Which 19th Century Writer Can You Relate With? Nekome-chan

Good morning! You have just woken up on a beautiful Saturday morning. What would be the first thing you do?

Throw my window open! Ah what a beautiful day!
Burry myself back in the covers. It's way too early...
Roll out of bed and grab something good to read from my huge library; what better way to start the day than with a good book?
I wake up on a train or a ship; I tend to travel a lot, mainly to and from Europe.
Step out of my cabin and smell the sea breeze, and wonder what adventure my ship will run into today.


Now that you have sufficiently woken up, you grab a pen in your hand and begin your work, but wait! Before writing you must decide what to create, no? Well? What will it be?

It's something I've been working on for a while. A friend advised me to write it, and I hope it turns out great.
A novel. I will make sure to fill it with symbols and life lessons.
Short stories, just to entertain my readers. A mystery or a thriller. Nothing huge.
I would write down all of my philosophies and the best ways to live life to the fullest.
I would write my own version of a legend. I wouldn't miss my chance to poke fun at life either!


Theme time, oh wonderful scribe! What would you choose as the universal message of your masterpiece?

I prefer not to use themes... But you can learn a few things about death from my stories (like its universality and inevitability).
March to the beat of your own drummer! Do not follow the crowd! Don't conform to the society and practice civil disobedience and self-reliance.
I have many, but most are about human greed.
We are all sinners alike. Humans have a natural tendency to do evil things, especially to each other.
The world is like an ocean. It looks pure and clean on the surface, but the other 80% of it is murky and dark.


Theme time, oh wonderful scribe! What would you choose as the universal message of your masterpiece?

A sailor, who adventures on the high seas.
A man, who just happens to make a contract with the devil.
My most famous is a woman who is not afraid to show her faults in public.
Usually a man of unsound mind, or dirty conscience.
Myself and the days I spent in that special place that helped me discover the finer things in life.


Now what your character needs is a romantic interest! Or maybe not. You choose!

A nagging wife who is the source of all of his problems.
Someone who shares their sin, but the relationship ends sadly in the end.
No need for that. My wife is a bean patch and I'm in love with all of the species of grass in the meadow.
A woman of extraordinary beauty, who dies a tragic and violent death.
I write action not romance.


Now for the setting! Where and when?

I like to use a contrast of town/society (what is public) and the forest/nature (what is private).
A gothic, dark castle, with dungeons and preferably a crypt. Maybe a cemetery outside the stained-glass window.
New England or Europe.
Out in the wide open sea or maybe an island full of cannibals.
A beautiful pond and forest.


Now that we have the basics, we need a conflict to get the story moving along.

I like to use individual vs. society and man vs. nature. My stories are full of people struggling for survival against the forces of nature or the disapproval of the society.
Life vs. death. I tap into the mind of the reader and explore the fears and mysteries of dying and living.
Well I like to illustrate individual vs. society. I like to show that the individual has to be true to themselves, not just go along with everyone else.
I choose a mix of individual vs. himself and individual vs. society. I show the hardships of people who choose to go against the conventional rules of the society and those who struggle within themselves to do so also.
Man vs. want, with some influence of the Devil. I like to show how far people could go for the things they want, how it changes them, and finally the consequences of their greed.


Symbols? Well what about it? Do you lay hidden meanings underneath the underneath?

Everything I write is a symbol.
I do sprinkle them in, but they're pretty obvious and not as original as I wish they were.
No. I write it as it is.
The sea is all the symbol I need.
Even though I hate symbols, I tend to stick them in all over the place. They do fit well though.


Your magnum opus is almost done. Now for the finishing touches. You need to convey to the reader your innermost opinions and experiences through your work! How do you present women in respect to your own opinion or what happened to you?

They are brave: they are not afraid to show their imperfections.
I'm not sure I know how to answer that. But I do know we might find the whole universe in the face of one person if we pay attention.
I usually portray my women as dead or dying (most of the women in my life have died).
I don't really have many women in my stories.
Wives in my stories are mean. Women nag way too much.


How do you feel about nature?

I believe the sea is like life.
I think it is evil, because that is where you can find the devil.
I use it to heighten the mood of my stories. What better way to open a narrative than with a storm or dead trees?
Nature can represent both evil and good. We must decide that for ourselves. Is what we do in the privacy of a forest good or bad? Maybe the wild is where true good is. Or maybe it's where you can meet with the devil?
Nature has the answers to all of life's mysteries. She is beautiful and we should simplify our life and slow down to notice her majesty.


Whew we are done! Thank you for the interview and letting me watch you work day!

No problem! You should visit me more often and I hope you listened to my advice about life.
It was indeed nice to meet you, although I'm not a very sociable person (usually books are all the company I need).
I enjoyed talking to you. We should travel more often together, but here's my stop! Time to get back to work!
It was a refreshment from all of those women who want me to read one story over and over again... it gets really boring sometimes...
Your interview was entertaining, but I must get back to work around the ship.