Subalakshmi

Subalakshmi is a twenty-year-old, English Literature student from Mumbai and she loves to write in her free time (which is pretty much always). She's an online author of novels and short stories that have garnered 3 million reads. She has won the Inkitt Short Story Competition 2019 and Superwinner Wattpad India Awards 2021. Her other interests include kdramas and sacrificial, rich heroes who are currently ruling her little world.

What inspired you to write?

Oddly enough, inspiration came from within me. Ever since I was a child, I always told everyone that I would write and I just stuck with it. If you ever feel like writing, just do it!

Where do you get your ideas?

Earlier, I used to watch multiple movies in a day and read a lot and while doing all of that, ideas used to visit the empty hall of my mind. These days, it's generally from my own life experiences, observation of whimsical people and the society around me. When one walks like a sponge, slothful and light, it's easy to absorb ideas from the people around.

Which story did you enjoy writing most?

All of them for sure!

Do you have a favourite character from your stories?

Willa Morris from "A Viking, Willa, Josiah and His Lamb in the Truck." She's a spoiled brat and her misadventures lead her to the most awkward and hilarious circumstances. While creating her character, I couldn't stop myself from laughing!

You focus on drama and romance, what draws you to these genres?

I'm a hard-core romantic who would go "awwwwww" at the tiniest gesture of love. Add some juicy gossip and drama to that, it's a hearty feast for me.

What do you think makes a good story?

Anything that can engage a reader's attention is a good story, whether poorly written or verbose. By the end of the day, nearly all famous works of art could connect or at least evoke a reader's feelings, be it laughter, tears, goosebumps or a throbbing need for a cold shower (if you know, you know ;))

What's your favourite book and why?

My favourite book would be "War and Peace" by Tolstoy because people think I'm intelligent whenever I mention this book as my favourite.

Having had millions read your writing, what's one piece of advice you'd like to share with new authors?

Just write! Never stop writing regardless of the number of reads or grammatical errors. The moment you hear the bees buzzing inside, it's time to squeeze the hive of your brain and pour all that sweet honey on paper. Or laptop. Wherever you write.

What made you take a chance on Novellea?

Novellea is a wonderful, unique platform catering to short stories and at times when writers struggle to let their voices be heard, Novellea hands them a loudspeaker (not quite literally). I'm always grateful to Novellea for giving me one such loudspeaker and helping my stories reach across the globe, to places where I can't even afford to travel or imagine.

Can you tell us about any upcoming stories?

"A Viking, Willa, Josiah and His Lamb in a Truck" is a short, funny read and it'll soon be launched on Novellea! Hope this work makes you giggle during these uncertain times of the pandemic.