J. D. Nyle
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Brrrrrrr! I shivered under my ill-prepared outfit. I had anticipated a hot sandy destination, but instead I was surrounded by snow and ice. A weather forecast system in the AuthorGate would be a handy feature, I noted mentally as I sloshed through the snow, rubbing my arms.
After turning a corner out of the icy valley, I spotted smoke and rejoiced at the signs of civilization. I started to run but tripped over the thick snow. Extremely cold.
As I got into the settlement, I saw everyone wore a blue outfit, similar to Eskimos. A kind old woman saw my clothes were wet from the snow and magically extracted the water from them with some gentle and graceful movements of her arms, like Tai Chi. That felt much better. Then she guided me to a shop. I entered and was amazed. It was a cafe! If only the runny nose would let me inhale that glorious aroma.
I took a seat and the kind old woman ordered a hot drink and a blanket for me. Much relieved, I took a look around. There were bookshelves all along the walls filled with many works. There were comfortable chairs scattered around, some close together and others isolated. In other areas, there were booths where I saw a young woman writing. Looking closely, I recognized her. It was Rachel Sandell, my first interviewee!
“Rachel!” I called. I was immediately hushed by patrons reading books.
She turned and came over.
“J. D.! What a pleasure to see you!”
“Do you work here? Now that I think about it, I recall hearing you were a barista.”
She laughed and replied, “I recently left my barista life behind, actually! Right now, I’m editing a lot more with several great companies, including The Scribe Source, which provides writers with top-quality editing and feedback. I also recently became the managing editor intern at The Daily Fandom, which is basically dreamland for a geek!
“Eh? Tell me more about those two.” I took a sip of my drink, a glorious cup of hot chocolate.
Rachel motioned for an order and then proceeded to answer, “The Scribe Source provides writers with top-quality editing and feedback. TDF is all about exploring and analyzing fandom-related topics, from comics to film to anime and more, through an academic lens. It’s everything I could have hoped for in a new editorial experience!”
“That sounds awesome! It’s always nice to work in a field you enjoy and that sounds perfect for you just based upon what I see you post on Twitter.” Though thinking back, I had never read anything from TDF. Maybe I should start. “If you had to recommend one article for me to start with, which would it be?”
Rachel smiled and replied, “That’s a great question! There is a wide range of articles to choose from, so I suppose it depends on who I’m suggesting them to. 'Borderlands + Injustice In Avatar: The Last Airbender' is one that would get Avatar fans interested. One of the first articles I read is actually 'Harry Potter: Can You Still Love Your Favorite Series When You Don’t Agree With The Author' which is both relevant and approached from an unbiased angle. New articles are published several times a week, so the content is always fresh and plentiful.”
“Ahhhh. Avatar. I should have realized. We’re currently in the…”
“...Water triiiibe.” she said with a big grin.
“So you like to be a water bender?”
“All four elements are useful in their own ways, water’s emphasis on community and family stands out to me. It’s quite a versatile bending ability, with equal potential for defensive and offensive movements, as well as healing. Or, maybe I just want to be in the same tribe as my favorite Avatar character…”
I leaned in, glancing around, and asked in anticipation, “Who is...?”
I was a bit too loud as I hear some shushes from people reading in the quiet corners of the cafe.
Rachel laughed at my excitement and then answered at a much lower volume than my outburst. “That’s such a tough question! While I think that Zuko’s character arc is the most solid, and that Iroh is easily the wisest, my favorite character has to be Sokka. He is incredibly adaptable; while he originally held some stubborn views early on, he is quick to learn from his mistakes and reshape his mindset when presented with facts. That same ability to learn allows him to keep up with benders, both friend and foe. He can think his way out of tough situations and train himself to be useful whenever he is needed. For a comedic side character, Sokka also has a surprisingly large amount of depth.”
I laughed. “So true on all accounts! Now even though our interview is taking place in this world, I have one major issue with Avatar in the worldbuilding realm.” I placed my mug on the table and gesturing with my left arm on the table asked, “What is your take on this? If a solar eclipse can take away firebending, why not night or being in caves?”
She wasn’t fazed. Instead she simply responded, “The way I understand the magic system in Avatar, each bender is connected to their element. Water benders draw their power from the moon, so when the moon spirit was killed in the season one finale, none of the water-benders could bend at all. It’s different for fire benders and the solar eclipse. It’s a small detail, but in The Day of Black Sun, defiant fire benders, unaware that the eclipse had already begun, try to fight back only to get a comedic little puff of smoke.” She did a small poof gesture with her hands.
