Author Spotlight: Mkystich

Posted by Saluki in Author Spotlight | 1 comment

Today’s Author Spotlight features author Mkystich.  I first became acquainted with her when I started to beta her fic “Cherry Valley”.  Since that time, she has become a good friend, as well as an author I am very proud to beta for.  Her stories are diverse, showing her range as an author.   She draws from personal experience to create stories where the emotions feel authentic, from the highs of first love, to darker emotions like fear and rage.  In addition to being an author, she is also co-founder of The Hidden Star Awards which is all about helping unknown Authors, Stories, Banner Makers, and Beta’s receive a well deserved award for their hard work.

“Cherry Valley” is an AU fic that follows Bella, who moves to the small town Cherry Valley, California with her parents.  She is not happy about being uprooted from her friends, and has little hope for happiness in this new town.  However, after meeting her neighbor, Edward Cullen, she soon finds her best friend and first love.  It doesn’t take long for her to figure out that the Cullens are more than just your ordinary family and that there are evils in the world that she thought only existed in books. This fic has romance, angst, action and mystery and I highly recommend you check it out.  It is on hiatus at the moment while Mkystich finishes her most daring project to date, “30 Days of Darkness”.

When Mkystich asked me to beta 30DoD I didn’t hesitate.  She warned me that it was dark, but I trusted that whatever she was writing would be not only high quality, but also done in a tasteful way.  Part of her inspiration for this story is the movie “Kiss the Girls,” which is based on a book of the same name by author James Patterson.  So, if you have seen the movie or read the book, you know that the story is a psychological thriller.  I would say that is a very good description of 30DoD as well.

“30 Days of Darkness” is an AH fic that follows Bella after she is kidnapped by a psychopath.  She joins a group of women who have been kept captive and forced to endure beatings, psychological abuse, and rape.  They had all but given up hope of ever getting out – but Bella will not accept her fate.  She draws from her inner strength and refuses to break under the torture she endures as she fights to keep the spirits of the other girls up, while trying to come up with a way to both protect them and get them all to freedom.  We also see the story through Edward’s eyes as he fights to unravel the mystery of who has taken Bella, all the while struggling against the constraints of the police investigation.

The fic does have very dark themes, and it is not a story for everyone.  But, if you like to read psychological thrillers and mysteries, I think this is right up your alley.  The darker themes are handled well – they are not sugar coated, but not glorified either.  Mkystich draws from a dark incident in her own past to shape both the events and the emotions surrounding them.   Bella is a strong heroine, but Mkystich shows her struggle to keep it together.  And, when she makes it out, Mkystich doesn’t hold back – Bella experiences anger, grief, self loathing, and finally acceptance as she mourns the loss of both her innocence and the lives lost.

I think this is one of the unsung stories in Twific today.  The author has been told that the themes are too dark for 30DoD to be popular in the fandom.  In my opinion, that is a poor excuse if I ever heard one.  Mykstich is breaking out of the mold and writing a story that is bold.  It is a psychological thriller that grips at your emotions from the first chapter.  If you are looking for something different that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend you check out “30 Days of Darkness”.  And now, on to our interview.

Saluki:  First off, I want to thank you for letting me interview you!

Mkystich: I’m very excited!

Saluki:  Before we get into the author stuff, tell me about the Hidden Star Awards.

Mkystich: The Hidden Star Awards, for me, was something I wanted to create to honor the universe of unknown stories that I feel should get some recognition.  I love that the number one rule is that if you have already won two awards in the past then you can’t be nominated. This opens the window for everyone. To say I was shocked by how popular the site became is an understatement. For our first round of nominations we received over thee hundred nominations in four  days. It was insane! I was so excited. Since then we plan on expanding on the site and have already had a wonderful fan redesign the site, for free.

HSA was my way to help encourage the unknown author. To let them know that just because they don’t have thousands of reviews or win all the major awards, they are still doing an awesome job. HSA may not be considered one of the predominate awards sites, but we don’ care. It’s all about showing love to the authors.  I also love that we don’t just focus on the authors, but the Banner makers and beta’s, too. They deserve just as much love.

Saluki: How did you discover Twilight?  What is your favorite book in the series?

Mkystich:  I learned about Twilight through a co-worker. She was my supervisor and completely obsessed with it. She made me swear to read the books when I went on holiday, and I did. I found that I liked New Moon more than the others. I feel that out of all the books it really dived into some real emotion. You could feel Bella’s pain. You hurt with her, cried with her, and even laughed at some moments.

Saluki: I’m excited that NM was your favorite book of the series. I loved them all, but NM really captured me in such a different way than the others. I’m actually reading it again right now, and even though I know what is going to happen, I still feel all of the emotions Bella goes through. I think that’s one of the reason I loved the book so much – the emotion is so raw and real.

