Greetings Cryptic followers! We are excited to introduce our newest interview. This month we interviewed dark fiction author AWFrasier. They are the creator of the wonderful Feral series and were kind enough to let us get an inside look into their methods of writing. 

See their interview below, cause it is awesome! 

Where did your writing journey begin? 

In the 1'st grade. I was 6 and we were to draw a little illustration and write a story about it. I wrote about a hunter killing a frog. Since then I've written stories. It started in notebooks and then I finally got a Window 95 computer when my dad bought himself a new one back in the early 00's. So I've basically been writing my entire life. 

What's the story behind your story?

The story behind Feral is a funny one. I was frustrated and running around Gatwick airport trying to figure out where I was going. They apparently don't believe in signs or I've missed every single one because I was super lost. I often start thinking about stories when I need to escape reality for a second and that's when I started thinking about how it would feel to be in an airport for the first time. And that's how I came up with the opening scene in Feral. 

What sort of elements from your day to day life do you incorporate into your stories, if any?

My quirks often slip into my characters. I have a lot of little ticks. Like cracking my jaw, my fingers and biting the inside of my cheek. I have characters who share those ticks. I've also battled different mental issues since I was little. I have that happening to my characters too. Some have it more subtlely while others are more in your face and actually specified through diagnosis and conversations with therapists. Generally, I've used writing as a form of escape in that sense. It was easier when something happened to my characters instead of me. I think that's why I started writing Dark Fantasy to begin with.

What do you struggle the most with when writing (this could include the actual planning process or a specific element of writing such as dialogue)?

Descriptions. Descriptions are the bane of my existence. I often forget that my readers can't just read my mind and see what I saw when I wrote a scene. And then it's just general issues with the English language. It's my third, so I often feel like I come undone with especially my vocabulary and basic grammar. Commas are something I'll probably never get the hang of. 

Do your friends and family support your writing? Have you ever had your friends and/or family read any of your novels?

They don't know I write or upload to Wattpad. I have two friends who've gotten my account name here, but I don't think they've read anything I've written. My parents kind of know I write something, but I haven't specified what. Telling friends and family about a creative outlet is super sensitive and can put me in a vulnerable position. I don't wanna be judged and writing Dark Fantasy that could easily happen, hahaha. I mean, I write about torture and gore. I would probably question my sanity too. 

What sort of environment is the best for you to write in?

My own bed. Preferably with some caffeine next to me and some nice music playing. But honestly, I can write pretty much anywhere where my laptop is. 

On average, how much writing do you get in per day? 

This differs so much. During the summer I usually get a lot done - this summer, not so much. Sometimes I can bang out 5k words easily, while other days I struggle with getting 100 words down on the page. On average I finish at least 2 drafts a year that have about 60-70k words. 

Thank you again to AWFrasier for taking the time to answer our questions! You can check out their works on their profile. We have also attached a link to their twitter in our external link at the end of the chapter. 

If you know of another fantastic dark fiction author that you'd like to see interviewed, please inline comment their username here! They might just be in the next Cryptograph post!

Up next is our newest segment "Cryptic Word of Wisdom." In this section, we ask members of the Cryptic questions about writing, reading, and what it means to be a part of this community! 

Enjoy!

What to do when words don't come easily.

You've been writing, struggling, and fighting with your manuscript for a year, maybe two. You've put so much time into it, so much work, that you barely notice the shadows creeping up behind you. 

When I say shadows, I'm talking about "Writer's Depression," "Writer's Block," Writer's-I-Don't-want-to-do-this-anymore,"-- whatever you call it, many writers hit a point in there story when words fail and the masterpiece you've been working on begins to seem more like crap than the next big novel of the year. 

So what can you do about it? Here's what our wonderful High Council had to say on the subject: 

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From DracoNako author of Those Who Emerge from Ashes:

Changes in scenery tend to help me a lot. I've moved house and work a day job. I've noticed I write less and am more blocked when at my (new) home, but when visiting my mother's I got a lot done. And my job at times has me out in the garden center, and often when I'm out there I come home with a LOT done.

Music is also a wonderful help. Sometimes all it takes is pairing the perfect song with the scene at hand to really get me going.

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From AnnieRosebud , author of The Winter Princess:

Is crying in the corner a valid response? Just kidding, sadly, I can't seem to really do anything else than waiting for inspiration to find me again. Most of the time, I just immerse myself in other things and tasks. Sometimes reading helps.

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From -rayofsunshine designer of Amethyst - Graphic Portfolio. 

Switching up styles. I find that I have the capability to write one single genre, so I put my entire heart and soul into it. Which is why every bit of inspiration I had to write has been consumed in the course of writing the whole thing. Which is why I go to another genre or stylistic aspect of writing. I try being more narrative if I do descriptive more often, and vice versa. It is almost like making your brains work against itself and try to get out of a block.

Have a question you need answered? Let us know here and maybe next time you'll get our Cryptic panel to help you out!

Thanks for reading, we will be posting once a month, we hope to see all of you around! Until next time...