Hello, fellow disciples! We've been searching far and wide for individuals who have cultivated for a long time. This month, we bring to you an interview with doriguro, the author of Blossoms of Love.

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Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hi! I'm Auden and I've been writing LGBTQIA+ stories on Wattpad for the past for the past three years now. I'm currently 22 and recently graduated university with a degree in Criminology. At the moment, I'm trying to pursue a career in writing and hope to one day become a published author. I have been a Wattpad user/reader off and on since 2017 but have finally made my home with doriguro where I publish my stories.

What is your writing process? Do you outline everything or write as things come to mind? Why?

I usually start by planning out who my main character(s) are going to be. I want to figure out what they look like, how they carry themselves, what they sound like and what their purpose is. From this, I take whatever loose storyline I had in mind and start to develop the world/setting and plan out each main plot point. I often find it easy to uncover and plan how I want to story to begin and end but find the real challenge is in figuring out what will happen between to get my characters from point A to B. I like to have a rough plan or outline but tend to write as things come to mind because sometimes you can't plan out a story, you just have to let it find you, and that happens best as you're going along. It also leaves plenty of freedom if you change your mind on certain events or aspects of your story plan as you write.

What are some things that influenced your story?

There are many things that influenced my story, almost all of which centre around Chinese myth and legend. I am also a huge fan of both the Xianxia, Wuxia and Danmei genres, each of which come into play within my story, Blossoms of Love. Magical creatures, ferocious beasts, a deeply political environment and themes of immortality make for a great playing field when it comes to writing a thrilling story.

Tell us about the main character of one of your stories. What inspired their creation?

Yin Jianguo, from my story Blossoms of Love, is a somewhat brash young man with an taste for all things beautiful but as the reader gets to know him, they will soon find out there is a lot more to him than first meets the eye. He is tactical and caring, valuing the freedom of youth alongside his duty to his family after the passing of his father. He was inspired by a lot of things, namely many other characters in fiction who have that very specific personality which never fails to captivate you. He is a loveable rouge of sorts with the way he challenges the way of things, always pushing back in some way against the expectations society has put upon him. I really connect with him in that way as sometimes I feel far too much pressure to please other people rather than staying true to myself. Through him I have learnt that it is okay to be who I am without apology which I think is important to a lot of people, especially those like me within the LGBTQIA+ community.

What were some challenges you experienced while writing the story?

I have had a lot of things going on in my life recently which has made it difficult to keep up with writing new chapters. Personal issues in my life have meant that I've been more burnt out than I'd like to admit which has really slowed the creative process but I still try to write as often as I can, even if I'm only taking notes and coming up with new ideas for future chapters.

What message do you hope your story will tell your readers?

I hope it will show them that no matter what hardships you face, so long as you're surrounded by the people you love, you'll pull through. And, if you ever feel like you're alone in the world, you'll find friendship even in the most unexpected places. No one is alone and no one has to handle every burden placed upon them all by themselves. It is okay and healthy to lean on other people when things get too tough. You've just got to stay strong and trust in the people around you, the people who care about and love you.

If you woke up in a time or place that was very different from reality, what would you do?

I would probably go out and explore. I'm always looking for a new adventure and that would be the adventure of a lifetime! I'd also be taking notes everywhere I went to write a story about it all one day.

If there was something you could learn (i.e., some spell, some martial arts, etc.) like the main character in your book, what would it be?

I would want to learn to cultivate so that I could prolong my lifespan and protect the people I love. With abilities like theirs I could become a real life superhero if I wanted to!

Would you rather go through a lifetime of never finding love or be willing to go through several lifetimes of hardships just to save your love? Why?

I would go through several lifetimes of hardships to save my love because I value my loved ones more than anything. If they are suffering then I suffer as well so I would do anything to save them. Also a lifetime of never finding love sounds lonely. Whether that love is romantic, familial or platonic, I couldn't live without it.

What is your favorite creature from Asian mythology or folklore? Why?

There are so, so many that I doubt I could really chose just one. But if I limited it to creatures that appear, or will appear, in my book then probably the Xiangliu. I've always had a thing for serpents so as far as deadlier creatures go the Xiangliu is definitely one of my favourites, it was also really fun to write about and incorporate into my story!

What is your favorite Asian myth? Why?

I don't think I could ever choose just one myth when there are so many great ones to pick from! I do really like the story of the Nian though as it is so central in the Chinese New Year. It is also another creature that makes an appearance within my story, although this one doesn't have as optimistic of an ending.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, doriguro! We wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors.

Until the next chapter, fellow disciples!