Interview with Grewen

An interview with Grewen, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

I’ve been looking forward to this interview for quite some time. However, we’ve had some logistical issues with how he was going to get through a standard size doorway. Once we were able to knock out a part of a wall and replace it with a large overhead dock door, our problem was solved. At least until the twelve foot tall mognin arrived and we had no place for him to sit.

AGW: “I apologize for not having a chair large enough for you. I was so focused on just getting you in here that I completely forgot about your other needs.”

Grewen: With a slight grin, he waited for me to calm down enough to begin the interview.

AGW: “My first question is; mognins are usually pacifist, so how did you get involved supporting Ambrosius’ war against Darkmere?”

Grewen: “Do you mind if I sit on floor? I keep bumping my head against the ceiling.” His low voice was soft and calming.

AGW: “Please do. I want all my guests to be comfortable.”

Grewen: “After reading your prior interviews, I would speculate that your last statement isn’t exactly true.”

AGW: “I don’t know what you mean?”

Grewen: “You know what I mean. And why all the smoke and mirrors with interviewing characters you created? Are you attempting to expose some of your own personal internal issues through them?”

AGW: “Not at all. I simply thought that fans of the book series would enjoy getting to know the entire cast better.”

Grewen: “It’s okay. I can tell from your writing that you’re not a shallow man. You have depth of feelings that could easily be hurt. If it’s more therapeutic for you to release your challenges by placing them in one of us, I understand.”

AGW: “Seriously, that’s not what’s happening here. I’m fine. There are no dark hidden secrets that have plagued my life which I now feel compelled to get off my chest.”

Grewen: His large grin returned as he nodded for me to continue.

AGW: “OKAY! OKAY! I was a young impressionable child. All I wanted was chocolate cake for my birthday! Was that too much to ask?!”

Grewen: “Perhaps you are shallower than I had given you credit for.”

Interview with Ambrosius (Conflict with Alchemist)

An interview with Ambrosius, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

In my last blog, Ambrosius had just finished explaining to us the difference between E’rudites and Alchemist. And as enlightening as it was, I have yet to receive the chocolate cake we had discussed.

AGW: “It’s no secret that there is a major rift between the E’rudites and the Alchemists within the Altered Creatures realm. Can you explain why?”

Ambrosius: “There are many reasons. However, the fundamental issue is that the E’rudites spend years not only studying the techniques needed, but they also learn the responsibility that comes with such power. Alchemists establish spells and sometimes even embed these spells within objects for future activation. Those using such magical objects need not to learn anything more than how to active it. It can be easily misused by even the most unskilled creatures.”

AGW: “Are you referring to Avanda? She’s definitely a danger to everyone around her whenever she lost her temper. Ever since your battle with Sharcodi, she has used the components in his purse of magic and has taught herself a great deal of sorcery.”

Ambrosius: “She has Sharcodi’s magical components? I’ve warned Avanda and Thorik to stay away from enchanted items!”

AGW: “Yes. I remember. However, she failed to heed your advice. Instead, she has done just the opposite and has immersed herself into the field of illusions and witchcraft.”

Ambrosius: “As the author of her fate, why did you not stop her? You know the dangers that could await them.”

AGW: “I felt it was a calculated risk to see how far she would take it before she destroyed those she loved most.”

Ambrosius: “Writing brings out the dark side of you, doesn’t it?”

AGW: “I like to think so.”

Interview with Ambrosius (about Magic)

An interview with Ambrosius, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

My interview continued with Ambrosius long into the night. His calm and firm convictions came off without arrogance or ego, but sometimes lacked the compassion that Thorik may have brought to the subjects. Eventually we discontinued out discussion of politics and moved to something I was more interested in, the powers of an E’rudite.

AGW: “Not everyone comprehends the difference between the E’rudites and the Alchemist. Can you help our audience understand the dissimilarity?”

Ambrosius: “Certainly. It takes great discipline for an E’rudite to sharpen his thoughts to focus on the unseen forces of nature in order to utilize its powers to his or her desires. We must feel the harmonics of the energy around us in order to harness them.”

