Client: FrankEEla

Interviewer: Tufold

Hello, and welcome to Tippa' the Pen. Interview sessions with the latest up and coming writers and storytellers. Today I'm interviewing FrankSauce as my first interviewee. How's life been treating you, Frank?

Not too bad. Busy, that's for sure.

And it definitely shows you've been busy. You won an award on Wattpad recently, right?

Yes! My first one out of 10+ entries.

And what was that award for?

The Crystal Blossom Awards held by The Gemme Community. I got a close first in their fantasy category.

Awesome. Congratulations to you. So, tell us a bit about yourself.

Yeah, as of right now, I'm on a bit of a hiatus due to my job. I love writing fantasy worlds, it helps me escape reality for a bit. Telling stories is a passion, real or fake. I'm a fan of both science and fiction, so that's what birthed the idea for Shadow Bands—that and trying to prove to my wife that I can write a better story than Twilight, combining its essence with the plot of a cult classic that I'm not gonna mention. It's probably obvious, but I'll let people figure that out. Other than that, I'm a pretty average dude.

Very bold mindset. You have a wife? Is she a fan of your works, then? Or help you?

She proofreads sometimes. She likes completed works so I gotta run it to her when it's done before anything else happens. One of my biggest supporters for sure, though.

Well, I'm happy for you, and I wish you good luck on the completion. Speaking of completing: how do you find your ideas? Do you conjure them by deciding to sit down and look for ideas? Or do they just come out of nowhere like a shower thought?

When it comes to ideas, I have a D20 by my side to help me with success rates, conversation flows, directions—all that if I struggle to make a decision. I do take inspiration with the world and events around me, and fantasy materials that are accessable out there. A lot of it is shower thought, especially dialogue.

D20? Like from Dungeons and Dragons? Now that's innovative. I can already see your fans in the future bringing up, whether it be in a video or casual conversation, "Did you know they use a dungeon dice to make decisions?" Creative. So, what inspired or currently inspires you the most?

Yes! A Dungeons and Dragon die. I've dabbled in a few home built modules, and I've played as a player plenty of times too, so telling fantasy stories is within my parameters. It'll be interesting if that's brought up in any other interview, that's for sure. Castlevania for sure! Also Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. Something about science and fantasy mixing is a complete novelty for me. I haven't read anything of the like yet, or even heard of. So whether I'm the first, or in a line of many, I'd like to bring this type of genre to light, because I think it's pretty unique and it scratches that part of the brain for me. Hahah. I'll also have to add Interstellar to this list of inspirations. I don't know how, but thinking about it helps me write the physics part of my story sometimes.

Ah yes, I know Brandon Sanderson. His writing classes are great. Castlevania is great too. All good inspirations. Do you have a writing ritual?

Can you elaborate on that?

Yes, I mean, do you have a routine and mindset or things you do before you sit down to write? Something that'll get you ready.

Ah. Not necessarily. Any time, anywhere is my when. I dedicate maybe 30 minutes of continuous writing in order to hopefully get through a block if I have one. If there's one thing, I gotta be comfortable, which I'm assuming most people can relate to.

Absolutely. Although some prefer to write in turbulous areas or situations to see what happens. How long have you been writing?

I've had my fair share of those situations, but gotta strike while the iron's hot, right? I've been writing for a while now—a bunch of failed stories along the way, but lessons were taught, that's for sure. I'd say maybe almost a decade, granted my earlier stories were written by a teenage me who thought I was the sh*t, I don't know if cursing's allowed, but excuse my lack of a better word.

Feel free to curse as much as you want. I noticed you considered your old stories a failure. I say, if they built up to who you are now, they were the opposite of failure. They were the essential level-ups.

Now, you've been writing for nearly a decade as you said; along the way, have you created or discovered any super secret techniques of your own?

Unfortunately, not. I will say it doesn't require a college degree to write a story, but it does take some learning, and trial and error. Throughout your time as a writer, you'll find your writing style almost unique to you, and that your fans will know and love you for.(Not speaking from personal experience) Most of your secrets will show themselves to you if you put in the effort. So I guess my secret is just trying; see what works, and what doesn't, then adapt.

Valid. So then what do you expect from your self in the future?

Nothing much. Just slaving to the system, and keeping up with my hobbies. I will say, there will be more coming after this book. There might even be a part 2 for Shadow Bands, so I have that to look forward to.

I see. A part two would definitely be appreciated by your fans.Speaking of expectations... What's your take on the current, modern-day writing world?

It's definitely expanded. A little less underground, but the bookworms are coming out and it's great to see. Books are becoming popular, so depending on the market, there's definitely friction that can be had. I don't find anything wrong at the moment. People are entitled to what they write and share.

Agreed. So what do you strive for when writing?

Just a shared experiance with my readers. Growing up, reading these types of stories helped me escape the conflict in my mind, so I'm hoping to do the same thing.

That's what art's all about. What's something you'd tell new writers not to do?

I'd tell them to not give up. To shut up and take critique very seriously, especially if it's getting brought up multiple times. It's your story, sure, but you're writing it for people to read, and not yourself. So keep the essence and adapt.

I see. What's something you love and respect but rarely see in writing?

Description. I know that it becomes a fine line when writing—too much or too little—but when done right, it becomes a beautiful painting in the mind. And the beauty of that painting is that it varies from person to person, so now it has become a collage of wonderful imagery that I'll hopefully see one day.

Absolutely agree. What are you currently reading? It could be a book, comic, manga, etc.

At the moment it's House Of leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Oooh, that's a good one. Very mysterious. And do you have one book that doesn't sit right with you? One you don't like? And why? If you wereto summarize a critique.

At the moment, I don't. I do my best to stray away from stories that I may not like, which is bad I get that. But I'm so picky.

Understandable. Lastly, is there anything you'd like to tell new writers or the writing community?

Just put it out there. Someone's gonna read it, someone's gonna enjoy it. Once you start worrying about numbers, you're gonna lose your drive to write, and replace it for something completely counterintuitive.

Solid advice. Thanks, Frank. It was a pleasure interviewing you. I'm sure your fans will appreciate this advice and look forward to more of your work. Take care. This has been Tippa' the Pen with Tufold. Take care, stay safe.