Orenda, from CLN community, had the honours of interviewing black-cypher. She is the author of The President's Daughter and is currently working on another story called Corona.

Hello, this is Orenda from Crazy Late Nighters (CLN) community. I am really happy to get the chance to interview you. What name and pronouns would you like to go by?

Can my name be anonymous? And I go by she/her.

Of course! Shall we begin?

Yes.

Let's start with a simple question. What's your favourite colour and is there any reason behind it?

Well, I'm never one for one favourite, but my favourite colours are black and blue. Black, because the colour just goes with everything and it's what I wear most of the time (I'm not emo, just like the colour). Blue, if you've ever read the Percy Jackson series, you know that Percy's favourite colour is blue and it kind of transferred to me. I really connect with that character, so naturally blue became my favourite colour and it still is to this day.

It's really beautiful that you connected with a character and found blue as your favourite colour. When were you first introduced to writing?

In fourth grade, I, my sister, and my friend would write in the class all the time. We were obsessed with books and always tried to do the work ahead of time so that we can either write or read (I've gotten my books taken away several times in class, but that never stopped me!). Books were and still are a huge part of our lives.

That's a wonderful and funny thing to hear. Sadly teachers don't like students doing anything else other than their subjects. What was your first story?

I've never written a complete story, but the first story I remember writing on the Internet was The President's Daughter on Wattpad. I never got around to finishing it until last year when I had no life. I figured I'd better write this story or I'm a complete failure. After months and months of research, I was finally able to use that few cringey chapters into a book I'm proud of. I realize the title is cliché and wouldn't garner attention, but the plot itself is far from it. I encourage anyone to try it out and see what they think. In fact, I'm very surprised to see how many reads I get per day (I had 100 reads in less than a day three times before). I've definitely grown as a writer and I love hearing responses from readers when they tell me how emotional the book has made them, which is something I've always wanted to achieve. My story has only begun, but I'm excited about how this journey on Wattpad will turn out.

Your answer is really inspiring. Completing a story is really a difficult task. What inspired "The President's Daughter"?

The idea actually came from a friend and we planned to write the story together. She also has a Wattpad account @TheNutellaMaker. However she's been inactive for a while and when we met one time, she told me to take complete ownership and finish the story. It wasn't until years later that I actually did, so it's unfortunate that I've lost contact with her. I'm sure she would be proud of me.

I am sure she would've been! This question is a special question by your reader who nominated you (aaria101). Who is your favourite character in "The President's Daughter" and why?

My favourite character is Damien. I think I relate to him more because he's a very witty guy and he doesn't take any bullshit from anyone. He has a pretty soft heart, though he may have some barriers around him due to his hard childhood. I think Damien is a favourite among all readers and his story will continue in a prequel about his childhood in a book called McIntire. I'm still in the process of writing it, but I can't wait for it to come out.

I am sure your readers would match your excitement level! Is there a deep message behind your story, "The President's Daughter"? If so, what is it?

I think there's a lot of elements that readers interpret differently, especially the unconventional ending. On the surface, TPD may look like a typical story like all the popular ones out there, but this is actually a coming-of-age story where two people learn about themselves through their heavy flaws. The relationship starts off with two secrets, one from either side. As the relationship grows, the illusion of each other becomes more warped and when they're finally forced to see the truth, everything changes. This book details that journey and I think it's interesting to see how each secret lets itself out and how it affects everyone around them, including themselves.

It is a human trait to avoid the truth until forced to believe. We mature and learn. I believe that is beautifully portrayed in your book. And that every story consists of a real-life element from the author's life. It can be the author's trait in a character or a situation. Does your story have such elements? If so what are they?

That's a very good question. I feel like a big part of Damien's personality is his humour and I relate to that the most. I'm that friend of the group who's always cracking jokes and lifting up everyone's mood.

That is sweet. What is your favourite part from your novel "The President's Daughter"?

I've got so many favourites! On chapter 14 called Escape, they head to the beach and I think that chapter really shows the chemistry between the pair and it's one of the people's favourites when I ask them! There's another chapter titled Golden Sparrow where it takes you on a journey behind the scenes of what the White House does when they're facing a threat. I can't give away more than that, but I'm proud of the amount of research that chapter alone took. It's really detailed and someone even asked how in the world I know that kind of information. It takes a lot of researching and looking at the right places and I'm proud of how accurate that chapter portrays the White House. I've got plenty more, but I do mention all of them in my last chapter.

