Padmini Muraletharen

Please tell us a little about yourself (if you can provide a picture, feel free to do so).

My name is Padmini. I’m turning 18 soon and I’m going to be a senior. I’m a total Florida child,
never even seen snow. I’ve been writing since I was about 14 years old. I love learning anything new. I’m not sure what I want to study in college. I was sure I wanted to study medicine since I was little, and now in the last year of high school, I’m not so sure anymore. So many things interest me and want to do a lot of different things. My list of dreams and careers I wish I could have is crazy. I love talking a lot and I do debate. I like to think I'm the typical Sagittarius. I like deep thinking, I love learning and understanding, storytelling thrills me, I love adventure, and I'm brutally honest.

What type of books do you like to read? What type if books do you like to write?

My favorite type of book to read and write is romance. It can be from any genre but there has to be some kind of romance. Anything I write will always have romance and that’s what I look for to read too. I won’t ever read horror books or anything sad. I love cliché plots as long as the author makes it very distinct and interesting with a stand out style of writing. I read fantasy and suspense too. I’m pretty picky with what I read. The writing itself has to be great and I have to fall in love with the characters mainly.

What are your top 3 books? What are your top 3 authors?

No matter what books I love –and I can love them a lot- but Harry Potter will always be at the top. I just absolutely love everything about it. I grew up with it, and that’ll always be the favorite in the background. J.K. Rowling is my favorite author. It blows my mind that she wrote this huge intricate series with its own universe and all the planning she put into it that’s not even mentioned in the books. It was pretty amazing that she kept track of all of that and tied everything up so perfectly in the end. I don’t think I’ve ever been so attached to a set of characters since Harry Potter. My other favorite author is L.J. Smith who wrote the Night World series and The Vampire Diaries series. Night World is one of my favorites because it’s also so extensive and has a lot of awesome well developed characters. Then there are a lot of different authors and books I love on Wattpad.

What inspires you to write?

Reading epic kind of stories like the Harry Potter series really inspires me. It’s always astounded me that authors can create such well thought out elaborate and detailed worlds for their characters. I’ve wished since I was little that someday, I can write something of that caliber too. The main thing that inspires me is characters kind of forming in my head. The things they would do or say, their personalities and attitudes, and their stories. Once a character, an idea for a story, or even a few words pop up in my head, I have to write them down and develop them. That usually inspires the rest.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?                          

I wasn’t sure what a pantser was, but based on what I looked up, I would be more of a pantser. I come up with a few things and run on that. I’m a bit of a planner too, even though I don’t plan a lot. I think of different plot lines and I really plan characters, their pasts, and possible scenes, but I don’t make outlines or anything.

What time of day do you write?

I usually write really late at night after everyone has gone to bed. I stay up pretty late, and I always feel most creative after midnight. It’s easier to think when I’m alone and it’s pretty relaxing to just sit down and write after a long day. If I’m doing something during the day that makes me think of a good scene or just a few words, I’ll write them down.

What tool do you normally write with? (A pen, computer, phone, etc.)

Most of my writing is done on my computer because it’s more convenient. I have Dropbox on my computers and tablet, so I can continue writing anywhere. I also have a few documents meant for just small bits and pieces of writing that don’t necessarily belong to any story yet. So if I feel inspired and just have to write, I can add to those wherever I am, even if it’s just one sentence at a time. Sometimes I’ll write a memo on my phone or scribble something on scratch paper that I’ll add in when I can. Then, when I’m writing, I can go back and stick the little excerpts in where they fit.

Have you ever dealt with writer's block? If so, how did you combat it?

I’ve had a lot of writer’s block in the past. I come up with characters and concepts to base stories off of. I can write descriptively, so I don’t have a problem with writing scenes as much as I do with filling the blanks in a plot. I don’t write linearly. I know the idea of the story, characters and what they go through as people, and where they end up. So, I can write the beginning, the end, and lots of scenes throughout that develop the story and characters. Sometimes, I don’t even know the whole plot or exactly what happens to the characters in between. To handle it, I usually just wait until something comes to me or I may throw around ideas with my best friends to come up with something.

 Please tell us a little bit about your work.

I write a few stories at the same time. I write adventure and fantasy books that always have romance. I’m mainly working on two books write now. Hopefully, they’ll both be part of two different series. One is about this girl Holly who’s training to be a CIA agent and Ash who’s this CIA legend that has to train her. The other one is about Hallie, who works for this huge company. She and her young boss Alex have a love hate relationship. She finds out some huge news about him and that kind of changes everything. That one turns into a fantasy romance and they go on this quest to kind of save the world.

 Where did you get your idea for this story?

The story about the spy, I started writing when I was 13 or 14. I’ve always loved the whole spy, assassin, con artist theme and so it just came out. The other one, I wrote about two years ago as an assignment. I’m a big procrastinator so I started writing about the first idea that I came up with the day before it was due. After, I kept working on it and I just wanted to turn the short story to a series where I could continue it in a fantasy setting.

What challenges have you faced with writing this story?

The biggest challenge was coming up with the plot. No plot or adventure for the characters seemed big enough or just right. I’m a big perfectionist so I wasn’t satisfied with a lot of parts. I write scenes and dialogue that I have to work around. I had a lot of trouble writing the middle and connecting the scenes.

Who is your favorite character to write?

The guys are always my favorite to write. Ash, the CIA agent and Alex, the horrible boss are my favorite. Both are guys that start out as jerks and then you get to find out that they’re really good people. They’re the kind of guys that are a little damaged and have all these layers, and when they actually do something nice, it’s really fun to write.

What type of romantic relationship do you like to read? (Hate/love, best friend, forbidden, etc.) is it the same type you like to write? Why or why not?

I love any romantic relationship where the guy and girl have a lot of really witty banter and don’t get along in the beginning. Love hate relationships are the best because the reader can see the characters fall for each other. Heroes or anti-heroes that change into a nice guy in the end are the best kinds. The longer the hero and heroine take to get together, the better the story because tension and excitement build up.  I love the forbidden romance stories too.

What draws you to a book (to read)?

A plot that sounds really interesting and a description that’s intriguing gets my attention. When I first start reading, the way it’s written and if it’s well told draws me in. The author has to have a great style of writing. Very well written, life like characters also draw me to books. Characters that are very witty and clever.

What characteristics do you look for in your ideal heroine? Your ideal hero? Are they the same characteristics you employ when you write your heroine and your hero? Why or why not?

I like heroines that are very witty and clever. Ones that can stand up to other characters and are strong and brave but a little clumsy and unsure at the same time. The hero should be cool and indifferent at first, interesting, brave, daring, and protective. He can be very rude, confident, and rough around the edges but has to be caring, thoughtful, and deep at heart. I try to make most of my characters fit these qualities because it’s always fun to unravel these conflicting contradicting traits in a character.

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading a bunch of different books on Wattpad right now. The one I look forward to reading most is the Death is my BFF series by katrocks247 which is about this girl Faith and the grim reaper, and Saving Elliot by northbynorth.

Finally, what are the ingredients to your favorite book? (A dose of action, a splash of romance, etc.)

Definitely romance, adventure, lots of action, banter, really ingenious diction, and charming attractive characters.