R.A. McCaulley

Q: What is the most difficult part of developing a character?

A: I think the most difficult part of developing a character is letting the character have its own personality. You develop the basics, work out their backstory - that’s all easy enough. It’s when they start living and when they start making choices that things can get dicey. How do they walk? Is he a sitter or a leaner? Does she cross her legs when she sits? Will the smell of burnt toast make her cringe? And if someone tells my main character that their whole life has been a lie, how will they react? Because it’s not the same as I would react, so you have to let the character have it’s own personality. And then do that with as many characters as the story requires. You have to let them all talk to you in their own voice. It can get a bit crowded inside a writer’s head.  

Q: Do you prefer starting your stories with pen and paper, or would you rather start on a computer?

A: I often start my stories with pen and paper because I like to write out things as soon as I think of it. Those small Hemingway notebooks are perfect for carrying around in pockets. There is something about writing with pen and paper that just feels good. Writing by hand is slower than typing. I find it makes me put more consideration into the words I’m putting down. I've started stories both ways, though. Many of my short stories were written in one go at the computer and there is something to be said for the magical feeling of putting out a story from start to finish in one sitting. I’ve never done that when writing by hand.

Q: Do you ever base characters off of people in your personal life?

A: Oh, absolutely. I have a short story I have gone to great lengths to keep out of my best friend’s hands because it’s basically her whole family and she would know that instantly. But, yes, of course I base characters off of people I know because I want my characters to be believable and relatable. Borrowing characteristics from people and the unique gestures and quirks help to add depth and layers to my characters.  

Tanya-Marie Villeneuve

Tanya was a writer in High School and was planning to go into journalism. Her teachers were incredibly supportive and encouraging, many telling her that she was the most promising student they had. Unfortunately,  mental illness had other plans for her life. “Kinda was a silver lining,” Tanya said, “because the industry nearly dried up, and I’d be out of a job with massive student debt. Now that I’m stable I decided to take a creative writing course and put down my experiences and thoughts.” 

The idea for Tanya to write fiction stories came from her ex, who is still one of her closest friends. “He told me I should tell ‘our story.’ Both of us ill; one of us got better and the other didn’t. Love isn’t a neat and tidy thing but it can be an incredible influence.” Tanya’s stories convey intense emotions inspired by her real-life experiences. Her attention to detail while setting the scene exhibits true skill in writing descriptive imagery. Her stories will leave you feeling as though you can smell the cigarette smoke and stale beer, almost able to feel the fogginess of a smoke-filled room.

While Tanya was very open talking to me about her grandmother, there were certain details such as the name of the hospital that she felt more comfortable keeping to herself. Edith passed away in May of 1997 when Tanya was 12 years old, at which time Tanya’s own mental illnesses were already being treated by counselors. Tanya says that the book she is working on is her way of honoring her grandmother’s life. “She was the person who loved me the absolute most in this entire world.”

Hibiscus Syriacus
Kayla M. Ware

Kink Bri Joze
(Ashley Kinkel)

 Energetic and light-hearted with a fear stagnation, Kink is driven full-force to constantly create.  She is inspired by diversity and always seeks to turn challenges into learning experiences while finding new ways to inspire others and express herself. Surrounded by a very expressive network, Kink attributes a lot of her skills to friends who took the time to introduce her to new and creative forms of expression. 

A friend of Kink’s, Brittany, was the first to introduce her to hooping. Another friend,  Benjamin, taught her juggling and introduced a variety of new props that she had never heard of, such as Diabolo (Japanese yo-yo). She has mostly focused on building her skills in single and double hoops, with some focus on poi and juggling. Kink describes Benjamin as very skilled in flow arts, juggling, and object manipulation.

Brittany introduced Kink to Hooping in 2014. After that, Kink felt inspired to slowly branch out to other props, such as poi and staff. Brittany and Kink performed a partner routine in Fluggleburgh 2018 in which they started with partner-interactive singles, gradually working their way up to 3 hoops each and ended their routine with partner-juggling.

The two spend a lot of time coming up with practice routines together and trying out new moves and combos. They also visit nearby locations to find pretty scenery and settings to record new hooping videos.