AGW: “And how is that different from an Alchemist.”

Ambrosius: “Alchemist study and utilize various objects, movements, and sounds that possess attributes of nature. When combined properly, the outcome of such sequenced amalgamations results in what they refer to as a spell.”

AGW: “So, you E’rudites can cast spells without using objects?”

Ambrosius: “No. We don’t cast spells. We harness the energy of our environment.”

AGW: “I thought Alchemist harness those same energies as well.”

Ambrosius: “No, they utilize components that are embedded with specific energies. They don’t truly understand how it works; only that it does.”

AGW: “It still sounds similar.”

Ambrosius: “Let me explain it this way. If we were baking a cake, an Alchemist would add flour to make it rise. Even though he did not know why flour truly caused this affect, he knew he could count on it each and every time. On the other hand, an E’rudite would cause the cake to rise without flour because he understood how to influence the nature of the event.”

AGW: “Oh, I love a good chocolate cake. Multilevel with frosting between each one of them. Perhaps you could use your culinary E’rudite powers to whip one of those up for me.”

Ambrosius: “I seriously doubt that will happen any time soon.”

Interview with Ambrosius (Good & Evil)

An interview with Ambrosius, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

The entire atmosphere changed when he entered the room. I can’t explain how, but I could feel his presence before I looked up to see him stride toward me. He had a weathered handsome face and well-trimmed beard as his shoulder length hair flowed in his wake. The man’s confident walk gave off a sense of having a clear agenda and the conviction to make it happen. I won’t lie. It was intimidating as he approached and then sat down in front of me.

AGW: “Welcome. Are you ready to get started on the interview?”

Ambrosius: “Obviously.”

AGW: “Um…right…I’m a little nervous, so bear with me.” I gave off a weak laugh to lighten the mood.

Ambrosius: No response

AGW: “My readers have mixed opinions about you. Some really support you, others fear what you’re doing, and many are still unsure about your intents.”

Ambrosius: “I have no desire to prove myself to your readers or sway their opinions about me. I have taken action where I have seen the need.”

AGW: “Understood. But do you personally feel you’re one of the good guys or bad guys of this book series?”

Ambrosius: “Good and evil is based on perception. Everyone follows their own desires and goals based on their own history and frame of reference. Am I a malicious murderer if I kill someone? What if it was during a violent battle to overtake the kingdom? How about if the kingdom was corrupt and the invading forces were rebels trying to restore freedom? What if the murder didn’t take place during the heated battle, but instead it happened during an argument in graveyard in the thick of the night? If it was the same person that died over the same conflict with an alternate location and time, why is it looked upon as different? Am I immoral and wicked for the death of this man, or am I praised for stopping a tyrant who has enslaved the public? The answer is both. I am admired by some and hated by others for my actions. However, I will not succumb to the emotions of individuals when making decisions for the greater good.”

AGW: “Okay…Well, I’m not sure where to go with that. A simple yes or no would have really helped clear up this issue for my fans.”

Ambrosius: “That’s your concern as a writer. I’m not shackled with such constraints.”

AGW: “Obviously.”

Interview with Thorik Dain

An interview with Thorik, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

Thorik Dain was pleasant enough to come back to the studio for another interview. As the lead character of his own book series within the Altered Creature’s realm, I’m flattered he has time to take my questions.

AGW (Anthony G. Wedgeworth): “Thank you for returning to my studio. I wasn’t sure how you felt about my interviews after Avanda lost her temper on our last one together.”

Thorik: “You do seem to have a way of bringing drama into our lives.”

AGW: “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Thorik: “Oh, I don’t know. How about the time you had an entire tribe of Thrashers attack us, or when the herd of Chuttlebeasts stampeded over us? How about the time a rogue storm nearly sank our ship, or the attack by the Guardians of the Ossuary Mountain Range? Do you recall any of those events?”

AGW: “Absolutely! It was great to see how you and your party survived those conflicts. I was on the edge of my seat.”

Thorik: “It might have been amusing for you, but was it really necessary to toss us into the underworld with Bakalor? I still have nightmares about that.”

