AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Jonaxx … ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!

Hi, Readers! 

Before we delve into the interview proper, I would just love to share with you how this interview came to be. Actually, it was a few months back since I sent in the email which includes all of my interview questions for Queen J. Knowing that she’s a very busy person, what with her work and writing our favorite stories, sending it in didn’t mean I’ll really be able to snag an exclusive interview with her and that she’ll immediately be emailing me back with her answers. I took a chance. I was just happy with the thought that I have an email sitting pretty on her inbox. A message that hopefully she would be able to read and reply to once she has some free time.

Months have passed and on …

January 26, 2016.

10:44pm.

I was already lounging in my bed, relaxing and getting ready to continue reading the book that I picked out that afternoon. That’s how my usual night life goes. When a notification suddenly popped on the topmost part of my phone’s screen saying that I have an email coming from Jonahmae Pacala.

Me: ENTERS IN A DREAMLIKE STATE

I found myself abruptly standing up, opening and reading the content of her email. When I saw that she indeed answered all of my questions, I cannot help myself from constantly chanting, “What? Seryoso? Nagreply siya? Sinagutan niya?”.  I was shaking. I was fangirling so hard and I need people to talk to me. I ended up sending messages to some of my friends and sharing the news over the JSL main group and Bicol chapter about this blog interview.

I couldn’t believe it.

It may have taken her some time in replying to my email but it was definitely worth the wait. This surely is going down as one of my surreal blogger and fangirl moments: Interviewing one of my favorite authors. And it truly is a pleasure to share this interview with you, blog readers and Jonaxxstories Lovers.

Since I already formatted my interview questions in a conversation-type of way when I emailed it to Queen J, I won’t be editing it out (just a little tweak here and there) and I would really love to share it with you as it is. My questions, my thoughts and her answers – just out there for you to read. Let’s get started!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Amanda (A): Thank you so much for giving me and my blog this huge opportunity of having you here and at the same time interviewing you. If only I can squeal and be heard by my readers here in this blog just for them to know how I’m reacting to all this.  Seriously, I’m such a big fan of yours so this all seems to be so surreal for me. Enough of me and my fangirl ways, though.

I’ll start off this interview by asking you a little bit about yourself. You’re widely known as The Royal Writer, the Queen or Queen J by your royal readers, but what is it like just being Jonahmae Pacala? What are your favourite: songs, movies and books?  

Jonaxx (J): I have so many favourite songs and movies. Genres like EDM, slow love music, pop, and alternative. It’s difficult to mention it one by one. Haha! For movies, I like the Divergent, the Harry Potter Movies, and all movies with medievalish setting. And for books, I’ve read HP series and it was very nice. I am always amazed by how J.K. did it. She’s a legend. And then I also like Paulo Coehlo. I like books with deeeeeep messages.

A: When you aren’t writing, where would we most likely find you? What are your hobbies aside from writing?

J: Malling, sleeping, going out with friends, roadtrips, beaches… etc.

A: Speaking of writing, was writing a long-time dream of yours or some sort of a snap of a finger, “I want to write.” decision? Who/What inspired you to get started with writing?

J: When I recall the first time I wrote online, parang wala lang naman iyon. Napadaan lang sa Creative Corner, tapos nakitang may mga stories doon. Nagpost ng sarili kong story. At tuloy tuloy na. Years passed by, I’ve learned so many things like how to write better (sentence construction) and many more. It’s just a hobby. A pastime.

ON WRITING STORIES AND CHARACTERS

Photo grabbed from Sizzle's Facebook page

Amanda (A): What’s your favorite and least favorite part in the writing process? Up to the date, what was the story that has been the most difficult for you to write?

Jonaxx (J): The most difficult part of writing for me is the beginning. Minsan alam ko na ang climax, ending, and everything in between pero ‘di ko pa alam paano ko sisimulan. I really suck at beginnings. And the most difficult story to write so far is Heartless dahil lagi kong binabalikan ang Mapapansin Kaya (parallel) para lang maisulat ang next chapter niya.

A: I noticed that you write your stories in the female characters’ perspective. Do you have any plans of writing an entire story coming from a male perspective?

J: Yes, I have.

A: One of the things that I love the most about your characters is that they always pop. They always feel like they are real human beings because of how authentic their personalities are. How do you treat each of your characters? Are they loosely based on the people you know? Where do you get the inspiration on how they’re going to end up be like?

J: Some events in my stories are based on personal experience. Some characters are also based on a real person. Iyan siguro ang dahilan kung bakit they feel “almost real” to the readers.

A: Among all of the characters you’ve created, who do you feel very connected to and why?

