Interview with The Author creator of “The Nerd and the Loser” – All Ages of Geek Tapas Reviews

Welcome to another episode of our Creator Spotlight series! Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing TheAuthor, the creative mind behind the intriguing story “The Nerd and the Loser.” We’ll be delving into their journey as a content creator, exploring the thought process behind their storytelling techniques, and discussing the importance of the indie scene in the creative industry. Get ready for an insightful conversation with a talented creator who’s breaking new ground in the world of storytelling!

What initially sparked your passion for creating content, and how did that desire evolve into the work you produce today?

Content creation for me was only YouTube videos back then which was why I decided to create my own content in the form of videos, but they never felt satisfying. It wasn’t until I showed people around me the many short stories I had written that I decided to consider writing stories as my form of content creation. All I needed was a platform.

Can you walk us through your journey as a content creator, starting from the moment you first decided to explore this medium?

After I decided to share my stories, I constantly looked for ways to spread them but there were
other problems as well. These included websites which were not accessible for me at the time and also the biggest problem that I did not have a long arcing story but only short stories. This led me to huge problems as I stumbled for years, looking for the right platform and thinking of the right story that I even considered not writing anything at all. Which I may have done if I had not found Webtoon.

Your work touches on various themes and subjects. How do you choose which stories to tell, and what do you hope your audience takes away from them?

I believe that a content creator’s work should contain whatever themes and subjects that they feel comfortable with. I tend to write stories with my own view in mind about various subjects. That does not mean that everything is within limits. Some themes may be too dark or too deep for me to understand and convey the full message of which is why I try to only write about things that I know about. The only thing I hope my audience to take from them are right messages which if they believe is wrong, they could correct me about as I am not an expert in these things.

What led you to choose your current platform for sharing your work, and what aspects of the platform do you find most appealing?

After I had decided to write stories, I looked for platforms. I was not able to find Tapas back then as it was unavailable in my country which was why my first story making website was Webtoon where I wanted to make a comic. That was difficult for me since I could not find an artist to collab with. But then luckily for me, Tapas became available in my country. After seeing indie creators writing novels on the platform, I decided to try it as well. I had already thought up a story, now it was time to execute.

Are there any aspects of the platform that you feel could be improved, or perhaps have been
challenging to navigate?

The biggest problem that I have faced with Tapas is creating a fanbase. Tapas has its own forums
which has allowed me to promote my novel but more often than not, the interactivity was never
consistent. Despite getting me to 76 subscribers (For which I am very grateful.) I have failed to get a stable view or likes count. Not only that but the number of promotion threads on the forums have greatly increased in number which have led to most of them being ineffective.

In your opinion, what distinguishes independent content from mainstream content, and why do you think the indie scene is important for the overall creative industry?

In the case of mainstream content, after a while all the stories seemed the same to me. The ideas
which were once unique and interesting have now become saturated and overused. Mainstream
content creators mainly seem to be afraid of risk by creating a new idea which might fail so they use story ideas which are already out there leading to them becoming their genres. Indie creators on the other hand are much more bold. Since they are trying to either break through and become famous or are trying to spread their stories with other people and share their passion with others, leading to new ideas which are refreshing and can therefore inspire creativity among many others in the industry.

As a content creator, what are some unique storytelling techniques you’ve developed to set your work apart from others in the genre?

The big change in my series is the existence of two main characters in the same scene at the same time but only one of them can be seen or heard leading to two different perspectives on the same situation. I show this by changing the person from whose perspective the scene is described depending on the location and importance which can either be a direct or indirect experience.

Apart from your main work, what other avenues do you explore to engage with your audience, such as social media, live events, or merchandise?

I have not attempted to engage with my audience yet as a part of me still does not feel that it’s
real. I sometimes cannot believe that people actually read and enjoy my ideas and stories, leading me to question their existence. This generates the fear in me that if I attempt to engage with them and end up getting no response I would lose the confidence that I have generated just by seeing my graphs go up. Until I become more confident with myself and accept the fact that people enjoy my content, I will unfortunately not be able to interact with my audience.

Creating content can be both rewarding and challenging. Can you share some of the struggles you’ve faced along the way, and how you’ve overcome them?

I am currently a high school student and the biggest problem that I have faced in content creating is finding the balance between my writing and studying. I still have not been able to overcome this problem but have managed to solve another one. That problem was coming up for ideas for my novel. I solved this problem by using my free time to clear my mind and instead of jumping onto the next chapter I created a road map of what I want to achieve with this series and thoroughly think out the future chapters.

Are there any creators, artists, or writers who have been particularly influential or inspiring to you? How have they shaped your creative journey?

The person who has inspired me the most has been a comic creator from webtoon Sensor_Sama,
the author of the now discontinued webtoon Anomaly Soul. He was the first indie creator that I started following once I entered the world of storytelling. Despite having an amazing story and art style, he was never able to achieve the large amount of success he deserved leading him to deleting his most popular series and is now making a new series. The other person is a writer from Tapas, queen_of_spades, the author of deliah forever. She was my first major supporter who has liked and viewed every single one of my chapters and she herself has created a very creative and wonderful novel which I hope more people can also subscribe to and enjoy.

