Hey everyone, Welcome back to another episode of Zephyr Interviews!

Behind every victory lies a journey filled with dedication, challenges, and moments of perseverance.

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with CheTheScribe, the talented winner of Autumn's Hidden Secrets.

From their initial inspiration to the hard work that led them here, we’ll dive into their experiences, lessons learned, and what this achievement means to them.

Let’s get started!

Q: How has your writing evolved over the years?

A: I used to have a lot of plot holes and gaps in my writing that didn’t make sense, so over time Ilearned how to improve on that and overall write a story that makes sense and fits together
perfectly.

Q: Do you prefer plot-driven or character-driven stories?

A: I personally prefer character driven stories, the craftsmanship of a character is truly abeautiful thing. Stories that have lackluster characters I usually steer away from.

Q: What’s a piece of advice that’s shaped your writing?

A: It might sound cliché, but just don’t give up. There’s going to be people who beat you downand say you’re writing is amateur, but don’t listen to them. That’s the advice I focus on, ignore
the hate.

Q: What was your first reaction to the contest prompt?

A: I was nervous at first, I didn’t know at the moment what we’d come up with. As the storyprogressed however, it all fell into place and it turned out wonderful.

Q: How did you and your partner come up with your unique twist?

A: When we saw the prompt we thought, what if the library was in the afterlife and the spirits are the ones reading their own stories

Q: Was there a specific moment when the story really clicked for both of you?

A: I personally think as soon as we started writing it, then it clicked for us. Almost instantly we knew what we wanted to do and how we wanted it all to progress.

Q: What did this contest teach you about collaboration?

A: It taught me how to go with the flow, we both pushed out ideas and whatever felt morenatural is what we went through, it was really enjoyable and look forward to anothercollaboration just like it!

Q: How did you feel seeing your finished story come together?

A: It felt relieving, seeing our project done and anxiously awaiting the results, we both keptthinking “what if we did this” or “what if we changed this instead” but I’m glad we didn’t change it
too much.

Q:Are there any new ideas you’re excited to explore?

A: I’m excited to explore more of horror-comedy, I mainly write horror but this story made me
want to try out some comedy in my horror stories.

Q: What does this win mean for you as a writer?

A: It feels extremely rewarding, I cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to compete in a contest like this! Thank you for this opportunity and I have to say Ifeel much more confident as a writer now.

Thank you, CheTheScribe, for sharing your journey and insights with us.
Your dedication and passion are truly inspiring, and this achievement is a testament to your hard work.

Congratulations once again! We look forward to seeing all the incredible things you’ll accomplish in the future. Wishing you continued success!

Interviewed by Esha_Writes