7 Questions from The Serrulata Saga Desk: Blackbird

Pen Name: Blackbird
Pronouns: she/her
Book Series/Latest Book Published: Shadows Rise (under The Shadows Crew)

Introduce your current favorite character – who are they and why do you prefer them above all others at the moment?
 
Ooof. I… That’s a difficult question right off the bat. I’d say every character is my favorite while I’m writing them. Currently I’m working on the next Shadows Rise chapter under Madeline’s POV, so that’s gonna be my answer right now. Maddie is a con artist who joined the Wolfpack (the story’s assassin clan) as a Scout (essentially a spy) in order to leave the city of Newhaven and her former life behind. She had a very rough upbringing she’s a little too nonchalant about and struggles with the idea of truly being known by others because she’s had it ingrained that the only valid reason to get close to people is to take what you want from them. She’s a little bit like Patrick Jane from The Mentalist in that she’s attempting to apply her skills to the benefit of others (as much as you can working for assassins I guess), but finds it hard to think of herself as a good person. Which, I mean, depending on your definition of good none of these characters are, but Madeline does prove herself to be a fiercely loyal friend despite her upbringing.
 
She’s also a character who majorly snuck up on me. The person I envisioned her to be immediately disintegrated the moment I wrote her introduction. And I like to think it’s because Mads is such a good freaking liar she managed to fool even me.

Who is harder to write – an interesting hero or an interesting villain?

Interesting characters are tough to write. Personally, I don’t really differentiate how I write villains from how I write heroes. They are people acting on their beliefs, wants, desires, trauma, whatever, and what makes them heroes or villains is how the narrative portrays their actions to the audience.
 
I’m not sure if I’m making sense, but let’s put it this way: Shadows Rise doesn’t have villains or heroes, it has an ensemble cast split into two halves that are at odds with each other. You can say that they’re all terrible people, or none of them are, but you shouldn’t be able to say one side is more in the right than the other (if I’m doing things right at least lol). But if I wanted to make either side de facto villains, all I’d have to do is tip the narrative scales against them. They’d be the same people, doing the same things, but by removing any and all possibility for readers to connect with these characters, they could easily be seen as monsters. And I mean, that’s kind of the point of the serial, in the end… We’re all villains in someone's story, and all that. :)

You’re trapped in an elevator with your main character. What are you discussing?
 
Ensemble casts and all, that’d be a crowded elevator. And if we’re talking about Shadows Rise I think I’d end up failing to prevent some murders.

What is the most challenging aspect of writing for you? How do you conquer it?
 
I think my biggest challenge at the moment is that it’s a lot. Especially with my upcoming serial which is a lot more high fantasy than Shadows Rise. It’s just so much worldbuilding. It’s so many thoughts in my head. Especially since I’m not the type of person to do detailed outlines and write extensive notes. I keep 90% of it in my head and it gets a bit chaotic in there.
 
I’m not sure about conquering it, but the best way I found to combat this is to compartmentalize as much as possible. Work on things one chapter at a time, one story arc at a time. That’s part of why I like the serial format so much. It does facilitate that for me.

If you could write a cross-over with another book/series, what would it be and why? (Or, if cross-overs don’t interest you, why?)
 
I mean, if I had the time and the energy to write all the crossovers I wanted with my friends… The list is nearly endless. But Willo Glenn’s Tempered in Ash and Juniper Lake Fitzgerald’s The Fifth Yanai are the tippy top of that list. 

In your opinion, what is the purpose of storytelling?
 
Art is raw human connection. You know? I put a story out there, someone reads it, and they don’t need to know anything about me, I don’t need to know anything about them, but if I can put a feeling down on a page just right, I can make them feel it too. I think that deep down that’s the purpose, just to remind ourselves, each other, that we’re not alone.

Ok, last but not least… Tell us a bit about what made you want to become a writer and why you write what you write.

Between you and me, for the longest time I didn’t want to be a writer, but I have been creating stories for as long as I can remember. My mom loved to tell people how I’ve been ‘writing’ even before I could actually write. I’d just scribble a bunch of gibberish and then tell a story as if I was reading it. As I grew up though, writing became a way to process feelings. Especially when anxiety began to set in and started having more and more issues with expressing myself verbally. And as a result I became a lot more reserved about sharing anything I wrote with people. It wasn’t until I started engaging in text RP back in 2010 that I became more comfortable, I definitely owe my current ability to put myself out there to that part of my life.

Where to find Blackbird:
Ko-fi: http://ko-fi.com/blackbirb
BlueSky: @blackbirb.bsky.social

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