while I navigated its world and characters. That feeling of difference made writing it more challenging, but I also got more enjoyment out of the experience that way!

DF: Tell us a few things about your story and your journey on Wattpad. What do you love the most about them?

B: I've been using Wattpad for a long time: I made my account way back in 2014, when I mostly used the site to read and write awful fanfiction like a proper twelve-year-old. In 2019, I decided to try my hand at original fiction (also because of the ONC) and I've been enjoying that ever since! Every day I continue to learn new things and improve my writing on this site and I hope my progress is visible in my work!

 Now, about my story. 'Infamous Last Words' is about Jack, a gentleman thief in debt who finds himself confronted with an omen foretelling his death. To pay off his debt to his boss, the fearsome crime lord Isla, he agrees to come along with her to a cursed swamp, where the odd pair needs to find a valuable draconite necklace; all while Jack tries to escape his foretold demise.

The story features scary creatures in an ominous environment, antiheroes with questionable morals and the necessary exploration of concepts like fate and death. It's a mishmash of contemporary/dark fantasy and horror, topped with a healthy dose of humour. What's not to love? :p

DF: What drew you to this genre? What things in this genre that appealed most to you?

B: I've enjoyed fantasy of all kinds since I was a child. For some reason, though, I always find myself drawn to darker themes while writing. Even if I don't intend to, my stories have a tendency to take dark and/or scary turns. It's probably because the themes I like to explore tend to be on the more serious and morbid side. 'Infamous Last Words', for example, deals with the consequences of greed and the (in)evitability of death. So really, my contemporary fantasy tale grew into a dark fantasy tale naturally! I enjoyed populating my world with creepy critters from folklore and writing about less-than-honourable protagonists!

DF: Is this the only genre you write in or do write in other genres too? If yes, tell us something about it.

B: Nope, this isn't my only genre for sure. In fact, most of my stories tend to be genre-ambiguous, as I don't like being confined to genres while writing. My current project is actually a mix of high fantasy and zombie fiction! I write the stories I want to tell; that's all. So far, my works fit into the horror, paranormal, mystery, thriller, and fantasy genres, though I try to lace all my work with humour as well. It's an odd mix, but I like it that way!

DF: Tell us something about your protagonist(s).

B: The main character of 'Infamous Last Words' is Jack, a cowardly but clever gentleman thief with more confidence than is good for him and a good sense of humour. His main goal throughout the story is to survive all the ordeals his put through, to evade his impending doom. The more the story progresses, the more he comes to terms with his past actions and the life he's lived. Question is: will he be able to cheat death or not?

DF: What was the biggest obstacle you had to face while writing this story?

B: Creating the cursed swamp, Algor. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoyed exploring it, but I also had to figure out its inner workings and what it looked like. The most challenging was putting all that into words naturally, so the readers could picture it as well as possible and so I wouldn't create accidental plotholes. I think it worked out well in the end!

DF: What are some books that influenced your writing and maybe you, yourself, as a writer?

B:  I can't name books or authors specifically. My taste is varied and I read whatever appeals to me: sometimes that's works by Rick Riordan or Stephen King, sometimes it's classics like Dickens. I think anyone's writing is subconsciously influenced by all the stories they've engaged with in their life combined with the experiences they themselves have had. We're *all* shaped by everything we've lived through and consumed. That's what influences me as a writer, and, if you think about it, it might be what makes your own writing tick as well.

DF: If the world was attacked by unknown creatures, what would be your very first move to survive?

B: Bold of you to assume I'd bother. I would simply die.

DF: What do plan on achieving in the future, be it on Wattpad or in general?

B: Of course it would be awesome to win a Watty or become a published author at some point, but that kind of stuff should never be one's sole motivation for writing. That'll just result in disillusionment. For now, I'm content just writing what I enjoy and taking opportunities as they come, such as fun interviews like these! Thank you for having me here ^^

Thank you so much, bigfivedonaldduckfan, for being with us and agreeing to our interview. Check out their work, Infamous Last Words, to support our author!

- The Dark Fantasy Team