It was such an honor to interview @fir-fireweed, author of the winning game in the action/adventure genre. It touches on human connection, hope, and jotting down ideas whenever they come up, and so much more!
See the full list of winners in this category here.
About the author
As one of my characters might say, I’m an elder but not old, haha. I’m probably the same age as the parents of most of my readership.
I’m a Marketing Manager in my other life, and I balance my time between my writing, my career, my husband, my 2.5 kids (counting the dog), and my white picket fence. Viatica was my first foray into fiction after a 20+ year dry spell.
About the game
Cantata is a low fantasy IF about human connection, self-expression, persecution, culture and the loss of it, and ultimately, the indomitable human spirit.
Tell me more about your journey into interactive fiction
I discovered interactive fiction almost 4 years ago, at a critical low point for myself and my family. The aftermath of Covid hit my family hard, particularly my son, and all of us were dealing with levels of depression, apathy and isolation.
I desperately needed something to cheer myself up. When I realized these amazing stories were being written by people just like me, it flipped a switch in my brain. And that’s what I love writing about—that human connection. That’s what I seek to explore in all of my works.
What was the inspiration for this game, and why did you want to write a story in this genre?
Cantata blends my love of words and music and my Italian heritage. The original inspiration was the video game “Jade Empire”, but it evolved into its own unique tale.
Cantata may have been voted in the Action Genre (thank you, all!) but ultimately it’s a story about humanity. It’s about personal tragedies, of persecution, of the loss of heritage and self—all deeply troubling themes that are being played out in very real time right now.
But more than that, it’s about overcoming those tragedies and persevering. That’s something I personally needed to write about and explore.
Are there any specific themes or messages you hope players take away from your work?
All my works revolve around hope, heart, and human connection. I do write about tragedy and strife, because they are important aspects of our journey and moments we all relate to. But I try not to dwell on them. I’d rather focus on the bright side, the silver lining, the light at the end of the tunnel.
Nowadays especially, I think we all need a reminder that there is a light after the long dark, and it’s worth fighting for.
What does your writing process look like? Any habits, tips, tricks, routines or approaches that have worked well for you?
My writing process is very sporadic. I don’t write daily. Personally, I find that if I commit to writing daily, it becomes more of a chore or a job, and I don’t want it to feel forced. However, I do write snippets often. These aren’t long drawn out scenes, usually just lines of dialogue with brief descriptions. These snippets help me flesh out my characters and define their attitude toward one another.
If I had one piece of advice to give, it’d be that the minute you get an idea in your head, jot it down, no matter how bare bones it is, no matter if you think you’ll never use it. You never know what may come of it!
Any books, music, movies etc. you’re obsessed with at the moment, or would like to recommend?
Oh gosh, how limited on space am I here?? Currently, I’m obsessed with Andy Weir. I know everyone is loving “Project Hail Mary” (and rightly so), but “The Martian” was my first introduction to his excellent writing and will always be my favorite.
Going back further, Amy Tan is my favorite author of all time; she probably had the most profound impact on my own writing. She’s a Chinese American author who writes about immigrant families, mother/daughter relationships, culture and the loss of it—and she does it all with heart and poignancy. You might be familiar with “The Joy Luck Club”, which is a phenomenal book, but my personal favorite is “The Kitchen God’s Wife.”
If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be?
You’re never too old to start! If you haven’t written in months, years, or even decades, don’t let that stop you from trying again. Write!
Fun section for the action/adventure genre
Personal fave action/adventure protagonist archetype: The reluctant hero, that dude in the wrong place at the right time.
Personal fave action/adventure setting: Post-apocalypse
If you were transported into the setting above, as the protagonist archetype you selected, what quest/adventure would you be on?
Oh gosh, I’d love to tell you I’d be like my own character Lion, fighting for the oppressed, but Bilbo Baggins is probably more accurate. I’d be giving the heroic speeches and encouraging everyone to do what’s right, while simultaneously complaining that they’re eating all my food, sleeping in my bed, and lamenting all the apocalyptic dirt and dust everywhere.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
‘Danny Phantom’ Series Developer Steve Marmel ‘Always Imagined’ Danny Died In Ghost Portal Accident That Gave Him His Powers
All three seasons of 'Danny Phantom' are now streaming on Paramount+.