“Because the sun isn’t gone completely, just trapped behind the moon, fire-benders can draw from its heat. The problem is that their power is significantly weaker, too weak to even hold a flame for any longer than a moment. At night, after the sun has set, it is still in the sky, just shining over a different part of the world. So, fire-benders have no trouble bending at night, just as water-benders have no trouble bending during the day. They also don’t necessarily need to be able to see the sun to be directly under it to bend (same as water benders don’t need to be directly under the moon), as they are still connected to the heat. So, fire-bending in a cave or any other spot tucked away from sunlight is also fair game. That’s my two cents on the topic! I could be biased, but Avatar’s worldbuilding always seemed very solid to me.”
I picked up my mug again and took a drink, sinking into the chair, “That is a pretty good explanation. Thanks for your input.” I finished my drink as did she and we ordered another round.
As we waited, I took out my notepad and pen and said, “Now it’s time for the author interview. Excuse me as this is my first time doing this. Let’s see… If you could only keep one form of media from books, tv shows, movies, and radio, which would you pick?” I expected her to ponder for a moment, but her reply was quick.
“That’s a tough one, but I would choose books every time. It’s more of a personal preference than anything else, but books just mean a little more to me than any other form of media. TV shows and movies are both fantastic mediums to tell great stories, for sure. But there’s just something special to me about turning a physical page, reading scribbles, and feeling intense emotions, as if you’re really there. I’ve never lost myself in a movie like I’ve lost myself in books.”
“I guess that explains why I see you have so many books on your Goodreads page. You have a lot of books from various genres. What is your favorite thing about books?”
“What continues to amaze me about books is that you can fit an entire world—and sometimes several worlds—within an object small enough to hold in your hands. No matter what genre book it is, there’s always a connection of some sort formed between the author and the reader, and the reader with other readers. Books are one way of sharing experiences, feelings, thoughts, and more with other people, no matter where or when you are. It’s easy to assume that losing yourself in a book can be a way of isolating yourself from the world and other people, but the opposite is true: Immersing yourself in someone else’s story gives you new perspectives on others and even yourself. Considering how valuable these experiences can be, it’s no wonder so many people, including myself, go crazy over books!” She hugged a book tight to her chest as she sighed.
After I finished jotting her answer, I asked the next question. “You appear to be quite active. You work, have a blog, read a lot of books, write reviews, write stories, write poetry, and even beta-read my stories. What is the secret to this high level of activity and productivity?”
Rachel laughed again. “Thank you! I never really realized just how much I do until it’s listed back to me like this! I don’t think there’s any secret to productivity. In the end, it’s all about organization, prioritization, and, most importantly, making time for what you love. My blog, book reviews, poetry, and writing all stem from a passion to create and enjoy stories. Beta-reading for fellow writers is a joy, especially when I get to see those books published! Sometimes, high activity can be overwhelming, but all you really need to do when that happens is step back, take a breath, and reorganize your priorities. It’s also important to remember that you don’t always have to be super productive all day, every day, 365 days a year. Sometimes the most productive thing you do in a day is read a page of your favorite book. Taking a moment to relax and refresh yourself is just as important as flipping your switch to ON and becoming the Energizer Bunny.”
I laughed. “The Energizer Bunny. Hmmm. Just or fun, how would you feel if it came through the doors now? Would it perhaps be a bending master of how to stay energized?”
“Ha! I suppose energy bending is kind of part of the Avatar world already. But I’d love to see certain characters interact with a pink bunny in sunglasses!”
Our order arrived. I could finally smell the sweet aroma of my hot chocolate and see the marshmallows swirl around. Rachel had a Pumpkin Spice latte, which I had often heard was popular. Maybe I should order it too. But first, more questions.
“What was the first story you have published?”
“The very first work I published was a poem called 'Puppet,' and it was in Pacific Lutheran University’s literary magazine, Saxifrage, in, I don’t know, maybe 2017? The year after, I published 'Paper Mache' in the same magazine. Both poems are now free to read on my website, actually. But my first short story was a bit different. I published “The Nightmare” as a sort of experiment in self-publishing and Amazon KDP in 2018 (wow, it’s already been two years!). The story is a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth from Hades’ perspective, with a few key twists on the Greek tale. I first thought of the idea way back in my community college days, when my creative writing class was discussing retellings and fairy tales, and the inspiration to write hit me like a truck. Fun fact: 'The Nightmare' is actually just one chapter of a larger story that may or may not ever see the light of day.”
