An interview with a perfectionist : Rashi Shrivastava

Introduce yourself to the audience.
My name is Rashi Shrivastava, 23 years old and a student of English Literature at the University of Delhi, currently pursuing a Masters degree from Hans Raj College. Reared in a convent school, I have always been an avid reader and writer by default. Writing fiction is something that came naturally to me, and I hope to make it big as a bestselling novelist one day. For now I am waiting for the pen to coincide with my thoughts and animate them into a beautiful book. I am also a regular blogger and write about numerous aspects of life ranging from Books, Love, Writing and Beliefs. My blog address is as follows: www.temptationofwords.wordpress.com Besides, I also run pages on Facebook and Instagram  Temptations of Words.

Define yourself in one word.
Perfectionist. Without sounding over the top, let me clear that it pertains only to the fact that I like being perfect in everything I do and I also know that I have a long way to go.
At what stage of your life you started writing?
As far as I remember, and that memory is intact because I still have that first piece of my writing in my possession. It was when I was in 7th grade and I wrote a poem for my school magazine. I named it The Element and it was about how each one of us are unique in certain ways and that each one us have an element inside us which makes us special.  There has been no looking back after that.
What motivates you to write?
Well, that's a tough one to tackle because I don't believe in motivation for writing, for me its more of an instinct. I feel every writer has an instinct to write and that is the only motivation, if you would like to call it.
What interests you most; fiction, nonfiction, travelogue, biography, horror, adult or young adult?
For me, the bias shall always be towards Romance, be it fiction or non-fiction. Though I read all sorts of books, being in a Literature course I have to deal with all genres but Romance shall be my favourite.
To you, which is a better medium to express: prose, poetry, art, film, play or any other and why? 
Prose has a wider range of amalgamating emotions and that is why I think it is more preferred but poetry is I think is a better medium, though it requires an elevated sense of intellect in order to be understood. Its hard to decide on any one, each genre has its own attributes and something that can be expressed explicitly in poetry may not enjoy the same in a film and likewise.

What would you like to be reborn as?
Maybe a Panda! That's because inherently I am a very lazy person.
Which is more important to you: money or fame? 
Fame. Money shall follow thereafter.
How do you react when rejected by the publishers?
I won't say that I don't feel bad about facing rejections in this profession but then I also believe in a simple rule of life; the universe is the best judge and one gets what one deserves. Though at first a rejection does incite a tinge of sadness in me, it is easily overcome as well.
Your valuable suggestions to the prospective writers? 
Barely a writer myself, I am nobody to suggest anything to others because I don't have that kind of experience as of now. But because it is asked and from what I have learned, I think all writers must try and write about what lies inside them. Writing about what is in fashion or what will appeal to the readers is, I think, artificial writing. This act must be natural and what you spill on paper must come straight from your heart. For me the rule is simple, when you write something the pen must not stop and the point when it does, you must not strive further.
                                                                 
                                                                             *****