interview.
Cereal Killer - Please click on the cut below for the interview.
Hey there, I am (dun dun dun) The Cereal Killer. I don’t really go by anything else online, except over on Y!Gal where it’s just ‘Cereal’. (Once upon a very long time ago I was known as Black Hanyou but I’ve mentally repressed those days of my silly, silly youth.)
I write mainly for the Naruto fandom and my most well-known fics are probably ‘Right Here Waiting’, ‘Gunmetal’, ‘Liar Liar’ and ‘Dearly Beloved’.
I have been thinking of branching out into other anime and maybe Star Trek. I’m staying the hell out of Harry Potter and Twilight though- I’d like to keep my sanity, thanks.
Curiously, it’s none of these. Writing is the way I connect with other people. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a bit introverted. I prefer to stand back and observe than join the crowd. As a result, I tend to be a bit…er…separated from people. Writing, especially writing what I love, is the main medium I use to communicate and find fellowship with people who love the same things I do.
It also offers some anonymity and protection for me because as much as people know me online they don’t really know me and that satisfies my need for solitude. (Man I hope I don’t sound like a creep who lives in a basement) I’m not really- just a bit more of a willing loner.
On another level, writing also helps me to explore worlds, cultures and lifestyles that I may never get to experience.
Oh lordie. Oh hell no. I cringe every time I see some of the earlier stuff I wrote. Urgh. It was awful.
I stopped writing for a while and just read. My encouragement to any young writer is to read like a fiend. Look at the way various authors approach stories, try and appreciate different styles, different ways of word crafting.
After I began reading widely -well, even more widely since I was always a book-o-phile- it began to get better. Not to say I plagiarized from these people, because stealing intellectual property is just mean- but they were my teachers. I used their material and crafted my own style. It gets better every day.
I have beta read for one or two authors but it’s not something I do full time. I just don’t have the time between IRL and my own fics to do it.
Betas are a godsend for many people though, especially authors who aren’t writing in their native tongue. Unfortunately, it’s just not something I have the patience to work with. Because of my lack of a beta reader there tends to be spelling errors that slip through once in a while and, even though it’s kinda unfair to ask my readers to put up with my occasional gaff, I just don’t have the patience to deal with a secondary reader in this stage of my development as a writer.
-soft laugh- I was kinda hoping you wouldn’t ask this question.
I’m an elitist. Sadly, yes, I admit it. Over time I’ve developed a kind of…formula?- to decide what I read and what I don’t.
First off- I’ll read almost anything if it’s well written. I’m serious, Bruce Wayne x Harry Potter- I love it. Legolas x Jim Kirk?- been there done that. I don’t really care about the pairing- it’s the C ONTENT that gets me.
When I see a fic, one of the first things I look at it the word count. I love long fics and can’t really deal with anything fewer than 6000 words per chapter. If the amount of chapters is more than the word count then I’m turned off. Meaning, an 8 chapter fic with like 4000 words is just a straight no-no.
After that I glance at the time frame- if it’s too old and hasn’t been updated in a while then that’s an immediate no-no too.
Last is the summary. If I see ‘I suck at summaries’ anywhere in the summary then I move on. My logic is that if you are already telling me that your writing sucks then why bother read it?
I usually give a fic the first two chapters to decide if I want to read it or not and I usually don’t read anything less than ‘M’ rated. One or two ‘T’ fics that have been done extremely well will slip through but other than that, k-t fics are a general no-no. Like I said- I’m sadly an elitist.
When I have the time, yes.
Writing style? Oi. -thinks-
My style is..er…complex. I write long stories first of all and I make sure to balance between description/narration and dialogue. I’ve been finding out however that dialogue can often tell a story better than narration can so I’ve been experimenting with it.
Simple words and sentence structure are key- I write so that my readers don’t know that they are reading. Long, florid sentences that try too hard to be symbolic and metaphorical only confuse the hell out of me so I don’t write what I hate to read.
I love plot. Let me say it again- I absolutely love plot. PWP is almost like anathema to me- I can write it but what’s the point really? Every fic I have ends up with plot in there- even when I don’t originally set out to do so.
