Interviews

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Interview with Comicality

Where are you from?

I'm from Chicago, born and bred. Cliche city boy! :)

Tell us your latest news?

I'm actually working on a ton of new stuff right now for the site. A lot of ideas that I've had in the past are being redone and finally being made into actual stories so that I can post them. Also a ton of sequels to series that I was working on before are finally reaching completion. So I'm excited about continuing some of the stories that I left hanging for so long.

When and why did you begin writing?

Writing in general? I've been writing ever since I was old enough to hold the pencil upright. Hehehe! Creating stories and characters has always been something that I could enjoy, and the idea of having that story written out...where somebody else could enjoy it too (instead of just keeping it in my imagination), made it even more amazing. So I always stuck with it.

When I first started writing online, however, I remember that there was a drought on Nifty of stories that really touched me. There were always hot stories about sexual fantasies and chance encounters, but when it came to the real heart of the story...I don't know. Something was lacking. After reading a hundred sex stories, I began to look for something that actually 'moved' me. And those were few and far in between back then. It's not that they weren't 'good', they just weren't to my taste. I found a couple of series that really caught my eye in the celebrity section, and wrote the authors an email to tell them how much I enjoyed what they wrote. And I figured that I might as well take a shot at writing one of my own. Something that I would personally want to see online myself. Something with plot, and heart, and conflict, and humor, and drama...all combined into one. I wanted to make something that people wouldn't just read, but could feel and relate to. And that's when the first New Kid In School was written.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Hmmm...not until college really. I was trying to sign up for classes, and all of the ones I wanted were full by the time they got to me, so I took a creative writing class in order to fill my credits. I figured it would be fun and at least it would be an easy grade since I love writing anyway. That class was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It was phenominal, the teacher was awesome, the rest of my classmates were all really talented, and we had a lot of fun. I never thought of myself as an actual 'writer' until I had that class and was turning out two or three stories a week. You couldn't keep me away from the computer lab at that point. Hehehe, I've been addicted ever since.

What inspired you to write your first story?

Sexual tension! Hehehe, it's true! I had been in love with my best friend, Mike, since froshman year of high school, and we had just gotten an apartment together for the first time. A very tiny place, where we got to talk all the time and be close to one another. Not to mention that I got to see him walk around half naked a lot of times. I think that tension was a huge part of getting me to write those first few stories. My heart got flooded with all of these leftover emotions from high school, and they were looking for an outlet. So I wrote to relieve a lot of that pressure on my heart and mind and tried to focus it into something that I could work with. That's one of the main reasons why all of my earlier stories are so heavy on the sex.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?

Online, I'd have to say that it was authors like Savoir Faire, Jaxsper Finn, and Dean Lidster, most of all. Their stories were some of the first to really show me the kind of heart and soul that I was looking for in these online stories. And Caring For Cody? Wow! I still have that one saved from years ago! That whole world of online erotica was so new to me at the time, and they had this real talent for creating the kind of visuals and emotions that pull you into the story. So I am forever grateful for them building that foundation to inspire me and I'm sure countless other writers to work from.

How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?

I think that sometimes my past causes my stories to be a little darker than some people are expecting. I was abused growing up, and a lot of that angst and frustration does find its way into my work. That pain stays with you, no matter what you do, so it's hard to channel those mood swings and angry rants sometimes when I'm writing. Also, that hesitation and lack of confidence in my characters can be aggravating for a lot of my readers. Hehehe! But that's how I was, growing up. Closeted, a bit shy, always needing to feel COMPLETELY 100% safe before taking a chance on getting hurt, no matter HOW long it takes or what I might be missing out on. A lot of my characters and storylines reflect that uneasy feeling inside, that almost overwhelming fear of being rejected by someone else, and I have to remember sometimes that not everybody lives with that paralyzing fear. Not to that extent, anyway. I do attempt to stray from the norm a lot of times, but many recurring themes are almost always evident. For example, the father figures in my stories aren't usually positive. In fact, they're almost always abusive, complete jerks, or nonexistant. I hope to improve on that some day and create a more balanced story in that respect.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I think so. Most of the time people can tell by the words that I use, or by my formatting. There was a contest about two years ago (I think), where all the contestants posted annonymously. I decided to give it a shot, and I tried not to use my usual 'speaking voice' when I wrote, with the capital letters or italics, etc. But most of the foks reading could tell that it was me anyway. How, I'll never know. I don't know, maybe it's something I can't hide. Hehehe! But I like that. I think it's kinda cool to stick out in a crowd. :)

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Even though I started writing sci-fi stuff originally, I like to try a variety of different things. I want to write everything that I can. Drama, sci-fi, romance, comedy, whatever. I'm always looking for new stuff to try on the site. For example, I've started writing a Star Wars fanfic, believe it or not. Haven't decided whether or not it'll be posted on the site, it depends on whether or not I screw it up! Hehehe! But it is meant to be a gay romance story mixed in with the well known Star Wars mythology and action. So...we'll see how it goes. I'd like to have all three parts of the new trilogy finished by Christmas.

How did you come up with the title for your story(s)?

Most of them don't come to me until after I'm halfway done with a story. Or I'll start with one title, and change it by the time I'm finished. I'm not really sure how they come to be called what they're called. I just try to sum up the entire theme of the story in as few words as possible, and pray that it's easy for people to remember.

Is there a message in your story that you want readers to grasp?

The biggest message I want people to see in these stories is just to 'believe'. Believe in that magic, believe in that romance, believe that, no matter what your situation may be or how many times that you've been hurt...it IS possible for you to find that golden opportunity for something special in life. No matter how young, or how old you are. Nothing about it will be easy, and nobody in this world lives 'happily ever after' without any kind of conflict along the way. But to everyone who thinks they're not cut out for that level of happiness, I want to give them the courage and confidence to believe again. And maybe take a few of those chances at love that they normally wouldn't have.

