Ways to Reach Ruhi Parikh
Email: ruhip2014@gmail.com
Instagram: ruhi.parikh
Twitter: ParikhRuhi
Tiktok: writingwithruhi
About Ruhi Parikh
RP: I am a 17-year-old Indian-American girl that is in love with writing, nature, and peacefulness. My favorite thing to do is writing because I think it is an amazing way to create your creativity out simply through words. I've been in love with writing since I was an 8-year-old, but I've been writing novels since I was 14. So far, I've written four books and am working on my fifth one right now on a website called Wattpad, and I have to give my thanks to them for allowing me to expand my audience and the views I get on my books, which are around several thousand views. I hope to be a successful author, blogger, and/or journalist in the future where I can expand upon my thoughts and creativity through prose and syntax. Furthermore, I also hope to inspire aspiring writers to follow their dreams and not let the haters get to their heads because it is their life, and no one should tell others what to do or what career to pursue in. Besides my career prospects, I play field hockey in my free time, I love the beach, I'm obsessed with Netflix, and I love to read books (my favorites are the Hunger Games and Divergent series). And most of all, I am thankful for my friends and family for motivating me to work hard and helping me get through life as time goes on.
Writing
HS: What type of writing do you do? Do you have any published works?
RP: I write books on an online website called Wattpad. I used to write Romance books when I was an underclassman in high school, but since I entered junior year, I was willing to change genres around and see which one I am mostly compatible with, basically explore around. So, right now, I am writing a dystopian-thriller book called Subversion, and it is set in 2064 in the ruins of Washington D.C. I don't have any published works as of now, but I plan to publish Subversion as soon I finalize the manuscript. I specifically hope to self-publish.
HS: Why did you start writing? When did you start writing?
RP: I wrote short stories and participated in every writing competition out there; I evidently began to win first place in all of them. I wrote developed and complicated stories about evil twins, family drama, personal growth, and fantasy all at the mere ages of 7-12. People often told me my writing was superb, yet I never really believed in what they said because I thought too low of myself. I just wrote for fun, not for the respect and recognition of others. Unfortunately, I lost my talent and ambition in writing as the toxic Indian community got to my head and made me lose track of my passion.
Years later, as a 14-year old that recently entered high school, I found a website that would catapult my writing career to a great start: Wattpad. I read amazing books on there all the time, but never did I consider writing books on there as well. But, at the stressful phase of being a freshman in high school, I was willing to overcome this toxic atmosphere of mine by writing, by etching my thoughts and emotions through pure and simplistic writing. And as I wrote, I felt something spark inside of me-- something of a long-lost flame that simmered its heat a long, long time. I felt ecstatic, euphoric, and excited all at once. Here I was, typing and typing away as a smile was breaking onto my face. Never in my entire life did I feel as happy as I did then-- in November 2018-- as I sat down to write my first book: Strength.
Here I am now, as a junior in high school, obviously more experienced in the real world and the writing world as well. My works increase in value and quality every single year, and I plan to make them better and better as time flies by. I never plan to stop writing, I never plan to let go of the one thing that made me smile in the darkest of times, and I never plan to cease the therapy known as writing... because it is for me. It makes me realize what potential I truly hold, what mark I am able to form in this world that needs a little open-mindedness and positivity every now and then. It is okay to be special, to be weird, and to be the odd one out. And it is especially okay to stand up for yourself because, as I learned the hard way, no one else is living your life but you. And I hope to keep that mindset beside me as I embark on my long, yet amazing writing journey.
HS: Who are your inspirations?
RP: Since I was a passionate writer, I was an avid reader too. I often plunged myself into engrossing books that managed to take up much of my time, and I also found myself compelled through words; I had hoped to use words like other authors did too. Some authors that inspire and motivate me to write are Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth, John Green, Ned Vizzini, Jay Asher, Jenna Moreci, Claudia Tan, and so much more! Their words and their stories have made me feel like I can write amazing stories like them too, that I am capable of leaving my mark on the world too.
Another one of my inspirations is my best friend. She constantly inspires and motivates me every single day to work to my fullest, not let anyone or anything get to my head, and doesn't hold me back. She is an ambitious and truly caring person, and without her, I wouldn't have been able to be as progressed in my writing journey as I am now. I was constantly belittled and mocked by many people, even by those who I thought were my friends. She was the only person that believed in me, knows I have the potential to make my mark, and loves me for who I am. I am so lucky to have her because she genuinely wants the best for me, and I know that she will always be by my side because her positive and radiating energy inspires me to think positively too and work hard, just as much as she does.
HS: What are your favorite books/genres?
RP: One of the reasons why my writing skills are exemplary is because of the amazing books I constantly read. One of my favorite books is the Kite Runner, which is a heart-wrenching yet compelling book about a family that kept me on the edge of the chair since the first chapter. Another book I am in love with is Stolen, which is written in the second person-POV of a girl that gets kidnapped by a guy that forces her to be in love with him. I typically like all sorts of genres because I am an open-minded reader. I love reading mostly dystopian, thriller, mystery, or romance books. For writing-wise, I am open-minded as well, and I hope to explore different genres so I am more aware of what genres I am more comfortable and willing to write about.
