イナリ

Let’s just jump right into it. First question for the second half of the episode is: on twitter, we all know you as a writer. But what do you tell the people who know you in real life? Do you tell them that you are a writer? How supportive are they and do you ever feel like you have to hide or be sneaky about it, especially if you are already in the zone of writing? 

Such a great question! And I do tell people in real life that I’m a writer and when they inevitably ask the question of what I write about, I’m always ready to tell them fanfiction, but I’m working on original novels and children’s books as well. So I throw in the fanfics but a lot of people tend to linger on novels and children’s books. And I’ll take them on a journey for my ideas about them and what I plan to do. So they forget about the fanfic part. LOL. But I do have a handful of cousins around my age who actually read my fanfics and one of them, Macks, (Love her to death) has been editing my works since 2015. She is my main editor and has been a phenomenal supporter of my writing journey, even today. I wouldn’t be here without her. 

Ooh, interesting! Dear Macks, if you're listening, thank you for having faith in Inari and editing her works. We readers are so blessed with being able to experience kaisoo’s love through Inari’s eyes, in this particular fic of the day, bad boy Kyungsoo and prim & proper Professor Kim in her ‘Susceptible to You’. 

It’s very refreshing that you are more or less transparent and tell people about what you do, because the thing here is… sometimes people can get really turned off when someone mentions fanfics. I mean you yourself experience it when you tell them about fic writing then they tend to linger on novels and children’s books instead. With that said, how different is it, writing for novels and children’s books as compared to fanfics?

Oh the process is quite different but similar as well. I think for books the editing and diction tends to be different. As far as fanfics, I like to keep them conversational. So it feels like I’m talking to my reader. I’m actively trying to write how I talk but also hold true to literary techniques that can strengthen my writing and make it flow better. Whereas a novel, I may have to be a bit more sophisticated in my diction. Plan heavier, and edit like a madwoman. I tend to be a little lazy with fanfics, because it’s fun so I try to be more lenient and not too hard on myself, though I’m ALWAYS hard on myself. Lol. Children’s books are a bit different. But building a story is the same. Having all the elements for a good story mapped out so that it flows well is a need. But the style here changes. Your sentences must be clear, easier to understand. And the message/moral of the books needs to be clear in the examples shown throughout the story. There’s no room for subtext, subtlety, heavy metaphors, similes, motifs. It has to be overall simpler but no less impactful. And that’s difficult to accomplish. It really tests your ability as a storyteller to strip down a story to the bare bones of it and tell it to a 5 year old who might not have the know-how or knowledge to understand the morals of the story you want to teach a lesson to. You want them to learn something by the end of the story. And with this aspect, I think all stories have this in common. Whether it’s YA, adult fiction, children’s books, any story, there is always a theme or moral that the reader should learn by the end. And in order to do that, you have to tell a story, complex or simple, that readers will be able to understand and see themselves reflected in. Relatable. As relatable as you can. And always have personnel stakes. If the reader can see themselves in the character, then we’ve accomplished our goal.  

I definitely agree. The fics that i've read, the most impactful ones are the ones that teaches you things about life. But I really like when you say fanfics should sound like the way you talk. To have your own voice in your writings and make it more informal as compared to when you have to write for YA or children. Fanfics is something for people, authors and readers alike, to dive into our fantasies and revel in the whole experience of different universes, relationship dynamics, tropes and kinks without judgment. As you mention keeping your story relatable and for readers to see themselves reflected in the story. Even in Susceptible to You in the episode before this we talked about having wants and needs, and how that makes the characters relatable. 

And with everything you've done, children's books, novels and of course fanfiction, in total, how long have you been writing? Have you always been writing and how do you come out of the hiccups along the way?

I started writing in 2015 when I got into EXO. I was pretty prolific and steady until the middle of 2016. Then, I started taking A LOT of hiatuses. I took a 3 year hiatus in 2018-2021, writing once or twice. And then I came back in 2021 but there are still a lot of hiccups. 2022 was better, and 2023 was okay. I wrote maybe 8 works or so. Not much and I was also taking a lot of breaks due to traveling and concerts. I’m writing more now but for SKZ. I’m trying to remain consistent since it’s going pretty well. But life continues to get in the way as always. It’s not having the time for it that really sets me back, but I do still enjoy it when I can write and not wallowing in how my writing comes out. lol. I’m working on confidence as well. 