How much of your story is realistic? Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?

I actually feel dettached from my stories if I don't add elements of myself into it. I always try to inject some parts of my life into everything that I write. I think that has so much more impact than trying to imitate someone elses experience. Even if it's just me having a bad day at work, or going through something with a friend or family member of mine, or if it's something funny that I remember from my past, I allow that to express itself in what I write. Those feelings and quirks and inner conversations help me to give the story a 'soul', you know? So no matter what you read from me, a piece of my current life is in there somewhere. Especially "Gone From Daylight". Everything is hidden in metaphor and character and conversation...but my entire life story is there between the lines. From my home life to suicide to this online 'Comicality' persona to heartbreak to my sexuality and everything
in between. It's in there.

What books/stories have most influenced your life?

Wow...hard to say. I remember really being moved by Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and being fascinated with Lord Of The Flies and Hamlet in school. I can still read those stories back to front these days and feel that connection all over again. But most of my influences since I started writing have been through movies. I'm always attracted to stories of complexity, where the badguys aren't always so clearly defined and the answers aren't always so easy, but the main character finds a way to persevere regardless. Even if it leads them to tragedy. I'd LOVE to be able create storylines that classic, you know? Something that sticks with the reader for the rest of their lives. Something they can quote to themselves when they need a bit of wisdom to get them through the day. That's when you know you've truly created something special.

I also love to read about other philosophies and religions and sciences that are outside of the norm. I'm always interested in how someone else sees the world and why.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Definitely Dean Lidster and Jaxsper Finn. Jax and I used to email back and forth a long time ago when he was writing Real World Hanson and I was writing New Kid. That was awesome to compare notes with an author that I admired so much. I think I learned a lot while running neck and neck with him. Wherever he is now, I hope he's doing well. Dean too. I'm one of their biggest fans.

What are you reading now?

I'm catching up on a lot of stuff right now online. WAY too many to name, believe me.

What new author has grasped your interest?

Hehehe, no comment. :) But I can tell you that there has been a LOT of talent popping up lately! I do like reading Viv's From Behind Those Eyes, and I'm just starting some of Dom Luka's stuff (which is excellent, by the way). And I'm always going to be a fan of Grasshopper's stories. He has real heart. And Ty from Storm Nation has been a fave of mine for a long time. The 'IceZone' club in GFD (Storm Nation was called the Ice Zone when "GFD" first started) is sorta my nod of appreciation to him for the stuff he's written. Those are just to name a few, but like I said, I'm trying to catch up on a ton of stuff right now. And I'm seeing new authors with amazing ideas popping up almost weekly now. So I'm enjoying the avalanche of stories. It makes me work harder to keep up with the competition! :)

What are your current projects?

Right now, the biggest things that I'm working on are Gone From Daylight: Born Of Fire and the Savage Moon: Unleashed chapter. But I'm making sure to give attention to just about everything on the site these days. So my mind is going in a million different directions at once. I guess I'm just focusing on getting everything updated and moving again.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

I don't know if there's just one entity. Honestly, it's just the fans of the website that really keep me going. I know that I don't really get a chance to answer my email like I used to, and sometimes I just 'drown' in it. But the truth is, if it weren't for those emails, if it weren't for the teenagers who write and say 'thanks for understanding what I'm going through', or adults who were happy to relive some of those golden moments from their past...I would have stopped writing years ago. Those emails and posts on the message boards mean a lot to me. More than they'll ever know. It's a big deal to me to have someone share a piece of their lives with me, or ask for advice, or just send a friendly email to say hello. That interaction feeds my need to reach out to even more people. Because I know people are listening, and I know that a part of me is somehow connected to a part of them. I never went into this expecting to be rich or famous or anything, but it's an unspeakable honor to know that something that I wrote was able to touch somebody I've never met on the other side of the world and it made an impact on their lives. If only for the few minutes that it took to read it. That's all the support I'll ever need.

How does your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?

Hahaha! Probably pretty annoyed actually! Finding time to lock myself in a room and write with nothing but my thoughts and my music around me doesn't really coincide with spending 'quality time' with friends and family. Most of my writing I do extremely late at night in an attempt to try to balance both. But when I'm writing, I'm pretty much just 'locked in' until I'm finished getting out whatever it is that I have to write. And during those times everything else in life is a distraction. So...yeah, they get pushed aside from time to time. But I try to find a balance anyway. :)

Do you see writing as a long- or short-term career?

Definitely long term. I'll never stop. Writing is my therapy.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything?

Not a thing. There are a lot of things in my life that I wish I didn't have to live through or that I wish I had done better. But when it comes to changing anything? Nah. Whatever pains and ordeals I went through as a child, as a teenager, or as an 'adult' (and I use that term loosely), they made me who I am. Flaws and all. They're the foundation that I'm built on, and I can live with that. And if the day comes where I don't like it, I can change it, look forward, and become better in the future.

Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?

Yes. If you've read any of these stories online, and you have a story of your own to share...then DO it! Write it down, get it out in the open. Those memories, those feelings, those experiences, both good and bad, have VALUE. You don't have to write the greatest story mankind has ever witnessed on your first try. Just be HONEST with every word that you write and somebody somewhere on the planet will read that and understand. Take that chance, and express yourself. Keep going. Keep doing it. Over and over again until they listen. Because it WILL have an impact. And there's nothing more powerful that the thoughts you inspire with a single stream of words and the people who are willing to read them.