NaNoWriMo Interviews Part 1; November 7 2020

Happy NaNoWriMo, writers! If you don’t know about NaNo, I’ll give quick background info: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place every November. Participants commit to writing every day towards a goal of 50,000 words! I’m participating this month, as are several of my friends, and I thought a fun way to do my blog posts throughout the month are to feature more main character interviews with their NaNo protagonists!

Without further ado:

Interview with Nia Shipman, from ‘The Destinies’, by Becca Gutierrez.

Q1: Well, hello there! Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions! Incidentally, what were you in the middle of doing before stopping for this interview?

A1: Hi! I’m glad to answer questions and to have someone to talk to other than my teammates. We were just training and working on perfecting our powers.

Q2: Sounds like you were busy! I really appreciate you taking the time for me. Incidentally, where are we right now? I’m not familiar with this place.

A2: Oh, this is HQ! It’s not much, but it’s home. This room is where we spend most of our time when we’re not in training. My bedroom is down that hall, and our training area is back the way you came in.

Q3: So, as I understand it, you’ve been facing some hardships recently. Can you tell me about them?

A3: Well, you know, being a superhero is never easy. I mean, a few months ago I was just a normal high schooler. Then Logan gave us our powers, we began training, and here we are. Trying to keep each other afloat while we get used to our new lives here.

Q4: That’s rough, buddy. Imagine all your problems could be solved in one fell swoop – what would your ideal life look like?

A4: Well, to be completely honest, I’d probably give up my powers. None of us would have them. I mean, it may sound wrong, but really. We’ve been able to help so many people in the last few months, but it’s also caused to much pain for all of us. I’d rather just go back in time and slap those vials out of Logan’s hands. It was so much simpler when we were just trying to pass chemistry. So, to get back to your question, I would just be a normal teenager again and I would just be happy with my girlfriend and her friends.

Q5: Ah, that’s the dream, isn’t it? On the flip side, what do you think the worst case scenario is?

A5: Oh, honestly. If we’d lost more than one hero back there. I mean, after that battle at the football stadium, everything changed so much. I can’t imagine what life would be like had we lost anyone else. I don’t think we’d be able to continue being a team, you know? It’d be too much. Especially if… if something happened to Bea.

Q6: That does sound bad. Do you have someone special in your life to help you through the tough times? If not, is there someone you wish was there?

A6: I mean, my friends all help me through it. We all support each other, but Bea is pretty special. I really love her.

Q7: Can you tell me about your family, your friends? What are your other relationships like, if you have them?

A7: I haven’t been able to see my family much since coming to HQ. I hope my mom is doing well without me here. Like, with my brother she had some warning before he moved to college, but this is completely different. As for my friends, I mean, we spend every day together. We’re basically family at this point, and it’s a wonder we haven’t gotten sick of each other yet.

Q8: If you could be known by history for anything, what would you want it to be?

A8: Helping people. That’s the whole reason I agreed to take on these powers.

Q9: If you could erase one thing from your past, make it so no one knew about it (maybe even you), what would you choose, if anything?

A9: That’s a great question. There’s not much I’d like to forget at this point. Everything’s a good lesson, you know, especially if you’re like me. Even the fight at the football stadium taught me more about how to fight.

Q10: Thank you so much for answering everything! One more question, if you don’t mind – if you had one wish, but could only wish for something that wouldn’t benefit you directly, what would you wish for?

A10: Oh that’s easy. I would wish for Bea to get better. She’s been going through a lot lately, so if I could make her happier, I’d do it in an instant.

Interview with Toby Carney, from ‘Tioga Road Runaway’, by Thomas Dalton Smalls.

Q1: Well, hello there! Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions! Incidentally, what were you in the middle of doing before stopping for this interview.

A1: Of course! It’s not every day somebody wants to interview me. I consider it... practice. For when I’m famous and all. Oh gosh, what was I doing before this? A lot, actually. I’m in the middle of the case that’s gonna rocket me into fame. Hopefully. Only, I just out that this guy I’ve been crushing on is the ghost of the boy whose disappearance I’m investigating. So that puts a wrench in our relationship.

Q2: Sounds like you were busy! I really appreciate you taking the time for me. Incidentally, where are we right now? I’m not familiar with this place.

