For our Inkitt Icons Interview this Saturday, we chatted to SSeemran to discover the secret behind writing successful romance stories. Her scintillating novel Billionaire’s Intense Love, has just been adapted by Inkitt’s Immersive Stories App, Galatea! It is titled The Arrangement on Galatea.
Hello SSeemran. As such a popular author, we’d love to know more about your creative process. What is your ideal writing setup?
Whenever I get an idea or imagine a scene, I note it down on my phone or in my diary. The location doesn’t really bother me, but generally I prefer a quiet place like my room or the library. I edit my work at night when everything is calm around me.
A moment of peace can really rouse the creative mind, it’s true. What inspired you to begin your writing career?
I used to spend my whole time reading, and finally this idea popped into my head that I should give writing a shot too. But back then I was only thinking about it. I never took part in my school’s essay competitions because I was a really lazy kid. These competitions generally happened at the weekend and I thought I could better spend my time sleeping! I started writing when I came into the senior years of college. School to college is a long journey, and after reading so many novels and articles, I finally decided to take part in a writing competition. I had no hope of winning, but guess what? Miraculously, the lazy backbencher won the competition! People began to acknowledge me for my winning story which was then posted on my college’s website. My friends told me to keep writing, and thankfully I wrote something that people enjoy.
Wow, we’re really glad you did! What is it that attracts you to your chosen genre?
Interestingly, I have written books which are part of the ‘Romance’ genre, despite having zero experience when it comes to romance in real life. So, I guess I am living in a fairytale world where I am sketching a type of romance I would like to have in my personal life too!
Well, there’s nothing wrong with living vicariously, and your ‘fairytale world’ is an extremely popular one among your readers! Do you prefer creating heroes or villains?
Villains. There haven’t been many strong villains in my previous stories, so I am writing a new story in which the villain is the protagonist!
That sounds really interesting – villains are often more complex, and that can make them more exciting to experiment with and unpick. As a successful Inkitt Icon, what are your top tips for authors who are just starting out?
I know it can be tough for new authors, because they often suffer from writer’s block or the niggling doubt in their head that they’re not good enough. They may get impatient waiting for millions of reads. My advice is to relax! Concentrate more on your work than on your number of reads, because everyone starts from scratch. It took me several months and years to reach the level I’m at today. I learnt from my mistakes and accepted every single piece of advice that I got from my readers. So for now, focus on the story itself, because if you’ve put the effort in then your audience will start to grow.
That’s very wise; focussing on the task at hand instead of worrying about status is a great way to start. If you had to describe Inkitt in 3 words, what would they be?
Inkitt made my life. So the three words for Inkitt would be: Dynamic. Reliable. Diligent
We are so pleased to hear it! What genres would you like to try out in future?
I’d like to try Horror, because I am interested in how the author plays with the power of the reader’s imagination and terrifies them.
Awesome, there is an art to creating suspense and it would definitely be fun to perfect it. And to finish off, which aspect of your novels are you most proud of?
I am proud of the emotional strength of my female leads. I am strong a supporter of feminism, and I hope to inspire my female readers to be strong enough to tackle all of life’s difficulties, to never give up, and to have higher hopes.
On that wonderful note, we’re going to wrap up. Thank you for sharing your story and your inspirational vision with us!