AGW: “Stressful conflict adds to the reader’s entertainment.”

Thorik: “So are you telling me you’re constantly looking for ways to torture me to sell your stories?”

AGW: “Definitely. I work very hard to ensure that you and your group are in frequent mortal danger to help stimulate the journey. Once this catalyst is in play, I sit back and watch to see what happens. Sometimes it causes conflict within your party and other times it unites you as a stronger force. Most of the time I have no idea how you’re going to survive until you figure it out along the way. In fact, to my surprise, sometimes not all of you have survived the incident. It’s just as enjoyable for me to experience the adventure with you as it is for the reader.”

Thorik: “You need therapy.”

Interview with Gluic

An interview with Gluic, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

I sat down in my studio this morning and started making a list of all the characters I would like to interview. As I did so, I was startled when I looked up to see Gluic sitting across from me, waiting patiently for me to acknowledge her. For a little old lady, she is obviously an agile num.

AGW (Anthony G. Wedgeworth): “Gluic. What an honor.”

Gluic: “Good morning, dear. How’s your writing going?”

AGW: “Fine. Thank you. Why are you here?”

Gluic: “I’m here for my interview.”

AGW: “How did you know I was planning on asking you for an interview? In fact, I just added you to my list.”

Gluic: “I know, dear.”

AGW: “How did you know, exactly? Have you been reading my Blog interviews?”

Gluic: “No, Dear. I don’t read blogs.”

AGW: “So, you just knew? I see. Isn’t that part of your special gifts? You have the ability to foresee events before they happen. I think many in your realm call those with such powers as a Channel.”

Gluic: “Is that a question or a statement?”

AGW: “Um…I guess it was a statement that I was hoping you would confirm to be true.”

Gluic: “That’s nice, dear. But perhaps you should stick with fantasy writing instead of interviews.”

AGW: “Perhaps you’re right. But before we leave this subject, can you give our audience a display of your Channel abilities to predict the future?”

Gluic: “Wear your seatbelt.”

AGW: “I think that’s more of general advice for everyone. Valid as your suggestion is, it’s not much of a prediction.”

Gluic: Leaning in towards me, she smiled. “No, dear. You, not everyone. You need to make sure you’re wearing your seatbelt the very next time you drive out of town.”

…

Not that I believe in such powers, but I have cancelled all future conferences and book signing.

An interview with Thorik and Avanda

An interview with Thorik and Avanda, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

Avanda leads Thorik into our large production studio with excitement in her eyes and a bounce in her step. Like all people of the Polenum race, her hair contains various colors found in nature and her bold soul-markings run down her face, arms, and legs. Leading her more cautious partner to the guest chairs for the interview, her head shot back and forth as she attempted to see everything in her new surroundings.

AGW (Anthony G. Wedgeworth): “I appreciate you taking the time to visit with us.”

Avanda: “This is amazing! What magic are you using to cast such light indoors?”

AGW: “What an excellent lead to one of your favorite subjects, magic. Hasn’t it been difficult to learn magic without a teacher?”

Avanda: “I had a teacher. Master Bryus Grum taught me the basics which I’ve expanded on. Do you want to see?”

Thorik quickly reached for her hands and held them tight against her leg.

AGW: “Isn’t it true that you cheated a bit by utilizing the spell book, Vesik? Do you feel it compromised your personal growth?”

Avanda: “Don’t call Vesik an IT. She doesn’t like that!”

Thorik smiled as he struggled to keep her hands under control within his own.

AGW: “Your attraction for this book obviously is still a sensitive issue. But surely you can now she how it caused conflict with your other relationships and prevented you from becoming more self-confident with the limited spell casting ability that you were born with.”

Avanda: “Limited!?”

Thorik: “Now you did it.”

Avanda: “I’ll show you limited!!”

…

Thanks to the support of Ambrosius, I am very close to having at least one of my arms regrown, although my disfigured lower half has left me in a situation where I’m strapped in a miniature chariot as my Shih Tzu pulls me around the house.