A2: Well, we’re in Yosemite National Park, but if you want me to go into more detail, we’re currently in the Nature Center. That’s where all the art programs go down. Emmy—she's the one who runs the art programs here—let me take the room over for an hour or two for this interview. This is probably one of my favorite buildings in Half Dome Village. That’s one of the sections of the park that’s not, like, trees and stuff. It’s not as open as the Visitor’s Center, but it’s also not as outdated like so many of the buildings in this area.

Q3: So, as I understand it, you’ve been facing some hardships recently. Can you tell me about them?

A3: Well, I’m trying to solve this disappearance, right? And I’m doing it with my cousin and this really cute guy I just met. Well, it turns out someone doesn’t want me investigating, so it’s getting kind of dangerous. Nothing I can’t handle, though. And then, it turns out the cute boy is actually a ghost, and it’s his disappearance I’ve been trying to solve. Which is just weird. I used to be a skeptic, but I also believe in evidence, and if this isn’t evidence that ghosts exist, I don’t know what is.

Q4: That’s rough, buddy. Imagine all your problems could be solved in one fell swoop – what would your ideal life look like?

A4: Well, I’d be a famous podcaster with a popular true crime podcast for one. I think I’d want to live in the city. In an apartment, but like, a really big and nice apartment. And I’d have a husband. He’d be really good looking. It’d be cool if that guy was Atticus—he's the ghost boy—but that would never happen for obvious reasons. I guess I’d kinda just be known and finally able to get out of my small town.

Q5: Ah, that’s the dream, isn’t it? On the flip side, what do you think the worst-case scenario is?

A5: Well, I’d probably be dead. Dark, sure, but I mean whoever’s leaving dead animals hanging from the awning of my cabin and leaving leaves with “stop investigating or else” written in blood on them isn’t going to stop if I ask nicely. But that won’t happen. I’m going to solve this. I’m going to take down whoever murdered Atticus. I’m going to solve this cold case, and then I’m going to get really famous because of it.

Q6: That does sound bad. Do you have someone special in your life to help you through the tough times? If not, is there someone you wish was there?

A6: Well, Atticus and Kam have always been there. Kam is my cousin. She’s pretty cool, I guess. I think I’m still the brains behind this operation, but they’ve helped me break into multiple cabins, and that was nice of them. Real friends will help you commit breaking and entering. Well, the first time it was only entering. The second time was breaking and entering though.

Q7: Can you tell me about your family, your friends? What are your other relationships like, if you have them?

A7: Well, I already told you about Kam. She’s my cousin. Fourteen. Very annoying. Good track and field sprinter though. My dad’s name is Mike. He’s pretty cool, I guess. For a dad. His boyfriend, Lewis, is like cool cool though. He plays in a band and everything. Then there’s my Aunt Hibiki and my Uncle Daryll. My Aunt is chill; kinda overbearing, but aren’t all parents? My Uncle is the complete opposite. He’s a complete workaholic, and I barely get to see him, even when he comes over. Friends... I don’t have many of those, if I’m being honest. I’m what the other kids call “weird”. It’s fine though. They’ll regret it when I’m rich and famous. I’d count Atticus as a friend. And then I have a couple of friends back home who don’t mind how weird I am cause they’re also very weird.

Q8: If you could be known by history for anything, what would you want it to be?

A8: My true crime podcast. Well, when I finally get it off the ground. I’ve been trying. I have a mic setup and everything, I just finally need to find the time. But when that happens, I’m gonna be famous. Mark my words.

Q9: If you could erase one thing from your past, make it so no one knew about it (maybe even you), what would you choose, if anything?

A9: Well, there was this time David Stewart dared me to run across the street in my underwear for five dollars. I did it, but I also got teased for a solid month because of it, so I don’t think it was worth it. There was also the time David Stewart gave me ten dollars to climb on top of the roof of the C building bathroom. Again, I did it, but I also got detention for two weeks. And there was this one time when David Stewart—I should really stop taking bets from David Stewart, shouldn't I?

Q10: Thank you so much for answering everything! One more question, if you don’t mind – if you had one wish, but could only wish for something that wouldn’t benefit you directly, what would you wish for?

A10: I’d wish for Atticus to be alive, in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t get to be famous, but I’d find another case. Atticus is a nice and good person, and I don’t think he deserved to die.