Hello reader, and welcome to the third chapter of Let's Talk: The Art of Writing, hosted by me, A. Vlad, the creator and manager of all things in Storyland. I started this book of interviews with one thought, and one thought alone, sharing our experiences as writers with one another as we build a stronger community.

And speaking of community, today's guest is a writer whom's work represents the LGBTQ+ community, which makes this chapter extra special. As pride month comes to an end, I want to celebrate it with you all, and what better way than talking with someone who has invested their time creating a world of acceptance, a world that showcases that love, no matter the form, can conquer all.

So, without further or due, let me introduce you to _rolling_stone___ someone who has found it in her heart to tell stories, loving stories, compelling stories that get both the reader and the author engaged from beginning to end.

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1. I want to have a different approach with your interview, so let's get started with nothing other than what is your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing now that I think about it: it would be being the owner of something you desire to have in reality, and being able to shape the plot in my way is one reason. For me, writing is like a trip; you plan it, you commit it, and enjoy the voyage to the fullest with your readers and when this comes to an end, we are left with a heavy heart and a ton of memories. And creating these memories is the best part of doing it.

You see, when I'm writing, I'm the protagonist, I'm the villain and I'm the writer, I'm everything in my book, doesn't that sounds fascinating? When I write I'm the owner of everything and at the same time, I'm just a worker, writing down the emotions and feelings that the reader wants to feel, and being able to do that is another reason for me being so into writing.

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I have to say, I don't think I ever thought of myself as the characters I create, but rather that, the creator, the one with enough power to decide what will happen at the very end, what the last word will look like, and when that closing statement will present itself. But is great to envision all of it in the sense of being everything yet at the same time being nothing, we can write those characters but we aren't them so I will be sure to give it a try as I embark on future projects.

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2. You mentioned being the hero, the villain, the writer, in a sense, you are the characters you write, but who do you separate the fiction you write in them with the reality you live?

I got a minor hint of the question you are trying to ask there. I think the characters I compose and the person I am, only share minor differences. I don't try to separate them from reality. The characters I write are totally and fully me. The villain shares the same crooked side as me. The lead female shares the same crazy side as me and so does the male lead. I have my fair share in evil thinking and doings which I never executed but that side exists within me, so I don't believe there is anything that creates a difference between us, except the fact that I don't go or think of going vicious on anyone, in case of the villain and neither I am that brave as I show my protagonist as. Those are the only things that segregate the characters I write from the reality I live.

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I think this interesting, I have only written a story in which the main character was inspired by me and at the end of the day, I find myself re-writing the whole thing. I mean, how do you put yourself out there without truly putting yourself out there, finding a balance is a tricky thing but it's nice to see people out here doing their thing in such a classy way.

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3. What inspired you to write? Was it something you've always wanted, or is it something you got into with age?

Writing is something I got intowith ages. I've been writing sinceI was 12 and it's already been 7years of me doing that. And in thistime I realized what importance andmeaning writing holds in my life. Atfirst, I used to write poems in mynative language and then soon itturned into an interest; an irresistible one.And the moment when I startedacknowledging how it helped me getthrough my hard time, how it helpedme to explore myself I got moreattached to it, and that inspired me to write more, it was like an escape.And except that I don't guess I have any fair inspiration or motivation to start writing.And then there was a time when I got so engrossed in writing that, even if an idea clicked in my mind in the middle of the night, I would still come out of the blanket just to pick up my diary and write that in it.I still remember the day and date ofwhen I finally got into writing longstories or something like a novelfor the first time. 27 October 2017,I remember it because that's thetitle of my first book. So, no way onearth I can forget this. I have hadmy progression in writing with myprogressive age growth.

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This is so true, time and patience are our best teachers when it comes to life, I started writing last year like two weeks before the pandemic started, and my writing from back then to the one I do now, and the approach I have to my stories, my characters their experiences is so different. Back then, I wrote with a more superficial approach, I didn't dive deep into the sublines of my story, but now, as I've given myself the authorization to say "I don't like the way I approach this story, and it's one I feel has so much potential" I can get back to the chopping board and start fresh.

