Booksie Writer Interviews: The Compilation

Chapter 3: Mountainside Camping and Redwoods with NightFalls

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Comments: 4

And, so we caught our breath for a moment and paused on the side of the hilltop. Perhaps we had bitten off more than we could chew but that would only slow us down. We had mountain top to reach and there was no turning back now.

This was our last resort, before daylight gave way to the darkness. We dropped our gear on the forest floor and decided to set up camp here, halfway up the mountain side. Trees were starting to fade away the higher we climbed and the protection they offered would soon vanish as well, if we ventured onward.

I unpacked the hammocks we would sting up high above the ground, away from the creatures of the night as he scavenged around for dry kindling to start a fire. Before long, four towering redwoods held hands in the form of our sleeping cocoons. Two nests separated by the fire that now crackled and danced in the daylight as it faded away.

We raised out gear off the ground, being sure to keep it away from the monsters with the same care we took in assembling our levitated sleeping accommodations. Only a few items of importance were left out; food we would soon cook to celebrate our journey with, and the two pieces of protection each of us carried expecting the unthinkable. A DeanSam nightstick, courtesy of comicon.

"So, while we have the chance, as we await for this delicious food to cook; nice fire by the way, let me ask ya' something before we sleep. Plus, tomorrow is going to be insane, as I can see the mountain top from here."

"Fire away," he jokes as he stokes the ashes and turns over the food wrapped in small tinfoil packages.

Question 1 : Who have you once disliked, or I should say, now look at in a different light, ultimately changing your mind about their writing ?

If I had to pick a writer, I would have to say SurfsUpFromTheStatusQuo. Quite the name I know gives a chuckle but in all seriousness, he is a friend of mine that I met on Booksie a little over a year ago now. And, while I can't say that I flat out disliked his writing, I have surely watched him grow and improve over the that year. I've even started a project with him. Much like myself, SurfsUp AKA Zach , has improved dramatically over the last year, so I have grown to like his writing even more than I had before.

Understanding completely what he says, having experienced this same connection all too often, I ask another amidst the flying embers that explode in the sky like fireworks; the daylight gone and darkness now all around us.

Question 2 : What is your favorite word ?

He thinks to himself in the quiet of the night, adding more branches for the fire that will keep us safe and warm.

My favorite word is actually one that I rarely use; Snarky. I love the definition and even the way it sounds when spoken. Just say snarky a few times with me. Snarky, snarky, snarky. I like it ! the shadows of the fire on his face reveals a smile. Comforting, considering our location.

"Snarky, snarky, snarky. Ha ! " I exclaimed, half laughing, half concerned that we may have summoned a "Snarky", like those that call out to beetleguise, the candyman or bloodymary.

Question 3 : When did you decide to share your works with others ?

I decided to share my work with others immediately when I started writing. I actually started writing ( not seriously, but for the first time in my life ) back in Oct. 2015. So, I was sharing my works by December of the same year. The story was called Mortal Odyssey, my first attempt at a novel. It has evolved so much over time, that it's barely recognizable compared to my first draft. I am very happy with the course its taken and I hope to finish it someday. I chose to share my stories originally because I simply wanted feedback to know if I was any good at this thing we call writing. Once I knew that I had potential, I dove in head first.

We opened our parcels of deliciousness, added more kindling onto the fire to last throughout night, and climbed into our tree bedding of spider webs to feast and get some rest. The fire kept us warm, as we watched over our respective sides of the camp. Although we were on opposite side of the fire, hanging high in the tress, we both knew we had each others back. Morning would be here soon and we still had a mountain to finish climbing.

After the darkness washed down the mountain side followed by a blanket of light and warmth, we awoke bright and early; packed our gear foraging up and out. I continued with the questions before we reached the top.

Question 4 : Where , if your writing were to become a screenplay for a movie, would you like to see that movie filmed, and since we have time, where do you find ideas for the characters you create ?

Well, my works vary so much so much that I would have to pick several places. Ireland for one. Mostly, because I want to go there. Also, even right here in the U.S..; the redwood forest in my home state of California. That would be awesome for any sort of nice forest scene. I don't have any specific places I would like to see filmed, just random vague locations.

As for ideas, I like to find pictures for characters on google. I can find a picture of somebody and they become the person I want them to be. My imagination is always thinking up something, so it's nice to give it a break once in a while; google is a good tool for that.

We approached the rocky crevice of the mountains top. Crawling the last few feet of our descent, up over the steep terrain, rising once again high and mighty to overlook the vast terrain that was laid out below our view.

Question 5 : Why is it that writing can be such a release at moments and other times, so far away from our grasp ?

Writing, in my honest opinion, is something that is often used as the release of an emotion. Even if you aren't writing emotionally based work, it helps to clear your head of all the thoughts and ideas you have; zooming around. But, at times we cannot always achieve what we set out to do. I feel this can happen for several reasons. One, we have too many ideas and our brain is clogged. Two, like all things you enjoy, you can fall into a slump, or as we writers call it, writers block. Writers block to me is actually a tool for motivation if used correctly. I know it can last years or even decades in some cases but in the time that you are unable to write, you can gain a new perspective on your old work, current work and even future work. Writers block is simply something that can push us forward even when it doesn't feel like it. When I'm on the block, I can't stand it at all. But, there are time when I'll just stop trying and MAKE it work, do something else for a while.

And, so there we stood, the mountain below our feet, the winds from a mile high in the atmosphere whispering their secrets into our ears. Winds that only spoke to those that dared the long journey, the darkness of the night surrounded by monsters of imagination long gone until sunset. We challenged ourselves knowing the fight never ends. We say it's all downhill from here, until we have stop and direction mean nothing. Only our inner compass will help us face the perils head on.

Our accomplishments gave us a reason to outdo ourselves next time.

Glad we just chose to do something else for a while.

Like standing on top of a mountain.

Alone.

With a friend.

Until next time, NightFalls.

Submitted: June 15, 2017

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Comments

Corine Pelletier

These were very interesting to read! More! I want more!

Thu, June 15th, 2017 3:35am

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Hugs Corine ;)

Sun, June 25th, 2017 6:15pm

Miss Midnight

Yes, this setting matches Nightfalls. A kind and honest soul that's become a good friend. Beautiful setting with engaging company, how very rustic. Excellent!

Mon, November 27th, 2017 2:44pm