User blog:Helel ben Shahaar/Writer's Lounge Part 12: An Interview with SpiritVoices

Since I've apparently been given full rule, power, and control over Writer's Lounge, I asked myself the big question:

"How far can I bend the rules before they shatter and permanently scar my face with their jagged shards?"

Well, since I tend to leap before looking and have a history of potentially lethal decisions, I decided to do just that, and interview a person that is less of a writer, and more of a narrator. Yup, you've guessed it: it's one and only SpiritVoices.

Helel ben Shahaar: To start it off casually, would you tell us something about yourself?

SpiritVoices: Well, I can tell you a couple things! I’m an 18-year-old girl who lives on the East Coast, with two siblings, two (once four) step-siblings, two puppy dogs, and a wonderful group of friends that I would die for!

I guess the main thing that's important here is that I’ve adored reading and writing my entire life. Currently, I’m attending college to get a degree (preferably Master’s, but I suppose we’ll see) in Psychology, and that’s been a little iffy here and there. But I’ve known I wanted a major or minor in Creative Writing for my entire life, and that’s never once changed. I'm a total nerd, a creative nut, and love anything having to do with the arts. Which I guess is why I got into the things I love doing here!

Hel: Interesting. You say you've wanted a degree in Creative Writing, but I rarely see you write anything here. I get that your narration duties and university probably keep you busy around the clock, but that aside, is there any other reason you don't grace us with more of your writing?

Spectre: Why yes, there is--I don't write very frequently in general because of motivation and time issues; I'm just never in the right mindset to write as often as I want to.

However, even when I am, I have to say that I don't write horror very often. What I've posted on the Wiki are the only "creepy" things I've ever written, more or less! I'm not sure why I don't write more horror, except that I don't think I'm very good at being scary or creepy. The things I write or more like realistic fiction or feelspastas, if anything! And I always assume most people wouldn't enjoy them as much as anything horror-related, in this side of the Internet.

Hel: :( Well, why don't you tell us how you discovered Creepypasta Wiki and creepypasta in general really?

Spectre: Well, I wasn't very big on horror when I was younger, but when I was in my early teenage years, I started getting into the genre a bit. I started with true crime stuff, which transitioned into true stories which resulted in me finding my way into the Creepypasta world! My brother and I liked games like Five Nights at Freddy's and The Slenderman game, and found them genuinely terrifying (honestly, looking back on Slenderman, it still scares me a little)! wasn't as scared by the stories as much as I found them interesting, and I really enjoyed when I could genuinely be creeped out by something I read or listened to.

I listened to other narrators a lot, and I vaguely remembered reading stories on the Creepypasta Wikia when I was younger. So when I was looking for fiction stories to read a couple years later, I searched for what I could remember, and found it in the Wiki! From then on I've been reading a lot from there-- as you know, haha!

Hel: Distinctive from the people interviewed so far, you contribute to wiki in another way: much more than writing, you narrate. And how did you find your way to that noble cause?

Spectre: Well, like I've said before, I've loved reading my whole life. I don't know why I liked reading aloud, but I just... did. I liked the attention, the way that people would sit and listen to me and actually be immersed into what I was saying. I also read aloud in order to edit my own writing, because it helps me get a feel for the way things sound (with poetry especially).

The only problem was, my voice was very high-pitched when I was little, which I found kind of grating. I didn't think it was "narrator" material, especially when I started getting into the narration side of YouTube. Same for singing-- while I wanted to start my own channel, I honestly felt like my voice hadn't developed enough yet for any videos I made to be any good. But just under a year ago, I realized it was something I could finally do! I read and recorded one of my own stories to edit, and just for fun, I put a background and some ambiance under it and edited it on my phone. Even that little project was incredibly fun, so... I figured, why not try my hand at narrating something, especially if I could help authors by bringing their stories to life and giving them exposure for their writing? I decided it wouldn't hurt to try, and... well, here I am! It's by far the biggest project I've ever undertaken in my life, and the longest I've stuck with.

Hel: And I hope you're stuck with it for many more years.

