Today we have a very special interview. From the phoenix flock, we have one of our own members, Rucha.  Rucha is the author of For Now and Forever (Book 1 and 2) and A Game of Billions.

Hi there  tiramisugirl_! My name is Priya. I'm an interviewer from the Crazy Late Nighters Community on Wattpad. You were nominated for an interview by @KarenJ128. What would you like to be called and what are your preferred pronouns?

Hey Priya! I would like to be called Rucha and my preferred pronouns are she/her.

Nice to meet you Rucha! So let's get started with the actual interview, then. First question: When and why did you start writing?

Ah nice question! So I was always good at English and I always won prizes for various debate and blog competitions. I was introduced to Wattpad by a friend in 2018 and ever since then I read a lot of stories by various people, some of which I found were better than many published authors. I am a hopeless romantic and it was a dream of mine to publish a romance or new adult novel. So I finally got the courage to write and post my work on Wattpad and ever since then I have written a lot!

That's incredible! So you've been on wattpad for about 2 years now then, right? That's a long time, wow. so, what advice would you give new, aspiring authors?

Well it's scary to see the talent out here on this platform. But at the same time it's amazing how quick your work can get discovered. My advice for all the aspiring authors is simple and what I followed from the start. Just write to your heart's content and don't worry about votes and comments. People discover you sooner or later. But don't even just sit still and wait for it. Be active, interact with the writers and readers out there. Join communities, book clubs, awards, get your work reviewed. Nothing helps more than socializing and yes appreciating your fellow author's works

aw, that's great advice! you say to join awards, and you have done that. in fact, you've received countless awards for your writing. so you have lots of successful books, so my question is: What is the book/piece of writing you are most proud of?

Well, For Now and Forever will always remain my baby, cause it was the first thing I published and completed here on Wattpad and it was the one which got me that teeny bit of recognition :) But I am more proud of 'A Game of Billions' my second book because by the time I started writing it, I had gathered a lot of experience from 'For Now and Forever' and every chapter has always turned out better than I expected.

Ay both those books are great! I absolutely love how you write btw. Okay, so the next question is: where do you get the ideas for your characters?

Haha, well given the countless and countless books I have read and the loads of sappy romantic bollywood and hollywood movies I have seen, along with a countless number of marathi and hindi soap operas, it's pretty easy for me to sketch out my characters. A little bit of this and a little bit of that, along with my overworked imagination has got me some pretty decent characters. Of course I also have the help of google as it gives me loads and loads of inspiration

haha, yep. Bollywood romance is unmatched lol. Those sound like great sources of inspiration. What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Fight scenes are a little bit hard for me to write. They require a bit of technical knowledge so I have to do a bit of research before writing them. They don't always come out very good but they pass after a bit of editing. Hospital scenes which many people find harder are easier because given my interest in medicine they go well.

That's understandable. You're interested in medicine? That's so cool!! Anyway, how long does it take you to write a book, approximately?

Well each chapter takes about three to four days to come together. I updated twice a week so I finished 'For Now and Forever' in about eight to ten months I guess.

Wow! I'm sure your readers appreciate those quick-paced updates. Who/what has influenced you the most as a writer?

A lot of things influence me as a writer. The positive and negative reviews on what I write play an important role. The mindset in which I write influences the way the chapter turns out too. Somedays the inspiration is just not there. Other days you wish there were more than 24 hours in a day. Support from my friends always has been a good friend for me. And of course the stories of my favourite authors are the once I turn to, when I am looking for some inspiration!

Those are great things to turn to! I know for me, whenever i'm doing anything, my friends' support plays one of the biggest roles as well. If you could tell your past (writing) self anything, what would it be?

I liked to write from when I remember but it was always behind notebooks or on small scraps of paper which I still have preserved in a diary. I always drew small drawings too, to go along with my writings and I even wrote a small short story on Gwen and Kevin back in fifth standard when I used to watch Ben 10. I still laugh when I think about it.

Aw! I love that you've preserved it all. that's so cute. What is, or what defines, a successful author, in your opinion?

The ability to imagine and create. The ability to create your own world and involve people in it, make them see what you see but let them interpret it in a way of their own and at the same time, making them stay in the boundaries you have defined.And of course ability of changing the way your language flows according to your storyline.

That's an interesting mindset. i've never heard that as an answer before. :)) if you were to describe your books/writing in 3 words, what would they be?

romantic, intriguing, enjoyable

Those are literally the perfect choices! okay, so those were all the questions regarding your writing. now the questions will be more about you and your life. What would you say is your favorite underrated/underappreciated novel (either published or on wattpad)?

The Day After Tomorrow by Allan Folsom is one book I think is really really underrated. Many people don't even know it exists. It was one of the few books that got me properly hooked. A real blend of romance, thrill and mystery. I hope people who read this interview will read it too

I've never heard of it, but I'll be sure to read it!! Do you enjoy listening to music while writing? If so, what kind of music do you listen to?

Haha yess, I listen to a lot of music when I write. But I mostly jam to the Fifty Shades soundtrack because that is one amazing album I never get tired of listening. It has just the perfect amount of darkness and that intriguing, romantic vibe. I also like to listen to our romance queen Taylor and BTS. I have made my own playlists too but I rarely add any new songs. It's just those favourite few, over and over again.

Wow that's an interesting mix! So then, if you had a theme song, what would it be?

I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift. That's one underrated song man!! But it's my theme anyway

That song is pretty good! What is the first book that made you cry?

Call me cliche but 'The Fault in our Stars'. I mean the tears just wouldn't stop.

It's a good book! When you aren't writing, what are you doing?

Studying! I am a nerd as you call it and I have always come first in class all these years so I struggle to maintain the reputation Jokes apart, you can find me on my phone a lot too and troubling my sister or singing songs while doing jobs I don't like.

That's great! and coming first in class, that's a lot to juggle. Who is your hero?

My hero my mom! Literally she is everything for me. I couldn't have done half the things I have done without her.

Awh that's cute. Moms are the best tho. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Morning!! I wake up at 5 a.m everyday to study but I can't stay awake after 11.30 p.m. I have never ever stayed awake till 12 a.m even on new year's eve lmao

Oh wow. I'm the complete opposite haha! Growing up, what was your favorite fairy tale?

Cinderella! I loved reading about the glass slipper and ofc prince charming hehe

Yesss! What's a movie you've seen thousands of times, but could still watch over and over?

'Chennai Express' if u consider Bollywood, 'Speed' (Keanu Reeves is HOT) if you consider Hollywood and 'Tula Kalnnaar Nahi' if u take Marathi films (cuz it has my fav actor damn)

Out of those, I've only seen Chennai Express, and it really is so good! If you could ask any historical figure for advice, who would you choose and what would you ask?

I would choose APJ Abdul Kalam for sure because he was a really really great man. I would just ask for a fool proof life mantra from him haha, cause that's what I need the most.

He really was so inspiring! okay, those were all my questions, I believe. On behalf of myself and the entire CLN community, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. It was really nice to talk to you, Rucha! Once the interview is published, I'll let you know! thank you!

Thanksss! I loved this so much!!! Thank you for taking out time for me and thank you to CLN for this!! Loads of love ❤️