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 equinoxmoon, the author of Jackal Eka.

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Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hey folks! Outside Wattpad, I'm a medical student panicking my way through my exams and loving every bit of the process of becoming a doctor. I love eating chocolate, binging on books and television series, travelling, sketching and painting on my walls. I'm multilingual (English isn't my first language) and I'm hoping to learn a few more languages soon. ^^

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

I'm a chronic plotter and I usually start with a rough stick-figure plot, something along the lines of "A is trying to prove to people that they're the real X and not B, who's a fake". Then the layers of name, gender, personality, their tie-ins to the world around them and social standing are added till voilà, we have the basic outline of a story! 

What are some things that influenced your story?

The ONC 2021 prompts and the entries of fellow authors had me pumped for writing Jackal Eka.

My culture and the environment I had at home while growing up influenced Jackal Eka to an enormous extent. Most of the mythological aspects used in the tale were introduced to me by my grandparents through traditional Southern Indian folktales, epics, poems, hymns and fables.

I'm also very fond of watching anime and anime inspired animations like Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend Of Korra etc. My style of writing is heavily inspired by it. 

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

The main character of Jackal Eka is a young mage apprentice named Daminey Roukha (pronounced Dah-mi-ney Roo-kah, with a soft D) who's from the mage lineage of the Jackal. She has to come to terms with her stuttering and her raging Imposter syndrome while trying to save people from a terrible, supernatural flood. I had kept her character designing as a challenge for myself; I wanted to write someone who wouldn't stand out from the crowd. 

What were some challenges you experienced while writing the story?

The accurate portrayal of the main character's stuttering was a huge challenge for me because I kept fearing that the end result would feel unnatural, or even patronising to those facing the same issues as she does. I still am in the process of editing it. I wanted to portray Daminey's insecurities, fears and her issues with stuttering in a light that doesn't romanticise it but addresses it in a respectful manner. 

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

Imposter syndrome is seldom discussed in present day fiction, despite its terrifyingly common occurrence in the modern world (almost half of us have felt it at some point in our lives, but we just keep dusting it under the rug alongside all our mental baggage). What's worse is that it drags us down like quicksand, makes us question our own abilities and takes a huge bite out of self confidence. 

We're all worthy of what we've achieved through our honest sweat, grit and determination. Don't let your mistakes undermine your achievements, make you question your abilities or let you feel like a cheater.

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

I'd explore the new world as soon as I had something to defend myself with. Cheers to a new adventure! 

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'd like to learn some basic martial arts from my mages to keep myself fit and safe. 

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?

The second one sounds all the more rewarding to me to be honest, it's as the saying goes, 'a loveless life is a living death'. Also the second route sounds way more interesting haha.

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

I have a soft spot for the Japanese Kitsune and its distant cousin, the Korean Gumiho. Tales about these trickster fox spirits that have an incredibly benevolent side in certain stories and malevolent in others make for an interesting, morally grey read.

What is your favorite Asian myth? Why?

The Hindu tale of the Matsya (fish) Avatar is one of my favourites. In the version of the tale I had grown up with, the first king of humans had chanced upon a tiny fish in a pond. The fish asked him to save it from its predators and the king obliged by carrying it to his palace in an earthen pot. As the days went by, the fish grew quickly in size and the earthen pots had to be replaced till finally the king woke up one day to find a gargantuan, single-horned fish in the river near his palace. The fish thanked the king for his kindness and hospitality and warned him about a world-ending deluge that would swallow the world in a few days. He instructed the king to build a boat and prep it with animals and the seeds of all the plant life he could find so that the world could start anew once the flood retreated. On the day of the flood, the fish returned to the boat filled with life, had it tied to his huge horn and pulled the boat to safety through the deluge. The fish later revealed his true self to the king as Lord Vishnu, the Preserver of the Universe. There are plenty of temples in India that were built to honour the Matsya Avatar. Something about that basic moral of being kind to animals had stayed with me as I grew up. 

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

Until the next chapter, fellow disciples!