What inspired you to become a writer?

I started writing as a way to get people interested in the Mythical Creatures of the Philippines. I never set out to be a writer, I wrote things more as flavor text than actual stories, but I think the reason why I’m still a writer is to let people see the world as I see it.

How do you develop your story ideas?

I base them off mythical creatures, so I start from there with their descriptions. I also do retellings of more obscure myths and I rewrite them to make them more palatable to a wider audience.

How do you approach creating memorable characters? 

Make them human enough to be fallible but interesting enough to keep the reader wanting more.

Could you describe your writing routine? 

Procrastinate for 8 hours and make 2 paragraphs.

How do you balance research and creativity in your writing? 

As long as I give due respect to the creatures, I think it’s fair game. If I just go for the descriptions, it gets boring but if I make it too outlandish it disrespects where it came from. There is a fine line that I do not want to cross and I don’t want to use ‘creative license’ as an excuse.

What challenges have you faced as an author? 

Writer’s block and the fact that I hate everything I’ve ever written.

How do you deal with writer’s block or self-doubt? 

Drinking helps haha. But seriously I try to consume more content (Movies, books, video games, etc.) since inspiration can come from anywhere.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors? 

Just keep writing. Consistency is key.

What’s the message in your latest book and why did you choose it? 

I don’t really have one set message since my work is an anthology. I guess “Don’t mess with the sprits” is up there as one of my prevailing themes.

Can you give us a sneak peek into your upcoming projects? 

Mythica Obscura compilation will be out by December. It’s a collection of our zine series, with new art as well as additional stories. Hope you guys can get a copy!