Mkystich: That’s how I felt; I love a book that makes you cry.  Well… that makes you feel something deep.  I found myself hurting for Bella, which why I loved NM so much.  I was shocked when SM said NM was the hardest to write, but in a way I could understand, it’s hard to touch on those kind of feelings sometimes.

Saluki: I think that is one of the reasons it hit me so hard.  I’ve been in Bella’s position in the book.

Mkystich: So have I. I think most girls have at some point and I think that’s why so many didn’t like NM – they don’t want to relive the pain.  I read a joke once that said something like NM: Edward leaves on page 54 and comes back on page 537. There… I have saved you months of depression and tears.

Saluki: *lol* True, but the beauty in the book is watching Bella grow through the pain – and it makes their reunion so much more intense. I thought they really captured that in the movie. The image of her running through the crowds and Edward thinking he was dead – gah – and of course, the kiss. *cue dreamy music*

Mkystich: For me it was her sitting in her room and the seasons changing around her. With the song and the pure and raw pain in her eyes… that was when I knew Kristen Stewart finally nailed Bella. That was when I knew the movie was going to do the book justice.

Saluki: What have you thought about the movies so far?  Are you looking forward to Breaking Dawn?

Mkystich: I have loved all of the movies. I think it’s very refreshing how each one has been filmed completely differently than the other. I’m looking forward to seeing how this new director pulls Breaking Dawn together. More than anything I’m looking forward to hearing the soundtrack. I have yet to hear a song, out of the three movies, that I don’t love.

Saluki: One thing I think they’ve gotten right through each movie is the music. I love each of the soundtracks.

Mkystich: OMG – so do I.  The NM soundtrack is still my favorite.

Saluki: It’s funny, I HATED that soundtrack the first time I listened to it. So, I made myself listen to it again…and again..and again. And each time it grew on me more and more until I couldn’t stop listening to it.

Mkystich: I felt that way too – I remember the first time I listened to it I thought that the CD should have been named “Music to kill yourself to”.

Saluki: What sparked your interest in writing fanfiction?

Mkystich: I was a freshman in high school when Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered. Two years later was when I found fanfiction. I always wanted to write a story after reading a few of them, but didn’t have the nerve. Last year was when I found Twilight fanfiction and after a few months I thought why not. LOL… it only took 13 years.

Saluki: Only 13 years *lol*

Mkystich: Yeah, well life always got in the way.  Life and a lack of a spine.

Saluki: It’s intimidating putting your writing out there – I totally understand that.

Mkystich: Well, I was really young when I started reading FF so I had no idea what was going on, but over the years I started falling in love with it more and more.

Saluki: How did you come up with the idea for 30DoD?  If someone asked you to sum up your story in a few sentences, what would you tell them?

Mkystich: 30 Days of Darkness was an idea that popped into my head during a night I couldn’t sleep. I had just finished a chapter for Cherry Valley, a scene in which a character is being held captive, and I found a few ideas running through my head about that. What would it be like to be held captive? And then I started thinking about the movie Kiss the Girls, and remembering how realistic it seemed. You found yourself walking away from that movie thinking that this could possibly happen out there. What I liked the most was how they portrayed the leading female character. She wasn’t weepy or terror-stricken, she was a fighter. That was what I wanted to expand more on; the sisterhood and inner strength that develops within women when put under such circumstances.

Saluki: 30DoD isn’t your first fanfiction.  Would you like to tell us about your other stories?

Mkystich: “Closer” was my first story, and to this day I can’t even read it. All I see are mistakes and errors. The funny thing about that story is that it has the biggest following. It’s a Jacob/Nessie story, and full of fluff. I just see “Closer” as my fanfiction for dummies story. I learned what not to do the second time around. “White Christmas” was a one shot I wrote, while writing “Closer”, so I could learn how to write about sex. I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t want to disappoint.  So I wrote “White Christmas” (Leah/Sam) and sent it to my beta just to get her opinion. I had no plans on posting it. Well I got it back the next day and she said that not only did she love it but it would be a crime not to post it. So I did and it was received with love from my faithful followers.

“Cherry Valley”, a Bella/Edward story, was… well… it was an idea I had for a very long time but couldn’t figure how to put it on paper. Once I had completed “Closer” I started looking over what I had for CV, and sent it out to a few friends to get there opinion. Well they loved it and that was how CV came to be. It still receives reviews even though it’s on hold until I’m done with “30 Days of Darkness”, and that keeps me excited. Half way into writing CV I had a ‘plot bunny’ go off and I started writing “Frozen in Time”, also a Bella/Edward story. It’s on hold at the moment, but it’s far from over. It has been the hardest story to write and so I decided to leave it on hold until CV is complete.

Saluki:  I have no idea how authors can juggle writing multiple stories.

