An Interview with Will Husted

For the rough draft of Will Husted's story (mentioned in the following interview) click here.

Q) In a few short sentences, can you describe the plot to your story?
A) A shepherd will search for the cause of his sheep disappearing while learning to cope with their deaths. His search for answers and his dreams will help him prevent the death of his sheep.
Q) What is the ultimate theme that your story is trying to teach?
A) My story is trying to teach that the spectrum of morality goes deeper than right or wrong; it is circumstantial and as broad as the spectrum of human emotions.
Q) Who is your protagonist? Describe.
A) My protagonist is John the Shepherd, and he is a man in his 20's who lives in the Great Plains, close to the Great North Sea.
Q) What is your protagonist's main goal?
A) Above all else, John will try to protect his herd of sheep.
Q) Does your protagonist have any secondary goals? If so, what are they?
A) In order to protect his herd, John wants to uncover the cause of his disappearing sheep.
Q) Who is your antagonist? Describe.
A) He is a wolf who lives somewhere on the Great Plains and eats the sheep for sustenance.
Q) What is the wolf’s ultimate goal?
A) Above all else, the wolf wants to survive. It must eat to survive, and finds opportunities to eat the defenseless sheep.
Q) How will the goals of the protagonist and the antagonist create conflict?
A) The Wolf's need for survival leads him to kill and consume one of John's sheep. John's need to protect his herd makes this unacceptable, and leads him to stop this from happening.
Q) How will this conflict resolve?
A) John will end up tracking the wolf, but instead of killing him when he finds him; he gives the Wolf meat and trains him to help him herd his sheep.
Q) What advantages will your protagonist have over your antagonist?
A) Human intelligence and human reason.
Q) What advantages will your antagonist have over your protagonist?
A) The wolf is clever and can physically overpower John. He also lacks moral guidelines effecting his decision making.
Q) Are any of your character's traits influenced by people in your life?
A) No, both of the characters of the story portray (symbolically) unrealistic views on the nature of moral decision making.
Q) Are any of your personal beliefs reflected in the story?
A) Yes, my beliefs on morality and the way that human's make decisions directly influence the story in every way.
Q) What age group is your story directed to?
A) Anyone who can read and analyze on even a small degree will be able to read and comprehend my story.
Q) How will the stories resolution teach the theme you are trying to convey?
A) John makes a compromise to his moral beliefs by adopting the wolf instead of killing him.
Q) What elements did you add to your story to make it interesting?
A) The element of viewing John's internal moral conflict using his dreams will grab the reader’s attention.
Q) What books influenced the creation of your story?
A) Aesop's Fables were the most major influence on my story.
Q) When your story ends, what emotions will your readers experience?
A) The reader will feel a strong sense of attachment to John's level-headed decision making abilities.
Q) Is there anything else worth mentioning in your story that hasn't been mentioned yet?
A) John is as dependent of his sheep as they are of him.