Award Winner: SuVida777

"Rhodoreef" -- won second place in the Action/Sci-Fi category of SGA in May 2022.

Interviewer: CoffeeAndSilverInk

1) Could you introduce yourself? Tell me how long you've been on WP, and what made you interested to be a WP writer/start writing here?

SuVida777: Hey! I'm Su Vida. I'm a Sri Lankan artist/animator. I write sci-fi and fantasy stories on WP--well, mostly sci-fi so far. I've been an active user here since January 2021 when I first uploaded my quirky YA novel, Komoreby.

I've had Komoreby and another story brewing in my mind for over a decade, so I finally decided to sit down and write. I decided to do so on WP since it's a social storytelling platform that gives you the freedom to write exactly what you want, get reader feedback, interact with other writers and grow as a creator.

2) You participated in the the Savant Awards in May 2022 and the book you entered "Rhodoreef", won 2nd place. How did you feel about it when you heard the announcement? Was this your first time entering a contest? If so, were you nervous?

SuVida777: I'm super happy that Rhodoreef won! I've applied to community awards before, but I only started writing this story in February. So I'm delighted that it's been received well.

3) What are some other awards or contests you took part in? What are your views about participating in these events generally? Did you enjoy them?

SuVida777: I've taken part in many contests this year, and I think they are great initiatives by the community to boost fellow writers and their work. They're also lots of fun and a good way to see how your story is received. It's like getting user feedback on your creation, and then you can tweak it to make it perfect.

4) Was there any particular reason for participating in TSG? xD

SuVida777: It's so well run! I know it's not easy to run contests like this, so a huge thank-you goes to the hosts and the judges who took the time to judge and review! And I'm grateful to you too, Astrid, for taking the time to do this interview!

5) How was your experience in when writing "Rhodoreef"? Was it an easy process? Which parts did you struggle with the most?

SuVida777: It's been both insanely fun and challenging! Visualizing a technologically advanced underwater city was hard. The scope of the plot is also ambitious, which meant I had to build a whole underwater society, food system, clothing, politics and more. Underneath the fluff and fun, the character development and themes were also complex. I had to research marine biology, geology and climate change with relation to the oceans.

6) How do you feel about your current book?7) Would you call yourself a Pantser, Plotter or a Plantser? (If you're not clear what they mean basically a Pantser is a writer who wings it, while a Plotter plots out the details, and a Plantser is both)

SuVida777: I'm very happy with how it turned out! I've had so much fun writing some of the crazy scenes and characters! I also shed a few tears. Rhodoreef has carved out a special place in my heart.

7) Would you call yourself a Pantser, Plotter or a Plantser? (If you're not clear what they mean basically a Pantser is a writer who wings it, while a Plotter plots out the details, and a Plantser is both)

SuVida777: I'm a plotter. I may add some details later, but I usually plot the whole story and the characters beforehand. I take the time to do a lot of research and worldbuilding as well. I keep a Notes document for each story, and the one for Rhodoreef now stands at 10K words. 

This might also stem from my art/animation background! We don't head straight to production--we take ample time to do pre-production. Even big companies like Disney and Dreamworks sometimes spend years planning the story, characters, doing research and visualizing scenes.

 8) What was one thing you enjoyed the most while participating in TSG? Or one thing you disliked? 

SuVida777: It's awesome to receive lengthy reviews from the judges! That's not something you receive in every contest, since on top of the time needed to read, it takes a long time to write individual reviews.

9) What do you think would help WP writers, other than hosting awards? Do you think you would be receptive to the notion that a community book that contains writing advice? Would you read something like that? >.<

SuVida777: Awards and reviews on WP are so very helpful for new writers here! I think that's a great idea--especially when it comes to common mistakes we make when writing. This could be as simple as clearing the confusion when it comes to tricky punctuation (commas can be a nightmare surprisingly).

10) Are you comfortable with us posting the interview responses and questions?

SuVida777: Yep! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview!

(Interview ends)