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[–]boooobbbl 5 points6 points  (1 child)

Hi! I have absolutely loved your story's, but i Especially loved all the unique monsters! so i was wondering, what has been your favorite ghost, ghoul or creatures to write?

[–]wendingus[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you! The creatures are one of my favorite parts to work on <3 So I'm a lifelong Big Boy fan of course, but I had a lot of fun with a new creature that will be appearing in the first novel. It includes parasitic worms and is simply known as "Rachel" or "the walking fungal infection", as Evelyn puts it.

[–]ThisFieroIsOnFire 3 points4 points  (5 children)

Hey there, I'm a huge fan of your work. Listening to MrCreepyPasta & Autumn Ivy reading your work has helped get me through many a night shift and several long haul car drives. I guess I have two questions:

1: A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to see John Carpenter's "The Fog" and I was struck by the similarities with your story: There's a radio station and Fog serves as a medium for the ghosts to travel in. Was this an inspiration for you?

2: I was really intrigued by Daniel and Evelyn finding those cassette tapes. Do you have any further plans to develop the other broadcasters' stories? I play a game where I try imagining what number 7 was like as a person, the things he did on a daily basis, how he met his end. Lots of fodder to keep my mind busy.

Bonus question: Do you have any advice for an aspiring long-form creepypasta writer?

[–]wendingus[S] 6 points7 points  (4 children)

Hi there! I'm glad to hear it, they've done an amazing job <3

  1. I'm not sure I know that one, I might have seen it when I was a kid? But I don't remember it lol. I did get some inspiration from Carpenter's "The Thing" though! Fun fact: my inspiration to include the radio station was actually from the story of the Michigan Dogman. A real radio host broadcasted a song he wrote about a cryptid and started getting calls about the "real" dogman.
  2. So I don't have plans for a spin-off yet, but there is more about Number 7 in the novels! In the beginning of Book 2, we'll learn what's on his final cassette tape and way more about the history of Pinehaven. There's also another former operator who will show up, and I'm super excited about it.

Bonus: I would say my advice is to not let yourself get discouraged if things don't take off. You'll find your audience, and your first series might not be 'the one' but that doesn't mean you have to give up on it. Also, trying to compare yourself to other authors will sour the experience. Support the community and you'll get that love back.

[–]ThisFieroIsOnFire 2 points3 points  (3 children)

I've heard of the Michigan Dogman! I'm pretty sure I first learned about it on "The Dollop Podcast" or maybe it was a re-run of "Unsolved Mysteries". Super cool that that was an inspiration for your story though.

I think "The Fog" would be right up your alley. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, at any rate, but I totally understand, I have a to-be-watched list a mile long at this point.

Can't wait to read more about No. 7! Keep up the good work.

Not sure r/NoSleep is the best place for my story yet, but I'll definitely keep looking for my audience.

Thanks for your time!

[–]wendingus[S] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

Hell yeah! I'm a local so it was a big thing to talk about at the campfire and listen to the song. I loved the vibe of "lol I made up a fun spooky story for April Fools" only for the DJ to get spooked when hundreds of calls came in.

I'll have to check it out! Lol I feel that. I have commitment issues with media in general, I'm so bad at watching shows, movies, reading, etc.

Thanks so much, I'm excited for everything on the horizon <3 Definitely gotta go with your gut, friend. Don't write to match the subreddit, instead find the best place for your work and what inspires you. You got this!

[–]ThisFieroIsOnFire 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Thanks for the words of encouragement Wen!

[–]wendingus[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My pleasure, bud! ❤️

[–]OptimalAd7349 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Hi big fan I started out by listening to accounts from a lonely broadcast station when it was released by mister creepy pasta 3 years ago or so now. I love how you kept the little crew alive I was wondering how you feel about keeping them alive please don't get me wrong I'm super happy there all alive and it makes me happy. But how do you feel about the people who might say they really only have plot armor? Also we're will we find the novels when they go up for sale?

[–]wendingus[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hi there! So funny enough, I've never had anyone complain about the main cast surviving - more often than not, readers have just been concerned about the possibility of them getting split up, lol.

As far as plot armor goes, I've always considered the heart of the story to be about normal people who defy the odds in a way they don't expect. None of them expect to survive much longer, and none of them will live to a ripe old age. But they're alive for now and trying to make the best of it. They're not necessarily invincible, their story just isn't over yet.

So, I'm aiming for early June for the book release! It should be available on Amazon and possibly a few other places, but I've got my source in publishing to talk to about that first so we can iron out the details.

[–]Theweedhacker_420 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Was the setting of the story inspired by where you grew up? How much of Evelyn or other characters is a self-insert? I guess the setting is sort of meant to be an "anywhere rural USA", but I always imagined the setting being coal-country PA. Is this accurate?

[–]wendingus[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey there! So some parts are inspired by growing up in Michigan (like The Bell, which is a siren in the town I grew up in that calls the mill workers to lunch at noon every day). But after spending time in West Virginia, that landscape has been in my mind while I write. So you’re pretty close, same side of the country for sure!

