Song: "Solas" - Gibon Alcecor (the inspiration for this beautiful story!)

Book: In Black and White, I'm Blue

Author: Summer_SKY_9

Genre (s): LGBTQ+ Romance/Mystery-Thriller

A powerful, feel-good story about love and angst, In Black and White, I'm Blue will rip your heart into shreds and rebuild it with its beautiful characters, prose, and symbolism.

Interview:

1.) How do you feel about earning this award?

I'm honestly super happy about it! In Black and White, I'm Blue was more of a passion project for me—something I wrote to channel that cortisol rush and boost my endorphins during exam season. It was all new to me, a different genre I hadn't explored before. I'm not a ballerina or a pianist, but I love them and really put in the effort to make those characters feel real. To see this book get so much recognition and positive energy is amazing. It's a book I thought might be controversial, given my background, so this kind of response is incredible.

2.) What inspired you to write this book?

Well, funnily enough, the inspiration came from a piano piece! It's called "Solas", and it's a cover by Gibran Alcecor. I listen to a lot of music while studying, and I think it was around mid-semester exams at uni. As usual, I had music on in the background, but that day, I decided to switch my usual R&B/Pop vibe to something instrumental, and I came across this wonderful track. While listening, I was scrolling through the comments (as you do), and someone had written this POV: 'You're a dancer slowly falling for your pianist.' And I thought, Wow, that could be such a beautiful story. I was instantly hooked on the idea and thought, This has to be a romance story! Plus, I realised it could be an excellent opportunity to try a genre I hadn't tackled before. So, I decided to give it a little twist and make it queer—it just felt right!

3.) What challenges have you faced during your writing journey?

Honestly, the writing process itself went pretty smoothly. It all started as a flash fiction piece that I added to my collection, C'est la Vie. Then I thought, Maybe I should expand this a bit and turn it into a short story. That short story eventually grew into a novella, and I wrote a part two. Now, I'm working on turning it into a full novel!

The biggest challenge for me has been balancing writing with uni life. Academic pressure and last-minute revisions always get in the way. Whenever I have free time, I'm usually catching up on sleep, so writing, editing, or updating consistently has been a bit of a struggle.

Another challenge was putting Our Blues (that's what I'm calling the novellas until they become a full novel) out there for others to read. I wasn't raised in a culture that's very familiar with LGBTQ+ themes, so I was a little hesitant about how people who know me in real life would react—especially since the story is a queer romance featuring characters from a perspective that's different from my own. Some of my closest friends were even a bit upset about it (no offense taken—they meant well), and I found myself defending something I didn't think needed defending (*sighs).

In my view, love is love. You don't need to be under that colourful umbrella to appreciate it (if you catch my drift). At the end of the day, we're all human, and it's through our shared humanity that we relate to each other's emotions—not through gender, skin colour, or the languages we speak.

4.) Who is your favorite character (s) and why (can be from your book, another book, or the two combined)?

If we're talking about In Black and White, I'm Blue, I really love both my main characters, but I think Ahen is closer to my heart. It's this weird dynamic where I relate to him, but I also don't. Like, we don't share the same problems, but it's the same situation we are in kinda vibe. That said, Garret is how I deal with life and its challenges—how I approach things, in a way. Not that I'm a sniper going around killing people I don't like, no! It's more about the attitude and mindset. So yeah, it's a bit of a paradox—I relate to both of them, but I also don't at the same time.

5.) In your opinion, what do you think makes a good book?

I'm super picky about what I watch, read, or listen to—things bore me really fast. If something doesn't grip me right away, I'm out. For me, books are all about the plot and the writing. An engaging plot written in beautiful language? That's the sweet spot.

I love it when a story keeps me on the edge of my seat; if it's fast-paced, it is even better. But if it's slower, then the descriptions better be on point—I need a world that feels so real I can lose myself while waiting for the author and characters to get their act together.

My all-time favorite Wattpad stories are Blood Ink by pocketbangtan and The Wondered God by greydaygirl. They're honestly the perfect examples of what makes a great book.

6.) What advice do you have for writers just starting their journey?

I'm not sure I'm qualified enough as a writer to give advice, but as a reader, I can share some things I've noticed. First, don't try to be someone else. Having a muse is fine, but finding your own style is what really matters. The same story can be told a hundred times, but it's the person who does it in their own unique way that grabs attention.

Also, the more you read, the better you'll write. But the more you try to imitate others, the more it backfires. Be unique, be yourself. You might not end up on the New York Times bestseller list, but you could still become a beloved storyteller—and that's just as special.

7.) Are you a pantser or a plotter? I'm curious to know why.

Pantser! (Jeez, that sucks. :/)

8.) What is your goal as a writer?

Right now, writing is more of a hobby for me—a coping mechanism, really. I probably should push it down my priority list, but I just can't. That said, I'd love to learn more about writing professionally someday. I haven't studied it in-depth yet but want to explore it. Who knows? Maybe I'll even turn it into a side hustle one day!

9.) Favorite Book or Author?

I grew up reading Sybil Wettasinghe's books, and even now, years after becoming an adult, the little girl in me still craves her stories. They had this charm that made me feel so magical and comforted. I've also read many of Martin Wickramasinghe's works—he's one of my favourite local authors.

Before I started reading English books, I was really into translations. I read a lot of Enid Blyton and still have the whole Sinhala-translated St. Clare's collection with me.

When I joined Wattpad, I discovered so many amazing authors: pocketbangtan, Atlantaes (her books are like free therapy), and greydaygirl are some of my absolute favourites (By the way, those are their Wattpad usernames if you want to check them out!).

10.) Finally, how did you find Wattpad?

Alright, I've got a bit of a story for this one, too (lol). So, I wrote my first English story, Woebegone, based on a dream I had (yep, a dream!). I was looking for feedback and realised I needed to share it somewhere outside my circle—somewhere I wouldn't get judged. I wanted unbiased opinions, you know? That's when I started looking for a platform.

In October 2021, I created a Wattpad account. The funny part? The first thing that popped up when I opened the app was an ad for a steamy romance, and I was like, "Nope, not for me." But then, I had a conversation with a friend whose sister was already writing Sinhala fiction on the app. That made me think, Maybe I should try it, too. And well, the rest is history!

Honorable Mention (it came close between this book and In Black and White, I'm Blue!):

Book Title: Ancilla

Author: SeraDrake