Author Interview: Boardgamebrony · 5:58am Aug 3rd, 2016
Today's author interview: Boardgamebrony
Very good friend of mine that has helped me work on several of my projects. She's a very, calm, patient and giving individual. It's an honor to give such a talented writer their time in the spotlight!
What is your name? Do you go by that name as a writer?
Boardgamebrony :)
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Oh a lot of things, though not as much as I would like right now. I’m a fan of video games, tabletop roleplaying, board games and reading fiction, especially from other writers here on fimfiction. I love the idea of seeing the hopes and dreams of writers etched into their creations.
I’m a HUGE fan of roleplaying games, both video games and tabletop, because I enjoy the complexities of creating a world for others to enjoy and also exploring new worlds they wouldn’t exist otherwise.
I also daydream a lot, so much so that it kinda happens even when I’m not thinking about, so I might find myself creating ideas when I least suspect it, like say when I’m doing a tedious task and then my mind brings an idea to the forefront that has been stewing in the background for a long time.
I also help edit other people’s stories as well, including Dark Chocolate here! :D We have fun creating new storylines for JACK STONNNNNNNNNNEEEEEE.
When did you start writing?
I started writing comics around the age of 4 and stories around the same time. I drew geometric figures with bodies of blocks and circles based on movies like Aliens. I wrote fantasy tales like one where four kids heard a cat stuck in the bushes, so they got their robot and their guns (yes) and went to search for it. Cause that’s obviously what you need to get a cat out of the bushes. :P
What are you currently working on? How did you begin working on it?
I’m currently working on a very intricate hard science fiction universe starting with a storyline called “Equus Metamorphosis.” It’s about a young adult with a degenerative bone tissue disease who lives in a future where humans can have their bodies augmented with exosuits called Meta-Frames. He has a robotic Pinkie Pie companion and along the way to prepare for his transformation.
I begin working on it on June 11th, 2016 after I finished another story about a mare who found a human baby to take care of. I tend to write stories where humans and ponies work together in some form or another. “Equus Metamorphosis” is one of those where (robot) ponies and humans help each other live better lives.
I’m also working on another very important story right now entitled “Smiles Like Knives.” It’s a tale starring Trixie which involves a cult church slowly ruining her life as an unseen thing begins to stalk her. It’s based on real life trauma that I’ve experienced, so I’m taking my time and making sure it has a true sense of fear to help the reader understand how horrific it was to deal with such abuse.
What inspires your writing?
Lots and lots and lots of ponies. :) That and five years of working mostly at jobs that never really challenged me (save for one convention art sales job), which meant that my mind has started parallel-processing the menial tasks while also imagining tons of adventures in the background. One of the first fan fictions I wrote (“Do Pegasi Dream of Flying Sheep?”) was brought about when I used to work at a costume store and they played the Blade Runner theme song every day during the Halloween season. I started thinking about Rainbow Dash in a trench coat walking around on a Martian human city and boom, the idea was born.
I also listen to lots of music while writing, usually without lyrics so I can focus on writing. When in doubt, listen to rain noise to calm the mind down:
https://mynoise.net/
What’s your favorite part about writing?
Bringing characters and worlds to life in my mind. :) I love creating new ideas that get other people excited. It’s fun to share the stories on fimfiction and see those key moments when readers just jump in with a wonderful comment about parts of the story that really intrigued them, made them happy, made them cry, all sorts of emotional responses. In that way, writing is essentially learning to be a master of emotion.
Give us insight to your main character. Who is he or she? What is his or her purpose?
The main character in my main story “Equus Metamorphosis” is Armin Weaver, an 18 year-old human living in 2072 Corpus Christi, Texas whose degenerative bone condition will kill him in 2-3 years unless he gets surgery to add an augmented body suit over himself. The company that makes the suit allows him to make it look like a favorite character of his, and he chooses Rainbow Dash to match his robotic companion Pinkie Pie.
Armin cares about Pinkie, but he also worries about what kind of life he’s going to live after his transformation. The story is a slow build-up to the transformation itself because I wanted to show the emotional choices people go through during key transitions in their lives.
Armin’s purpose is to go through with his transformation and become a robotics engineer, so he can create the next wave of technology which will inspire new generations of people. I am the same way, but I want to use a different approach and hopefully inspire people through the creation of businesses and community services.
