Streamer Spotlight: BadAndyWrites
BadAndyWrites isn’t really bad. Given to him in high school, his nickname actually stems from a 00s Dominoes advert. Instead, he’s a proudly bisexual gamer and writer whose streams bring something a little different to Twitch.
With two novels under his belt, Andy streams himself editing on his channel to give an insight into the writing process. And with that expertise, he’s uniquely placed to critique the story-driven video games he loves.
He’s just recently hit 2,000 followers on Twitch in under a year, so what better time to catch up about all things writing, his thoughts on The Last Of Us Pt II and why Final Fantasy VII still makes him cry.
Congrats on the 2k followers! What’s your secret?
I don’t want to say it’s about who you know, but I do want to thank the people that have gotten me here. Without the help of well-established streamers in the LGBTQIA community, I definitely wouldn’t have had the early support that I’ve had. These content creators have been so generous to share their community with me. And there’s definitely been a lot of work on my end! Consistency is definitely how you build an audience and I find the growth becomes exponential. I did not forecast that kind of growth for myself when I first started this journey, that’s for sure!
Why was it important to share the writing experience on Twitch?
Writing is an intimate journey but it’s also an intensely lonely journey because you essentially are living inside your head all the time. Re-enacting scenes, character interactions, world-building, all these different things happen inside your head and you don’t get to share them with people. First and foremost an artist does these things for themself, but they also want to share it. And so, as a part of that desire, streaming the journey just seemed like the thing to do for me. There’s more to me than just being queer and playing games, what else can I share about myself and provide some sort of knowledge and expertise on that could be unique and interesting? So I thought I should probably share the thing I’m most passionate about: writing and reading.
How has being on Twitch impacted the process?
I always pictured myself being a published author some day, it’s been a long time dream. I’ve written two novels, the current one I’m editing on stream live after having put it down a year after finishing it. Now I’m going through the edits. It’s been slow as I don’t put the entire process on stream and then when I am streaming I find out I’m way too nitpicky and it’s hard to make good progress! So the act of sharing it on stream is just that, I’m sharing it, I’m not actually progressing through it at a logical pace. But by the same token people are witnessing just how much goes into writing and editing. I think people that have come to my channel for the games and for the queer content have been pleasantly surprised at how engaging writing can be – and how stressful!
How would you describe the books you’ve already written?
I primarily dabble in genre fiction, so my wheelhouse is science-fiction and fantasy. And that’s also what I like to consume as literature. I would like to branch into horror and mystery that’s more rooted in real world events, or alternative history would be really interesting to dabble in. Wizards and dragons and spaceships and aliens is kinda what I like to read and write about.
What can you tell us about the novel you’re writing?
The first novel that I wrote, is the first in a trilogy called The Deepsong. I would describe it as kind of like an Avatar type world where there’s lots of different races of elementals and then there’s a story that evolves from that and people’s secret heritage. I will return to The Deepsong once I’m done with the current book which is These Old Bones. It’s a coming of age fantasy novel. There are definitely some themes that are maybe a little bit too grim dark for typical Young Adult fiction. I finished it two years ago and then when I took up streaming it was the motivation to continue editing and get it done.
Would you like your books to be turned into video games?
I would love to get into narrative design for video games. I love the stories in video games, RPGs in particular. Seeing the impact that games can have on your growth, I was drawn to that idea. I can still write novels on the side because I have so many stories to tell, but it would be great to work in a team of people working on a game that values what I value. This is another outlet that I can tell stories in.
What games do you prefer to stream?
I love story-driven games. I love games that have involved character arcs and rich history and lore and world-building, mostly because there’s so much room for commentary on society and current events. When I’m playing a story-driven game like Tell Me Why, I’m able to throw myself into the shoes of someone who’s trans and get an idea of what it might be like to feel those things. I love lighthearted games like DbD too, just because I don’t have to think as much!
Do you see yourself as a bit of a critic?