Character intricacies and development are also cornerstone. A character is not one dimensional, which is why you will see my Sasuke having a fetish for Apple Jacks and a Naruto who is religious. People have many facets to them- why shouldn’t characters? One dimensional portrayal pisses me off.
Language use is also necessary to me. I build my character with language. Neji- considering his upbringing and personal quirks would speak with a fuller vocabulary and far less crassness and slang than Kiba would. Its little tricks like those that bring the character off the page.
I can’t for the life of me imagine Snape saying, “Well yeah ya lil’ brat- you’re damn right I couldn’t stand the fucker.” Can you?
My fiction is based on everything from my own life experiences to my emotions, to my wildest dreams and then to my greatest fantasies.
Curious fact- I’m not a romantic. I know right- it’s weird, since everything I write has romance in it- or, well- sex at the very least. I’m not a flowers and candlelight kind of person which is why my romance tends to be grittier and rawer than many people normally write/read.
The problem that most writers have nowadays is that no one wants to write a classic.
Everybody wants a hit and these hits just fizzle out. I hate people who only write for reviews- authors who don’t have a story to tell and who cater to every whim of their reviewers just to be popular and get fame.
I’m not gonna lie, reviews are nice- but they’re not the be all and end all of the world. If I had this problem then I’d force myself to take a step back and examine myself.
Selling out is just ridiculous.
I’m inspired by history, current affairs, other people’s lives, classes, books, and especially music.
-snort-
Me, I’m backwards. My stories usually start in the middle, go to the beginning, wibble down to the end and the sex is usually the last thing I write. I actually have a club on Y!Gallery called Inkwells that has posts about story writing technique.
The beginning of a story should grab my attention immediately. Don’t you dare give me a story with a trite beginning or one that starts with a description about the weather (unless it’s a very weird one, like- “It was the middle of July- and snow was ripping the roof from the house in little Whinging.” ) Or something like that.
I use language. How a character speaks and maneuvers his body is one of the main ways I develop an individual personality. The words I would use to describe Neji (words like ‘svelte’ and ‘lean’) I don’t use to describe Kiba (who is more ‘husky’ and ‘rugged’)
I consider humanity and its aspects.
Characters need to have vices, virtues, habits, faults, failings, beliefs, hopes, desperations, ignorance, bias, prejudice, practices and experiences- just like I do.
I avoid them altogether. The majority of fics I write are long one-shots which have natural culminations within themselves. The one time I tried to write an epilogue (with my fic ‘Right Here Waiting’) it turned into a fic by itself. -rolls eyes at self-
Good plot…hmm…
For me, I don’t really need to have a plan or know what I’m doing to write plot. Plot just finds me- like a stalker.
In general though, good plot needs character development, a conflict (ESPECIALLY a conflict), a plot twist, a culmination and spice thrown in there every once in a while.
The story just needs to have a point really. It’s easy to spot a story that’s not going anywhere because it just rambles on and on with all these little problems popping up with no clear reason why. The author just throws them in as they think them up.
Please know however that not every story needs a ‘bad guy’. Conflict can come about within the character himself, with nature, with the world or with other people. A hero is not needed- often, I prefer anti-heroes…like House. Whoever came up with House was a bloody genius.
Let the story breathe.
Give it time. You’ll come back to it faster than you realize. I once let a story breathe for half a year.
Read.
I’m serious. Read like a fiend and as widely as you can- from Shakespeare to Moliere to Patterson to Chuck Palahniuk. And practice- you don’t have to write everything that comes to mind- you can practice in your head at any given time when you have a moment. Try building mock stories in your head.
-Fin-
- Please introduce yourselves as an author.
Hey there, I am (dun dun dun) The Cereal Killer. I don’t really go by anything else online, except over on Y!Gal where it’s just ‘Cereal’. (Once upon a very long time ago I was known as Black Hanyou but I’ve mentally repressed those days of my silly, silly youth.)
I write mainly for the Naruto fandom and my most well-known fics are probably ‘Right Here Waiting’, ‘Gunmetal’, ‘Liar Liar’ and ‘Dearly Beloved’.