I believe hiccups along the way are completely natural and essential for growth. To fill your cup with ideas, one must have an empty one. Besides, creativity takes time. 

With all those years, how do you balance between having a social life, a busy work schedule and still being able to make time to research and write captivating stories? I mean everyone is given 24 hours a day, so how do you delegate time for research and writing amidst everything else?

It’s difficult. I won’t say I’m a master at it cause I’m not. I try to write everyday but tbh, I’ll go weeks or months without writing because life is so busy. I don’t balance anything. I write when I can, and that’s when I try to allow myself room to get everything written. I have short bursts of writing sessions where I can write for 2-3 days and get a lot done. But there are long droughts after. My ideal balance would be to write at least for an hour a day and be consistent. But it simply doesn’t happen, sadly. 

Ideal balance, thank you for saying that because it brings me to the next point: As with life, balance is occasionally hard to juggle with the different parts of the life we live and we need motivation for us to do things… So Inari, What keeps you going as a writer? 

Amazing question and took me days to think about. And if I’m being honest with you Alexio, I’m not entirely sure. 

What transitionend you from a reader to an author? Was there a gap you wanted to bridge or a particular point of narrative you wanted to see but couldn't?

Great question! To be honest, it was a friend back then who I used to brainstorm ideas with and I told her I wanted to try writing. She fully supported me and would egg me on and convinced me to try. I simply wanted others to see what I see, to feel how I felt when I saw a scene that unfolded inside my mind. I wanted others to share in this experience and these emotions. I had read so many stories by then and I wanted to try my hand at writing too, at telling my own story. The reason never stemmed from other works or narratives, I feel like there was something out there for everyone. But I wanted to show others my ideas in the form of a story, and bring my ideas into existence. And well… here I still am. lol

Writing your ideas into existence you are indeed! And you certainly have the talent for it as well. 

I received a question from my CuriousCat by one of your readers, it reads: what gives you the most inspiration for writing?

Music! I’m a big music person and I have to listen to music as I write and read. But I draw inspiration from everything. It can be movies, books, walking, talking, people, cars, moments, parties, family reunions, trips to walmart. No, seriously anything. But if I had to pick one thing that inspires me the most, it’s music. Music evokes certain emotions through the use of instruments and melodies, rhythms, lyrics. I love it all. And most of the time, I listen to classical music or epic core which uses classical instruments with rock elements. I love guitars and any string instrument. But when listening to epic core/ trailer music, they use certain instruments and chord progressions to evoke certain emotions, whether it’s hopeful, sad, anger, despair, or happiness. You can grasp a lot by listening to what the song is trying to tell you, listening closely to what the instruments are doing in the foreground and background. The beat of drums can mean so many things depending on the rate in which they drum. There’s so much about music that inspires me. Once I hear a song and a film plays in my head, then that song did a wonderful job evoking emotions and the right emotions. I can see a scene for my story clearly, depending on what the song is doing and what the scenario is about. It’s a lot of fun actually. I can listen to something and see a world coalesce around me. I love it. It’s like living in a constant motion picture when I listen to music. 

Wow, I absolutely did not expect that! I think it's quite beautiful actually to draw inspiration from music…You worded it very nicely actually. Music evokes certain emotions from us and it is unique that you are able to visualize like a constant motion picture when I listen to music.

What kind of writer do you consider yourself as? For example, what is the one thing you hold dear to when writing? Or what is something you would never write?