Oh absolutely! For instance, I streamed both The Last of Us Pt I and II. I adored Pt I, I thought it was a beautiful story, I love how it ended with some future drama to unpack. Then you play the next game which was beautiful, it was visceral, very dark thematically, but there were too many stories trying to be told in one. It felt very disjointed. It was just constantly bludgeoning us with trauma and expecting that to tell the story. Shock factor does not carry a character’s agency, it really doesn’t. [This trans] character was robbed of all of their agency because of the blunt force trauma of events. I streamed around those parts of the story, but I definitely made sure to come in and talk about it. I love being able to stop and talk about how writers have nailed it or have totally flopped.
How do you find being an out and proud bi streamer?
Prior to joining Rainbow Arcade I was more discreetly out amongst close friends and certain family members. Since becoming more connected with other LGBTQIA streamers, I’ve actually become far more proactive and outspoken about my sexuality. I love seeing that growth in myself, that confidence in myself, to be more true to myself. When I first started streaming I don’t think I would’ve posted something saying “I’m a bi streamer”, now it’s in my intro trailer! I used to believe that as a bisexual I was going to choose the hetero-passing path because it was easier for my friends and family to cope with. Let me make a more palatable version of gay Andy for my friends and family to see. I no longer hold to that. It’s not about choosing what’s easier, I am choosing to follow whatever my heart wants. And if my heart wants me to be with a wonderful man, that’s what’s going to happen. This is the mentality I’m now bringing to my stream when we talk about romantic relationships.
You’re very supportive of other streamers, does this come from the support you’ve received yourself?
Yes, I feel like it’s only fair. I appreciate seeing growth in myself and I don’t want to deprive anyone else from that kind of positive change in their life. And so if someone else is a smaller streamer and they’re queer I will shout your channel out to the heavens because I want people to know about you. We have this very public platform that’s constantly growing. Why do we have it if not for the benefit of other people to grow and feel more confident about themselves? I want other queer individuals to feel that freedom. If streaming gives them that empowerment then I am all for passing on that torch and fanning it!
What’s your main goal as a streamer for the future?
I just want to keep growing it. When I’m writing and I’m sharing that aspect of my life with people, I’m hoping people who are hobby writers can see it’s more tangible. It’s so hard for people to connect with established authors, it seems like this career that’s shrouded in mystery. I want to pursue getting an agent and I want to share that entire experience with the streaming community. I want other writers to see that it’s possible, to see how hard it is but also what it looks like. As this channel grows, I want people to recognise me not just as a gamer or a queer content creator, but as a professional writer making strides and putting in the work.
Do you see yourself as a role model?
I’m not trying to be that, but I want to always bring a humble attitude, where there’s always room to grow. Even within our community there are so many perspectives that I don’t understand and I’m willing to learn. If you have a point of view that I’m unfamiliar with, then tell me. This also helps me become a better writer, learning about other kinds of people, other backgrounds, perspectives, sexualities. I want to be outward about it so other people can feel empowered and encouraged by it. If I also provide a safe space where you feel empowered enough to voice your opinions and talk to me, I am so fortunate and blessed to have that space.
What’s the game that defined your childhood?
Final Fantasy VII. Hands down. The moment that so-and-so was [blanked] by so-and-so – are we past spoiler territory? – that moment was a defining moment in my adolescence. It scarred me for life! At that point I didn’t know I could connect and love the stories in video games so much. Video games were always fun, and then I realised they were telling a human story. There are themes about racism here. There are themes about friendship and family and devotion and fighting even when the odds are hopeless. These are things that became real to me.
What did you think of the remake?
It’s my favourite game of the year. Tell Me Why is my second favourite because it tells a story I wasn’t expecting it to tell and it’s so beautiful and rich and unique. But the FFVII remake took the skeleton of the original and fully fleshed it out. The way they built out these characters was incredible, the voice acting was amazing, the visuals amazing. The story was beautifully developed. I think I bawled probably five times! I was just inconsolably sobbing. I will be playing the next games, I will be crying, I will be probably seeking therapy after the event that we’re all predicting will still happen regardless. Seeing it in 4K with voice acting is going to be terrible and I’m not ready for it!
To find out more about BadAndyWrites, catch him streaming on his Twitch channel.
Don’t forget you can vote for your Streamer Of The Year at the Gayming Mag Awards right here!
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