Interview with JUHI FRAGRANT! (Buccaneer Blogfest Day 3)

Before we begin, I want to apologize to anyone who's been on my blog and have been experiencing issues such as the page loading to the very bottom and an ad popping up, particularly when attempting to post comments. The wonderful RC Lewis discovered that the cause of the problem was a calendar I had at the bottom of the page. Thanks for not letting it drive you away, and I'm so glad it's fixed now! (:

BUCCANEER BLOGFEST DAY 3: INTERVIEW WITH

JUHI FRAGRANT

After Juhi and I got into contact with each other (our ships are on vastly different parts of the world, methinks) I realized just how intensely cool she was! This is my first ever interview so I kind of winged it. You should all sooo go check Juhi's stuff out!

Juhi: Wait yer questions, lass.

FlameWriter: Thanks, Juhi! Let me know if any questions are offensive—that's the last thing I want to do.

Juhi: Don't worry about offending. Most normal everyday people are not as sensitive as the newsmakers shouting and screaming from the rooftops make them out to be!

FlameWriter: On your blog, you explain that your teacher gave you the idea to start writing. How old were you?

Juhi: I was 9, I guess. 

Our English lessons in school were pretty awesome. We composed poetry, wrote essays, stories, advertisements, letters, debated about Shakespearean quotes...the whole bag of tricks. And most of our English teachers came up with excellently imaginative prompts.

For example, once we had to write a letter pretending we were misers! That was a fun afternoon. It was fun to read each other's miserly letters.

FlameWriter:  Many of the names you use in your stories and on the blog in general have Hindu origins. What, if anything (other than the storytelling when you were younger), made you so interested? (To the readers: This is one of the questions I feared might be offensive. (: )

Juhi: Like everybody I think and thus write according to my environment. I am an Indian Hindu. And so I am and always have been surrounded by lovely and mesmerising stories of Indian Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Heroines. The lyrical Sanskrit words have always entranced me. And naturally they just bleed into my stories and poetry.

FlameWriter: Who is your favorite deity?

Juhi: All the Gods and Goddesses in the Hindu pantheon are equally interesting and have beautiful stories and tales attached to them. But I guess Krishn is the one who attracts me the most. He is a prankster with a heart of gold. He is the embodiment of love. He is a complete ladies' man, and reels you in with his wickedly bewitching smile and flute.

He is also a great thinker and philosopher. The Bhagavad Geeta, the most sacred and revered of Hindu scriptures, because it reveals the secret to a happy life are his words, literally.

(Juhi had a picture here she wanted to share, but my blog doesn't like it. Juhi, maybe post it in the comments? (: )

FlameWriter: All we writers suffer from procrastination. Do you have anything that you use to try and get over yours? Bribery, rewards?

Juhi: I scold myself! I say "Juhi! Get writing. NOW!!!"

FlameWriter: What is one of your WIPs about?

Juhi: Ooh, my favourite subject to talk about! The story that I am currently writing is about a handsome, but shy scientist who invents a time-machine and takes his history buff step-daughter back to a city in the Indus Valley Civilisation. While there, they meet really interesting characters like Dutta, who is a hoity-toity rhino-trainer......are you hooked yet? (Yes!)

FlameWriter: If there were any writing advice you could publicly decry, what would it be?

Juhi: All writing advise, except "WRITE".

FlameWriter: If there were any writing advice you could publicly promote, what would it be?

Juhi: Write! 

Scold, bribe, reward, hoodwink yourself into writing.

FlameWriter: This is your first blog hop. (Mine too!) How's it going so far?

Juhi: People around me have been advising/asking me to set up a blog for ages. Infact the moment I tell someone new, that I write, the next words out of their mouths is "Do you have a blog?" 

So I finally bit the bullet and I am so glad I did. And I thank each and everyone of the people who gave me such great advise. Because along with the expected discipline and critiques that I wanted for my writing, I now also know about exciting things like blog hops which I am thoroughly enjoying. Meeting new people, reading new stories! Its like Diwali and Christmas rolled into one!

FlameWriter: I'm the kind of person who just as to ask, so: Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kind?

Juhi: No, I don't listen to music while writing. I like to give music my complete attention and am completely immersed when listening to songs, melodies or tunes that I enjoy.

FlameWriter: Last question! What are your ideals/views on writing?

Juhi: I enjoy writing. I love the process of thinking up characters, their names, and then observing their habits, their ticks, their pet peeves, how they'll talk to each other, how they roll their eyes at me, when I ask them to hurry along.

I like the sense of accomplishment, the satisfaction I experience when I write something down.

And I am absolutely crazy about those moments when I pick up my old diaries and look up something and wonder, did I really, REALLY write that!? 

Interviewing her was so much fun! She had such interesting characters and I thought it was so great to see where she gets the inspiration for her ideas! I hope you find her answers as fun as I did, and I hope you all go help her out in her blogateering ventures!

Sailin' out to seas of high lore 'til next time, mateys! Arrrgh!