If you’d asked me this question when I began writing, I would have said a smut writer. If you asked me later, I would have said a sci-fi writer. In all honesty, I’m a writer who loves to write everything and anything I can think of. I can read anything and love the journey that a story unravels. If it’s interesting, I will be more than happy to indulge, and that reflects in my writing. I want to try so many aus, I want to tell numerous journeys from different time periods, different worlds, characters, perspectives. I am a writer who looks at fiction as a limitless place, willing to take us anywhere, the possibilities are so vast that it can seem overwhelming. I’m a writer that often looks inside myself to find the emotions for my characters. I am a writer who uses the things that have shaped me as an individual and reflect that in my writing, using my creativity born of experiences and failures. Someone once told me that my writing style lies within short, concise sentences but thorough details and emotions and I agreed at one point. This could have changed over the years but I believe that I still hold true to a part of that. I consider myself a writer when I sit down and write and only then. When I’m not writing, I don’t consider myself a writer. But when I do, then I am. It’s nothing complex, just a writer. I am simply having fun and trying to escape like everyone else. So in the end, I am a writer who writes fiction novels and tries to bring joy, sadness, contentment and love to my readers. I hope I can continue doing so in the future. 

And I think by doing so you will. You do conjure emotions within the reader and I believe you will continue to do so. And wow, the journey that you have had… the years you've had since 2015 when you first started writing… you started off as a smut writer, then dived into the sci-fi world which from there you developed into a writer who writes everything and anything. You're gaining mastery over what you are talented and meant to do and that is indeed very admirable.

A message from my CuriousCat reads: Inari is one of my favorite fic writers and I love the way she writes. So, Inari, what is your favorite genre to write? We’ve seen a lot of different prompts for different genres but do you have a favorite that you always go back to?

Oh awesome question! Smut and angst are my favorite genres, along with sci-fi and fantasy. Most of my stories tend to be slice-of-life, simply because they’re shorter works and it’s easier to draw from but I love fantasy and sci-fi. I haven’t written much of either and would love to experiment with them in the future. They’re tough, but I’m more than willing to put the work in. So I tend to write more smut than anything because I genuinely enjoy it. And angst because we love when characters suffer. Lol. As long as we heal them by the end right? But I actually love tragedies and when characters have no redemption arc. Really breaks through the mold and gives us something different. But I love all genres and have written just about them all, and their subgenres. But I need to write more fantasy and sci-fi for sure. 

Dear anon, I hope that answers your question to what Inari’s favorite genre that she always goes back to. 

Ending Ments

We have come to the last segment of this author's session today! 

Before final comments, we are ending off the episode by a question from my CuriousCat asking Inari: Do you have a favorite kaisoo fic you've written?

Yes! Well, they’re all my babies and I love them very much since I wrote them and they mean something to me. But, if I had to choose, I would have to say that my favorite story is Scire. It has a special place in my heart. It was my first ever sci-fi, thriller and mystery all wrapped up in one and I thought my ideas were really original. I’m thinking of reworking it into an original novel. I’d have to flesh it out more and give it a great rewrite, but I’m willing to do it. I can’t seem to let the premise go. 

Oh wow, sci-fi, thriller and mystery all wrapped up in one?! Sounds like there is a lot going on in there. Oh dear i feel bad because those are the genres i dont read at all.  It’s amazing that it would be reworked as an original novel! 

Any ending comments you would like to make?

Thank you so, so much, love. I am so grateful that you included me in your episode! I am forever flattered, honored and extremely delighted to have such an amazing and thoughtful reader in you. Never in my dreams did I think I’d be here talking about myself as a writer and my first ever chaptered story Susceptible to You. I never knew where that story would take me but here I am. And it’s all thanks to you. I hope you are blessed with prosperity, health, and most abundantly, love. Because you deserve it in spades. With such an enormous heart yourself, I hope that the love and passion you pour into the world, pours back into you. Walk your faith, be strong in your spirit, and thrive in your purpose. Stay lovely, Hun.

And I too am honored to have you with us and I thank you for coming on the show with me, Inari. I am thankful we cross paths on twitter and as listeners we learnt a lot today, about you with your passions in writing not just fanfiction but childrens books and original novels as well, your characters and your craft.

Dear listener, the link to the author’s ao3 dashboard will be given below in the notes section. And with that we have come to the end of today’s two part episode. 

Do keep a lookout because over the span of the next two months, we will be hosting artist and author haqiyin for two episodes.