Secondary Characters Speak Out: Quartz and Matt

Quartz: Right, your story. You started out a secondary character in Fated to Darkness, but the story in which you play a central role, your scrib, eh, writer hasn’t given a title yet, eh? 

Matt: Well, technically, she has the title figured out for the first and third book in this series thus far. The first being Fated to Darkness obviously. I stay secondary until that third book comes along, which she actually has tentatively decided on a title for just a little while ago: Tainted Light. Originally, I was supposed to become primary in the second book. However, upon her completion of the first book she realized it was way too long and still needed some expansion for flow and impact and understanding purposes so now it's been broken up into Book 1 and Book 2, which is why I don't become primary until Book 3 now. *Frowns slightly*  

Daelyn: *Cringes behind curtain, muttering to self* Sorry... Naming and titling is hard and I don't know the meaning to short and sweet...

Quartz: About that writer of you…what does she do that’s truly annoying? Got any ideas on how to make her stop? (mutters) No, I’m not fishing. Not at all.

(There’s a sigh from backstage coming from K.S.…)

Matt: *Thinks for a second* Something she does that's totally annoying? I don't think she does anything that actually annoys me. Although, she does sometimes have trouble keeping my voice from sounding too similar to one of the main character's voices; that does annoy me to a degree. I'm not certain how I could stop that from happening. Maybe if I talk more in her head it would do some good, remind her who she's writing. 

Quartz:  It’s always good to make your voice heard. Don’t let your writer forget you…ever. (glares at the backstage) Ahem. Back to the questions. There’s a main character in your previous story, acting like that center stage belong to them. What irritates you most about them? What would you fix if you could?

Matt: There's actually two main characters in the first two books. Which one do you want me to talk about? Both? 

Quartz: Aye, by all means both. This is your time to speak out. Do it, lad. 

Matt: Alright then. The first would be Kailyn, my friend. She's young, has a stubborn streak thicker than a bull, and also has a tendency to dive headlong into trouble all by herself thanks to her hotheadedness. As you can probably guess it never ends well. If I could fix anything with her it would be to make her realize she doesn't have to do everything alone and that she doesn't always have to be this strong, unbreakable individual, even if that's how she was raised. The second one... *Huffs angrily and frowns, leaning over on his knees with grey eyes darkening, hands clasped* Her name is Ciara and she's about as evil a witch... *pauses* bitch as they come. Everything she does irritates and angers me. The woman has no heart, no shred of decency in her. She's cruel and vile and manipulative. If I could do anything to fix her for good it would be to drop her in Lucifer's lap and watch her suffer for once.

Daelyn: *Whisper-hissing from backstage* Psst! Matt! Secrets! Shhh!   

Quartz: Aye, there are some witches who can be true misery on two legs. I cannot count the ways I detest Oriana…(scowls) Right. We’re talking about you. What do you like about Kailyn since Ciara seems to be an overall pain in the arse…unless she has a few good points she’s felt like sharing. 

Matt: Ciara is a general pain in the ass; there's nothing at all I like about that woman and nothing I ever will like. Nothing to like about her unless you're as cruel as her. Kailyn, on the other hand... *Leans back in his chair again, relaxing* There's a lot to like about her. Kailyn became a little sister to me. She's got a big heart despite the hand she was dealt in life. She's kind and caring, loyal as a dog to those she lets into her life. While she may not believe it or realize it she's the strongest person I've ever met, capable of pushing forward even when she doesn't think she can go on anymore. *Frowns sadly* There's a lot of good in her to like, I just wish she could see it past the darkness.  

Quartz: Aye, I get where you’re coming from, lad, only too keenly. Hopefully Kailyn will find a little happiness in the darkness. It is possible, even if heartbreakingly difficult. Now this writer of yours is working on a book in which you get a bigger part. If you could change something in it, what would it be? While you’re at it, what would you go back and fix in The Dark Heir, what would it be?

