WriteFluence

Rupsa Das was born in Kolkata, West Bengal. She’s 20, and currently pursuing computer science engineering. Her mother introduced her to books from a tender age, and she soon discovered the joy of reading. From Bengali to English books, she loved reading them all.

Her teen life was mostly spent in dystopian fiction worlds, from Camp Half-Blood to Panem. After finishing high school from Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School in Kolkata, she took up engineering in Haldia Institute of Technology in 2019. Coding had been her interest for a long time, alongside reading and writing fiction. She hopes to continue writing fiction, alongside her career in the technical field.

We asked Rupsa a few questions to get to know her better; read on!

^{Wanna see yourself published in this space? Participate now in our ongoing contest and get published!}

I have been writing since… 

I was 10, I think. I was obsessed with horror stories, and most of early writings revolve around that genre. I never took up writing professionally, but more as a hobby. Musings, short stories, poems – I’ve tried my hand in all.

My favorite author(s) and book(s)? 

Norwegian Woods, by Haruki Murakami definitely takes the first place. It’s one of those books after reading which, you can never be the same again. Then the Mortal Instruments series, by Cassandra Clare; one of my favorites.

My journey as a writer: 

It was pretty smooth. Looking back, I can only see improvements in the way I write. My thoughts and ideas are evolving everyday, and so are my writing skills. It’s not a constant journey, since I barely get time to write alongside my college curriculum, but I enjoy it. The part of my life consisting of all the minutes I’ve spent (and will be spending) writing will forever be cherished.

My favorite genre to read / write

It mostly oscillates between horror and romance. Sometimes I try to blend the two, and the result is pretty impressive, must say.

What advice would you give young and aspiring writers? 

Don’t stop writing. Even if you feel you have a terrible writer’s block, just write about your day. Don’t break the flow, just keep on writing. And every time a new idea pops up, be sure to note it down.

Here’s an except from Rupsa’s winning story Reincarnation that’s now published in Wafting Earthy:

“Goodness,” I swore as I looked at my watch. It was already past eleven, and I still had two more sheets to run through. After fifteen minutes, I was running down the empty staircase of the building, my footsteps echoing against the stark contrast of the winter night. I was met with a hopelessly deserted street as soon as I emerged, devoid of any kind of vehicles for me to hail. Running out of options, I booked a cab from my phone, and waited for it to arrive.

A ding notified me that it’d be another ten minutes for the driver to reach. I walked up to a lamp post, with my hands inside my coat pockets, and tried to keep myself warm. I was distinctly aware of the tingling sensation coursing through my body as I waited in the dark. It wasn’t new; in fact, I would have been surprised if I wasn’t on edge before meeting a complete stranger and riding with him. I scanned my surroundings, and felt myself sighing in relief when I couldn’t find anyone.