Your channel name is SpiritVoices. What about literal spirit voices? Do you believe in supernatural or paranormal? Have you had any encounters with those?

Spectre: Honestly? No, I have not!

Now, that said, I don't think they aren't real. I'm sort of in a state of mind where I'm very open to the possibility of their existence, but won't know for sure if they're real or not until I get some sort of proof or experience. I love watching videos on YouTube about it, and some of them are extremely compelling--but the fact of the matter is, I won't ever know for sure unless I see it with my own eyes, and know it's not disputably something fake. There's never a way to know for sure that they aren't, though; not from my limited perspective! So there'll always be some mystery around it for me.

Hel: I like the way you think.

Let's talk about fears: is there something you fear in the sixth gear? Something that just petrifies you on the spot and severs your flow of cognitive thoughts?

Spectre: Hmm.... Well, I could say something about cockroaches, or heights, or embarrassment, or any of the other things I'm scared of; I'm a very anxious person, so I have a lot of fears, big and small, abstract or tangible.

But I guess I'm most scared of an unknown attacker. Walking home at night and somebody following me, someone breaking into our house late at night, someone cornering me when I least expect it and assaulting me somehow. I'm a weak person, and I don't know how to use any weapons, so if that were to ever happen, I really don't know what I would do--which is where my strong paranoia comes from. It's a crippling fear, to hear even one out of place sound in a place that's supposed to be silent. I would never even stand a chance in that situation, so I fear it all the time.

Hel: A very healthy and reasonable fear. But as far as weapons are concerned: just stick them with a pointy end.

Due to the nature of your work, I bet you read quite a lot. In those epic quests across pages and pages of written word, did you ever encounter a pasta that you'd say is your favourite so far? And if yes, which one?

Spectre: Hmmmm... That's a tough one! I've read a lot of pastas, both on the Wikia and on r/nosleep! I suppose overall, my favorite would have to be "Because You Are My Baby," which is a NoSleep story I collaborated on with another wonderful narrator that I love. But God, have I read some good stories on the Wiki! "Sisters in the Snow," "The Final Words of Lacey Stroh," "Another Hungry Mouth"... all amazing stories I've narrated. But it's incredibly hard to just pick one! I adore all the stories I narrate!

Hel: I see you have a tough time deciding your a-favourite. What about your least favourite?

Spectre: Aww, that's a sad thing to have to pick, lol! I'm not sure I've read a truly "bad" story on the Wikia so far, except for a couple that have been deleted really fast, or ones that are just jokes/trollpastas. Sure, some need more improvement than others, but I don't think I've ever really disliked any. And I really couldn't say anything bad about the ones I've narrated--if I didn't like them, I wouldn't have read them!

Hel: Just out of curiosity: can you ghost people see through your eyelids? How do you sleep with that handicap?

Spectre: There you go, asking the tough questions! Yes, it's difficult-- but sleep masks are a must. I have one on me at all times, just in case I want to see nothing for a while. You never understand the luxury of being able to close your eyes until you're a spirit! Then again, at least I'm never caught off-guard.

Hel: Lastly, but not leastly: do you have any advice for aspiring narrators?

Spectre: Hmm... well, I've been asked that before on my channel, and what I often say in response is this: join the community as quickly and as in-depth as possible. Though when you're just starting out it may feel like you're on your own until the connections notice you, that's not always true! The biggest thing that helped me when starting and growing my channel was making friends with other narrators, creating social media accounts (which always sounds like an oversight, but is insanely helpful), talking and interacting with subscribers, and being nice and accommodating with authors. It's one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself and your channel, and it brings about so many cool opportunities--like the ones I've gotten from you, on this very Wiki!

Oh! And ALWAYS ask the authors for permission. ALWAYS. It's easier to just take the story and put it under fair use, but trust me: it's not only safer to ask, but it's helpful, too, since authors almost always share your video to their readers. So do it! Unconditionally! It's worth it!

Hel: Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure to interview you.

Spectre: Haha! Thank you, Hel! That was fun!