Mkystich:  I can’t either – which is why CV is on hold until 30DoD is finished. But then I get an evil plot bunny and “The Letter” is born.

Saluki:  So, are you saying we can expect another story from you in the future?

Mkystich: I was up until one in the morning making a banner for it, so yes, after CV is done.

Saluki:  Can you tell us a little bit about the plot?

Mkystich: Sure… It’s a B/E story about Bella finding a letter in a bottle and her hunting down the owner of the letter. The letter is from a widower who is grieving the loss of his wife and child.

Saluki:  I can’t wait to read it!  Do you have a favorite character to write?

Mkystich: Um… I find that some of my favorites are the ones I make up. I have more freedom to play around with them where as the characters in the book have some sort of basics you have to at least maintain. I know it doesn’t seem correct to say that, but no matter how AU or AH a story maybe you still find yourself writing similarities from the book. So with my characters, my rules.

Saluki: Your stories are very diverse.  Do you find you like writing something dark, like 30DoD more than CV, which isn’t quite so heavy?

Mkystich: It’s not that I like writing dark more as much as it just seems easier for me to write dark. Some people are good at fluff, others angst. I seem to be better at angst and suspense so it’s something I’ll stick to in future projects. Another thing I have noticed is that there aren’t a lot of stories like mine out there so I look forward to being a pioneer in a way. Not everything is sunshine and happy sparkly vampires people.

It’s also all about what mood I’m in and what has happened in my life.  When I was 17 I was raped, and this is something I have told readers so it’s not a secret, which is were a lot of 30DoD came from. I get reviews from girls telling me their story and we chat back and forth about it.  They say they love my Bella and how strong she is and I love that.  CV is about my first love in high school.  Edward is based on my first boyfriend named Richard.

Saluki: Do you have a particular process that you follow when you write?  Do you outline, or just wing it?  Listen to music, or need silence?

Mkystich: I wing a lot of stuff in the beginning. After a few chapters I get into a groove where I figure out exactly what I want to do. Each story, posted and WIP, has a play list. Using play lists helps me remember where my emotions are because all my stories are so different.

Saluki: You have gotten some pretty harsh reviews on 30DoD.  It seems a trend lately for readers to cut down authors because they don’t like their story.  I know of several authors who have left the fandom due to abusive behavior by readers.  What do you think causes this?  How do you deal with it?  What advice would you give other authors going through the same thing?

Mkystich: LOL… *sighs* to be honest I love all my reviews, even the bad ones. For some reason the haters that I have read every chapter. I came to the conclusion that some of the haters actually like my story, but feel guilty for liking it. There way of dealing with their issues is to send me hate mail. Is it fair? No. Is it immature? Yes. I have no problem being the receiver of harsh reviews because it really doesn’t faze me. Seven years in the military thickens a girl’s skin up. Some people do go above and beyond to say hurtful things but unfortunately that is just part of the fandom. In my mind if I have just one reader who loves a story I’m writing then I’ll just write for them. I have a wonderful support group of readers and fellow authors who help me through hard times, and that is very comforting. I guess my advice to other authors would be to learn to roll your eyes and click delete. That’s what I do. Personally I only save the hate mail that I find funny, like the lady who sends me bible verses as reviews. “Praying for my wicked soul,” she says. LOL. If she only knew.

Saluki:  It seems like a trend to see who can leave the meanest, most scathing review.  It is really one of the trends in the fandom that makes me not want to be part of the Twific community sometimes.  Constructive reviews are important, but just flaming does nothing but hurt an author and take away their desire to write.  If you have nothing constructive to say, move on, IMO.

Mkystich: That’s why I say FF if harder than writing a novel. With a novel you write it all and send it in and that’s it. You get the reviews and you’re done with it, but with FF its almost like you have to out do yourself each chapter.  There is a huge pressure to keep the readers attention.

Saluki: Right, and the reviews, good and bad, can either keep you motivated, or make you want to quit writing all together.

Mkystich: And then you either finish the story too fast and it crap or you just give up. It’s sad.

Saluki: Who are a few of your favorite fanfic authors?  What are you reading now?

Mkystich:  Well that’s hard. I don’t really have a favorite at the moment but I have just started reading a story called ‘Let’s get Physical’ that I am just madly in love with. The author, Lalina, seems to have found an issue a few of us can relate to. She’s doing a wonderful job at executing the story. Another story I have currently become addicted to is ‘War of the Roses’. I don’t know why but I love those stories about failed marriages. LOL. I can relate. ‘Volturi Order’ is one story that always seems to keep me on the edge of my seat. I will stop what I’m doing when I receive and alert for that story. You think 30DoD is creepy? That story gives me the chills.

Saluki: Are you reading any books at the moment?

Mkystich: Do cook books count? LOL. I rarely have time to sit and read anything other than children’s pop up books and cook books.