Third applicant: SuVida777

Book: Rhodoreef

Amethyst: Before starting the interview, I would like to congratulate you on winning 3rd place in the Young Adult category! How are you?

SuVida777: I'm happy Rhodoreef managed to win! Thank you so much for hosting these awards!

Q: What inspired you to write a story about mermaids/sci-fi?

SuVida777: The ocean is a largely unexplored wonderland—it's space right here on Earth! I've been fascinated with it for a very long time. When my fun illustration of Ariel won first in the Rewind the Classics contest last year, I thought of writing a retelling of The Little Mermaid. I envisioned a techy mer-city in an alternate Indian Ocean, and I decided to explore themes of climate change and sustainability. When ONC came along, I wove in two prompts and told this tale!

Q: What's your favourite part of writing Rhodoreef?

SuVida777: I can't decide on one thing. It was insanely fun and challenging to create an underwater metropolis that is realistic—complete with its own tech, history, clothing, food, politics and society. I had to research geology, marine biology, the alien world of the deep seas, ocean biomes, plastic pollution, commercial fishing and the impact of climate change on the oceans. I also had so much fun writing the ship and Dea's adventures!

Q: If you were a mermaid, which sea animal would you like as a pet?

SuVida777: Burpy the sea cow!

Q: What are the top five crops that you would like to grow in your garden?

SuVida777: I'm not much of a gardener, but my brother is. He's grown durian, mangoes, avocado and acerola cherries in the garden. I love them all. I also love mangosteens.

Amethyst: Mangoes <3

Q: Is it possible that Dilip and Anuk are siblings? Or is Dilip a mermaid/human like Anuk?

SuVida777: That's a cool theory! They might have some connection—who knows...I'm not giving away any spoilers! And thank you so much for reading Rhodoreef to the very end!

Amethyst: Aww. I also expected to not get any spoilers XD. Ofcourse! Expect to see me until the story is completed <3

Q: What's your goal as a writer?

SuVida777: My goal would be to bring to life the awesome stories, characters and worlds brewing in my mind! I want to create stories that are hugely entertaining while having substance and food for thought. And it's not every day we see Asian-ness in stories, so mine come with Asian characters, societies and settings—especially Sri Lankan.

Q: Are there any future projects that you are planning to write?

SuVida777: I will be working on the sequel to Komoreby next year, as well as an anime trailer. There's a space story that has been in my mind for almost 10 years. I've been doing sporadic research and development there. Other than that, there are a few smaller scale novels on the back burner—including a dark fantasy/supernatural horror story, a Komoreby spin-off and an Asian folk story retelling.

Amethyst: an anime trailer! Well, that's amazing! Hope to see it published soon.

And that marks the end of this interview. Have a great day!