Matt: *Sighs heavily* There's a lot of things I would go back and change or fix. My back story, for starters, I'm not proud of it. It makes for a gripping turn of events later down the line and brings along a major development and reveal for secrets, but I am not proud of it at all. It's a point of great shame and regret. If I could fix anything else in the series it would be giving Kailyn a greater confidence in herself. I would change all the shit Daelyn puts her through because she never deserved any of it. 

Quartz: Once again, I sympathize only too keenly, lad. Right. This question seems all wrong at this point in the interview, but the stupid scribbler is making me follow a script. (scowls) Any juicy stories about the other characters you’d like to share?

Matt: Juicy stories? *Looks perplexed* I don't think I follow what you mean by juicy. Stories aren't fruit.

Quartz: True, true…except when they are. Never mind if you have no idea what I’m talking about. Live in the head of a scribbler who writes ambient fantasy, kick down a fourth wall, you pick all sorts of odd…metaphors. (mutters) Maybe Christopher has been a bad influence on me…ahem. What do you planning on doing next? Aye, spoilers, we all know but maybe you could drop a hint?

Matt: Hmm... Next I plan on learning and teaching some new, lighter *gives a hint-filled glance up* lessons and skills. As to what kind of lessons or skills I mean, and with who, I'll leave you to ponder. There's lots of trouble to be gotten into. I can't give you a bigger hint than that I'm afraid. I also plan on collaborating with Kailyn to find a way to get our writer working more consistently on this series so it may see the light of day sooner.

Daelyn: *Nervously laughs* Oh shit... I'm doomed.

Quartz: Right, I tried asking Victor this. Maybe you’ll have some ideas you can share with both of us. How do you get that writer of yours to do something when she’s being distracted, stubborn, and uncooperative. Don’t tell me she’s not like that. They’re all like that. Except for Paula…Paula is almost as sweet a princess as my Fairest. 

Me: Would you mind not insulting every other author out there? They may not let you interview your characters if you’re rude.

Quartz: Bah. Courtesy gets you nowhere…except the hole of Forgotten Ideas lurking in so many authors’s head. The one you left poor Rhodry in, remember?

(There is a guilty silence behind the curtain. The rest we shall fill in, depending on Matt’s responses…) 

Matt: *Glancing between Quartz and you* Paula? I know that name somehow. 

Daelyn: *Snorts* Of course you do. You hear her name daily in my thoughts, or maybe you'll make the connection better if I call her mom instead. Either way, you better know her name. She's only the main reason yours and Kailyn's story ever took off as much as it did by getting me addicted to NaNoWriMo sessions. An addiction I am most certainly okay with... *Shakes head* Anywho, answer the question, Matt.

Matt: *Silently says a thank you to Paula then clears his throat and looks to Quartz* Okay, she's definitely like that. 

Daelyn: *Glares at Matt and huffs, crossing my arms*

Matt: To be painfully honest, I'm not good at getting Daelyn to do any writing when she's being stubborn. The ones capable of lighting a fire under her ass, sometimes literally, are Kailyn and Ciara. You can guess how Ciara might do that, all manners of threatening and cruel, although she rarely is the one to step in and force Daelyn along unless she's at a part that Ciara particularly enjoys in a twisted way. It's mainly Kailyn that manages to get her moving. This probably won't help you, I don't think, I don't know actually -- what are you? -- but being as the lot of us have magic there's numerous ways in which we can...motivate her, so to speak. Curses, bodily harm, all out brawling... Kailyn and Daelyn are known to bicker constantly up here. On occasion I have realized that making Daelyn envision the fantasy that encompasses the future of our series polished, published, and in her hands, and her hopeful success with it, is sometimes enough to bring the want and will back to writing and get her moving along excitedly again. I hope that helps in some way at the least.

Quartz: Aye, thank you, lad. If you’ve never seen a man as short as me or with so fine a beard, it’s because I’m one of seven dwarven brothers. I was unfortunate enough to be killed off in the backstory of Fairest (one of the fairy tales in Nine Star Press’s Once Upon a Rainbow), only to refuse to die in such a ridiculous manner. I’ll definitely take some of your advice in mind, hmm, give the scribbler some inspirational carrots instead of the stick. That might work, yes, it might…

K.S. (from backstage) So not a donkey…