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This blog is an official interview of the Fanon Fact Finders. We hope you enjoy it! |
Hello! What's this? I actually got around to interviewing The Snowbold for Dreams of Melasa (which he requested in... July, I believe?)
Anyway, this is an interesting story that follows the half-witch, Melasa, as she is forced into serving the current Avatar, Tiros, after a failed assassination attempt. This story follows her as both learn a little about a different way of life, and forge a friendship that goes byond the servant-master relationship they began with.
But.... you should really read it to discover for yourselves what a pretty cool fanfic this is.
Hi, The Snowbold! How are you?
Hi Frui! I’m doing pretty good, exams aside.
Now, in 30 words or less, can you tell us about Dreams of Melasa?
It’s about the journey of a half-witch long after the genocide on her kind. Isolated and alone, she learns to reconnect to her humanity with the Avatar.
What are your inspirations, for both this series and writing in general?
I like to write different things. Avatar had clearly stated that bending wasn’t magic, as you can recall in the first episode of the show. But what if there was magic? How would that affect this world and its history?
Why have you decided to not continue this story until after Rise of Lirin?
I decided to not continue because I had started Rise of Lirin first and that has bigger priority as a main story in the Storms of the Future Cycle. It will have important little facts, especially in reference to Ish Kash.
What will the next arc be about? Shadow World will explore the phenomenon of the Dosh Rak, conflicting loyalties and what Melasa will do to survive alone. She will be cut off and isolated in a way she has never been and face an enemy her kind trembled at. We will also see a dark secret about the Ish Kash.
How did you think of the name? What about the chapters?
The Dreams title probably comes from the idea that she would never dream about this happening to her. The chapters each have a title that is relevant to what happen. Arbalest refers to a crossbow, which wounds Melasa. These are the kind of connections the names have.
Were the character names easy? Do they have any special meanings?
Melasa was actually meant to be Melas, which is Salem backwards. However, I felt it was too masculine and made it her father’s name instead. Otherwise, I based the names off of various characters and names throughout media. Hanbao is of course a member of the Many Tales of Hanbao continuity.
You've cited Dusk Maiden of Amnesia and 11eyes both as being sources of inspiration for this series. Can you elaborate on exactly what they are, and how they've helped/motivated you?
Both are manga/anime that I really like. 11eyes is a story about several kids forced back and forth between Earth and the Red Night and must survive as fierce enemies try to kill them. Melasa is heavily inspired by Misuzu, as are her swords. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is about a ghost who can’t recall her death and slowly falls in love with a freshman as the two explore her mystery.
How do you write so much in so little time?
I really don’t think I do. I just write when I’m able to. As it is, I thought I would already have started posting Rise of Lirin by now, and I didn’t.
How do you think of the spells that Melasa uses? What do they mean?
Magic has passive and active powers. Passive’s are simple and almost inherent, requiring nothing but will. Active’s generally require an incantation or an motion to activate, much like commonly seen magic in media. The Nifrin had their own language which roughly translates into what the spell is doing.
What is Storms of the Future Cycle, and why doesn't this directly affect it?
Storms of the Future Cycle is my overall story universe. All the events of Journey of Tala, Rise of Lirin and Dreams of Melasa occur within this same universe and timeline. Dreams, while important for side info, doesn’t affect how the characters of the main stories act. Unlike Fates and Vows which greatly influences what happens in Rise of Lirin.
Who is your favourite character? Why?
My favorite character in this arc is Melasa. She is tough, unrelenting and reliable. She goes it alone because she has been pushed away for so long that she has doesn't know anything else.
Why did you decide to make Tiros a Fire Nation Avatar? Why is he not fully-fledged?
Because then he would be too strong and then the Dosh Rak would have to be stronger and then Melasa, a half-witch, would have to be stronger. It has this whole domino affect. I just felt like that was a good nation to put him as, also, because the Fire Nation has no history of Nifrin witches. The Nifrin lived on the mainland.
Was it difficult to properly explain her motives as a character, from the initial failed assassination attempt, to the tensions that form between her and Tiros?
Yeah, that was hard, I did have to pretty much rewrite some of the chapters even after posting when Mage’s review came in and I could see how bad it was.
You received a reasonably good result from the FRS from chapter 4, I believe; how did this affect how you continued the story?
I had a good score but could've gotten better. I failed miserably on explaining the vehicle for moving the characters together and so had to rewrite it completely. In the original draft, it was voluntary and the new one it was forced.
How has fan communication helped shape this story? Have you followed a specific plan, or has it changed since you first began writing it?
Its always nice to hear from fans. With the exception of the change from the review, I have not made any serious changes in the path the story takes.
Is there anything you want to say to your fans or lurkers?
I hope you guys enjoyed it. Book Two will be more intense and have a more hostile environment for our little half-witch.
Thanks for the interview!
Your're very welcome! The Snowbold puts just as much effort into this shorter series as he does with... well, all of them, and anyone who is a fan of his other writings should definitely give this a go!