Meet The Authors Edition #2 (August 2018 To Dec 2018)

Interview #28 @MSZame

1. How would you celebrate a publishing deal?

I probably wouldn't believe it at first and would just freeze in shock, till my best friend brought me back to reality.

And that can only be possible if she smacked me with the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary(believe me, that dictionary is huge).

2. Who's your favorite author outside of Wattpad?

Alexandra Bracken!

God, I just love her writing. I just relate to it so much.

And the thing is, I usually don't relate to main characters in YA/NA books these days.

But with Bracken's Passenger book series, I actually found an MC I could entirely relate to.

Then I read other books by her, and they just clicked with me.

Randomly picking up Passenger from a book fair was probably the best choice I ever made.

3. How would you spend a rainy day?

Like typical South Asians, my family and I make tea and order some pakoras.

As for me, I like looking at the rain from my window. I love the smell of petrichor.

4. If you could hang out with your favorite celeb for a day, who would it be and how would you spend the day?

It's my absolute dream to be able to meet Mahira Khan!

If I could resist my fan girl babbling about her films and dramas, then I'd probably have a nice chat with her in some coffee shop. 

5. What's your favorite aspect of Wattpad?

The community.

Now I'm very well aware of the amount of trolls and plagiarists surfacing recently, but I can't forget the amount of supportive and genuinely amazing people I've met here.

They inspire me to do better and to keep on believing in my myself. That's something I always struggled with.

6. What's one tip you'd give to a newcomer?

"Look, I know how much you're buzzing with this newfound energy and are even ready for all the criticism you may face. I've been there too.

But please remember:

There's always going to be criticism that makes you want to pull your hair. Makes you want to flip a table. Makes you want to quit writing. And that happens even to seasoned authors.

It's totally normal for your first draft to be full of errors.

Writing takes time and when you give it that mean, that will surely affect your story.

"Just keep on rocking; I have faith in you."

7. How would you handle a bully?

I've been fortunate enough to not encounter cyberbullying (except for some PMs from perverts who've asked me on dates, even though I've never shown them my face).

Though, I have faced bullying in real life and all I can suggest is having a friend who will unconditionally love and support you through that time.

That friend can be your age fellow, cousin, sibling or even parent. Just don't go through all that crap alone. 

8. What's your favorite film?

Call me crazy, but it's "Pride and Prejudice and Zombie".

Okay, I know the title sounds atrocious but it's such a fresh spin of classic novel adaptations!

Of course, this isn't for everyone. You need a hell of an open mind to watch zombies and Jane Austen characters in the same screen.

But, for people like me, it's worth it, especially when there's Elizabeth and Darcy scenes ;)

9. What's your favorite song? Who's the artist of that song?

"Clean" by Taylor Swift.

I always listen to that song when I'm feeling down, and it's like listening to a friend's soothing words. I'll shamelessly admit that I've shed a few tears while listening to it.

10. What inspired you to write?

I know everyone's expecting a deep and life questioning answer here, but here's the truth:

I was looking for game books on Play Store and stumbled upon this little orange icon.

I quickly made an account and, after a few days, started writing my first novel.

It was more or less just a result of my boredom turning into an Elixir of Life for me.

On another note, my dearest aunt gave me this journal and-- I don't know why-- but it was everything to me. That journal became the home for all the scattered bits and pieces of writing I had in my head.

I still have to this day, even though it's been completed.

11. Do you have any other creative outlets?

I used to draw animations and just random things, but recently I noticed I haven't done that in almost two years.

But a while ago, I watched this YouTube video by Anna Akana(she's amazing, by the way) called 'this could be us but you not playin'.

Basically, the video was about important hobbies and creative activities are for our mental health.

Even though I write on an almost daily basis, I take it more like my dream job, rather than a hobby.

And sometimes even dream jobs can tire you; that's just how humans work.

So now I'm trying to reconnect with my drawing. If I'm not going to take care for my mental health, then who will?

Request time!

If I had to recommend one of my books, then it would definitely be 'Symphony of Lilacs'.

Even though it's historical fiction, I believe even a person of the modern era will be to relate to the story and characters.

Also-- I never knew this while starting-- but this novella really did become a part and outlet for my person.

At the end of the day, I only hope that readers will be entertained and also have something to think about.

Thank you for having me here! I appreciate it wholeheartedly.