Let's Get To Know You Better || SLOW UPDATES

- meet our participant: Anurag Ghosh -

Let's meet Anurag_Ghosh or M. R. Renfield :D

1. What inspired you to participate in the Cloud Awards contest on Wattpad?

One of my fellow authors posted about the Cloud Awards on their profile. I went through it and felt curious. To be honest, the positiveness and the energy of the hosts provided a feel-good essence within me, and I felt that if I participated in it, even keeping aside the winning, the hosts and the judges would actually help me in my writing journey by genuinely reviewing and improving me. And so, I went on to participate in the Cloud Awards!

2. Which book(s) are you participating with in this contest?

I have entered my first novel, 'The Midnighter', which is still ongoing.

3. Can you share a bit about the creative process behind your entry?

As it is my first novel, so I do not have much experience of what global readers might like and what they want most from the protagonist, the antagonist or the major plot. And so, I think the Cloud Awards is a great opportunity for me to interact with the readers and review my writing from them.

4. Did you face any challenges while writing your story? If so, how did you overcome them?

Not that much difficult but yes, I did face a challenge while writing 'The Midnighter'. It was about the timeline and how it fits well with the trends and character's behaviour. As the story is set in the late 19th century, I had to do some research for it to know about that era. And sometimes, there were some parts of the story where I took longer time than usual to figure out the setup in the timeline but then, it went well. So, I would say, if anyone faces any challenge, be it in writing a book or anywhere, be patient and take your time and you will eventually find a way to sort it out!

5. What aspect of your story do you think sets it apart from others in the contest?

I have gone through a few entries slightly, and I must say all of them are fantabulous. It would be a tough one for the judges! But as per my opinion, my story is kinda different from others because of it's writing style and setup. 'The Midnighter' is set in the year 1893, marking the beginning (not really a 'start') of a supernatural universe. And also it is in the epistolary format, and not in the usual novel form.

6. Are there any specific authors or stories on Wattpad (or outside of it) that inspire your writing?

Well, I'm new to Wattpad and so, I do not know much about the authors here but I do know some of there works. Anna Todd, the author of the book which later on got into the movie 'After', had inspired me to join Wattpad and be part of it. And there is another author on Wattpad, S. K. Taylor, who is also happens to be a participant of the Cloud Awards, has a intriguing paced writing which I really liked. I might tag her here new_erasktaylor. Besides them, my writing is heavily inspired by the authors Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker and J. K. Rowling. Well, my book also has some references from Bram Stoker's work (maybe a spoiler!) if anyone recognizes then well and fine!

7. How do you typically approach character development in your stories?

I observe people in real life and try to write it down genuinely in my stories. I feel, then only my characters will become relatable to the readers despite the plot, the setup and all other stuff. This thing I have learnt from J. K. Rowling's novels and movies.

8. What's your favorite feedback or comment you've received on your story so far?

That one of the main character of my book gives the vibes of Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter series. The author S. K. Taylor commented this on one of the parts of my book. To be honest, this was very motivating for me as I understood that my character is on the right path that I have thought of.

9. Do you have any rituals or routines you follow when writing?

I do not know whether to call it a ritual or a routine, but whenever I sit down to write any of my stories, be it of any genre, I play it's theme/genre's corresponding ambience music on YouTube and listen to it while writing. It helps me focus and stay within the world I'm writing about.

10. What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to enter contests like the Cloud Awards?

Well! An advice, I see, for the aspiring writers looking forward to enter contests, is that do not lose hope if you don't secure your desired place in the contests. Take the feedback positively and learn through it, and make sure your 'today' goes better than 'yesterday' in terms of learning and try to use it to make your 'tomorrow' better than your 'today' in terms of living. That's all from my side. Thank you very much for this interview!

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And that was a wonderful and quite insightful interview, thank you for your positive enthusiasm and hope about the contest, judges as well as your work - yes, even your work, it matters just as much ;)

It was definitely fun and hopefully you'll receive much much more than just a feedback here - a lot of positive experience :D

All the best!

cheers,
thetranquilityteam!