Hello fellow Wattpadders! Today we have AziaElga with us, the author of the book, Cherry On Top.

I am Abhipreeti (_abhipreeti_), and I have interviewed Azia Elga, a.k.a, AziaElga.

Azia Elga is a scientist by day and a hobby writer by night. As a writer, she writes a jumbled mess of genres, but all her works contain heavy queer elements, with an emphasis on sapphic romance. Having immigrated from Singapore to the Northeast of the United States for work, Azia is passionate about including tons of Asian voices and perspectives in her works.

At what age did you realize that you have a special place for writing? Are you currently or do you ever dream of one day being in the writing industry?

>>I've always loved reading and writing for as long as I can remember. My earliest childhood memory is of me writing the silliest story on the floor of my living room. I can probably grab a few thousand first chapters to stories I began writing but I did not have the ability or motivation to finish.

However, it's never crossed my mind that I could be writing as a job. I guess it's not something talked about as possible in an Asian society? Till now, it's never been a goal of mine. I just love to write for writing's sake!

Did any story, on or off Wattpad, inspire you ever and help you carve your interest towards writing books?

>>Every book I've ever read will inspire me in some ways. In fact, every media I consume has inspired me. I guess the earliest book that I was addicted to is The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (better known as the author of Inkheart but I prefer this book of hers XD). That book had such a tight grip on me that I remember loaning it out three times in a row from the library just to read it over and over again. I even considered stealing it from the library, but I'm glad I didn't go down the path of a criminal. The titular character of the book inspired every one of my smug, charismatic characters.

What is the genre(s) in which you mostly write your books? Do you think you are able to create brilliant plots when you write in that specific genre(s)?

>>Romance, for sure. Even if the story's main genre is not romance, there will definitely still be a strong romantic element. Compared to other more plot-drive genres, romance is heart-driven, and to me, a story is all about the heart, not the plot. I believe this is why I tend to lean towards romance as a genre.

What advice would you like to give to authors who are writing in the same genre(s) as yours?

>>Lean into your favorite tropes! I often see new authors afraid of being "too cliche" or being too similar to another book. But nobody creates in an empty space with no inspiration. Tropes are the bread and butter of romance, and I think authors shouldn't be afraid into using them heavily.

Do you have any favourite quote or quotes from your book?

>>"We accept the love we think we deserve." - The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

So poignant, and a constant reminder that in romance, the character not only has to learn to love the love interest, but also themself.

Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

>>Hopefully thriving in my career, married, and still writing books!

Now let us talk about your book. How would you describe your story in five words? Could you please give us a brief summary of what your book is about? What makes your book different from other books in the same genre(s)?

>>"Singaporean sapphic high school romance"

Cherry On Top is a contemporary sapphic romance about a girl trying to earn money for her mother's surgery and falling in love at the same time. It is an Own Voices book, where I bring in a lot of my experiences growing up in Singapore and questioning my sexuality in a girl's school. I hope the book shows that a lot of what we experience is universal across the globe.

Which character or characters of your story do you relate to most? And why?

>>Chloe Lee, for sure. I think I molded her very much from my experiences. Like me, she's people pleaser who is a little naive at times. She also has a very supportive mother who gives her most of her courage.

How did you come up with such a fascinating plot? Were there any inspirations?

>>The premise of the story actually comes from a Prince of Tennis fanfiction I wrote more than a decade ago! It was very poorly written but the premise was so fun and beloved that I decided to revamp it for an original story.

How did you discover Wattpad? And what engendered you to begin writing on this platform? What do you like best about this application?

>>I've actually heard of Wattpad since its conception. But at that point, I was more into writing fanfiction and stuck to another fanfiction site. When I decided to start writing original fiction, I remembered Wattpad as a site that is friendly to original fiction and decided to try it out!

The best part about this platform is the community. I made so many online writer friends from the app, which is perfect, because no one I know in real life likes to write.

When did you start writing on Wattpad? How has your writing journey been ever since then?

>>I started posting and being active on Wattpad the start of 2021 (right after the long dreadful COVID shutdown :P). I received a total of 1 unique read (from myself) in my first week of posting, and that prompted me to join a Wattpad community. I did some reading exchanges and joined some book club, and slowly but surely, I made lifelong friends, wrote a few more novels, and gained a bunch of reads. It's been such a great journey. I went from never finishing a story to finishing a couple of stories in a year.

What is your writing process and how do you cope when writers' block hits you?

>>I am a huge planner, so my writing process involves me outline the entire book, chapter by chapter, before I even begin writing. I find that a lot of my writing block comes from not knowing what happens next, so this outlining process really helps prevent a lot of writing block.

I still get writing block when I'm exhausted though, and the best way for me to overcome it is to just tell myself to write. Write anything that comes into my mind for the next five minutes, even if it is utter trash, because I can edit it later. After five minutes, my brain will be warmed up and I can begin to write properly.

If that still doesn't work, then it might be a sign to take a break. XD

Are you a pantser or a plotter? During which time of the day do you usually write?

>>As mentioned in the previous question, I am a huge planner, and my planning document can be up to 15,000 words.

I'm also a night owl so I do most of my writing in the ungodly hours of the night xD.

What would be your advice to young and budding authors, who are just beginning their journey on Wattpad and are quite new to the writing world?

>>Keep writing and posting! Wattpad is an ocean, which means it's easier for smaller fishes to be drowned out by everyone else. But an ocean also means an ocean worth of writer friends to find and befriend. Reads and votes are nice to have, but in my opinion, the true motivating factor for writing is the writer friends who have similar interests and who will push you to complete your goals. That is what really pushed me to keep writing all my novels.

Is there any author(s) on Wattpad whom you look up to as an amazing writer?

>>Oh, there are so many! I'll pick clownceo and Aptionia for having the most captivating writing style, and TakiZyn and laurendoubleu for creating the best characters that makes you want to root for them forever. But really, there's a whole bunch of awesome authors in this platform.

Could we please have two or more Wattpad story recommendations? What do you like most about these stories?

>>I actually compile all of my favorite books in my reading account AziaElgaReads, so I recommend every book in there. If I could only choose two for you to read +right now, it'll be The Claimed: Rashika's Resistance by spelunkadunk and Lady Reaper Reainne by RFNasua.

What would be the three words to describe yourself as an author?

>>Sapphic romance lover <3

Thank you so much! It was an honour to have you here for the interview conducted by Kalon Community. We wish you lots of success on your writing journey and may you flourish more. Thank you once again!