Cube Kid Interview

## Background

In early August of 2018, Community Manager Nayte hosted a website called cubekid.net (currently down). With the website came fan content, a minecraft server, and a now inactive newsletter.

## First Newsletter Issue:

The first of Nayte's newsletter included a changelog of the Aetherian Minecraft server- a vanilla survival server. Plans were never carried out due to complications, but a later more long-lasting Minecraft server was opened. It was also at this time that Nayte and Ultraknight were working on a mod that centered around the Aetherian world.

## Second Newsletter Issue: (interview)

It was at this time that Nayte was able to pull aside Cube Kid for an interview. This interview provided much insight into Cube Kid's writing. Cube Kid began writing in the LITRPG format before the publishing of the rather poor-quality anime "Sword Art Online."

**Nayte**: So, how does it feel being famous among Minecraft-loving kids?

**Cube**: I'd say that's an exaggeration, I'm not exactly famous. But to have at least an active fanbase is nice--that my series is getting children to read, and even inspire them to write their own stories in some cases is a good feeling, as an author.

**Nayte**: Nice! Since when did you start writing actively?

**Cube**: Since 2009. I didn't make any major attempts until 2011, however. And even then, I ended up scrapping so many work in progresses as I never felt too confident about my writing.

**Nayte**: Wow, you sure have come a long way in seven years. What do you think was the toughest part of those years?

**Cube**: Absolutely the hardest part is trying to reach the level of the greats, or at least get to the point where I can sometimes look at my writing and be like, "This is good, or at least it's not bad." I have heard that possessing at least some amount of self-doubt is common among authors...

**Nayte**: Wow. If you could say something to yourself back then, when you were just starting out as a writer, what would it be?

**Cube**: FINISH YOUR DRAFT OF "DAYDREAM" AND IF NO AGENT/PUBLISHER ACCEPTS IT, SELF PUBLISH THAT THING. (caps intended.)

**Nayte**: Hahaha, that must have been a really good project. Can you tell us any more about it?

**Cube**: Daydream was my first real attempt at a LITRPG novel. It focused on a girl named Luna who was a hardcore hacker and gamer, who woke up in a mysterious new reality that mirrored the VR game she played. In the new world, she was a "sylph," like an elf, with gray skin and pink hair. (in later drafts, I changed her name to Ione which should be familiar 😉)

**Nayte**: Amazing! Sounds like an epic plot. I sure do recognize Ione. It seems like you got the LITRPG side of your story early, but how did you first come to know about Minecraft?

**Cube**: Oh, boy. I'd heard about Minecraft for a while. Then I came across some Minecraft fiction in 2014. And I saw some kids had given this one book a bad review. And I was like... man. Maybe I could do better for those kids, and made an attempt. I read that Minecraft fiction was allowed by Mojang and tried.

**Nayte**: Awesome, I can see why you would think you could do better, LOL. Once you had the game, was it easy coming up with a plot for your story?

**Cube**: Actually, when I first played Minecraft I was puzzled at the lack of any real story. Upon first meeting a village populated with villagers I immediately began to wonder-- who are these guys? Why are they hurring? And I felt that they had a mystical knowledgable side hidden away or perhaps forgotten... and so began Wimpy Villager 😋

**Nayte**: Wow, that's actually pretty deep. I think that's what Notch was probably trying to do, spark interest. Did people like your story right away or not until later?

**Cube**: Well, before that, I published Nether Kitten, but both that and Wimpy Villager were pretty popular from the start.

**Nayte**: Wow, nice! How much of the plot did you plan ahead at that point?

**Cube**: Parts of the story were from other stories I had abandoned. The inclusion of "grades" was in fact a stealth inclusion of RPG "skills," the first RPG element I wished to include in my series. I, of course, wanted to add these things slowly so as not to overwhelm the young readers.

**Nayte**: Interesting! I expect a lot of the readers have grown up with the series as it gradually gets more advanced. Since we've covered a lot of your books, what about you? What's your favorite thing to do when you're not working?

**Cube**: ...you mean there are other things to do besides work??

**Nayte**: Oof, LOL. Do you just always work?!

**Cube**: Lately--I have been struggling with depression, which has affected my writing output tremendously.

**Nayte**: Ouch. Hang in there, man. As a final question, what's your favorite vegetable item that you have in your series?

**Cube**: Is that even a question? There is no other vegetable besides the boag.

**Nayte**: 😛

## Third and Fourth newsletter

The third and fourth (final) newsletter included updates amongst prominent community members, and the celebration of the release of Nether Kitten 6. Since then, there has not been another newsletter. Nayte currently has no plans to use the newsletter.