Interview with Santorray

An interview with Santorray, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

A massive creature standing over eight feet tall walks onto the set. His head and face is a morphed shape of a dragon and a hairless wolf, which is mounted upon the most muscular human chest and arms you’ve ever seen. Dense bone blades extend out of his skin across his shoulders, the back of his arms and elbows, and the backs of his thick claw-like hands. A long deep scar runs from one shoulder blade down to his opposite hip. Crouching slightly as he prepared for his attack, his strong canine legs and waist are covered with a brownish red hair. Santorray has arrived for his interview…

AGW (Anthony G. Wedgeworth): “Thank you for this privilege of joining us.”

Santorray: After a deep growl he shouted, “What is this?”

AGW: “It’s an interview of the characters in my books. Today we are fortunate enough to have you as our guest.”

Santorray: Teeth were exposed on one side as he held back his frustration. “Lucky me.”

AGW: “Excellent. Let’s begin. How do you prefer readers pronounce your name? San-tor-ray? San-tor-ay?”

Santorray: “How should I know!? You came up with the infernal thing!”

AGW: “Okay then. Let’s go with San-tor-ray with a rolling R.”

Santorray: “I don’t care. It’s just a name, you Fesh-lovin’ fool!”

AGW: “Thank you for bringing that up. Fesh is a name given to the simple animals of the Altered Creature’s realm, ranging from wolves to sheep. Named after the Oracle Feshlan, these animals roam the land with natural survival skills, but incapable of creating civilizations. So, why use the name Fesh to represent such a negative connotation?”

Santorray: “Are you serious? I fought my way out of the underworld, Della Estovia, through Myth’Unday infested forests, and across the O’Sid Fields while battling herds of Chuttlebeasts just to listen to you talk about naming of characters and creatures in your stories!?

AGW: “Of course not. I also have a list of questions for you about your thoughts on the personal relationships between key characters.”

Santorray: “I was told someone was in serious danger and needed help! I didn’t travel here for your small minded num-like questions!”

AGW: “Okay, so I skewed the truth a hair to coax you to arrive. But it wasn’t a lie. I do need your help…to answer a few more questions.”

Waking up in the hospital several weeks later, I now see the errors of my ways. Perhaps I should have started by asking him how he received that deep scar on his back.

KISS! You know what I’m talking about!

You know the phrase, Keep It Simple Stupid. Most of this time it plays out to be true. That is not to say it can’t be very complicated. In fact, the most simple end results are made from the most complicated projects to work on. Confused yet? Me too. At least I used to be.

When working on a new project, it usually starts out with a few really cool ideas. Then feature-creep makes it more complex. At some point you start working out the logistics of putting everything together so that it actually works. Typically, this first prototype, or manuscript draft, meets the goals of the original idea but it is very rough. The flow may be off. Plot twists may not work. Characters talk out of character in order to move the story in the correct direction.

This is true in programming as well. Heck, it happens in most creative activities. Your once simple idea has become difficult to communicate and you’re working really hard to force all the pieces together into an effective package. It’s a struggle, but you finally get it to work. So, you know the next step, correct? Scrap it!

Yep, you heard me. Now that you know what you needed to know before you started, it’s time to toss it away and start fresh. There’s only a few challenges. First of all, it’s your baby! You put a lot of time and effort into it. You want to see it published! You want to get it out there so others can praise your work. That said, scrap it anyway.

I’ve worked as writer, industrial engineer, manufacturing engineer, and programmer (okay, amateur programmer), and I’m telling you the best programs and projects are the ones are developed and then redesigned once all the logistics have been ironed out. Don’t believe me? Check out how Pixar makes all their movies. They develop the entire storyline through the creative process. Once they have it figured out, they rewrite it from the beginning with their newfound knowledge.

In doing this, the flow becomes better, the plot is more naturally integrated, and characters stay in character. In the end, people will say things such as, “It’s such a simple story, product, or movie.” This should be a badge of honor to you, because if you made a complicated series of events feel simple to the end user (in this case, your reader), then you’ve done an amazing job.