For our first blog interview, we interviewed Risha Chaurasia, a teen author and blogger from India.
How did you get to where you are today? How did you start?
I grew up as an avid reader and practically spent my childhood with my nose in a novel. My grandmother also used to narrate bedtime stories to me each night, sparking my interest in fiction and storytelling. As a reader, I always dreamt of seeing my name on a published piece of work and this dream, along with my love for literature, sparked the writer in me.
As an author, I get to create art that will stay beyond my life and the ability to create something that will stay in the world for decades to come inspires me. I began writing at age 8 and began by writing plays that were later performed in my school. I also ran a Facebook blog called Risha’s Corner, so that’s how I started.
What is your creative process like? How do you go about creating your content?
All stories begin with an idea, and the best part about ideas is that they’re all around. They can come to you anytime, anywhere. Once I get an idea, I begin with the formation or prompts and some dialogue. I draw out a rough plot line, alongside character sketches, to get a basic idea of what I want my story to look like. I also journal and often use experiences written in my journal as inspiration. Creating content is a time-consuming and lengthy process that goes on for months on end, and the process varies from time to time.
Tell us about your two novels Tales of Twinkling Tweens and TRUCE: Novis Initiis. What was the inspiration behind them and was the publishing process like being a teenager?
TRUCE is a novel exploring themes of friendship, love and self-discovery, which I started writing at age 12. The story revolves around 5 protagonists- Tiya, Ron, Udit, Cayra and Edi, with each one of them facing their challenges. The story takes you through their journey of tackling their problems and blooming into confident young adults.
I wrote my first novel, Tales of Twinkling Tweens, at age 11. This book touched on various aspects of a tween’s life. It took the readers through school experiences—teachers, relationships with friends, experiencing bullying, examination pressure, annoying habits of tween boys and girls, their complex emotions and embracing many changes they undergo.
I have drawn inspiration for both novels from my personal experiences and those of my friends. I believe that the best kind of writing is raw and real, thus I base it on real people and real circumstances.
Both my novels are self-published, and the publishing process was quite simple. Upon the initial submission of the first 3 chapters and its acceptance, I submitted the entire manuscript. The publishing team then took over and formatted, edited and illustrated. My parents predominantly looked after the publishing process due to my young age.
Tell us about your financial literacy blog and your initiatives to increase reading among youth. What are they called, what purpose do they serve, and how do they help?
My blog is called Straight From My Pen, and is on Instagram with over 3000 followers. Via the blog I aim to simplify finance for the youth, to educate and empower them. I use short, informative posts to explain recent financial happenings and their relevance, and also interview financial figures and experts. Gen Z is a generation built by and on social media, thus social media is my biggest tool in progressing my ideas. Gen Z is also drifting away from literature and readers are almost an extinct group. To revive the joy of reading, I conduct various workshops and seminars. They aim to teach creative writing to aspiring creatives.
What does art mean to you? In making your content, who do you hope to inspire and what message do you spread?
For me, art is empowerment. Art is the medium that empowers you to be you, that makes you, you. Through my writing, I wish to inspire the youth, the Genz. My books revolve around extremely relevant issues faced by almost every teenager, and I want to spread positivity through my writing. I want the youth to believe in the light at the end of the tunnel.
I also wish to spread the joy of reading among the youth. Reading is hands down the best thing you can do as a teenager, and I want the youth to take it up. I work towards financial literacy as well, to empower and educate the future generation of wealth managers.
What else are you working on? What are your goals for this year?
I am currently working on my 3rd and 4th novels and I also wish to further grow my blog. I am a junior in high school and my primary aim currently is to fulfill my academic commitments and create a positive impact.
What advice would you give to young creatives starting?
Have a very strong sense of self and believe in your abilities. The way you perceive yourself, the world will perceive you. The world will pull you down. Haters will hate, but if you believe in yourself and your work, you’ll be unfazed. Believe in yourself and watch the world believe in you. Hard Work is like a boomerang, it always comes back to you. If you dedicate yourself to what you love to do, success will walk to you. Keep hustling!
Risha is the author of two books called Tales of Twinkling Tweens and TRUCE. She also runs a financial literacy blog on Instagram. She advocates for leading among youth through workshops and events. You can find her on her website.
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