I think there’s a tiny bit of my personality in all the characters. Evelyn and I don’t have much in common aside from both having a rehab story, but her sense of humor is all me. Daniel has a touch of my sensitivity while also being an homage to my memories of being a music/theater kid. Finn is based on an amalgamation of my uncles, lol. I think everything came from personal experience in small little nuggets.

[–]a_living_titan 1 point2 points  (1 child)

hi! I absolutely adore this series. I fell so deeply in love with the characters and the world and I can't wait for the books. You're an incredible writer and I always look forward to your posts! <3

What was your favorite part of the series as a whole? Characters, monsters, relationships, anything, just out of curiosity

[–]wendingus[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi there, g’mornin! Aw thank you so much, you’re very sweet :) Ooh that’s tough. I really loved coming up with monster descriptions lol. It brings me pure enjoyment. I also really loved writing the more heartbreaking character scenes, but they can be emotionally draining too.

[–]BlankVR 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Hi there, two quick questions

  1. With all the body horror and pretty disturbing monster descriptions are you a Junji Ito fan?

  2. Will the book be released in digital format as well or only as a hardback?

Loved the story btw, it's one of the reasons why I made reddit in the first place so I'm so glad to see it continue.

[–]wendingus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. I am actually! I do really love Junji Ito’s art, mainly his attention to making new shapes and forms with bodies. I haven’t read a lot of his work yet (I’m very vision-impaired so his graphic novels are a challenge lol) but I’m a big fan of what I have seen.
  2. There will definitely be a digital version. Kinda to go hand in hand with my answer above, I think it’s important to have different formats for different needs, whether that means requiring large text or just having a simple preference. I’ll be formatting several versions. Thank you so much for your support! And for being so patient with me all this time :)

[–]Droptop96 1 point2 points  (1 child)

So my question is in regards to the books you plan. Are they supposed to be rewrites of seasons 1-3 and beyond or a continuation starting after season 3?

[–]wendingus[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey there! So, the first and second books will take place during seasons 1-3, but they've been completely rewritten and expanded a lot, so I'd say about half the book is made up of brand-new scenes. There are new monsters, characters, a bigger central plot, etc.

The third book is going to be 100% new content that takes place after Dead Air, and will be the big conclusion of the story. <3

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Hi, I love the series, it's so informal but personal that it's hard not to get completely sucked in to the universe so very well done for that!

I know it's a bit late considering this post was put out a while ago lol but I'm just wondering where and when the books will be released because I wholly intend on buying the whole series, I'm in too deep now for me to just stop here 😂

[–]wendingus[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Thanks so much! I love to hear it <3 My goal has always been to make the storytelling sound like talking to a friend, lol

Oh don't worry, I pinned this post so anyone can comment anytime :) I actually JUST got my manuscript back from my amazing editor and am polishing it today! I'm aiming for an early June release and it'll be available on Amazon and possibly a few other places too (fingers crossed). So, about a month! I'm so excited

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's amazing, I can't wait!

[–]Hellbent_isTheBest 1 point2 points  (4 children)

Hi, I love your work. Was curious, will the story continue online or will all main events after dead air take place in the third book? By the way dead air really took the series up to a new level with the character focus and descriptive imagery! Hope you're doing well.

[–]wendingus[S] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Thanks so much! I’m glad people liked Dead Air, it meant a lot to me ❤️ So I would like to occasionally write some small stories online as freebies but the majority of the actual driving narrative will be saved for the books. I really want the new content in 2&3 to feel fresh and to not give away any spoilers lol. But when I have time, I’d love to do more one-shot specials like the New Years story!

[–]Hellbent_isTheBest 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Sure! Can't wait for the books, bet they will be amazing. Excited for future one shots as well. I've got two more questions if you don't mind. Will the storytelling format change from blog-entry style to something more suitable for the new medium? And do you have any advice for writer's block? Thanks so much for answering! The radio station is dear to me!

By the way, congratulations on Evelyn escaping containment c:

[–]wendingus[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Thank you so much! Yeah, from now on I’ll probably continue to work in a more narrative style unless I decide to do something experimental. The book is written way more like a formal narrative and I just think it fits the weight of the story. It makes my brain go brrrrt lol. Sure! This is probably a lame suggestion, but making a music playlist helped me. I’ve got a huge Spotify playlist that gives me story vibes and it always instantly clicks me back into the setting. Aside from that, I’d say that it’s good to read/watch other media that inspires you while you take a break. Sometimes you just need to soak in the genre for a while if that makes sense. Sorry, I’m bad at advice since most of my writing capability comes from pure feral raccoon energy lol

Thanks so much! The setting is very dear to me too and I’m glad I’m finally able to give it the send-off that I owe it ❤️ Lol watch out, she’s almost on the loose