I have been thinking of branching out into other anime and maybe Star Trek. I’m staying the hell out of Harry Potter and Twilight though- I’d like to keep my sanity, thanks.
- What is writing to you? Is it a medium to express your feelings and vent frustrations, purely a hobby or something to pass time with?
Curiously, it’s none of these. Writing is the way I connect with other people. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a bit introverted. I prefer to stand back and observe than join the crowd. As a result, I tend to be a bit…er…separated from people. Writing, especially writing what I love, is the main medium I use to communicate and find fellowship with people who love the same things I do.
It also offers some anonymity and protection for me because as much as people know me online they don’t really know me and that satisfies my need for solitude. (Man I hope I don’t sound like a creep who lives in a basement) I’m not really- just a bit more of a willing loner.
On another level, writing also helps me to explore worlds, cultures and lifestyles that I may never get to experience.
- Were you always good at writing? A lot of aspiring writers worry about this the most- if they have enough talent.
Oh lordie. Oh hell no. I cringe every time I see some of the earlier stuff I wrote. Urgh. It was awful.
I stopped writing for a while and just read. My encouragement to any young writer is to read like a fiend. Look at the way various authors approach stories, try and appreciate different styles, different ways of word crafting.
After I began reading widely -well, even more widely since I was always a book-o-phile- it began to get better. Not to say I plagiarized from these people, because stealing intellectual property is just mean- but they were my teachers. I used their material and crafted my own style. It gets better every day.
- What are your opinions on beta-ing? Have you considered beta reading for others?
I have beta read for one or two authors but it’s not something I do full time. I just don’t have the time between IRL and my own fics to do it.
Betas are a godsend for many people though, especially authors who aren’t writing in their native tongue. Unfortunately, it’s just not something I have the patience to work with. Because of my lack of a beta reader there tends to be spelling errors that slip through once in a while and, even though it’s kinda unfair to ask my readers to put up with my occasional gaff, I just don’t have the patience to deal with a secondary reader in this stage of my development as a writer.
- What do you normally look for in a good fanfiction you'd like to sit down and read? Or, on the other hand, what would completely turn you off from a fanfic?
-soft laugh- I was kinda hoping you wouldn’t ask this question.
I’m an elitist. Sadly, yes, I admit it. Over time I’ve developed a kind of…formula?- to decide what I read and what I don’t.
First off- I’ll read almost anything if it’s well written. I’m serious, Bruce Wayne x Harry Potter- I love it. Legolas x Jim Kirk?- been there done that. I don’t really care about the pairing- it’s the C ONTENT that gets me.
When I see a fic, one of the first things I look at it the word count. I love long fics and can’t really deal with anything fewer than 6000 words per chapter. If the amount of chapters is more than the word count then I’m turned off. Meaning, an 8 chapter fic with like 4000 words is just a straight no-no.
After that I glance at the time frame- if it’s too old and hasn’t been updated in a while then that’s an immediate no-no too.
Last is the summary. If I see ‘I suck at summaries’ anywhere in the summary then I move on. My logic is that if you are already telling me that your writing sucks then why bother read it?
I usually give a fic the first two chapters to decide if I want to read it or not and I usually don’t read anything less than ‘M’ rated. One or two ‘T’ fics that have been done extremely well will slip through but other than that, k-t fics are a general no-no. Like I said- I’m sadly an elitist.
- Just a quick yes/no question- do you normally give critique? Either in the form of reviews, PMs, blogging, etc.
When I have the time, yes.
- What can you tell us about your writing style? Do you tend to focus on the dialogue, emotion, or description?
Writing style? Oi. -thinks-
My style is..er…complex. I write long stories first of all and I make sure to balance between description/narration and dialogue. I’ve been finding out however that dialogue can often tell a story better than narration can so I’ve been experimenting with it.
Simple words and sentence structure are key- I write so that my readers don’t know that they are reading. Long, florid sentences that try too hard to be symbolic and metaphorical only confuse the hell out of me so I don’t write what I hate to read.
I love plot. Let me say it again- I absolutely love plot. PWP is almost like anathema to me- I can write it but what’s the point really? Every fic I have ends up with plot in there- even when I don’t originally set out to do so.
