Royal Interviews

Bloomers' Winner Interview (Sabrina)

In the series of Winner talks, our interviewer took ahold of an interesting conversation with Sabrina, SabrinaEttey – the winner of Category Setting. Here's the interview with some helpful insights from the author:

I: Interviewer
Sabrina: Interviewee

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I: Tell us something about yourself and your writing journey.

— Hey there, I am Sabrina Ettey. You can call me Sabrina. I'm a college graduate with a science background who loves to spin tales. I'm also an avid reader with a special weakness for anything fantasy, romance, and mystery. My writing journey started when I joined a writing competition in high school merely out of curiosity. I fell in love with the therapeutic writing process then and there, resulting in exploring the creative world of literary art afterward. When I'm not busy burying my head in a book, I love to play games, take a stroll among nature, bicker with my sister, and feed local cats. I live in the bustling city of Dhaka with my family.

I: How did you get to know about wattpad? What inspired you to hit that publish button for the first time?

— I’ve been searching for an interactive writing platform to share my stories and Wattpad happens to be what Google suggested to me on a whim. As I explored Wattpad I saw how there’s literally no barrier between readers and writers. Readers can enjoy stories, express their opinions as they go so that writers have a clear standing as to where their stories thrive and lack. This was the initial impression of Wattpad that made me feel like ‘This was it! This is what I’ve been looking for.’ And finally, I pressed that shiny ‘Publish’ button.

I: Tell us something about the story that got you this winner’s badge. What inspired the storyline?

— Well, the lucky story that I need to thank for getting me the winner's badge is called Scorned Blue. This is actually my second novel but the first Fantasy story with a Romance plot. I’ve always been a fan of the Fantasy-Mystery-Romance trio so I wanted to write a story that would have all these three elements living happily together and so came the Scorned Blue. The idea came to me when I had been reading another witch fantasy and randomly thought what if witches had literal blue blood? I also love the strong female leads and enemies-to-lovers tropes so the thought spun around and around in my mind for a while, growing bigger and having wings wide enough to fly. And finally, I decided it was time to write it down even if it was just to shut my ever-shouting mind!

I: How do you deal with writer’s block?

— Writer's block is every writer's worst nightmare and it's no different to me. However, each case is different for each individual. For me, it’s when I burn out after writing too much. I know the plot, I know which direction I have to take it, and yet, I am so mentally exhausted that I cannot write even a single more word. That is the most frustrating time for me, to be honest, especially when I reach the climax of a story.

So, in such trying times, I take a long, deep breath and switch on my ‘Reader’ mode. I read other people's novels at that time and occasionally notice the patterns of how they make a dialogue or a scene work. After a while, when I feel that it’s time to start writing myself, I begin with random small sentences or mindless mini plots. I do this just to get the feeling of my writing back slowly. And when I finally feel ready, I say ‘Hello’ again to my long-abandoned project and dive in.

I: What is the source of inspiration for you to keep writing?

— Honestly, writing has become a passion for me ever since I discovered how wonderful it can be to create your own world with your own people and own rules. It’s fascinating, really! I just can't imagine not writing or stop thinking about my characters and plots even when I’m doing other things. Writing is an inseparable part of me and I guess this is the fuel that drives my urge to keep going.

I: Something for your readers and supporters.

— Well, it is for those people, I am where I am. They are the ones who brighten my days with their amazing comments and endless support, especially whenever I feel down. The success of Scorned Blue would have never happened if it wasn't for their helpful encouragement and constructive criticism guiding me along the way. For that, I'm ever so grateful for my dear readers and supporters. My stories and I are nothing without them.

I: What would you advice new and aspiring writers?

— First of all, have fun with the stories you write. Because if you enjoy your stories, there's a great chance that other like-minded people will enjoy them too. Join clubs and awards, interact with people, take compliments and criticisms as they come but only apply the parts that benefit your stories. This goes more for the criticisms since some may sound harsh and at times, make you question yourself whether writing is your thing or not. But the trick is to hang in there no matter what, work hard, and enjoy the process. You'll do great!

I: Lastly, how was your experience with our community? Any suggestions/feedbacks?

— Well, I've known about the Esthetique Community for quite a while now. But this is the first time I've actively participated in their Bloomers: Awards 2023 and seriously, I had no expectation of winning. Moreover, with other qualified participants with their awesome stories, I thought my chances were slimmer than ever. So, I was content to just enjoy the award because it was unique and fun, and I could learn something from their participant's review section, if nothing else. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I managed to score the winner's badge. I was in pure shock! It was seriously an honor to participate in this community's award. I enjoyed and learned and gained new experience from such a diverse award event. It was amazing! I really look forward to more unique events and awards like this from them in future. My best wishes for them. Keep up the good work!

Thank you so much!