HS: If you suffer from it, how do you overcome writer's block?
RP: Writer's block is something many unfortunately suffer from, and I myself suffer from it too. I get excited to write a chapter, but suddenly, writer's block hits me, and I get upset. All of that excitement dissipates into sadness and frustration as I try to figure out how to write again without letting writer's block get to me. One thing I usually do to overcome writer's block is listen to music. Most of my inspiration and motivation I derive from music, specifically lo-fi and calm vibes music. I love music itself, and just listening to it makes me feel happy again and willing to write. One other thing I do is go outside for a bit and go for a walk around the neighborhood. Sometimes a bit of fresh air is all I need to rejuvenate my mind and get me back on track.
HS: What do you wish someone had told you about writing?
RP: As beautiful and splendid writing is, there are some downsides to it. Something I wish someone had told me about writing is about the amount of detailed thinking involved when you're writing a well-crafted book. Books with complex plots and three-dimensional characters involve loads of thinking, and if one plot hole is present, then the whole story will be difficult to fix. There is a multiple amount of dedication required to craft a great book, and while it is very worth it to do so, it can be very consuming of my daily life and exasperating. Overall, I love to write, so I don't even focus on the time-consuming part of writing, but it still exists, and it takes a lot of willpower to form a story that is very worth reading.
HS: How do you get into the "mood" of writing?
RP: In order for me to get into the "mood" of writing, I typically listen to calm or lo-fi music before I start my chapter. This instigates the creative side of me and helps me feel inspired before I even start writing. Furthermore, I also go for a quick bike ride around the neighborhood because the cool breeze against my cheeks and the trees swaying against the wind makes me feel refreshed and ready to write.
HS: When starting a new book, what are your first steps?
RP: Usually when I start a new book, I sit down by my laptop, start my lo-fi music, drink Starbucks if I have it beside me, and start to go on Pinterest for story inspiration. Pinterest is one of my main forms of story inspiration because of the numerous pictures there. Just looking at an aesthetic picture on Pinterest helps me create plots in my head. After I have an outline of a story in my head, then I make a long video of me talking about it on my phone. Me talking my story out helps me figure out key details of my story and the specific details of it.
HS: What are some of your writing goals?
RP: My writing goals consist of inspiring others and satisfying myself. I want to let my voice be heard through others, but in the form of writing. I believe words are so powerful, and I want my thoughts and insights to be reverberated to other aspiring writers and let them know that their dreams are not "stupid" or "uncalled for." Everyone is worth their aspirations, and it is definitely worth it to chase after them; so, that's why I want my voice to be heard. I want to expand my audience, give readers all around the world an insight into me and my writing, and I want to make myself happy as well. I was never someone that wanted fame, recognition, or attention from others; I simply wrote for fun, not for the potential fame and money behind it. So, that's why I want to continue to write for myself and not for others because this is my life and I am living it for myself only.
Her Work
Title
Subversion
Summary
It is the year 2064, and 19-year-old Blaire Cohen is sick and tired of her restricted life in D.C, which is divided amongst two groups: the Rich and the Poor. She and her family are considered Poor, so they endlessly labor for the Rich, day by day, no light seems to appear at the end of the tunnel. All she wants to do is escape this atrocious life and trek to the Midwest with her family... anywhere but here.
But the entire course of her life takes a wide turn when she suddenly gets kidnapped one night.
Link to Story
Cover
HS: What was the inspiration for writing this book?
RP: The inspiration for writing this book mainly came from the books I've read, such as the Hunger Games or Divergent series. They are both dystopian series, so I've basically derived some concepts from the book and found it to be inspiring for Subversion. So, I used those concepts as a base and established a story from my perspective while holding a dystopian aspect that I've acquired from those said series. Another way I obtained inspiration for writing this book was from the daily events that happen in real life too. My whole book centers around political disputes and social issues between the rich and the poor, so I obtained certain inspiration from daily events that occur not only in the U.S., but in the whole world too.
HS: When did you start writing this story?
RP: I started writing this story around the end of September.
HS: Why did you write this story?
RP: I wrote this story to mostly delineate the daily issues that occur in America, such as disputes between the rich and the poor. The rich treat the poor badly and think of them as low-life creatures, so I wanted to form a story where I would properly portray those problems in the novel aspect.
HS: What are some of your goals for this book?
RP: My goals for this book is to get a wide and diverse audience. The reason why I hope to do this is that I want this book to be the first one I formally publish for everyone to see.
HS: What are some of your accomplishments for this book?
RP: I have reached more than 2,000 views on my book! And it constantly grows to this day.
Check out Suberversion on Wattpad!