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4. Would you mind sharing with us the struggles you have faced when writing in a foreign language? Do you question your writing decisions or face any backlash from your readers?

I have faced a lot of problems just like other writers whose native language isn't English and I still face them to this day.Like writing informal or small conversations and I'm still not aware of the proper use of idioms in the correct place.Other than that I don't face many problems because of the language.About me questioning my decision of writing is something I did quite often for past one year when I was preparing for my college entrance exam because every time I wrote, everyone around me who didn't know about it called it a waste of time and then there was a time when it got buried in my brain that I started questioning myself about it. But not now because now I am so clear about what I see writing as.Coming to the backlash point, I believe still not famous yet to receive that. No one has ever showered me with hate or something like that yet, maybe because I am still not introduced to a wide platform, and to this date I haven't even received any comments. So receiving a back leash is something very far away.

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This, right here, for me this is so real, I am bilingual, I pretty much thought myself English watching Disney when I was growing up, and still, to this time and age, it's not something I practice much outside of this app, so when I see people coming for my errors in grammar it makes my blood boil, I sometimes feel people don't give themselves the right to enjoy a story without picking it apart and don't get me wrong, we are writers, some more experienced than others, and it comes with the territory, but as I said in one of my previous chapters, sometimes is not about whether or not the "I can't enjoy the story because of the errors" and more about not wanting to enjoy the story because you just simply don't know-how. So let's hope that like your case, people can learn to be nicer about the way they approach the perfectionism in them and just overall enjoy the journey.

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5. On that note, share with us a little bit of your writing style, how do you get into creating your characters?

I don't have a particular way or style of writing it's just I think about the plot first and then I add suitable characters in them. The one which can express the storyline in a better way. I always try to change the personalities, like I try my best to go with different ones for different characters.My protagonist from my new book is inspired by me itself in the terms of personality. I found the motivation within me and that's what I prefer too. I believe taking risks is a good thing to do but not until you are too sure about every aspect of it. And as a starter I did the same, I began with something I'm clear about as I'm not too good with something quite different.And about writing, I just go with the flow. I just plan the main events and the rest is on my fingers and what they type on the keyboard. And I couldn't be less aware that it isn't something very good as one should have a crystal clear vision of what's gonna happen next and I'm trying to change it too. For me, I don't know what's gonna happen but the inky thing I know when I write is that how it's gonna end. That's how I write.

6. As you continue to work on your writing and polishing this skill, do you see yourself as a published author? Is it something you desire or is this for you, more about having fun and using it as your own escape?

I do see myself as a published author, and I think I'm keeping things a little secret here but I really caught a big fish this time and I'm working quite hard on it. Being a writer has always been my dream since I realized what it means to me and what else it could help me.I just thought of it as a gun when I began with it but not anymore. After going through all the stages and escapes I am definitely sure about where I see myself and where I want to see myself in this writing thing and I'm giving my all in it and risking everything.

7. Now, pride month is coming to an end this week, and I saw that your stories involve LGBTQ+ leads, why is it important for you to have lead characters who are members of this community in particular?

To answer this I need to start from the starting, at first I wasn't even aware of what LGBTQ+ was, but then my dad introduced them to me. He told me what that means. He told me about homosexual marriage and that got me interested in them. Soon, when I grew known to wider platforms I started knowing more about them. I realized there are not just homosexuals and queers but people called homophobes who exist in the same space too. I realized how people saw love and self-love as a sin, while it was just another form of love, well! Not even another form. It is love itself. And trying to show this love, as the love I wanted to write WARM DREAM. I wrote it with a feeling that it does not always have to be a male and female lead to be a love story. Things should be seen and read with a wide range. And I believe it was important to have a member of this community as my protagonist because I wanted to show my support and their strength by making a small step towards it. There was no way I could've stood up all of a sudden and screamed for them. So, I started with a baby step with this book.

