Author: Nic_Colon

Title: Spirits in the Woods (ONC longlist 2020)

Genre: Fantasy

Review: A well-written story of Zarah's adventures. The construction of the narrative was magical and evoked emotions of wonder and adventure. I could experience the woods through the protagonist's eyes.

A piece of advice I give new writers is to think about constructing words that evoke emotions in the reader and offers them a unique experience for the story. It sets a lasting impression in a reader's mind. This was one of the strongest aspects of the story, the unfolding of an adventure in a way the reader could experience. The story construction was relatable to young readers of Zarah's age group.

The story itself is set in a fictional modern day setting known as Laurel City and the forest on the woods near the city's fringe. Zarah is respectful of the forest, which is shown to the reader by her actions (e.g. picking up a littered plastic bag that was polluting the stream and pocketing it to properly dispose of it later). She's a curious and independent girl with a sense of justice. Her love of nature might have been honed from her mother's florist business.

The cast is nicely balanced with J.J. as the popular boy and one of Zarah's close confidently, as well as a couple of snooty girls to rile up the reader's emotions.

The first three chapters were primarily establishing the protagonist in their world. It was nicely done without the heavy info dump. A good balance of show and tell. The character design was rock solid with clear character motivations.

Daphne, the tree spirit, is properly introduced in the following chapters. She becomes the new girl in Zarah's class. Zarah allies with her to save the woods.

The only thing that I wasn't clear on throughout the story was Zarah's motivations towards the aim of saving the woods. I could feel her determination but not quite the reasoning behind it. But that's okay, considering the story audience would be children. Aim and motivations didn't need to be complex or deep. Zarah's passion for Daphne's woods was enough motivation to move the story along in that respect.

Jada was a good balance of being an antagonist and, certainly, one some kids would get hot and bothered with. Although, I also wasn't too clear of her aims, which would've clashed with Zarah's. Again, it wasn't a big loss in this respect.

The other antagonist was an abstract one, being the logging company project that could destroy the woods.

Overall, a fascinating and amazing story. The plot wasn't complex and didn't need to be, as it allowed the characters and world design to be something special.

Reviewer: VeronicaPurcell3

Interview with the author

Hello! Dear readers, I'm Shashank Gupta speaking on the behalf of  the @ChildrenFiction team!

Today we have Nic_Colon with us, who wrote "Spirits in the woods". Even though it has been less than one year since she joined Wattpad,she is already giving us some wonderful and beautiful stories.

So Nic, how have you been?

Hi Shank, I am doing very well, thank you so much for this opportunity to interview with you and thank you for your kind words.

Nic, would you mind telling our readers more about yourself?

I'm an elementary school teacher and I have a passion for reading and writing. When I was a kid, I always dreamed of becoming an author and a teacher. I am also a mom with a son in fifth grade and a daughter in third grade.

That's really a great thing, many people decide on their passion but only a few see it through and achieve it. Now, what made you write this story? Where did the idea came from?

I wrote the story for the Open Novella Contest. I had not written anything creative in years and my good friend Miss Jina (she is a very talented writer and is here on Wattpad, so if you can, please check out her stories) encouraged me to enter the contest. I was really inspired by my own children too and their love for nature.

I'm glad she encouraged you to enter and you came to write such a wonderful piece. Do you start with an outline or a plot? Or do you just prefer to see where an idea takes you?

That is a great question Shank. I try to start with an outline and I really think about my characters and their personalities before I write. Sometimes new ideas come to me while I'm writing and the plot seems to take on a mind of its own.

Hahaha! Well that happens a lot with me too. I totally understand how is it like to change the whole plot because of a new idea. So, is there any idea that made much difference, that changed the ending that we get now from the ending that you planned before that idea?

Yes actually there is. I had originally planned to end the story with Daphne deciding to remain in her human form, but suddenly changed it while I was writing. I realized that despite Daphne and Zarah's strong friendship, the tree spirit belonged in the forest.

A wise decision... Now about the main story. What's the inspiration behind our little, cute character Zarah?

I would say the main inspiration would be my own children and their curiosity and love for the world around them, especially plants and animals. They love being outdoors and exploring nature.

Oh! Little angels were the inspiration behind our little cutie. It's a good thing that they are curious of the outside world.

Yes, we have tried to make the most of the quarantine situation during this worldwide pandemic by spending as much time as possible outdoors, and I think our family is much healthier because of it.

Speaking of Zarah let's talk about the one who is on odd terms with her. Is Jada based on someone?

Jada is not based on any one person in particular, but when I was thinking of her character I thought of some girls I knew when I was a kid and how I felt so different compared to them at that age. Many girls were starting to enjoy fashion, make-up, and boys and I still loved playing outside and just being a kid.

During the first encounter you defined the dryad, or should we call her Daphne, as a creature whose hands are covered with bark like skin, has moss colored hair and not to mention those beautiful emerald eyes. So, do you mind explaining, how did you get the idea for her appearance? 

When I was thinking of Daphne I knew she would be this beautiful tree spirit and I wanted to give her an appearance that was inspired by nature and trees.

Well, if I had to imagine what's a dryad looks like I would probably go in the same direction. I really liked the look of her.

As you already mentioned in the story, it is a sad reality that kids these days like to spend their time on videogames or watching their favourite series or youtube videos. They surf on the internet for the whole day instead of exploring nature or experiencing different things. Do you want to say some words on this situation?

As a teacher and a mom I see that many kids seem to prefer exploring the internet and playing video games, rather than playing outside. While it is so important for today's kids to learn about technology, I think it is also important for kids (and adults too) to connect with nature.

Speaking of nature, the way you described the whole scene is beautiful, and let's not forget your impressive vocabulary. It brings the whole forest right to us and it's like we are exploring the it through Zarah's eyes. As a reader, this makes me really happy. Please continue to write such beautiful stories!

Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to write in Children'sFiction?

Writing can be really hard, especially when you work full time and are also a parent or a student. My advice would be to try to write and read whenever you can, and write about things you love or find interesting.

That's some wonderful advice. Things will come naturally to you once you start giving your time to what you want whether it's to write or to read.

Lastly do you wanna mention anyone?

I would like to mention my friend Regina (MissJina) for encouraging me to write again and my husband Wilfredo Colon for his support. Also, I would like to thank you Shank and Children'sFiction for this wonderful opportunity. I feel more inspired than ever to keep writing!

Well that concludes our interview. Thank you Nic for your time?

If you are interested in reading Spirits in the woods by Nic_Colon please check out this link.

Interview: shank1500