Interviewer:  CinnasLilRebel 

Author: KhaliqahAzima 

Book: Ratneshwari, The Story of Throne, Mayapuri- The City of Dreams

Mode of Interview: Google Docs

Hello, I'm KC and I'll be you're interviewer, please introduce yourself.

I am Khaliqah Azima. I like to write stories and compose poems.

Oh, what type of stories and poetry do you write?

I write stories belonging to various genres. Till now, I have tried 3 genres on Wattpad — Romance, Historical Fiction and Horror.

I haven't published any book poetry on Wattpad but I do write poems. Most of my poems are romantic and are written in free verse.

How has those genres treated you?

I really enjoy writing Romantic stories. The stories are somewhat easy to understand and the characters are quite relatable. It has always been easier for me to write Romantic stories.

Then, comes historical fiction. I have always liked the stories of the kings, the queens and the kingdoms. It is quite difficult to write in this genre. Even if the story is an imaginary one, the things described have to be historically accurate. That's why, I had to do a lot of study before writing.

And then, we have the horror genre. It is the first genre I tried my hands on. My horror stories are based on the folklores. So, I gather stories from people around me, modify them a little and write them down.

Out of these three which was your favorite? What books in these genres did you favor most?

Romance is my favourite genre.

And some of the books that I loved are —

Romance: 'Married to Police Officer' by **storybysk** , 'Loving ACP Sir' by **Halcyon_g** , 'Unconditional' by **asedysled** . Three of them are Wattpad books.

Historical Fiction: Ponniyin Selvan is my favourite Historical Fiction. It was written by Kalki. The book is a masterpiece. It has 5 volumes. Then, another book which I love is, 'Rohdoi Ligiri' by Rajanikanta Bordoloi. 

I have also read several wonderful books in this genre on Wattpad. Some of them are — 'Karikalan: Saviour of the Cholas' by **The_EpicWriter**, 'Yatee : Rise of an Empress' by **AnkitaPrasanna** and 'The Untold Story of The First Wife' by **Shobanamanivannan**.

Horror: My favourite books in this genre is 'Maya's New Husband' (Part 1 &2) by Neil D' Silva. I have also read 'The Withered Arm' by Thomas Hardy and I really loved that story. 

I have read a lot of horror stories on Wattpad. Some of them are — 'The Jinn Series' by **Keep_it_Halal** , 'Scary Stories Real Life Paranormal Stories Garyallen98' by **garyallen98** and 'What The Eyes Don't See' by **NeilDSilva**.

Oh that's a nice list! Now out of your stories which is you're favorite?

Out of my stories....That's a difficult question.

However, 'Ratneshwari' will always find a special place in my heart.

That's awesome! May I ask where you came up with the title? It sounds interesting.

'Ratneshwari' is the name of the main character. The literal meaning is 'The Goddess of Gems'. Ratneshwari is also the name of a Goddess worshipped in some parts of India.

That's awesome! What inspired your story?

The lives of the men and women around me.

And a few South Indian movies.

I started thinking about it randomly. With time, it evolved into a long story.

How long did it take you to write the story‽

One year

In the year it took you to write the novel did you ever think of dropping the project?

No, I took one year to decide whether I wanted to write it or just forget it like the other things that come to my mind. Once I decided to write it, I really meant it. And as I've said before, it became too unbearable for me to not write it down.

Alright, did you have any hardships while writing your novel?

Ofcourse.

One of them was the **Writer's Block** and the other was the **lack of free time**.

Yes, those are killers when it comes to a writer. How did you overcome them?

I prayed to God.

Till now, I haven't discovered any other way to overcome them.

Yes, praying is definitely something to help with any situation. With God on your side you can overcome anything. Has your faith played a part in your works?

It is good to believe in God. When people fail, they keep blaming themselves and drown themselves in sorrow. Even I do that sometimes. Otherwise, in most of the cases, I just blame God and move on. It gives me peace. It helps me to focus on my work. I prayed to God for everything. I expressed my fears infront of God. I remember praying to God to increase the views and votes in my books. I still do that. And that's why, whenever someone votes in my book, I express my gratitude towards God.

I agree. How do you feel about writing in particular?

For me, writing is exploring.

A man is born with one face. But a writer acquires a hundred faces.I need to feel each and every character inside me. Otherwise, I cannot write.

Moreover, you cannot write whenever and whatever you want to.

When a book does not want to be written, no matter what you do, you will not be able to write anything.

You will start writing a book with your story but after a particular point of time, you will have no control over it.

Alright. Going back earlier you said you write poetry, how do you feel about that?

I write keeping in mind, my imaginary lover. My imaginary lover is the best person and all my romantic poems are attributed to him. Sometimes, I compose poems from the point of view of a man. Then my lover becomes a beautiful maiden.

That's interesting, why did you decide to start writing poetry?

When I was in class 7.

Alright what lead you to start writing poetry?

A handsome lad, let's say.

A perfect creation of God.

A heavenly face.

Beautiful eyes.

A fruit which I cannot pluck.

Or a flower I cannot smell.

Okay, how often do you write poetry?

I have no fixed schedule. I write whenever a poem comes to my mind.

That is, whenever I feel like writing.

Alright, do you have any tips for any new writers?

Yes, of course.

1) The writers should not hesitate to write. Every person has boundaries. But writers don't. Writers need to write freely.

2) Writers should try to write without grammatical errors.

3) Don't use Chat GPT. I have seen books written on Wattpad using Chat GPT. I know that I don't have the right to openly criticize people. But still, as a reader, I would like to urge the writers to stop using Chat GPT to write their stories. The stories become boring.

4) Do not rush. If you think that you need time to improve the plot, then take time.

5) Think twice before writing.

6) Don't spread misinformation using your books. Pen and keyboard are very powerful weapons. If you don't know how to use them, stay away from them. They aren't playthings.

Alright. Anything you'd like to add before I end the interview?

No

Alright have a wonderful day/night and I wish you much luck for your writing!

I wish the same for you. May God bless you.