INTERVIEW WITH MURAZRAI

Murazrai is the author of Chaos Fighters a series of web sci-fi/fantasy series of spiritual warfare that he shares via blog. He runs his own blog Murazrai and is working on finishing his web series.

Murazrai, just by reading the description of your series, I know you have a wonderful imagination. How is it that you came up with Chaos Fighters? Did something and/or someone inspire you?

Don't laugh upon reading this, but that is completely random during the first day I write the whole series. Long story short, a friend of mine named Seymour introduced me to Xanga and after I accepted his invitation I found out that it is a blogging site. I don't know what should I write and I don't want to make it my personal diary (which I did in a new blog) I decided to write a novel instead. It is completely a random idea to come up with that name and its storyline, which sticks up to now. Only recently I decided that the meaning of Chaos Fighters would be fighters who go against chaotic situation around them.

Speaking of inspiration, it appeared as ideas popping out of nowhere and its originality is very high, but as time passes, I found out that my writing is strongly influenced by various anime and video games. I don't know the exact details since that I still somewhat maintained the originality, but Chaos Fighters: Cyber Assault-The Secret Programs has influence from Rockman.exe anime (Megaman NT Warrior in the US) while Chaos Fighters II-Cyberion Strike has influence from Mega Man Star Force (the anime and the game, but I don't play the games though, just watching the gameplay videos). 

Many writers such as CS Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) have written Christian sci-fi, yet many Christian authors shy away from Christian sci-fi, why did you choose that genre?

Okay, I'm a free thinker (despite being Buddhist in my ID), so I could not answer this question. And, I'm more of a fantasy writer rather than sci-fi writer, despite I do write sci-fi titles because the sci-fi titles always contain significant fantasy elements.

Is there a certain person(s) who you can go to as a good sound board and/or who are a good support in your writing?

I pretty much alone when it comes to real life because no one write web fiction around my age in my country apparently (it certainly does not help that English web fiction is something very unpopular in Malaysia), despite there are online friends who comment on my writing. Some of them even pointed out glaring mistakes on my writing. I don't want to mention names because I think it breaches their privacy.

Would you ever think of publishing your work in the Christian market? Or is Chaos Fighters just for your blog?

I can't publish anything yet since that it means making money, which is prohibited under my scholarships' contract. In fact, I am not good on publishing matters so I would have to learn how self-publishing works, which involves a lot of things. I consider it as hobby with a great potential. In fact, this enables flexibility on my works. After all, writing isn't the only thing of my interest and I have to cater them. In addition, I prefer my works to be made into anime or video games instead of a book, which I only give the rights.

Do you have any other plots and ideas you would eventually try and write? If so, can you tell me a little about it?
Currently my recent plans are:

1) Starting Chaos Fighters-Route of Peaks around May/June. It will be in a different way compared to the novels preceding it, revealing backstory of the main series and there will be no demon threats like in previous novels. But the rest is spoiler, so I won't reveal much.

2) Spread the name of Chaos Fighters by having Chaos Fighters-Route of Land available in The Next Big Writer and Fan Story by June.

3) Join Web Serial Writing Month 2010 on August and start a new story arc/series. The tentative title is Chaos Fighters: Chemical Warriors-KIMIA. It is about the mysterious stealing of potassium iodide and a prosecutor is investigating it. It is also a side story of Chaos Fighters series which happens around the same time, but in different places. This series will be placed in a new Xanga site (and possibly on other sites as well, but depends).

4) Start Chaos Fighters-Route of Sky around October or sooner. It will be similar to the novels preceding it, but it will take place in the realm of sky with some new weapon designs and secondary enemy, which I might turn them into enemies of the demons instead of working with them.

5) Join NaNoWriMo 2010 for the second year. It will be a sequel of the 2009 NaNoWriMo novel entitled Chaos Fighters II-Chemical Sins (tentative). It will be the first novel with strong romance subplot and set at a third planet of my fictional universe. It is about an adult in his second year of pre-university grade encountering mysterious hollows made from extremely cold chemicals that normal weapons and spells could not defeat them. Then, a new teacher teach his class and things get worse from there.

6) Taking a hiatus during May 2011 to August or September 2011 due to industrial training.

A a note, items 1, 2 and 4 (whichever in progress) will be in a hiatus once I'm working on items 3 or 5. In fact, they depends on how my final year project/thesis affects my time. I might have to take a hiatus if things get out of hand. 

For the ones in the future:

1) Complete Chaos Fighters series (main series or first arc) in 5 years before moving on Chaos Fighters: Rune Force, a sequel that takes place 40 years after the Chaos Fighters series ended. The characters will use power of runes to aid in the fights.

2) Start Chaos Fighters: Insignia of Doom series as NaNoWriMo specials once Chaos Fighters II (which I intended to be a trilogy) ends. It is about a police officer wielding the titular weapon solving crisis that happens around him. It will be also a side story of the main series.

3) Continue with Chaos Fighters: Cyber Assault-The Secret Programs and focus on it once the main series ends by making it a daily update rather than a weekly update.

Outside of writing your on-line series, are you attending a university? If so, what are you studying?
I am currently studying at National University of Malaysia for my degree in Chemistry. Being a science student does not mean one cannot engage in artistic activities. Quite a number of scientists in the past indulge in arts (in general) as well.

Have you ever had the chance to connect with someone through writing?

Yes. When I joined last year's NaNoWriMo I made a few friends who shared interest on writing during meet ups. Through various websites I also do the same thing, albeit online.

Do you write anything else besides your fantasy series, such as poetry, essays, etc…
I do write some poetry, but they are extra materials for my fantasy series. I pretty much don't write anything else, but I have plans to write some essays on my personal journal.

How did you discover your talent for writing? And how has it changed your life?

I don't call my writing as a talent, but rather an unpolished interest that appeared suddenly in my life. As for discovery, I started writing when I joined Xanga like what I told you before, which I never aware of my skills. Now I even considered my first novel, Chaos Fighters-Route of Land an old shame and try to fix it when I port the novel to Booksie under the same name and pseudonym (which means the Booksie version is the canonical version, as stated in my personal journal and further ports will be based on this version). I think my English has improved somewhat and I have less addiction to video games after I start writing. In fact, I get to know better about internet and foreign culture through my discovery.

How has your faith effected and/or helped you with your writing?
I don't have faith in particular so I don't think I could answer this question.

Sean MacKenzie: Is the author of five blogs (xanga (1 professional, 1 personal use), blogspot, shoutlife, ECFL) and is also a member of Facebook. She herself is writing a piece of fiction herself set in heart of Nazi Germany as well as many other pieces she hopes to publish one in particular is about the US Airborne. Don't forget to subscribe/follow her if you wish for further updates.