I'm suprised no one posted this here yet. An interesting interview about what could have been if it was an adult show ( quote from the article):
“If it was an older show, it absolutely would have been Danny hanging on to his mortal coil for both selfish reasons and the people he loved,” Marmel continues. “But [when you’re making a] kids’ show you don't want to go, ‘Hey kids! Good morning! Here’s mortality!’ Butch has his own backstory — it’s in the song! — and that’s canon. But in my head, it allowed me to write Danny with a little more depth than just, 'I'm inexperienced and sometimes dumb!’ No, you’re grabbing life by the horns because you've already experienced what it's like to not be a part of it.”
✨look no further! I am offering to interview authors on my YouTube channel about their books! I will also crosspost some clips from the interviews to my other social media platforms for even more reach.
🌟How it will work:
You give me an ARC or your book to read
I’ll come up with questions and give you time in advance to come up with your answers
We’ll schedule and film the interview
It’ll go up around the time of your book’s release
I’ll also leave an ARC review if you want me to!
✨Requirements:
That your book is being published soon (within the next few months, let's say) it has been published in the past month
This is a loose suggestion, not a requirement, but I would prefer to cover books in the scifi/fantasy genres.
🌟That's it! It's just that simple! I'm doing this because I want to uplift other authors, engage with my community, build new networks of authors, and just generally be able to help.
Marketing as an author can feel so isolating, so overwhelming, and so impossible. I'm here to make it easier and more fun to get your book in front of new eyes.
✨If you’re interested, please email [email protected] and we'll go from there!
especially if you're an indie author, I would love to have you!
GENERAL TAGLIST: @worldbuildng @muddshadow @nikkywrites @47crayons @directionoftime
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Rebecca Lexa, author of “The Everyday Naturalist: How to Identify Animals, Plants, and Fungi Wherever You Go,” joins FOX 12 Now to share som
Recently I was asked to appear on KPTV, one of our local news stations here in Portland, to chat about foraging! I got to field some great questions to help newcomers to foraging get started, wherther you're in the PNW or not, and touched on the importance of nature identification skills to make sure you know exactly what species of plant or mushroom you've found. It's a quick ten minute segment; I hope you enjoy it!
I can’t get over this part of one of Urasawa’s interviews that I translated.
Like the fact that they realized how DOWN BAD the fans are for the characters is HILARIOUS.
The fact that people didn’t just fangirl for Johan, but most of the other male cast back in the day too, like yall fans in Japan knew what was up back in the day LMAO-
The fact that this still stands even though this interview was years ago (っ˘ڡ˘ς)
VE Schwab Author Event for Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil 🌹
"Bury my bones in the Midnight Soil, plant them shallow and water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth." 🥀
I cannot begin to describe the thrilling joy of listening to VE Schwab talk about her writing process, morally gray characters, her love of villains, and of course, toxic lesbian vampires. This event was much too short; I could have spent hours listening to her. It's obvious she opened a vein for this one; despite being a story about vampires, this story is richly personal. A story about hunger, desire, feminine rage, and freedom. If you support women's wrongs, unreliable narrators, stories about longing and power struggles, and hypnoticly poetic prose, this one's for you. Bury Our Bones was my most anticipated read of the year and it did NOT disappoint. Hearing VE Schwab discuss it only added another layer to my love for this story. 🦇
Quotes From the Q&A 💬
[ Sorry for paraphrasing; by chance, my favorite lines weren't in the segments I recorded. ]
"[These are women who have been treated as prey their entire lives, and so when they become predators] is that monstrous or is that just recompense?"
"I don't prioritize romance" [because every other element in a story gets downgraded beside it].
"In order to write...authentically, you have to take off all of your armor."
"Only you can write the version of the story you will write."