J: Erin Montefalco, Rosie Aranjuez, and Freya Cuevas. I don’t need to pretend every time I write their monologues. Palaging akong ako. Haha! Not that I pretend with Klare and my other female leads but sometimes, salungat iyong mga iniisip. Pero kailangan panindigan.

A: I think, I’ve already mentioned it in one of my feature articles here in this blog that I truly adore how you deal with the chemistry between characters. Not just the romantically involved characters but with the friends that they have and especially when it comes to family relationships. How do you do that? How do you handle relationships and chemistries?

J: I don’t know. I just create subtle moments (usually reality based). Ayaw ko naman kasi ng kinocomplicate kasi it will look cliché so what I do, subtle lang ang pag atake sa chemistries para hindi pinipilit. Para hindi frustrating.

A: How do you choose on what to write next? Do you plan that you’ll be writing about this and that character already or you choose spontaneously from all the ideas that are circling your mind?

J: Sometimes it’s spontaneous. Most of the time, I plan ahead.

A: With Drifting Souls, the first thing that I noticed when you posted it on Wattpad is the genre. What drove you to try out writing a story under the Romance Fantasy genre? What are the materials (books/movies) that inspired the plot for Drifting Souls?

J: Hell Girl (Anime) and my fascination for the fall of Lucifer.

A: Can you give a teaser on your next priority story?

J: My current story is Ripped. The teaser’s on my site.  jonaxx.com. I have yet to decide my next priority story after Ripped.

ON SELF-PUBLISHING

Photo grabbed from Queen J's Instagram account

Amanda (A): Recently, you’ve decided to self-publish 24 Signs of Summer/Remembering Summer and now, Until Trilogy. What were the things that led you to make that decision?

Jonaxx (J): I want to try publishing it my own for experience.

A: In the future, do you still plan to self-publish your stories? If yes, what would you choose?

J:  Of course, I’d like too.

A: Any advice that you can give to other Wattpad writers who might want or plan to self-publish their works?

J: Wala pa akong masyadong experience but based on 24SOS, I’ve learned that you should really make sure that your publisher should be good at following your instructions. They should know how you want your book to be.

ON ADAPTATIONS

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Amanda (A): At present, we live in a world where books seems to be dominating the box-office and even in the small screens. What are your thoughts on having your story/stories adapted into a movie/TV series?

Jonaxx (J): I’d like to. After all, books and movies are different form of arts. May mga scenes talagang madedelete  at madadagdag kung magiging movie ang isang b ook para lang maitama sa kaonting time na nakalaan pag naging movie. And also, all the dragging scenes and monologues won’t be present. “The book is better than the movie” Or “The movie is better than the book” isn’t an acceptable statement. Talagang mag iiba iyan. You can’t expect to put all the monologues I wrote in the movie. That would be dragging for some who didn’t read the book.

A: If given a chance to choose from your stories, which would you like to see come to life as a movie or as a TV series?

J:  Mapapansin Kaya.

A: Any dream cast?

J: I don’t have a dream cast. I just want them to act good para majustify ang character. That’s all.

FAN QUESTIONS

From Dyosangkagandahan WP: Among all of your stories and characters, who’s your favourite antagonist? Any plans of writing a story of having her/him as a lead character?

Jonaxx: It would be Ariel. Haha. I don’t have plans yet.

From Camille Consulta: If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

Jonaxx: Romeo and Juliet. I’ll change its ending.

From Maine Avancena: After 10 years, do you still see yourself creating and writing new stories?

Jonaxx: Yes. It’s a hobby. Unless I find a new, better, and time consuming hobby… haha!

MESSAGE TO YOUR READERS:

Thank you so much for the support. Words aren’t enough to express my gratitude.

That concludes my interview with Jonaxx. 

Ms. Jonah, Queen J or Ate J, even if my reply to your email was a string of thank yous already, I would never get tired saying thank you to you. Thank you for this interview. Thank you for your stories and characters that are keeping me happy, making me feel kilig, sad and heartbroken too. Thank you for making me a very happy fangirl. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. More power to you and your stories!

Anyways. Are still you there, dear blog readers? I hope you enjoyed this post, learned some author facts about our Queen and that this interview shed in some new light to your thoughts - especially during the adaptations part of the interview. I know everybody’s throwing in their opinions about it, some love the idea and the others, well shutting their ears down before the conversation even starts. Just read and reflect on Queen J’s thoughts about it, okay? She actually nailed what I was thinking when it comes to adaptations.

This blog post has been lengthy already and so I’m going to bid you goodbye for now! Until the next blog post! I hope I did an okay job with the interview questions. Tell me your thoughts about this interview on the comments section below! I would definitely love to read it!

Thank you! x