Ah, researching. It is surprising how much random information a writer knows. Now that we are talking about research, what is the inspiration behind "Corona" other than the current situation?

That's actually my inspiration. I wanted to write a book that gives a take on the virus, with dark elements and sprinkles of humour. Though this pandemic is a very sensitive topic, a lot of us cope through memes and other sorts of entertainment to make what is a dark time seem light. I wanted to provide another sort of entertainment by writing a horror story about it.

That's a wonderful thought! Is there anything specific you need while writing? (For eg. music, coffee, silence.)

Interesting question. I don't particularly need anything, though any excuse to drink coffee sounds like the perfect situation. With or without music, it doesn't matter. I do work better when it's silent since it helps with my concentration. I also like to read a very detailed book beforehand to give me inspiration. Once I do that, I can type a whole page without stopping.

Wow. Teach me your ways! What kind of books do you like reading? And what is your favourite book?

I love all kinds of genres except nonfiction haha. As I said, I can't pick one favourite, but I love the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Mass. On Wattpad, my favourite book is the After series by imaginator1D and Faking It by XanaduJones. Faking It is really a true work of art.

I haven't read it, but I would make sure to check it out. So are these authors your favourite on and outside of Wattpad?

Yesss!! I also recommend Something Blue series by Emily Griffin, there's also a movie about it.

Sounds enticing! Is there any genre you like to read but it is difficult for you to write?

Definitely, books that are set in the earlier centuries. I love any Shakespeare and Wuthering Heights is a really good book, but I can't replicate the language without making it look terrible haha.

Old English is really beautiful indeed. What difficulties do you face while writing a novel?

I think I need to work on character description more. In TPD, I inserted a cast list to make things easier, but I want to stray away and learn to describe each character on my own. I'm getting there, though!

You'll excel at it. Character descriptions are a bit difficult. What is the biggest lesson you learnt by writing?

That's a hard question. I feel like I've grown as a writer, and it wasn't a small thing in particular, but rather as a whole if that makes sense. I'd have to say that the biggest lesson I've learnt is to always read books that inspire you. I feel like by doing this, I never get writer's block. I haven't had that for a long time because I read books that keep me inspired and motivated. Books that are well written and detailed give me the creative mental space to incorporate that kind of thing into my own stories as well, though of course, anything I put on paper is solely my own ideas. It's fun to read stories without actively taking notes or thinking about your own story at the same time, but it's possible to do both and I recommend everyone to try it. I can easily enjoy a book while also taking notes on the way the author writes. Read books that challenge your mind. Try to stay away from books that have the same writing level as you, or you won't be able to grow as a writer.

Wow. That surely is a good lesson. Well, I have a "reader's" block these days. It sucks honestly. What are your other hobbies?

I've never heard of reader's block lol.

My hobbies generally consist of listening to kpop. I know the fandom gets a bad rep for being annoying on Twitter, but a lot of us are gentle and kind souls. I also enjoy working out and watching movies and tv shows (including kdramas). I'm definitely obsessed.

Oh, that's great! What profession do you wish to practice?

I'm studying to become a doctor.

Wonderful! I wish you a great medical journey. In CLN, everyone's a little (or very) crazy. We enjoy being crazy. What characters in your story would you define as crazy? Do you relate to them?

I don't think any of my characters have any characteristics that define them as crazy, but I'm definitely crazy in real life. I'm obnoxiously loud and I've always been that way, though not in a crave-attention kind of crazy, more like a live-in-the-moment kind of crazy.

Being crazy is the greatest! What message would you like to give to the young writers?

I'm no Cassandra Clare, so I'll just say this: perseverance is key. Do you have writer's block? Doesn't matter, try the BICHOK (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard). Write and persevere through it. Read writing prompts. Read bestselling books. Study writing structures, pace, description, anything you want to improve on. Never give up. I've seen friends who gave up on writing because of writer's block, but it's not a good enough excuse. If one person in this world can get through it, we all can.

Wow, it's really inspiring. And true, giving up is not an option. Well, unfortunately, this interview is coming to an end. The last question, what would you like to say to your readers?

Thank you so much for the support, it's honestly been overwhelming but in a good way. I can't believe the number of daily reads I get and the comments! I honestly can't thank you guys enough. If you haven't checked out my story yet, please don't hesitate. Check out the description first before making up your mind. Have a wonderful day.

Yes, go check out "The President's Daughter". And thank you so much for your time! I really had fun interviewing you!

It was fun being interviewed, thank you!