Hannah Nicole Maehrer chats keeping the magic alive, well, and spoiler free

Hannah Nicole Maehrer is back with book 3 of her Assistant to the Villain series and we are so excited to chat with her about how she manages to keep her TikTok series alive, while juggling the book-writing. Especially since there’s now the added pressure of not spoiling readers. You can view her two other guest posts here and here.

Guest post written by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, author of Accomplice to the Villain.

When I began my journey on TikTok 4 years ago everything was new and exciting, including a video skit series I began entitled, “Personal Assistant to the Morally Grey Fantasy Villain”. The series began as a creative escape, a spark of joy, and quickly began a story I was so passionate about I expanded it into a book series. On the eve of the release of the third book, Accomplice to the Villain, I am awed by the excitement from new readers as well as people who have followed the series from its conception on TikTok. When I began writing the first book and dreaming of Assistant to the Villain’s future, I often contemplated how it would change the way I make videos, change the energy, the joy, and my ability to continue as the books expand. Four years later I was surprised and delighted to know, the only change would be the amount of people in which to share that joy.

The consistency in the way I make videos is the reason I’ve never lost passion for it, and likely never will. I still dress in my “costumes”, step into my characters shoes, poke fun at their choices, and use it as a tool to expand a world far past the pages of the books. Avoiding spoilers, keeping things new for viewers is one of the few creative pursuits that involves minimal struggle for me. In fact, its often the way I work out of writers block, or blocks in creativity. It helps me jump back into the world and reminds me of the fun that is to be had when you’re letting yourself be silly, and free. I have this funny notion in my head, that every video I make about the series is my main character “Evie” using a TikTok page to make fun of her job, impersonating the people within the office, and sharing that with the world. It makes it easier to distinguish the videos from the books and also helps me merge them into one.

The best thing about the videos is I make the rules, I direct what’s said, what’s canon and what’s not. The scenarios often are ridiculous enough that the viewer can distinguish between book to video series, or even find exactly where the inspiration came from for something I’ve included in the books. On many occasions the plot has presented itself to me through a mere sentence I have spoken in one video and there lies the beauty. All my videos have the potential for a hint into future or present books, but not all, and no one can distinguish which ones until they are sitting down with the book and finding out for themselves. It gives me perhaps too much power, and I have found myself evilly cackling into my laptop one too many times, or at the editing screen on my phone as I post a video no one will know contains clue to something bigger. It makes everything exciting, and possibly even more thrilling then when I began this endeavor four years ago.

I do not believe I will ever grow tired of making the videos or finding new and creative ways to represent my stories and my characters in many different forms. I think my videos will always serve as a way to know my stories, perhaps before even picking one up, and I cannot imagine a day where I won’t be picking up my phone and playing as a character I have such a deep connection to. The challenges I face in storytelling are easily conquered with so many ways for me to tell a story. It is a privilege and a joy I will never take for granted.

Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer is out August 7.