For aspiring content creators, what are some practical tips and advice you would give to help them find their own voice and style?

I do not believe myself to be in a position to give advice to aspiring creators but the one thing that I can tell them is to take risks and be confident in your ability. In this day and age, writers, artists and other creators can remain anonymous for as long as they want to be, which can give a huge boost of confidence due to there being no loss. And if you believe you have a story worth telling or a contribution worth making, find the opportunity and take it.

Can you tell us about your creative process, from brainstorming ideas to the final execution of your projects? How do you stay motivated and consistent throughout?

Before, I used to write and upload chapters without so much as a second thought. Back then I
would be in a hurry to write and release chapters as soon as possible, otherwise I would lose the viewers that had just started reading. This led to hasty decisions in storytelling and writing style. I was able to fix the grammar, but I am still suffering from the story choices I made back then. Now I have a very different approach. Instead of writing and sending the chapter as soon as possible, I take time to make sure that the chapter I wrote is as good as I imagine it to be. This has led me to be late for some chapter deadlines but ultimately I have been successful in writing a decent chapter since I still have some growth as a writer to do. The motivation and consistency comes from my fans who are eagerly waiting for the next chapter and my hopes of attracting new people with the newest chapter.

How do you balance the creative and business aspects of being an independent content creator, such as promoting your work and managing finances?

For now there is not any business aspect to my work. Tapas allows for revenue once a person
reaches 100 subscribers, which I am yet to achieve. Therefore there has been no finance management, although the promotions are done by me either by Instagram or by the Tapas forums.

Funding creative projects can be challenging for many artists. What strategies have you employed to fund your work, and are there any resources you’d recommend to other creators?

The only resources that my stories require is my time and undivided attention. There is no funding or money being poured into this project nor is there any money coming out of it.

How do you stay updated on the latest trends and developments in your industry, and how do you
integrate this knowledge into your work?

Through reading the many popular novels and comics on Tapas or other platforms, I begin to
understand more and more about the themes, and types of content that many people want to see which has led me to apply changes in the genre or type of scenes in my novel.

In what ways do you believe the creative industry is evolving, and what opportunities do you see for independent creators in the future?

Nowadays, due to an increase in platforms that are completely open for its users and allow them to create content like YouTube and Wattpad, there is less of a need for actual authorization or long ranging qualifications. Now people can just pick up a camera or open their writing app and start creating content. This increase in independent creators will lead to more people turning to the indie scene and popularize it even more than it is now ultimately making them mainstream as well.

Collaboration can be an essential part of the creative process. Have you worked with other creators or artists on projects, and if so, how have those experiences shaped your work?

I have attempted to collaborate with other creators such as artists to fulfill my ambition of making an actual comic. So far I have had no luck but I did work with a comic team which started my journey into online writing. This came in the form of a fan comic about Avatar The Last Airbender. I was a writer in the team. Unfortunately, the comic did not come to fruition, but it taught me the importance of teamwork and dedication to make a project work along with others who are passionate about the same project that you are.

What are some personal or professional goals you have for your career, and how do you plan to achieve them in the coming years?

The personal goal I have set for myself is pursuing writing full time instead of it being on the side as a passion project. My professional goal is to turn my novel into a branching franchise with many spin- offs in the form of novels or comics.

As a creator, how do you measure success, and what achievements are you most proud of so far?

Success for me is how many people read my novel. The number of subscribers does not matter
unless people actually view your content and enjoy it. That is success. The achievement that I am most proud of is getting one genuine view, like and comment on my novel. That is my greatest achievement.

Lastly, could you share an anecdote or experience from your content-creating journey that has had a
profound impact on you, and what did you learn from it?

I cannot answer this question as I am still very early in my project and am yet to learn any lesson. I know that I will fail and that there will be problems but I will learn from my mistakes and once I have actually bettered myself and am proud to call myself a writer, then I will answer this question.

Social

https://tapas.io/series/TNATL/info

That brings us to the end of our engaging interview with TheAuthor, the creator of “The Nerd and the Loser.” We hope you enjoyed learning about their unique approach to storytelling, their experiences navigating different platforms, and the importance of indie creators in today’s creative landscape. Don’t forget to check out their work and support independent content creators who bring refreshing ideas to the table. Keep an eye out for our next Creator Spotlight, and until then, stay inspired and keep exploring new stories!

About Stec Studio, All Ages of Geek and “I Married a Monster on a Hill”

Stec Studio is a New Jersey-based company founded and run by by the Stec Sisters. We specialize in producing interactive comics and novels based on All Ages of Geek media, as well as creating a fully open world Boys Love Universe called BLU Media. This universe is being built from various media forms, including readable media, games, and animations.

Our main series, I Married a Monster on a Hill, is a WEBTOON that tells the story of a retired knight who falls in love with a half-monster. We are also developing an in-production visual novel called I Married a Monster on a Hill: Dates, along with an upcoming Wattpad Exclusive set in the same Universe. At Stec Studio, our goal is to create content that gives people hope and light, and we hope our stories can provide joy and entertainment to all who experience them.