#final 3 interview

What has been the most difficult part of these Games for you?

The most difficult? Coming up with new was to attack and kill Tributes. After awhile, it has all been written. Keeping things exciting gets challenging after a few submissions. 

What would you say is the most rewarding part of the Games for you?

Most rewarding is proving to myself I can make it to the Finals, again. I used my writing skills and my creativity to get there, and no one can take that away from me. I am very thankful for my unofficial mentor, Christian, for all the time he spent helping me along. Be it I win or be it I lose, I'm content with my final results.

Did you ever think you'd make the finale, why or why not?

 Yes, because I've done it before with less writing skills and help. There were times when I didn't think I'd make it out of a situation, but overall I had faith in myself. 

From the moment you submitted your training to the moment you sent in your final submission, what was the one thing that kept you going?

Proving to myself that I can complete something. My friends who wanted me to win also helped a lot, I'm very thankful for them. 

Were you in an Actual Arena and be crowned Victor, how do you think you'd cope? 

I would remind myself I didn't have a choice. Being reaped is something that happens whether you want it to or not. As I wrote in my narratives, I would focus on coming home to my family and friends. Knowing they needed me, that would keep me going and help me balance out what I've done to other Tributes.  

Finally, should you win, what would you want to say to the Tributes and their families?

What has been the most difficult part of these Games for you?

Writing the finale was probably the hardest part. Meeting the deadline for 7000 words was a scramble,

and then the twist added a bunch more stress. The earlier part of the Games was during the summer,

so I had a lot more time. Writing a massive submission along with getting all my school work done was

insane. Plus, the actual content of the finale was hard to write. Because. Clara.

What would you say is the most rewarding part of the Games for you?

I definitely grew a lot as a writer as a result of the Games. I was pushed to edit and perfect pieces in

order, quite literally, to survive. I learned to write much better fight sequences than I had previously

been able to do. I knew I’d have to draw things out to beat my opponents, so I definitely excelled

beyond my old paragraph-long fights. Lastly, making it to the final three was kind of an ego boost, oops.

Did you ever think you'd make the finale, why or why not?

No way. I had no faith in my ability as a writer, especially not with people like Nick and Clara in the

Arena with me. I was honestly just happy to survive the bloodbath- I never thought I’d actually be in

the finale. Plus, this was my first Games ever. I figured I’d screw something up and get myself killed

off before I made it very far. The closer I got to the finale, the more I felt like everyone was way more

talented than I was and that I would die soon. Ever since Clara and I allied with Nesanne, Donny, and

Ryan I was just waiting for one of them to kill me, to be honest.

From the moment you submitted your training to the moment you sent in your final submission, what was the one thing that kept you going?

Really the only thing I wanted was to see who would win between me and Clara, if we managed to

make it to the finale. I kind of felt like I was skating by with her as my ally, so the whole time I really just

wanted to see which one of us would win. Like, to find out if I was really worthy of making it so far. That

was really my only incentive to not just give up because I had too much school work to get done.

Were you in an Actual Arena and be crowned Victor, how do you think you'd cope? 

I doubt I’d be crowned Victor in an actual Games, haha. If I somehow managed to win, though, I’d

probably end up drowning in guilt. I’ve never been close to a person that died before, so suddenly

dealing with the deaths of twenty-three tributes would be hell for me. Not even to mention that I would

have killed some of them. Even if it was self-defense, I doubt I would be able to deal with it. If I was

actually a Victor, I’d probably just hate myself forever and take the Haymitch route.

Finally, should you win, what would you want to say to the Tributes and their families?

To Clara’s family I’d like to say that I would not have killed her if I didn’t have to, and I’ll miss her just as

much as they will, if not more. I understand if they hate me. To Nesanne’s family, your daughter was a

lovely girl who I wish I had met under different circumstances. To everyone else, I’m terribly sorry for

your loss. I’m one of the last people I would have bet on for Victor, and I know it’s probably a shame to

What has been the most difficult part of these Games for you?

Hands-down, the most difficult part of the Games was getting to know everyone, to some degree, in some cases hours before they died. I honestly do love people, and developing personal attachments made the whole thing even more gut-wrenching.

What would you say is the most rewarding part of the Games for you?

The most rewarding part was… I'd have to say, it was being able to tell people 'ah, yes, I've been in a Games before- in fact, I'm in the final three!' It gave me some sort of odd validation, to be on the inside looking out instead of the opposite

Did you ever think you'd make the finale, why or why not?

It takes a great deal of arrogance to even enter a Games like this, and even more arrogance to stay alive. I sort of had to believe that I was going to survive in the finale; otherwise I'd not have had sufficient motivation, knowing how it would end.

From the moment you submitted your training to the moment you sent in your final submission, what was the one thing that kept you going?

A lot of things were important to my sticking with the Games, not the least of which were my friends- Nick, who died horribly, Nesanne, who died horribly, Donny, who died horribly, and… well, there are others I could name. Once I was allied with Whisp, there was really no turning back. I can't leave in the middle of something when someone else is, in some small measure, depending on me. Also, it was really fun.

Were you in an Actual Arena and be crowned Victor, how do you think you'd cope? 

…in the hypothetical scenario you're proposing, does Victor's Village have internet access? I have sort of a difficult time imagining myself as a victor, if only because my many neurosis would make the endeavor rather futile. But I'd likely end up even more of a shut-in than I already am.

Finally, should you win, what would you want to say to the Tributes and their families?