THE GAZELLE

I've been on Wattpad since 2015 (with a different account back then), which means that I've read a good amount of stories---both great and not. The interesting thing is that after five years of using Wattpad, I'm still quite excited to open the app on my phone and read stories. So, a few months ago, I came up with the idea of listing my personal favorite stories and ask their writers for an interview. The Gazelle was the first one to be included in the list.

I read this story back in the spring of 2020 and it was such a wild ride of emotions and thoughts. The story itself was beautifully written, the plot was intriguing and the characters felt so real.

But I think it would be better to let the author and the story speak for themselves.

SUMMARY

A theft in desperation.

An abduction in retaliation.

A secret with the power to destroy a kingdom.

Daydreaming in her tower, exploring the palace ruins with her lioness and regular visits from her guardian are all eighteen-year-old Tabeya has ever known. A fateful encounter with a young General from a rival kingdom sends her on a journey across the desert to discover who she really is.

After years on the frontline, Humban is ready to do whatever it takes to bring the war to an end. His desperate last stand takes him to a ghost city at the edge of enemy territory. There, he stumbles upon his only chance of saving his kingdom. If only it were that simple . . . Nothing is what it seems. With a vengeful goddess pursuing them across a war-torn land, and the elements to contend with, will Tabeya and Humban make it to safety? And if they do, will they be able to leave their life-changing journey behind them? A fantasy retelling of Rapunzel, inspired by Mesopotamia.

1. When did you first come up with the main idea for The Gazelle? And was the storyline the same in the first draft or did it change as you were editing it?

Some years ago, I started playing around with a few ideas for fairytale retellings in settings inspired by ancient civilizations. I jotted all my ideas down, but I never got around to writing any of them. Last year, I wasn't writing exams in November for the first time, so it was the ideal opportunity to participate in NaNoWriMo 2019. I was ready to challenge myself to write a new story of 50K words in less than a month. I researched the original fairytales and I found that they are a lot different from the stories we know from Disney movies.

Rapunzel, a German fairytale, was particularly interesting to me, and I saw a lot of potential for a retelling. I've always been fascinated by ancient history, and I like nothing better than to immerse myself in the culture, lifestyle and mythology of the powerful nations of the past. It was then that I decided to retell the original Brother Grimms' version of Rapunzel in a Mesopotamian-inspired setting.

I was studying when this idea came into my head, and when I just had to stop what I was doing to write a plot outline, I knew that this was my NaNoWriMo 2019 project. It spoke to me in way that none of my previous fairytale retelling ideas had. The version of the story that's on Wattpad is a bit different from the first draft. There isn't a lot of information on the Mesopotamian deities, especially the minor ones, so it took me a couple of attempts to refine Nungal, her motives for kidnapping Tabeya as a baby, and her powers. I also revised it a few times before I posted it on Wattpad, so a few of the finer details are different as well.

2. Tell us about the writing process.

It was grueling, but absolutely rewarding! As with most writers, I think the hardest part was sitting down and writing the first line. I stared at a blank screen for about half an hour before it came to me. Thereafter, it flowed for the most part. I wrote about 2K words a day, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it definitely felt like it when I was starting out.

As I settled into the schedule, it become a bit more manageable. I had made a plot outline before I started writing the book to ensure that I would have enough content. As I went, I made detailed outlines for the next chapter I needed to write, just to make sure that everything made sense. I'm a planner, so I make outlines, but I also leave space for the plot and the characters to develop naturally. As I wrote each chapter, I did the relevant research and looked up pictures to inspire the settings, which really helped me to incorporate a good amount of detail.

I also have a habit---some might even say it's a bad habit---of editing as I write, so that it doesn't become overwhelming at the end. At the end of November, I had my 55K novel. It was in dire need of some revision, but it was the first novel I had written that I felt comfortable letting others read, which was definitely a good sign! I edited the novel more than once before I started posting it on Wattpad. I only started sharing it once I was more or less happy with it, so that I could update regularly without having to put too much pressure on myself.

I really enjoyed writing The Gazelle, and it taught me a lot!

3. Which character is your favorite? And which character do you relate to the most?

It's so hard to choose a favorite, because everyone has a special part to play in the story! I don't think my answer will surprise you, because he's your favourite character too, I believe . . . Humban! He's a great guy---he's so noble and caring, and that's something I haven't really seen in my generation---but that isn't why he's my favorite.

He's my favorite because of his complexity. He's a General who believes wholeheartedly in what he's fighting for, but he's also a young man who blames himself for his family's deaths. He wants a home and a family, but he's also carrying the burden of being his kingdom's last hope. He's kind, but he's also a warrior. As a writer, I was really invested in his story from the beginning. How would he make peace with his past? What choice would he make now? I enjoyed both his and Tabeya's journeys. They both faced several challenges and emerged stronger for it, but Humban is special to me because he has lost everything before and managed to keep going despite that.

I think I relate to all my characters in some way, but as for who I relate the most to . . . I'd say Tabeya! I also grew up rather sheltered by my overprotective mom, with books as my biggest glimpse into what was out there. I was launched into the real world when I went to university, and it really was like I had left my tower! It's not the same thing as being on the run from a goddess who kept you prisoner since you were a baby, but it is finding your feet in unfamiliar surroundings and rising to meet each challenge that faces you. For Tabeya, it was slave traders and malevolent spirits. For me, it was crazy drivers and people who aren't trustworthy. I'd definitely say that, like Tabeya, I've had to grow up very suddenly in challenging circumstances and find my inner fight. At the beginning, Humban rescues her, and I love how, in the end, she rescues him. It just shows how much she has grown to be able to take control of her life in a world that is both beautiful and threatening. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had a similar experience in my life.

4. What message would you want your audience to carry with them when they finish reading the story?

Every character has their own journey and lesson. If I were to sum it up in one sentence, I would say that the main lesson to take away is to never stop fighting, and never stop believing.

At the beginning of The Gazelle, Tabeya had practically resigned herself to a life alone in her tower. All she had was her hope that perhaps, someday, something will work out, and she'll be able to get a glimpse of the world she has read so much about. Enter Humban. He took her on the journey she had wished for, but it wasn't easy. The desert can be treacherous, and if either of them wavered in their belief or their resolve for even a moment, they wouldn't have survived.

Circumstances became more dire for both of them, and it was a testament to their resilience that they kept fighting. They never lost sight of what they wanted, even if they weren't always sure how they were going to get it. They prevailed in the end but being together came at a cost.

At the end of the story, we get an idea of how hard they have to work every single day just to put food on the table, but this is what they fought for, and they are happy despite their hardships. I hope that their example inspires readers to take a stand in their own lives and whatever challenges they are facing.

Like Humban and Tabeya, everyone has the power to determine where their story goes.