Combining romance, mystery and fantasy, the book “Depois das Cinco”, by Rio de Janeiro author Bruno Haulfermet , was officially launched on the 20th, at Livraria da Travessa in BarraShopping, Rio de Janeiro. Published by Buzz Editora, the young adult novel adult follows the unlikely love story between Ivana and Dario, two young people who live at opposite times and try to defy fate to be together. With elements of diversity and representation, the work, already a success on Wattpad , promises to involve the reader in the enigmatic Province of Rosedário .
How did the idea of writing Depois das cinco come about and what was the process of creating such an original and engaging story like?
The idea for “After Five” came from an inspiration I had seen while watching the movie “The Lake House” with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, where they were in this house, but there was a time difference of 2 years between them. And, by corresponding through letters and falling in love, they tried to figure out how to deal with this issue so they could be together. That’s where the idea came up for Ivana to only exist during the day and Dario to only exist at night.
The creative process was intense, with months of research before actually starting to write, putting together the characters’ technical details, as well as all the technical aspects of the plot. The book itself took me exactly one month to write, sitting down every day, and even revising it after it was written, as part of an exercise I imposed on myself (I did an off-season NaNoWRiMo ).
The plot of Depois das Cinco involves mystery, romance, science fiction and fantasy. What were your main influences when developing this universe and the characters of Ivana and Dario?
I love fantasy and horror (which is my genre of life and what I consume the most), especially pop culture, especially from the 90s. After Five, although it is a romantic film , has darker moments, which reflect my horror preferences well. In addition, films like “A Little Princess” and “The Secret Garden” also played an important role in helping to set the scene, because they are stories that bring a very intimate feeling.
The Province of Rosedario , where the story takes place, is a place full of secrets. What inspired you to create such an intriguing and unique setting?
Province of Rosedario is inspired by small towns in the countryside of Italy and France, rustic and quite simple. I wanted a small-town setting, where everyone knows each other, where every step you take is known by everyone. That in itself is already scary, because you are always measuring your actions, walking on eggshells.
To give more weight to this atmosphere, I wanted the province to be very beautiful and have status, only for the secret it hides to make it even more suspicious and have an impact on the reader as he discovers that the place is not so amazing after all.
Representation is a central theme in Depois das Cinco . How did you work to include black protagonists, fat representation, and LGBTQIAPN+ in the story in an authentic way?
As a gay man in the 1990s, I didn’t see myself represented in any film, series or soap opera that I watched, and for a child/teenager, this was almost cruel, because I asked myself: “Where do I fit in this world?” And, not seeing myself anywhere, it was difficult in a way to feel part of society.
So, having experienced this lack of representation, I know exactly what it’s like. And I don’t want my readers to feel the same way when they see one of my works. By creating characters, I’m exemplifying real people, with fears, insecurities and qualities that I hope my readers can identify with, see themselves reflected in some way.
THE The book was a success on Wattpad before being published by Buzz Editora. How was this transition from a digital platform to a physical publication?
Since my reader base is modest, the physical publication was a challenge as a whole, more because of the preparation process itself than because of the change from digital to physical. It was the first time I was faced with all the steps, from the invitation/signing of the contract, to the distribution. Since then, the book has maintained its essence, with some extra chapters, and, as a whole, it is more mature.
How do you balance mystery and romance within the plot, keeping readers curious and emotionally connected to the characters?
I like to introduce a few mysteries during the plot, with different levels of “difficulty”, so that the reader can create different theories as they progress through the story. I think it’s important to leave one or two things easy to guess, because it creates a closer relationship between the reader and the work. It’s a way for them to feel like they’ve grasped the story so well that they’ve managed to figure things out.
Romance also helps connect the reader with the characters, because the love story doesn’t just involve the protagonists, but everyone who somehow wants to see it work out or not, whether they’re friends or enemies. I like to see the romance evolve as the mysteries emerge, because there comes a certain point where everything gets mixed up: you want to know the outcome, both of the protagonists’ relationship and of the mysteries.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while writing and developing Depois das Cinco?
“After Five” was my first novel , so my biggest challenge was undoubtedly finding myself capable of writing a novel, especially as an avid consumer of horror. This work was also the first in which I decided to write shorter chapters, and it was also the first one I wrote after a series of courses and workshops I took, both on writing and on the Brazilian literary market. “After Five” was , in addition to an exercise, an experiment with the intention of entering the market. Without a doubt, the biggest challenge was to create something that could be commercial, but that did not stray from my essence.
How do you hope readers will connect with the story and what would you like them to take away after reading Depois das Cinco ?
“After Five” is a story that addresses love in different ways, not only from a romantic point of view, but also from the love between friends and family. I really hope that readers, when reading the work, see themselves reflected in it, that they can feel part of it like, back then, Bruno as a child could not feel when watching films, series and soap operas.
The book conveys the message that we should live life to the fullest, not getting used to the adversities that life imposes on us. We all have the right to want more for ourselves, no matter how life presents itself to us. Even in the face of a series of difficulties, Ivana and Dario follow a journey of self-knowledge and liberation, and that is what I hope readers will follow in their lives.
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