Welcome to our first interview for this month! We are with this talented author dash-of-clarity who penned the story, Shriek.

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

dash-of-clarity: I've always been inspired by the Harry Potter stories and I thought it would be really exciting to create something within that universe, but perhaps with a darker twist. I also have always been a huge fan of the 1985 film, Clue, and wanted to incorporate themes from the movie into the story because I thought it would blend well with Harry Potter. This is what led to my character, Thomas, who goes by the moniker that Tim Curry had in Clue, Wadsworth. Wadsworth is my favorite character in the movie so I based some of Thomas's personality traits off of him. For the rest of the characters, they were created by other authors on Wattpad. I had never written an apply fic before and I thought that this plot presented a good opportunity for it, so I opened it up to others on Wattpad to contribute. They gave me a profile of what their character was like and then I tried to bring them to life to the best of my abilities.

DF: What do the words "writer's block" mean to you? Have you experienced it? How did you overcome it?

D: I'm getting writer's block just answering this question haha. I experience writer's block quite often and I find it to be very frustrating because it usually comes when I actually want to write. To combat it, I try getting into the story by playing relevant music or turning on relevant shows/movies as background noise, and I find that that usually helps. Otherwise I'll do something mindless like coloring or playing a game on my phone and just try to envision multiple paths that my story could take and explore the one that seems the most interesting to me.

DF: What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

D: I always struggle with the middle part of stories. When I'm creating a story I find it easy to plot out the beginning and the end, but connecting the two is always difficult for me. Especially since all my stories seem to have a mind of their own once I put them into actual words, and they tend to create their own paths apart from what I originally envisioned.

DF: What advice would you give a writer trying to write Dark Fantasy for the first time?

D: This is actually my first time writing dark fantasy and I've found that it's way easier than one would think. I didn't even realize that dark fantasy existed or that my story was part of the genre until I stumbled across the Dark Fantasy Wattpad page. So to those of you out there trying it out for the first time, don't fret. There's no box to trap yourself in because there's so many different paths you can take with it and still create something incredibly wonderful and unique. I think it's a good genre for every writer to try out at some point, because it really opens up your imagination.

DF: What part of your story was the most fun to write?

D: I'm still in the process of writing my story but so far my favorite part has been writing the different dreams/nightmares that the characters each get stuck in. It's given me a chance to expand on their background while also playing around with different fears. I started to try to out-match myself for each chapter, letting them get more creepy and dark than the last, which really helped me to expand my descriptive writing skills.

DF: How do you find Dark Fantasy as a genre?

D: I've always been a big fan of the classic fantasy stories like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but as I've aged I've felt the need for something more and I find that dark fantasy fills that need. With dark fantasy, I can still find my favorite aspects of stories, but with a darker twist that keeps me more engaged and makes me think in different ways. I used to be such a scaredy-cat when it came to horrors/thrillers/etc., but once I stuck my toe in the water, I became addicted.

DF: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

D: I like to read as much as I can, but I end up spending a lot more time watching streaming services haha. I also really enjoy camping, hammocking, and hiking, as these were things I grew up doing. Board games are also a favorite of mine when I'm hanging out with friends, Cribbage being my all-time favorite.

DF: What interesting things have you learned throughout your journey? Tell us something about it.

D: Like anything, perfection (or more accurately, contentment) takes practice, but that can only take you halfway. You also have to believe in yourself and take risks. I used to write a lot when I was in high school but I gave up because I didn't think I was any good. When I found Wattpad in college, I decided to take the leap and try it again. It started out rough, but I remained persistent and with each like and comment, I grew more confident that maybe I actually could write. Flash-forward to now, the first story that I started writing on Wattpad is at 400K reads. As scary as it is, put your work out there. I kept my stories hidden when I was younger because I was scared of what people would think. Now, writing is a passion of mine and possibly even a future career. And this philosophy holds true for more than just writing.

DF: What are your future plans in writing?

D: I'd really like to publish a book one day, that's my ultimate goal. I think it would be an extremely amazing feeling to walk into a store and see your story sitting on the shelf. I've also been playing around with screen-writing, and I find it to be a really fun format. I've entered screenplays into a few contests and I'm also really interested in pursuing that path if it takes me anywhere.

Thank you so much, dash-of-clarity, for being with us and agreeing to our interview. Check out the story, Shriek, to support our author!

- The Dark Fantasy Team