Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Hello! My name is Edwin Betancourt and I am an Independent Author hailing from the Bronx, NY. I have been writing since I was 14 years old and haven’t stopped since. The main genres that I write are usually Fiction, Fantasy, Drama, Comedy and of course fused with twists and turns. I love musicals, comics and binge watching “Charmed”, “Buffy The Vampire Slayer (show)” and “How To Get Away With Murder”.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Jayson The Witch’ book?
There were so many challenges I faced when writing this story. When I began writing this story I debated whether I wanted to write it in first person narrative through the eyes of Jayson but then the events that take place without Jayson’s knowledge wouldn’t be displayed properly. The next debate had a lot to do with the story and how I wanted to convey Jayson’s past-being an Immortal Witch who is 520 years old. I knew right away I wanted this story to take place in 2019 (that was the year I began the final draft) but I also wanted to show Jayson and Nathaniel’s history in 1519 in a unique way. That’s when I decided to make the even numbered chapters (chapters 2, 4, 6 etc) take place in 1519 showing how Jayson and Nathaniel met and then the odd numbered chapters (chapters 1, 3, 5 etc) take place in the present, 2019, telling the current story. In my mind that was an idea that I enjoyed but I feared readers wouldn’t. So that was definitely a huge challenge for me.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I am a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe! His short stories had so many twists and they were not only short and sometimes absurd but they lingered in your mind long after you stopped reading it. Of course, I have to throw in Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers because they created these dark and sinister fairy tales that Disney watered down and gave Happily Ever Afters to.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
That is a great question. I’m much of an introvert-a cliche amongst us writers- but I do enjoy visiting the Botanical Gardens (although my allergies get the best of me) and the Bronx Zoo. I love just walking through those places and letting the solitude inspire me. It definitely helped me when I had writers block while working on “Jayson The Witch”. It’s special to me because I love being surrounded by trees, the wind blowing and not knowing who’s watching you and what Magical Being is probably lurking around the corner.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
For me there is a lot of preparation! I’m an old fashion writer, so I write the story in a notebook first and then type it all up and edit as I go. When working on a new project I always imagine the plot first, then create the characters and ask myself: “What is going on in the story?”, “Why are the characters this way?”, “What is the endgame of this story?” and most importantly “Why should anyone want to read it?”. Once I answered those questions I’m able to write and see where my mind takes me. Sometimes it’s a short story, other times it’s a story that I get halfway through and leave it until I can decide where else to take it and other times it’s just a dead end with no redemption.
Q6. How long did it take you to write this book?
15 years! I know that sounds crazy. I began writing this story when I was in high school in 2004 for a writing class, then I stopped to focus on playwriting. Once I got back into the story I finished it and had my classmates read it and they enjoyed it, but it didn’t feel complete to me. That’s when I knew more had to be done. It wasn’t until later on (2010) that I picked the writing of this book back up and added the fairy tale aspects, the relationship with Nathaniel and then some twists. I submitted my manuscripts to many publishers and they rejected it due to certain things they wanted me to change to make the story more adult rated which I didn’t want. There was a publisher that took interest in the book and told me so many wonderful things about it, but they wanted me to pay them to publish it. Tip for writers: NEVER pay a publisher to publish your story! That’s when I gave up going the traditional route and ended up self publishing the final draft this year.
Q7. What does success means to you?
Success isn’t money to me. Success is people reading your story and telling others about it. Reading your story and then messaging you to talk about it and ask questions about the characters that you can’t answer due to spoilers. Success for me is just people reading my story and enjoying every single page and finding the world I created as an escape for them. Which is why I made the story free to read on Amazon in the United States and Canada. I’m working on India as we speak.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Jayson The Witch’?
Yes! Creating a book cover for me is the most interesting and stressful thing ever. I use the site and app called Canva to do everything because it’s affordable and so easy to use for someone like me who isn’t tech savvy. The cover for any story should be intriguing and unique as well as representative of what’s going on in the story. I originally wanted a Witch hat on the cover but I felt like then the readers would expect Jayson to wear a Witch hat, which he doesn’t. So I thought about the color scheme, red is the color Jayson wears the most and I knew that’s the color I wanted. But then what about the image? I believe less is more-especially for an Indie writer like myself who is on a budget, so I found this beautiful picture of red smoke and seeing how Jayson loves red and his magic tends to glow red, this was the perfect image! After a few image placements, the final one came out amazing!
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Hmm, I would have to say the small stuff I do in the stories I create. For example, I always end very chapter in a cliffhanger to keep readers invested in turning the page. I act as if the chapters are episodes and every end is what will keep the audience coming back for more. Story wise, I always want to write a story that is unique and special to me and my community. Being a Gay male myself, I wanted to write a story that young LGBTQ+ people could read and enjoy because it isn’t filled with vulgar language, disturbing images or trigger warnings, but filled with characters that they could relate to. I of course, would never isolate other readers and say I only write for LGBTQ+ people because I’m a huge supporter of diversity, so I always write stories that aren’t offensive or vulgar to anyone and it shows that LGBTQ+ people can be heroes, villains, masterminds, writers, magical etc
without needing to be sexualized.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Oooh, so many secrets but I cannot reveal too much. I can say that I don’t write things by accident. There are certain things that were said in narration and by characters that will play a huge part in the second book. Like “Malum”. I can also say as of right now, the second book is about 60% complete. It went through some constant changes but I’m aiming for a Halloween release. I ideally wanted it for this Summer but due to the Pandemic that doesn’t seem likely.
Author: Edwin Betancourt
Book Is Available On Amazon
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