Some general information regarding Trial of the Disciples

This fiction was started on

Thursday, May 18, 2006

This fiction was finished on

Saturday, June 02, 2007

I see that it's been nearly a year since you started the story. Do you remember what first gave you the idea?
    Well, I've had the whole "children get kidnapped by an evil group" scheme in my head for nearly a decade, and I spent a lot of time coming up with reasons and such as to why things happen. The most recent idea- the Blessed Child- was mostly me trying to break away from my science-fiction idea of "chosen protectors of the universe", and my decision to go in a "religious" direction was heavily-influenced by Tales of Symphonia. And, to be honest, I don't really remember how I came up with that scheme in the first place.
Besides Tales of Symphonia, were there any other games, novels, or authors which influenced the style and direction of the story?
    There would be a hodgepodge of influences I've had over the years... Zelda, Redwall, and Artemis Fowl are the main ones, I guess, but it really is an unidentifiable hodgepodge.
Heh, I can relate to that. What were your favorite and least favorite parts to write? Were there any parts which you felt held you back, or any parts which you couldn't wait to get to?
    My favorite parts to write were the train scene, and Nancy's attack. My least favorite parts were anything that had to do with character emotions- especially in regards to Arden nearing the end. I felt like Nicky and Jennifer's background romance held me back every time I tried to do it, so I ended up not doing it. And I couldn't wait to reveal Jack's true motives.
Do you have any plans to edit or expand upon the story?
    Definitely. A second draft is in the schedule, due to be done after a few other projects are completed.
Did you learn anything about yourself while working on this?
    That I have a harder time writing scenes I have no experience with, and that I need to know my characters before putting them in difficult situations.
How do you get to know your characters? Just by writing scenes with them?
    Yeah, pretty much, and writing out descriptions of them. One of my biggest problems with the story was not knowing how Sally would react in certain situations, or Arden after his change-of-heart started.
So, what's going to be your next fiction?
    For the Month of Words, I'm writing a science-fiction story called "Defying Gravity". In the meantime, I'll be working on draft two of Gatekeeper's Diary.
Anything I forgot to ask about that you'd like to say?
    No, I don't think so.

(Questions by Ace)

What inspired you to start writing Disciples?
    Well, after taking a two-year break from writing fictions, I found myself suddenly coming up with new ideas for the story thanks to Tales of Symphonia, which inspired me to switch from science-fiction to fantasy. That set the ball rolling, pretty much.
Interesting. Besides the fantasy aspect, did you draw inspiration from anything else from Tales of Symphonia?
    At first, Nancy and Nicky were depicted as half-elves. That ended up being dropped and forgotten. Also, since Symphonia's storyline centered around a "religion" of sorts, I went in a similar direction with the "Blessed Child".
How happy are you with your depiction of the Blessed Child and the story's premise in general?
    I'm not too thrilled with the Blessed Child, not only because of the religious connotations that started bugging me during the last couple months, but also because, in my attempt to make her less like Symphonia's "Chosen One", I found myself drawing blanks as to her purpose. I need to fix that. Overall, I'm happy with the premise. The details need work, though.
Let's talk about the religious connotations. I have a lot of respect for your personal religious fervency. It must be tough to deal with the implications your works of fiction can create.
    The main problem was I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing or not. It made an interesting-enough story, but I started worrying about "crossing over the line". That, I think, was my biggest problem with it.
What was your favorite scene to write?
    The train scene. It flowed so well with barely any forethought required.
And the toughest scene?
    Any scene that hinted at Sally's feelings for Jack, Nicky and Jennifer's feelings for each other, and Arden's inner turmoil. There's a reason those were pushed to the last minute.
What do you think made those scenes so difficult?
    The fact that I had no idea how to express those feelings or how the characters would act in those situations. It's something I need to work on.
What surprised you the most about Disciples?
    What surprised me the most was how much I ended up leaving out from the original story. I had intended to fit in most of my "Destiny" story into Disciples, but I ended up cutting out a lot of stuff. That stuff is making its way to "Defying Gravity" instead.
Defying Gravity?
    That's the fiction I'll be writing for the Month of Words.
Excellent. Do you plan to revise Disciples at some point?
    Definitely. A lot needs to be expanded upon, and the pacing needs work.
Has this experience taught you anything that you can implement in "Defying Gravity" and your other works to come?
    Yes. First off, I need to develop my characters so that I have an idea of how they'll react in any given situation. Second... well, that's the most important one.
No, go ahead. Is there something else?
    Well, besides coming up with a plot that I'm comfortable with, but that was more of a fluke in this case than anything.
It takes a great deal of determination and skill to complete a story of Disciples' length and quality. What advice can you give to other writers whom wish to acheive this same feat?
    Just keep going. Try to write a little bit each day, and just keep going.
Anything else you'd like to say?
    Um... nope, that will do it.
Congratulations, and good luck with "Defying Gravity."

    Ricky's Trial of the Disciples is an engrossing read until the very end. Or should I say, up until the very end. The story is interesting up until then, though, with a unique take on the "kids with powers" scenario, and tries its damnedest not to fall into the deep pit of clichés it tippy-toes around. Personally, I found Sally and Arden to be the two most interesting characters in the story. Nancy was strong up until near the end, where she just sorta drops off. The ending is, sadly, very short and features a few lame character developments. But hey, I suppose that's what re-writes are for, eh? I eagerly await Ricky's second draft.

    Disciples isn't too shabby. The pacing is nice and methodical. The descriptions are exceptionally vivid and articulate, but the dialogue is spotty. Most of the characters need to be fleshed out and individualized a lot more in later drafts (Arden is probably the most distinguished character at this point).
    The battle sequences are very engaging, thanks largely to the assortment of magic spells and transformations. Although the plot is linear, I think it supplements the overall feel of the story.

    I thought it was cool how the conflict wasn't really revealed until the last part of the second page. Many stories reveal some background info regarding the problem(s) the characters are facing somewhere on the first page and sometimes even on in the opening post. However, the charcters carried out their normal activities for several posts and this allowed character development that may not have occured it the action was put forth from the very beginning. In other words, we were able to see how the characters interacted in normal everyday situations as well as how they interacted when there was a crisis at hand.