Character intricacies and development are also cornerstone. A character is not one dimensional, which is why you will see my Sasuke having a fetish for Apple Jacks and a Naruto who is religious. People have many facets to them- why shouldn’t characters? One dimensional portrayal pisses me off.
Language use is also necessary to me. I build my character with language. Neji- considering his upbringing and personal quirks would speak with a fuller vocabulary and far less crassness and slang than Kiba would. Its little tricks like those that bring the character off the page.
I can’t for the life of me imagine Snape saying, “Well yeah ya lil’ brat- you’re damn right I couldn’t stand the fucker.” Can you?
- What do you base your writing on? Pure fiction, or your own experiences?
My fiction is based on everything from my own life experiences to my emotions, to my wildest dreams and then to my greatest fantasies.
Curious fact- I’m not a romantic. I know right- it’s weird, since everything I write has romance in it- or, well- sex at the very least. I’m not a flowers and candlelight kind of person which is why my romance tends to be grittier and rawer than many people normally write/read.
- What do you think is the problem that writers nowadays have most? If you had that problem, how would you try to solve it?
The problem that most writers have nowadays is that no one wants to write a classic.
Everybody wants a hit and these hits just fizzle out. I hate people who only write for reviews- authors who don’t have a story to tell and who cater to every whim of their reviewers just to be popular and get fame.
I’m not gonna lie, reviews are nice- but they’re not the be all and end all of the world. If I had this problem then I’d force myself to take a step back and examine myself.
Selling out is just ridiculous.
- How do you become inspired?
I’m inspired by history, current affairs, other people’s lives, classes, books, and especially music.
- How do you begin your stories? What do you think an opening should achieve?
-snort-
Me, I’m backwards. My stories usually start in the middle, go to the beginning, wibble down to the end and the sex is usually the last thing I write. I actually have a club on Y!Gallery called Inkwells that has posts about story writing technique.
The beginning of a story should grab my attention immediately. Don’t you dare give me a story with a trite beginning or one that starts with a description about the weather (unless it’s a very weird one, like- “It was the middle of July- and snow was ripping the roof from the house in little Whinging.” ) Or something like that.
- What techniques to you use to develop your character/make it believable/move others?
I use language. How a character speaks and maneuvers his body is one of the main ways I develop an individual personality. The words I would use to describe Neji (words like ‘svelte’ and ‘lean’) I don’t use to describe Kiba (who is more ‘husky’ and ‘rugged’)
I consider humanity and its aspects.
Characters need to have vices, virtues, habits, faults, failings, beliefs, hopes, desperations, ignorance, bias, prejudice, practices and experiences- just like I do.
- How do you write an ending/epilogue? What do you try to do?
I avoid them altogether. The majority of fics I write are long one-shots which have natural culminations within themselves. The one time I tried to write an epilogue (with my fic ‘Right Here Waiting’) it turned into a fic by itself. -rolls eyes at self-
- What do you think makes a good plot, or how do you develop your own plots?
Good plot…hmm…
For me, I don’t really need to have a plan or know what I’m doing to write plot. Plot just finds me- like a stalker.
In general though, good plot needs character development, a conflict (ESPECIALLY a conflict), a plot twist, a culmination and spice thrown in there every once in a while.
The story just needs to have a point really. It’s easy to spot a story that’s not going anywhere because it just rambles on and on with all these little problems popping up with no clear reason why. The author just throws them in as they think them up.
Please know however that not every story needs a ‘bad guy’. Conflict can come about within the character himself, with nature, with the world or with other people. A hero is not needed- often, I prefer anti-heroes…like House. Whoever came up with House was a bloody genius.
- What advice would you give to people with a writer's block in the middle of a lengthy story, or lose interest halfway through?
Let the story breathe.
Give it time. You’ll come back to it faster than you realize. I once let a story breathe for half a year.
- Any general tips for the either the newly budding writer or just someone aiming to improve their writing?
Read.
I’m serious. Read like a fiend and as widely as you can- from Shakespeare to Moliere to Patterson to Chuck Palahniuk. And practice- you don’t have to write everything that comes to mind- you can practice in your head at any given time when you have a moment. Try building mock stories in your head.
-Fin-