Official trailer for the story is above! Be sure to watch it before reading this!

StefanieSaw's Wattys 2015 entry, The Hall of Games, is an urban fantasy story about a pair of siblings, who after visiting a creepy Halloween carnival called Havoc Heaven, find themselves separated by force. Josh (the brother, duh) is whisked away to a magical world when a 'wizard' discovers that the boy can see shadows that shouldn't be seen. Cady (his sister, double duh) follows his trail, which leads her into another world -- Esvanira. There, she begins her search for Josh in The Hall of Games, apparently the starting point of magically-endowed humans called Starlets, who can call upon the power of the Stars. It's the first installment in an epic quintet.

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In The Hall of Games, astrology and tarot readings are very heavy influences in the magic system. Can you tell us what inspired you to feature so much of these elements in your story? And how did you first come up with the plot for THoG?

To be honest, the first few drafts weren't based on astrology at all. This draft on Wattpad is actually the first to feature astrology, tarot reading and celestial magic. As for inspiration, I have to credit my Pagan beliefs for influencing the whole magic system. I read a lot about the stars and horoscopes, as well as astronomy -- those things have fascinated me ever since I was a kid. Star charts helped a lot to name the characters and creatures in my story. Like 'Decanate' (author explanation: a half-breed between a Starlet and a demon), which is based off Decan, a phase of the moon. Stelliums are also based off Pagan astronomy beliefs.

I first came up with the current plot one day when I was giving myself a reading out of boredom, and thought it would be fun to incorporate tarots and astronomy into the plot. Inexplicably, it fitted perfectly, like it was meant to be included in the story. And thus, the current THoG X)

Cady and Josh are obviously very close to each other, as shown when Cady goes to great lengths to recover her missing brother. Do you have any real life sibling relationships like theirs? If so, do you draw inspiration from it when writing the brother-sister relationship?

Initially, Cady and Josh were meant to be twins, but that didn't really work out (I guess that's because I lost a twin brother so I really wanted him back although we never met as he kinda died in the womb). But I do have an elder sister and two younger brothers. Although we quarrel a lot (like Cady and Josh's bickering) we always stand by each other no matter what. I love my siblings even if they're idiots sometimes (and I'm sure that I seem like one to them too!) and yes, my relationship with my brothers and sister influenced the writing as I wanted readers to know that sibling love is powerful and can drive one to great lengths, rather than the cliche boy-girl love. The theme of the story zooms into love-- the love of siblings, the love of friends, the love of strangers...it all eventually comes back in another form of love.

While in the Hall of Games, Cady receives help from a lot of people (e.g. Bum, Lydia etc.), who all help her in her personal growth, as well as saving her from a couple of sticky situations. Do you think that the supporting cast needs to be as strong as the main character? If so, why?

I strongly believe that the supporting cast is as important as the main cast. They all play an essential part in the story and bring out the best in the MCs. Like Lydia breaks Cady out of prison and Bum sacrifices himself to save Cady's life, I want to bring out the importance of friends in both real life and stories.

I have a light resentment for authors who make their supporting characters weaker than the MC, which is a big no-no for me. I believe that all characters are equal, its just the matter of perspective that we're writing from. For example, I can transform Lydia into the MC anytime by writing from her POV and make Cady the side character. See? Equally important roles ^^

Walkers, Starlets who are very much in tune with Decanates, are pretty much the odd ones out in the world of Esvanira, as they're the only Starlets who do not draw their power from the Spirits of the Stars (kinda ironic actually). Thus, they're shunned and feared by all, even before they were completely wiped out.

In real life, we have a tendency to hate anything that's 'weird' or 'different' from the stereotypes we have in mind. What's your opinion in the similarities between the 'weirdos' and the Walkers?

My inspiration for the vast difference between Walkers and the other types of Starlets came when I first learned of the Africa-American history in school years ago, about the lynching because they were 'different'. Yet, if you go back to the story in THoG, there will be some individuals who accept the Walkers for who they are. Cady's acceptance of a Decanate shows that even 'weirdos' are very much accepted in dire situations. A lot of this 'weirdo' theme will play out in the entire series, but based on THoG alone, everyone's hate for the Walkers is a satire of racism. I believe that with time though, the Walkers will eventually win a place in everyone's hearts :)

Here comes the cliche question: What are the major influences in your story? And how do they influence it?

Modern magic (aka urban fantasy) as well as The Mortal Instruments. I have the entire Cassandra Clare collection in my room, along with Harry Potter and LOTR. THoG is also influenced by the lore of the Stars, from Chinese mythology to Western beliefs of the horoscope. From balls of gas, I made them into Celestial beings, gave them a life and a mind and then let them run their own story. But above it all, it comes down to this: Clare's talent for breathing life and feelings into characters is what inspires me most to create characters who relate to readers. Her works speak of love, and of pure emotions -- they inspire me to write THoG.

Last but not least, any advice for your fellow Wattys 2015 contenders? Or any words of encouragement?

I wish all of you the best of luck! And may the Stars be with you! Write with your heart, for that's where your soul lies.

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Thank you Stef, for entertaining me with this interview and your ability to type out ridiculously long answers to my ridiculously long questions! Don't forget to show your support for The Hall of Games by voting and/or commenting. And if you want to check it out, there's always the external link!