Thursday #Hangout with A.C. Corner

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Hello A.C. Corner, tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm Lexie, a college student who has an unhealthy obsession with coffee and The Office. I am also the Music Director for my college's radio station, which has lead me to discover some great new artists and some cringe-worthy others. I'm studying abroad to Oxford University in England this summer, too! It'll be the first time I'll be travelling outside of the United States, so I'm both petrified and ecstatic at the same time - ecstrified, I guess. I'm also one of four siblings - one brother and two sisters - and have a brilliant niece, Evie, to geek out over books and horror moves with.

So recently you won The Night Shift's Opening Scene Contest, what was it like?

I was shocked I won anything! As a writer, I don't think of my book as anything great. I'm sure many writers feel the same. So, when I won second place, I had to re-read the message a few times to make sure I read it correctly. It was very exciting! Still is!

Which of your book won you your spot? Tell us about it?

The book that won is called The Phoenix Pharaoh: Rise from the Ashes or just RFTA for short. It's a story that's been trapped in my head since high school. I love Ancient Egypt, always have, and I wanted to combine the mythology of Egypt with my imagination. It happened naturally, as most books do, and the ideas for characters and storylines would pop up in my head during random times: in the car, in the shower, during class.

The book is about a civil war that decimated Ancient Egypt. During the war, the gods intervened to try stop their followers from destroying the empire, but they only sparked an even more gruesome war. Zahra Kasmut, a warrior who defended Egypt, barely survived, but she doesn't remember it. In order to end the war, her memory was wiped. Now, she strolls the streets of Philadelphia, unaware of her past life, but the archaic voices in her head call out for her to remember.

And then BAM! - the war resurfaces.

So yeah, got to read the rest to find out!

If you were a judge in that competition, in no particular order, what books would you say deserved to be recognized?

Oh, now that's a hard question! Now, if you mean I can choose any books ever for best opening, I'd say Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, The Diviners by Libba Bray and The Martian by Andy Weir. I don't want to choose any Wattpad novels that entered into the contest because I have not read the entire chapters of the other contestants, so I don't want to be unfair! However, all the Top 5 semi-finalists were fantastic and any of them are deserving of a reward.

What inspired you to write the book? What was the hardest part?

Egypt inspired me to write Rise from the Ashes. I fell in love with the culture, the mythology, the history. I feel like it is unappreciated in the writing world. We see books about Greek gods and goddesses all the time, but barely any on Egypt. So, I wanted to give Egypt what it deserved. Due to that, it was hard trying to make sure I fused the mythology with my creativity well enough. I didn't want to mess up the mythology, but rather bring my own interpretation to it in order to tell my story. Let me tell you, though, if I stuck to the myth of how Horus beat Set, it would be very...odd, I guess you could say. Ancient Egypt definitely had its fair share of bizarre stories.

Have you taken part in any other competitions? What do you look out for before signing up for a contest?

I don't believe I have taken part in any other competitions besides the Watty's and the TNS one.I haven't seen any other competitions to be honest. I found the TNS contest because someone voted on one of its chapters on my newsfeed, and it looked interesting! I'm willing to participate in any contest that seems fun.

Tell us a bit about your typical writing process. Much of a Pantser or Planner?

It's funny you ask. I'm actually both. When I started writing Rise from the Ashes, I was winging it. I knew the endgame for the first book, but not the middle ground. It really bugged me, especially when I was about ten chapters in, and a new beginning dawned on me. So, I re-wrote the entire first chapter and added a prologue. I'm glad I did, too!

Now, I outlined every chapter and know exactly how much farther I have to go. Honestly, it works better for me. I have a chapter-by-chapter outline, but it doesn't restrict me if I have a new idea to add or an old chapter to change. For me, the best process is to follow your gut, and that's what I do. If I feel like a chapter is lacking substance or conflict, I go back and edit. If I feel like I'm rushing the story too much, I go back and add a few chapters or introduce a new element to the story.

I just go with what I feel like is best for my book.

Do you dabble a bit in all genres or you have a preference?

I do have a preference, I suppose. My favorite genres are fantasy, paranormal, mystery and adventure. However, it doesn't mean I don't add other elements into my story, like romance. The thing is though, in a war, the last thing on Zahra's mind is if she's going to get laid or not. So, the romance element is not that strong, and Zahra doesn't care much for it anyways.

When it comes to reading, what authors(and genres) are your preferences?

My favorite authors on Wattpad are Truevendetta (Dave), ATellingMind (Ismael), Vallhalla, krazydiamond (Kristin) and Alecc0 (Alex). They all are brilliant writers and you should check them all out!

As for other writers, my all-time favorite is F. Scott Fitzgerald who wrote The Great Gatsby - hence my username - along with George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, Gillan Flynn and Harper Lee!

Before we round up, how about a tip for the waiter? Oops, emerging writers.

A tip? Well, keep on writing! Trust me, the best way to improve is to continue writing. When I read the stories I wrote years ago, I nearly wanted to gouge my eyes out, but then I remembered that the reason I'm a decent writer today is because of those awful drafts. If I had stopped writing, I still would be a sub-par author.

-What should your readers be expecting from you in the future?

Expect for me to finish Rise from the Ashes within the year! It may or may not be featured as well once it's complete, but I still have a long way to go. For those that care or are curious, there will be a total of 40 chapters with the prologue and epilogue. As always, thanks for anyone who has read or supported my book, and thanks to The Write Place for the interview!

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That's it folks. Got a question for our guest? Drop your comments below, the author would be replying. Be sure to Follow this great author.

Till next Thursday, stay scheming.