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I believe this is very important, in our journey as writers we will have to make decisions, those decisions will impact the lives of our readers, whether in a positive way or a negative. And when it comes to topics about, sexuality, sex, religion, and politics we have to study well the approach we take with all of them. For example, I find myself writing a story about the life of a transgender woman, I myself am not transgender, but I believe is important to create and tell stories like this, stories that help our readers expand their knowledge and help us cultivate a world where every person can feel safe, loved and most of all see. So thank you for having the courage of telling a story where love is the central topic and kudos to your dad for explaining what same-sex marriage looks like outside of the minds of those who would love nothing more but to invalidate it.

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8. In the sense of love and representation, what do you think makes a character compelling? What their stories should have or be in order to make them good titular characters?

For me, an attractive character is the one who is not cliche, the one which can fit many aspects working it's ownself without even looking the exceptionally perfect one. And for the discussion of a character in terms of love, I assume every character that understands love and knows how to show it is the most compelling one.There have been stories that had me got a bit confused or unimpressed because of their storyline, where the protagonist starts with different behavioral attire and ends up with a different one because of no sole reason. Like the one where it started with an extremely cold character and just after he fell in love he'll be all warm and mushy, and forget every other thing and concentrate on romance only. That's one of the things that can lead to the disinterest of the audience. I assume one should stick to the note they started with until it's a should to change it or it is the demand of the storyline. About other facts, I believe the elements of the story which make it a better one depends on what the writer has in their mind. But the only common avoidable things or points are the FAST FORWARD writing, the black holes, and the unrealistic incidents. One should not only analyze what they want but also keep in mind what the reader wants with the book at the same time.

9. What would you hope people get from your stories and the things you put your characters through?

When I write a story I directly or indirectly add some social problems in them like LGBTQ+, the wicked side of the entertainment circle or the recent topic of Asian hate, etc. I try to mix them in my story to give a lesson and a message at the same time showing how things could go out of hand if things continue to go like this. Rather than that, I make them for an entertaining purpose. I make them so that people can enjoy, laugh, and feel a roller coaster of emotions at a time. I feel the same with my characters, when I create them j want every reader to live the story every time they read it. I want them to be so engrossed in the character that they don't find the difference between reality and fiction for just that period. But I'm still far from this, but I ain't giving up and still working on it. And I hope this comes to reality very soon.

10. Final question, what advice would you give the young authors in this platform or anyone for that matter when it comes to writing?

For the young authors; I only want to convey that write something which is not entertaining on your side but from the reader side too. Because it is always a two-way relation, and have an idea of what you are writing because that's the most important thing. Apart from that, never try to fit things too perfectly in the character because I believe it's the imperfection that makes the character more appealing, same goes with the other things like never try to make the situation too easy or too hard. And never shower the same and same thing on the protagonists. Like, don't try to make the character miserable again and again, give them a fair share of happiness too. Don't make them look like the most miserable ones alive. And last but not least, try your best to keep things realistic. That's all I have got to say.

11. Anything else you would like to say about this interview and how it went?

I enjoyed all these questions, they helped me explore myself. Seriously they did and they were just awesome. I enjoyed answering them to my fullest and thank you for giving me the opportunity.

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Wow, just wow, this is the longest interview I have done, and I feel so privileged to be able to open the floor to people like _rolling_stone___ willing to take risks, learn, grow but overall share their passion, their mistakes, their strengths, and weaknesses.

Thank you, thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself. This interview was not just eye-opening for you, but for myself as well. I hope all of your dreams become a reality and that you never stop advocating for those who needed the most. This world is filled with a lot of dark people and seeing rays of light shining bright and spreading it to the world is a sign that better days will come.

This is the end of this chapter, I hope everyone enjoys reading it and they come back for more, for the next chapter is a juicy one, and if you don't believe me, just wait and see, there is a mystery within it.

Until we see each other again, be sure to take care of yourself, take time to breathe, and continue doing what you love!!!

This is Let's talk: The Art of Writing with A. Vlad for @storylaland

See you next time!