AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FIRST PLACE WINNER — AngelMisty032

Q- Why did you start writing?

A- I started writing when I was in the middle of my high school years and I found myself quite drawn to fictional, descriptive writings. I would write small writing pieces without thinking much about the details until I returned to reread them and find them intriguing myself. What Am I To You? K.TH was not really my first story to begin with, I had written a short romance story in my spare time and realised that I really loved writing as a hobby. I guess I write because it is my way of escaping the real world and being in a place where I actually enjoy being. I got to work and publicly wrote my first fanfic starring Taehyung as my main lead which I entered in so many awards as I focused primarily on finishing it as my very first proper writing piece. Then, I released Namjoon's crime book, The Masked Secrets, which got a lot of attention and love from its teaser and trailer.

Q- What inspired you to write this story?

A- I am into a lot of crime, thriller, and mystery. I gathered understanding from stories and visual representations from TV shows, both Korean and American, and I decided that my next book should be about something that I actually enjoyed plotting and uncovering myself. I always found myself engaged to these types of genres so I started planning everything about this book from A to Z and made itty-bitty little The Masked Secrets. I don't seem to have an exact inspiration from where I got this book idea from but it focuses heavily on plots of serial murders and suspenseful crime and mystery that builds up and solves overtime.

Q - Why was Namjoon chosen as the lead?

A- Honestly, I had no idea who to put as the main lead in this book so I went online and spun a digital wheel with all the members' names on it. It landed on Namjoon's name and it suddenly clicked to me that he actually IS a good strong main lead for a book like The Masked Secrets. He has a strong and firm mindset, the proper leadership abilities and the attitude of being a detective and unit leader.

Q - What were you inspired by when you created your characters?

A- Good question. My aim is to incorporate all seven members into this story and to do so, I have put each member into different units of the system. What I mean is that, the real law and enforcement in our world are all interconnected with the police, agents, detectives, medical examiners and weapon providers. They are shown in the system with different jobs but the same purpose and aim. In The Masked Secrets, these include Namjoon being a unit detective, Seokjin being the medical examiner who provides more insight on Namjoon's crime victims, Yoongi as a toxicology specialist who again provides insight and information about victims and crime scene fluids and chemicals, and also Hoseok as the weapons and combat special/ in charge who provides Namjoon's unit with their weapons etc. Other members will have a closely related role further on in the story (spoiler! 😅)
But yeah, that's what inspired me to create my characters this way.

Q - How did you feel after publishing the first chapter?

A- After publishing the first chapter, I felt quite nervous and unsure as I kept thinking about the quality of my story and whether it was worth all the planning. Of course, a story with murder mysteries is a good approach for a book but for it to be a good book, it had to have the right approach. I kept thinking if the first chapter was good enough to draw readers into reading my book and as I started getting the comments and votes, I felt a bit at ease that it was reaching the right people.

Q - What roles did the other members have and why they were given them?

A- Starting off, Namjoon is my main lead who plays detective and leader of the unit. I think he has a smart and strong mentality for playing such an important role in such a complex genre. Hoseok is the weapons expert. We all know him as the sunshine but I wanted to bring out the balance of him being both cheerful and responsible/ firm. Seokjin is the medical examiner so I feel like I am striving to draw his serious side out since his job in the story is so crucial. Finally, Yoongi is the head of Toxicology who runs tests on drugs and samples, I feel like I gave him this role to bring out a certain character of him that plays another crucial role in this story. Other members in this story will also have vital roles depending on what they hide and show.

Q - What would you say to someone who's just started writing?

A- Write what you want to read. That's what makes you instantly fall in love with writing. If you like to read romance, write romance. If you like to read fantasy, write fantasy. Everybody has their own preferences because a reader is a writer's first identity. Theory-wise, I'd say plan the beginning and end of your story and see how the middle shapes. This way, you can see which way your story is going and if you actually want it to go that way. If it's not the way you want it to go, then it's ok because this way, you can better understand your own story and writing style.

Q - Do you have any future stories planned?

A- Yes, I do have a few future stories planned. I have released an announcement and teaser for a Jungkook fanfic called Opposites Attract. It is a grumpy x sunshine trope book as well as a romance genre. Other than that, I have been planning other future books that I hope will be coming out soon, and I am looking forward to hearing about it from other readers.

Q - How do you feel about winning this award?

A- I have been participating in many other awards with my completed book What Am I To You? K.TH, and I have been getting responses that I didn't expect. The Spring Day BTS Awards was the first award platform that I submitted The Masked Secrets on and surprisingly, I won first place. Overall, this is my very first win as an author and I am so thankful for it.

Q - Finally, is there anything else you'd like to add?

A- Final words, thank you to the host for putting this award out there. you are truly the golden bridge that gives new-coming writers the recognition they deserve. Thank you for letting me take part in this amazing award. Thank you to the judges for taking their time out of their schedules and reading every single chapter of every book assigned to you. I know from my own experience that being a judge can be difficult at times. To the participants, you have the power that nobody can take away from you. The power of imagination. Don't be disheartened by any results that you did not expect to see. We all are winners of our books at the end of the day. Good luck to those who are still in the process of waiting for their book results.