In my story “Smiles Like Knives,” Trixie’s purpose in her new location was originally to find a new job and a stable place to live since she’s been nomadic all her life. Unfortunately, her run in with a cult church puts her in a dangerous situation emotionally and mentally, putting her on the defensive as she tries to find out how to escape her predicament while also dealing with a hefty amount of mental conditioning.
What does your character mean to you?
It’s hard to say what Armin means to me, though with Dark Chocolate’s help in our various brainstorming sessions and talks, I’ve come to understand that Armin’s journey of transformation does represent a lot of what I go through. I am a transwoman and I have a character who seeks to change themselves for the better. Not only that, but their romantic relationships and living situation change along with their outer presentation. That is a big theme of the story “Equus Metamorphosis.”
What/who are your favorite or most reliable support groups?
The people on fimfiction and some brony friends I have online as well. :)
What is the biggest mistake you think you make while writing? How do you overcome it?
Mistake? Huh...hard to say. I know that I have trouble with descriptions sometimes. Since I’m really good at dialogue, I tend to do that a lot more. I’m starting to get better at writing settings.
Where are you from?
Texas. Yay...but I lived in Austin for a while, so I’m gonna say YAY to that :D
Which authors inspire you?
Oh really hard to say. Science Fiction published authors include Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury. Horror is H.P. Lovecraft. Magical Surrealism is Haruki Murakami. Kkhat who made Fallout: Equestria. But I honestly love reading the works of the fan authors here on fimfiction. I like knowing that my critiques can help them become better writers and inspire them to keep going and keep writing!
What genre do you enjoy most, and what draws you to the genre you write?
I love science fiction. It’s one of my favorite genres to enjoy in games, movies, writing and reading. It helps me think about the future and what’s possible. I also enjoy drama as well, since character interaction and dialogue are some of my favorite things. I like science fiction the most because hard sci-fi focuses on what’s possible, just like with my story “Equus Metamorphosis.”
I’m starting to really get a good feel of horror, though...
Are you reading any books right now? If so, what are you reading? If not, why?
I keep wanting to read books, but I often choose to read fanfiction over published works because I want to be able to connect with fan fiction authors and help nurture their skills rather than read the works of authors who’ve already come and gone. However, by reading older works, I do gain a lot more valuable insight into writing with more polish.
I am reading Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer, which is an AMAZING book on writing with tons of illustrations to help visual learners like me!
When do you usually write? How often? Do you have a word goal or page goal when you write?
Right now, since I’m currently unemployed, I write from mid-afternoon to late night, though mostly at night. I have the most creative energy then, and the night feels more settled.
I tend to try to get 1000 words done in an hour. I like getting 3000 words done in a night. That feels like a good session to me. But with work coming up soon, I’ll probably have to lower it down to 1000-2000 words a night.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I don’t know. Not sure I want to cause a time paradox. :P
How can readers and fellow writers discover more about you and your work?
My main fimfiction page: http://www.fimfiction.net/user/boardgamebrony
Deviantart page: http://boardgamebrony.deviantart.com/
DC's personal notes:
BGB is an incredible writer. Her stories are very fascinating and original. I especially like Equus Metamorphosis, due to how much emotion and interest it creates, while not making the reader jump settings. It's ability to move you despite being rather simple plot-wise is inspiring.
Along with that, they've given me the honor of helping edit/preread Smiles Like Knives and it's an amazing, creepy story that gets it's own place in history. Thanks BGB for being such a great friend and editor!
Always interesting to see one of these.
Insightful.
It appears your creative energy informs how you experience the world both internally and externally. It is almost as if this energy is a bottomless pit to draw on.
I am envious and intrigued. I have clinical depression so tend to retreat from the world literally. Dealing with "the world ", in all senses, can be exaushting. Also one tends to get v frustrated with oneself!
Best,
4129881
Thank you! I shall have another story up by Friday that's going to be between 15-25k words long and it's a horror inspired by real life! :D
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My imagination runs like all the time that I'm awake. It's hard to be mentally quiet, really. It really does inform how I look at the world. :)
I've dealt with depression in the past, and super rarely more recently, though when I dealt with the worst, that's when I finished my first full-length novella. Since then, I've learned to use stories to help me deal with the world.
Thank you for the comment! :D *hugs*
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yay!