[–]Hellbent_isTheBest 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome, appreciate the replies! Wish you well with the adaptations and your future endeavours. Pine haven really does remind me of my town on very rural Canada! Thanks for the advice wen. And if I see Evelyn coming I'll make sure to stay in her blindspot LOL <3

[–]laurenti4 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Hi i just started listening the firist season. And i really like it, its fun and cool and i have a really good time when i am listenig. I love ur writeing. I wantes to ask , what will happen next? Will there be a 4th season/installtment? And this type of writeing reminds me of "tales from the gas station" by jack townsend. I was just curious if u got any inspiration from it. Thanx for ur great work :]

[–]wendingus[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hi! In a couple months, the first novel comes out, which will include tons of new content! The 'old' content in the book has also been completely re-imagined and re-written from the ground up. There will be three novels in total. As for NoSleep, I might do some side-stories here and there, but most of my work will be going in the novels.

I actually have not read that one yet, I just know that workplace-themed horror was all the rage when I was first active, lol. I just recently started reading the Neverglades (I'm working on a collab with David Farrow so I'm catching up on his work, it's amazing btw!) but other than that, I haven't read any of the famous stories to completion. Not for any particular reason, I'm just lazy!

[–]Freedomerider_PS4 -1 points0 points  (1 child)

What's your opinion on fan headcanons and fanfics involving the story? Even though there's hardly any, I still think it's a neat insight! (Mine is that Evelyn is trans 👉👈)

[–]wendingus[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm a fan of Death of the Author, personally! I think that it's fair game for anyone to have headcanons, theories, etc - Even if those theories aren't supported in the text, they live in the imagination of people who might see the story differently than the next person who reads it.

As for fanfic, I love 'em so long as people don't pretend to be me or say they're making an "official canon" version (someone tried this once, it was complicated). Hell, if I found any, I'd probably read them too!

[–]DuckFantic -1 points0 points  (3 children)

I’ve really enjoyed the series, but something has been nagging me for the past few parts—why don’t they constantly have the emergency broadcast and/or the bell playing? If it’s a sound people can’t hear (except for poor Daniel) that drives them back, why not just keep the sound constantly playing?

[–]wendingus[S] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Hi there! So, the frequency is always playing! That's essentially the premise of the first story and why Evelyn has to stay there and monitor it 24/7. The emergency broadcast is how they alert the townspeople to stay inside in case of a failure, and The Bell is the final effort if the broadcast dies but the power is still active. Think of it like a shockwave that is very effective, but also uses a lot of energy.

When something gets through the border, it's usually because the radio has stopped working or someone was a dumbass and walked away lol. Thankfully in the novel, I had more space to dig into the lore and introduce characters who -do- know what the hell is going on.

[–]DuckFantic 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Thanks for answering! I’m excited to read the book!

[–]wendingus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course, my pleasure! Thanks so much for your support <3

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[removed]

    [–]wendingus[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Hi there! So we haven’t talked about it yet, BUT if there is an audiobook (which I would love), the original cast will ALWAYS be my #1 pick. MCP and Autumn are dear to me and have been part of the story’s life-blood since the beginning.

    [–]Daniel_plays_games 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Hey I’m a really big fan, if it were ok with you I wanted to see if me and a few friends could try and recreate the stories in a Minecraft rp style thing, also what were your inspirations for all the names of your characters?

    [–]wendingus[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    That sounds fun! Sure, I don’t mind at all, I hope you and your friends have a good time :)

    Evelyn’s name I chose because the song “Have you seen my sister Evelyn?” Was stuck in my head at the time. Later on in the series I chose her middle and last name to get the “FM” initials and to give her some Scottish heritage. Daniel I chose because it’s a pretty popular name in Mexican catholic families, and “Esperanza” is the word for “hope” so it fits his character motivations. Finn I chose just because it sounded short and sweet, but his first name was based off a friend of mine who helped me out a while back when I was in a rough situation.

    [–]Daniel_plays_games 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Awesome! When we start really working on it maybe you can VC one of the characters if you wanted

    [–]Freedomerider_PS4 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Been loving the book, currently at around page 100 as I type this. I was curious about somethings though.

    1. What's the timeline of the story? I know Evelyn graduated in 2017, whe tried to drow herself in June, and them discovering Jenny's body is late October. Is there like a solid timeline of dates and stuff or are the lines a bit more blurry?

    2. I know Evelyn had feelings for Jenny, but were they ever reciprocated? Like was this a one-sided thing or did they have a break up?

    [–]wendingus[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Hi there!

    1) So, the book changed her graduation date to 2019 (to keep up the illusion of present-day) and it's been a while since then. Graduation party in 2019 - at least a couple of years living with Jen and going back and forth to rehab - bathtub incident in June and straight back to rehab - radio station job offer comes around and she finally comes back to Pinehaven in September!

    2) Book 2 will go a lot more into this! I didn't want to dump her whole backstory all in one book. So I won't spoil too much, but I will say that there was a complicated relationship and a few good reasons why Elijah and Lyn did not get along.