Skip to main content

Author Interview: Ryan Eric

Today I have an interview with aspiring author Ryan Eric on all things writing. I hope you enjoy!

What inspires you to write?

I guess I just have a big imagination. A lot stories feel like they are trapped and I need to get them out on paper, as crazy as that might sound. I write more to free the stories in my head as opposed to any other reason.

What is your favourite genre to read?

Probably something like romance. I think it’s exciting to see the rise of plot and action among the attraction between two people. Many romance stories that I’ve read often have much more to tell an audience anyway, such as coming-of-age or Bildungsroman stories. In these cases I’m referring to, the romance is more of a medium to tell how people grow up and deal or rationalize with the society around them.

What genre do you write? Why?

I enjoy writing fantasy. I don’t know why, but I just can’t stay away from writing some sort of twist on society. Even if it’s about social media and technology, I’d want it to be futuristic- Such as Sci-Fi novels.

Who was your favourite author of your childhood?

I enjoyed Heather Brewer, who wrote The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. I kept up with it throughout all of my years in middle-school. I’ve also been trying to get back into James Patterson- I read Daniel X when I was in the earlier parts of high-school, at around the same time everybody had the hots for the Maximum Ride series.

Who is your favourite author now?

I read a lot more Manga than I do western books, and I’d say my favorite writer of Manga would have to be Takaya Kagami, who presides over the story for one of my favorites, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign.

Which author do you think your writing is most like?

I actually had no intent for this, really, but a year back I was close friends with someone who read a series called The Mortal Instruments by a woman named Cassandra Claire. At the time I’d been writing stories about faeries and hunters, and as such I found myself put in a kind of line with Shadow Hunters. I read a chapter of her book, Clockwork Angel, the other day and I really was hooked right away. I think substance-wise, we write very similar things. I need to read her more.

What are your writing goals (however big or small is up to you!)?

I wouldn’t say I have any egoistic or totally ambitious plans, I guess, for writing. I do, however, like to set up some objectives or metrics while writing a story. I find it helps me get focused and hunkered down into my chair, when I make an attempt to write 400-3000 words for each chapter of a story I’d be working on.

What is your biggest writing achievement so far?

Well, I find that kind of hard to say. I’ve actually published, as in produced hard copies, an old trilogy I had set aside for the longest time. But most recently I’ve gotten 1,000+ views on a story on Wattpad, which I find to be especially rewarding because it was an original story of mine and thus I couldn’t really play off of pre-existing advertisements and collective images like people do when they write fanfiction. I hope that makes sense.

What is the best comment you've received about your writing?

I don’t think I’ve received one - I’ve received a few. I’d say it’s balanced feedback. Whenever people leave a comment on my stories that highlights the pros and cons of a chapter of mine, I absolutely find it so supportive.

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment, I have a few projects with my writing. And I’ll probably always be in the predicament where I have “a few projects”, because I like to hop between tasks a lot. I’m currently writing three stories- Cardinal Order, Riveters, and N-Sequence: Tell. Cardinal Order is about a genetically modified human specifically tailored to fight faeries, Riveters is a scandalous romance and erotica story about a teacher who falls in love with their student (please note that the student is of legal age, at 18 years), and N-Sequence: Tell is about a school designed for students with special powers called ‘Sequences’ and how the school pits them against each other- You can compare it to The Hunger Games if you’d like!

Quick fire round!

- Pace or prose?
Prose

- Brilliant characters or a shocking twist?
Shocking twist

- Happy ending or bittersweet?
Happy ending

- First person or third person?
Third person

- Multiple POVs or single POV?
Multiple POVs

- Romance or thriller?
Thriller

- Fantasy or Sci-fi?
Sci-Fi

- Heroes or villains?
Villains

Where to find  Ryan Eric
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_cier/
Writing site: https://www.wattpad.com/user/CierRyland
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/mysterycrystal

*Note: Also, don't forget to enter this giveaway, or this one!*

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Your Best Character: Quiz and Contest

The best characters are put through hell and yet can still carry the story forward on their broken shoulders. Your plot will fall flat if your characters are one dimensional and strong characters can make a cliché story really shine; characterisation takes work and thought. The key to character development is to ask questions. Maybe spend time thinking about the scenarios that have happened to your character which won’t make the final cut of the novel. The questions below are designed to test that (to some degree). [NOW CLOSED, REVIEWS PENDING] Answer at least 5 of these in a comment with a link to your story and I’ll give you an in-depth review. Reviews are approximately 1000 words and take me well over an hour, so if you’re looking to polish up your manuscript then don’t miss out. Also, the opening chapter with the most interesting and well-developed character will be featured on this blog! Feel free to write about anyone as long as they feature in the same story. You can ans...

Opening Chapter: Quiz and Contest

The opening chapter is pivotal. It needs to draw in an intended audience – it needs flare and promise of things to come, with writing that earns the reader’s trust, luring them into the next chapter.  I’ve made a quick quiz to test whether your opening has what it takes. You don’t need all of these things for a good chapter. Hell, I bet there are a few I’ve forgotten too! Answer each of the following using evidence from your opening. If you can’t, then maybe you need to spice up the chapter. 1) Is your opening line unique, scene setting, or hooking? 2) What makes your character unique? 3) Pick out your best line of description. 4) Pick out your quirkiest line. 5) Is the genre and sub-genres obvious? 6) Is it clean from silly mistakes – have you read through more than 10 times? 7) Does it end on a cliff-hanger? 8) What makes it different from other novels in that genre? 9) Does it start close to the action? 10) Are you happy with it?...

Show Vs. Tell: Round 1

Hands up if a critic has told you ‘show don’t tell’ (SDT). Keep that hand up if you found it rather unhelpful at the time or if that critic didn’t elaborate much. Yes, it’s a pesky phrase. Showing rather than telling can be a pretty powerful tool, and here's what it really means: Showing brings your words to life, creates imagery, and lets the reader know exactly what’s going on. It doesn’t tell you facts explicitly, but builds an idea in your head so that usually you understand it in far more detail than you would have. Good writing makes you realise a fact without being told it straight. As a writer it forces you to explore your imagination further really think about your story and your characters. It adds depth. *But showing is not always better than telling.* Telling adds pace. It moves the story along and sums up ideas that may be unclear if let to just showing. It doesn’t try to add detail to a relatively boring fact. It lets you know what piece of information is imp...