1) Were did the idea spring up for the plot, characters, locations etc and were they based on anything you'd seem before?
2) Does the story have any sort of connection with anything you may have wrote before?
3) Was the title just thought up or was it renamed over-and-over-again?
4) Do you feel your epic may draw inspiration to other BZP Members?
5) Do you have any tips for wannabe epic writers out there?

1) The location for An Insidious Demise was the first thing I thought up - it was right there in front of me as the forum of BZPower. I had seen BZ-Epics before, but I had never read anything that was what I had in mind - a real country with a population of real characters (not online personas of other people) that was separate but linked to the Bionicle world. I then thought up some characters (some of them are actually current BZP members) and established the time period (about 55 years removed from present day) and a plot. A few characters are based on people in my own life, and there are influences from books as varied as Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy to The Great Gatsby.

2) This is actually completely new for me. I've written a number of other pieces on BZPower, and almost all of them were related to one theme (a Matoran on Mata-Nui). I wanted something drastically different for my next project.

3) The title was a twenty-minute process that I developed while writing the fourth chapter of An Insidious Demise. It was careful choosing because I wanted it to be relevant on a number of levels and also have a nice sound to it (the s's are a nice touch).

4) Did I draw inspiration from others? Yes. I was first inspired to write an epic when I read some pieces by a member named Vashi who is long since inactive. I can't remember the names of the BZ-Epics that I've seen over the years, but they also deserve credit for convincing me that such an endeavor is very possible.

5) If you really want to sink your teeth into a great writing experience, don't be afraid of making expansive plans and outlines and then throwing them out for new ones. Each time I write a chapter, I go back and edit something from an earlier part. That's why I stay ahead of my posting. I've only posted ten chapters of my current epic, but I'm now done writing twenty-four. I've made multiple outlines for what I want to have happen, but I'm constantly changing them.

Secondly, have fun with the characters. The plotline of an epic is only the surface. Showing how two characters interact, how they change each other, or how the setting or plot affects a character, can be very engaging for readers, as well as the writer. And be passionate about your characters; that's important, too.