Interviews on the Literary Fiction Network

Round 1: NeonNebulae

This week we're happy to bring you an interview with NeonNebulae, author of Remnants of the Fallen Sky, a collection of short stories, and Untitled – a collection of experimental poetry. Remnants of the Fallen Sky can be found in our reading lists, while Untitled was reviewed and featured in September!

So tell us how you first came to Wattpad!

To be honest, I can hardly remember how I first discovered Wattpad. It sort of happened on its own ahaha.

How has the experience been so far?

My latest experience has been very exciting, if not a little bizarre. I find that the more you interact with the community the more it interacts with you. Every message I receive motivates me to continue creating.

The social aspect of Wattpad has made my writing process far more fluid. Comments I receive from readers tell me what's working and what isn't, which parts of a story really resonate with others, and which poems I may need to revise. There's a real sense of connection on Wattpad, actuality and presence. And this proximity between the reader and the writer hasn't just improved my writing style, it's changed the way I consider writing as a whole.

Yes, that's what we discovered when we gave the LitFic Network its 2.0 start-up – the community came to life again, and with surprising force. However, have you noticed any negatives to this kind of online connection – the online platform?

Certainly. Social networks and the 'connectedness' of the Internet have changed our society as a whole, and this new digital dynamic of writing has presented several new issues.

It's become far easier to publish one's work, but it's become far harder to get noticed. Stories are being written faster than anyone read them. It's unsurprising that many writers are instantly lost in the crowd.

As it stands, two authors on Wattpad might simultaneously release their stories, but one will accumulate one million reads and the other dissolves into obscurity. The popular author's work may be objectively worse, but even five accidental readers within a short timespan can trigger the deciding chain reaction of reads.

The YuanRank system does its best to mitigate this problem, but at the end the day, I think that networks such as LitFic are the true answer to this issue. Wattpad has to worry about the prominent works, the ones that are already a guaranteed success. Meanwhile, networks within Wattpad aren't restricted by the necessity of constantly making a profit. They can be far more adventurous in the works that they highlight and promote.

Regardless of its genre, a well-written story can be well received on Wattpad. Wattpad encourages its readers to stumble upon different genres, to cross the borders between them and discover new interests.

Even if literary fiction is sometimes less accessible than other genres, the featured stories and rankings speak for themselves (to say nothing of this network!)

You've played with different genres as well. Aside from experimental and literary works, you've written several sci-fi pieces, particularly about the cosmos above our heads. What inspired your interest in space and the planets?

When it comes to preserving the human race, I think that we shouldn't put our eggs in one basket. A million things could annihilate Earth in an instant, erasing us forever. If humans could colonise other planets, the chances of our extinction would be significantly lower.

As far as I'm concerned our planet is completely disposable. In about one billion years our Sun will expand to such a degree that it'll destroy whatever lifeforms are left. In 7.5 billion years, our entire planet will be consumed by our star. Our graves, our libraries, our monuments – everything we considered eternal will be vaporised forever. Now 7.5 billion years may be a long way away, but things like gamma ray bursts could wipe us out at a moment's notice. We need to be prepared.

Yes, life is meaningless, and I greatly disdain the vast majority of our species, but if there's any hope of finding an answer to this cruel existence, I believe that it lies somewhere in the stars. Just like a Mesopotamian merchant could never have predicted or understood the Internet, perhaps the true solution to our existential suffering exists, somewhere in the future?

Also, I want to travel in a spaceship before I die. Seeing Jupiter through a windshield sounds totally rad.

I think many of us would be overjoyed to be able to see the stars from within a spaceship as we depart to a new world! Perhaps some time in our lives, perhaps not. But you seem to be quite keen on leaving this planet behind. Do you write often of this kind of theme, to be out of our small planet and into the great expanse?

My imagery gravitates towards a trinity of voids: the ocean, the sky, and space. They're very open-ended metaphors and they can represent a lot of interesting things depending on the context you assign. Zen, Nihilism, Romanticism, Naturalism, Surrealism – every philosophical and artistic movement can be expressed through these three infinities.

Space is an empty, lifeless void, populated by celestial bodies that are unfathomably colossal and very, very deadly. The sheer scale of the Universe constantly reminds us of how insignificant we are. And yet we yearn for the stars. We ascribe poetic qualities to the Moon, the Sun and the planets. It's as though we're in love with a neurotoxin.

When there's an imbalance in reversible chemical reaction, heat, pressure and volume compensate each other to reach a dynamic equilibrium. Similarly, space completely lacks any human qualities, and so scientists, artists and dreamers direct torrents of creative energy in an attempt to fill the empty vacuum. Otherwise, we'd have this nameless curtain of death hanging over us, terrifying us each night.

Themes? For the past two years, I've struggled to find meaning in my life, to justify my existence. I go through very powerful mood swings. As a reflection of this, my poetry often explores depression, anxiety and apathy juxtaposed against excitement, mania, and curiosity. I've always liked to question reality, I guess my existential nihilism is reality fighting back ahaha.

Is it difficult to find inspiration and creative juice through questioning and contemplation of reality? What has kept you writing?

I find that I'm most inspired when I have hardly any free time. There's a pressing sense of urgency, a competitive struggle between the trails of a demanding reality and my uncontainable desire to write. I try not to overthink the creative process itself, though. Our muses have a tendency to disappear if we ever make eye contact.

And what about inspiration from other authors, or perhaps creative people? Are there any in particular who come to mind?

Bradbury has always been a major influence. There's something about the way he writes that really captivates my mind. Other influences include Cummings, Dr Seuss, Dostoevsky, G.R.R. Martin, Camus, Bulgakov, and Simmons.

Bradbury for certain! I think many of us came to know him through the force of education, but I do think many of us also came to love him. Neon, thank you very much for your time. We have one last question for you, and considering we've just talked of stars, and planets and cosmos, I hope you'll forgive us for something a little more down to Earth.

Given a choice between having to wrestle a grizzly bear while covered in honey or spending an eternity trapped inside your most hated book, what would you choose?

Bear wrestling is a win-win situation. You either emerge a glorious champion or die a spectacular death. Honey me up!