In addition to his previously published work, Trey McIntosh is also the author of the upcoming novel "GRIMMOIRE" as well as the adventure series "Azure Epoch." He has over eleven years of experience writing indie comics and film, as well as a distinct approach to writing that reflects in his fantasy work. Since the third grade, Trey has been writing and creating new worlds and characters and has been a lifelong writer. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" was his introduction to fantasy literature. Find out more about Try and his work on Instagram @somecallmetrey.
In addition to his previously published work, Trey McIntosh is also the author of the upcoming novel "GRIMMOIRE" as well as the adventure series "Azure Epoch." He has over eleven years of experience writing indie comics and film, as well as a distinct approach to writing that reflects in his fantasy work. Since the third grade, Trey has been writing and creating new worlds and characters and has been a lifelong writer. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" was his introduction to fantasy literature. Find out more about Try and his work on Instagram @somecallmetrey.
What anime/manga/light novel inspired your short story?
The original inspiration was to write an epic fantasy like Record of Lodoss War. I was actually inspired by a Sega Saturn game called Guardian Heroes.
What was your process like for writing this story? Did you have a specific idea for the ending or a theme you wanted to write around?
I wanted to write something for Halloween. I hadn't finished anything as of late, so it was a challenge to get something done the day before halloween. A gothic anime-inspired fantasy was the result.
What was your favorite part about writing this story? Was there anything challenging about it?
Writing the characters and having them freak out when the crap starts hitting the fan. Hearing their different personalities sputter to the forefront was very enjoyable.
Do you have a favorite sentence or quote or paragraph from the story?
I would say it's the part when they're confessing recent mild sins to each other while thinking they're going to die.
Can you tell us about one character in the story? Any insights into who they are as a character that we didn’t get to see in the story?
Pumpkin Oaksgourd was based on my niece Shyla. I wanted to go deeper into her methods as a freelance witch, but my limitations made me cut the ideas out. I'd love to explore them in a future story.
Can you briefly share about your other works? Where can people find you if they want to read more?
Right now, I'm building my website; I'm working on a fantasy book called Grimmoire & an urban fantasy titled Arcanacraft, so stay tuned.
The game of Quis Venari is a big part of your story's backdrop. Were there any real life games that served as inspiration for this one?
It was a lot of urban legends about Halloween and playing hide-and-seek with spirits that gave me the idea. I almost watched horror videos on YouTube (the ones where they freak you out with creepypasta stories) for research, but thank goodness my imagination steered me in the right direction.
What made you choose having the hilarious trio of a witch, an elf, and a fairy as the main characters?
I wanted an unlikely pairing of people who compliment as well as foiled each other. They're all magical beings but their magic is so different, as well as their personalities. It's insane, and I'm glad everyone found them hilarious.
The story of the Candle Man reads like a story parents would tell kids to spook them into behaving. Was there some personal experience behind this?
My mother never told me stories to scare me, but I did read a lot about Krampus and the Boogeyman. But the story of the Candle Man came from, interestingly enough, an episode of Freakazoid! titled Candle Jack, where the titular character abducted children who said his name. I took that idea and made him scarier; in the cartoon, he was a floating goofball, so I wanted to make him more frightening.
Author Interview - Trey Mcintosh
03 July 2022