I stroked my chin. I recalled when I read the book, that there was a vague feeling it was part of something bigger. That certainly explained it.
“And you have recently published another work, right?”
Her face beamed as she answered, “Just last year, my short story, 'The Boy with Black Eyes,' was featured in JL Anthology The Magic Within, which was a blast! I met a lot of talented writers and even got to interview a couple. 'The Boy with Black Eyes' grew from a prompt for the anthology, and I will say that it’s my favorite published work so far. It’s also the very first time I saw my name and my story printed in a paperback book with many other lovely authors!”
“That sounds awesome. And when can we expect to see more of your stories?”
She brought out a PC and showed me her website. “I regularly update my website with new poems or flash fiction pieces about once a month. In terms of stories, I have a couple in the works but with no set date of publication as of yet. For now, suffice it to say that I’m always writing and creating, and hopefully some of the stories I’m most proud of will be ready for readers soon!”
“Ah! I know that feeling. I think I’ve had a few stories that I was proud of but always just missing something to say it’s ready to publish. Do you have any tips for dealing with that?”
She thought for a moment, glanced along the room at the various books, and then responded, “I would say that finding and learning from a group of like-minded writers is definitely a step in the right direction. As for the actual writing, you just have to keep at it! Sometimes, a story will need to sit for a while before you realize what it was missing. And sometimes little tweaks over time will gradually shape it into what it needed to be. From past experience, I definitely want to emphasize that you don’t have to be scared to make changes to the story if it just isn’t working. Once I finish my drafts, sometimes I don’t want to revise much for fear I’ll 'ruin' it. But it’s good to make changes for the good of the story, and I don’t regret killing some of my darlings to find the true story beneath.”
“Speaking of writing, you participated in Camp NaNoWriMo, right? Any tips for people who might want to try NaNoWriMo?”
“NaNoWriMo is very fun and can produce a lot of real results! I know of a few writers who thrive in this environment: making goals for themselves, writing a lot every day, and meeting those word counts without a struggle. It isn’t for everyone; in fact, sometimes if I don’t have a set idea waiting to be written or an outline drawn up, my NaNoWriMo experience can be daunting. My best tip is to just have fun with it! Find friends (or make friends!) and join groups to cheer each other on. Reward yourself for every badge you earn and hurdle you clear. NaNoWriMo is about writing and productivity, but mostly it’s about doing what you love.”
Really good advice. Took me a while to confirm I wrote it all down accurately. After that, I said, “All right. Last question. You are a big supporter of the writing community on Twitter. Care to list some of your favorite indie authors?”
She gushed and replied, “Yes, the writing community on Twitter is great to interact with! I discovered some of my favorite authors (indie or otherwise) there, and I’d love to list some. J.D. Nyle, of course, is a blast to beta read for, as the Neostriker short stories are always fun!”
I bowed graciously at the compliment. She continued.
“I enjoy the twists on Greek stories that Nicole Scarano and Adam Wing employ in their books, Pomegranate and Icarus, respectively. Rebecca J. Caffery is also an active member of the writing community, and I’m so excited to note that her debut novel, Cherrington Academy, will be published in August. As one of the beta readers for the book, I can’t wait to hold the published version in my hands! I met Nancy O’Toole Merservier when I asked for indie book recommendations for Indiecember and fell absolutely in love with her superhero series, Red and Black. Timothy Hickson (HelloFutureMe) and Megan Tennant (Cloud Kitten Chronicles) are also wonderful writers, and they both have great YouTube channels as well. It feels so good to gush about the lovely writers out there, and I’m glad to have discovered each one.”
I put my pen down and sank back into my chair with the rest of my drink in my hand, raising a toast. “This was a lot of fun. Thanks so much for answering my questions.”
She simply smiled and said, “I had a lot of fun answering them.”
Book links
Social media
Website: rachelsandell.com
Twitter: @rachelsandell_
Goodreads: Rachel Sandell
Instagram: rachelsandell_writer
Facebook: rachelasandell
This was fun and an unusual take on an interview. Cool.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm glad you liked it
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