Amanda Wickramarachchi is a 22-year-old author of an English mystery thriller based in the US – The Truth in Their Lies. She studied at Ferguson High School Ratnapura and Sujatha Vidyalaya Matara. Now, she's in the first year of veterinary school at the University of Peradeniya. Apart from story writing, Wickramarachchi is also interested in creating comics as well as scriptwriting and songwriting.
She was recently selected as a panellist to participate in the literary forum New Ink 2021. New Ink 2021 will take place from 4-6 June as three sessions of two hours each. Wickramarachchi is one of the 20 writers amongst the critics and activists who will come together in this online event moderated from Colombo.
We at Brunch sat down with her for a chat on her life's story and more. Here's what she had to say:
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Amanda Wickramarachchi[/caption]
What inspired you to become a writer?
I wanted to talk to people through storytelling. Creativity is a powerful weapon that can be used to shape the world in a better way. Better than just advice or regulations, stories directly impact one's thinking. In my first book, my hope was to address abuse and rape in a manner which would give people a vivid picture of the consequences of such crimes. I am hoping to speak about more social issues in my future works as well.
What is your book about?
The Truth in Their Lies is a mystery thriller set in the US in the present times. It follows Amber, an amnesiac girl who lost all her memories due to a terrible incident. But years later, she gets interrogated by the Police for a murder in the city. Amber, along with the detective, realises there's a connection with the murder and her own past. But the more they delve into Amber's forgotten past, the more perplexing and more dark the secrets of her past will become. What she doesn't know is that there will be a shocking truth waiting for her at the end.
What was the inspiration behind it?
The initial inspiration for this novel came in 2012 with the case of Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old medical student who was raped and murdered in New Delhi. Similarly, several hundreds of children and women get abused all over the world and not everyone of them gets justice for the cruelty they faced. So I was inspired to gather my thoughts into a story and this became the seed for what I’ve published today.
Was there anything interesting that you had to edit out of your book?
Well, I was initially planning to add more romance and intimacy to my novel than what's already in there. But then I figured out it wasn't compatible with the storyline, so I had to edit that out of the book.
You recently joined New Ink. What is your role there and what do you plan to do?
Yes, I am very excited to join New Ink and I am honoured to be a part of the event. I will be in a panel, working with some talented writers and academics. We will be sharing opinions, talking about literature, and reading from our works as well.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Well, the world where we set the story plays a major role in making the characters more relatable. So, for my first book, I had to do a lot of research because I imagined the plot to be based in the US, a place I've never been to. So I read about the state of Wyoming and the two cities, Cheyenne and Newcastle where I was going to base my story.
In addition, I had to dig more into the characters mentality, especially since it was a mystery novel. In this case, I had to research amnesiac conditions and juvenile mental disorders thoroughly.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing this book?
Time was the main challenge I had to face. I started writing this novel back in 2012 but it actually took me more than seven years to complete it. In my opinion, creating a story in your mind and putting it into words on a paper is not an easy job. So getting my novel done with the studies, exams, and distractions was another challenge I had to overcome.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
The main advice I want to tell anyone interested to write a story is to never give up. No matter how much you might feel like giving up – don't!
Secondly, learn to manage your time because time is the main factor in our lives. In my opinion, creating a layout of the story and having a idea of what you want to write before the actual writing process, would be a great help to manage time. You can also share your story idea with people close to you and ask their opinions on how to shape the story better.
Thirdly, read a lot! Read novels and short stories from the genre you want to write. The more you read, the more ideas you will get.
What do you enjoy the most about writing?
Well, there are many things I enjoy. I like the fact that you can create a whole new world and a whole array of characters that don’t really exist. It is like escaping reality, into a place you've never been before and living their lives the way you want. In mystery, you can produce obstacles and answers that lie within the story. It is like you play the villain and the hero at the same time. Moreover, I really like that I can make a reader feel surprised and satisfied through storytelling, just like how I felt at the end of greatest stories.
Do you have anything coming up for 2021?
I can't certainly say in 2021, but I'm hoping to write more thrillers in the future, mainly related to the medical field. Apart from wanting to write more novels, I have joined a creative agency called Toon Studio as a comic script writer. We're planning to publish a graphic thriller novel – the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, in the near future.
Amanda Wickramarachchi[/caption]
What inspired you to become a writer?
I wanted to talk to people through storytelling. Creativity is a powerful weapon that can be used to shape the world in a better way. Better than just advice or regulations, stories directly impact one's thinking. In my first book, my hope was to address abuse and rape in a manner which would give people a vivid picture of the consequences of such crimes. I am hoping to speak about more social issues in my future works as well.
What is your book about?
The Truth in Their Lies is a mystery thriller set in the US in the present times. It follows Amber, an amnesiac girl who lost all her memories due to a terrible incident. But years later, she gets interrogated by the Police for a murder in the city. Amber, along with the detective, realises there's a connection with the murder and her own past. But the more they delve into Amber's forgotten past, the more perplexing and more dark the secrets of her past will become. What she doesn't know is that there will be a shocking truth waiting for her at the end.
What was the inspiration behind it?
The initial inspiration for this novel came in 2012 with the case of Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old medical student who was raped and murdered in New Delhi. Similarly, several hundreds of children and women get abused all over the world and not everyone of them gets justice for the cruelty they faced. So I was inspired to gather my thoughts into a story and this became the seed for what I’ve published today.
Was there anything interesting that you had to edit out of your book?
Well, I was initially planning to add more romance and intimacy to my novel than what's already in there. But then I figured out it wasn't compatible with the storyline, so I had to edit that out of the book.
You recently joined New Ink. What is your role there and what do you plan to do?
Yes, I am very excited to join New Ink and I am honoured to be a part of the event. I will be in a panel, working with some talented writers and academics. We will be sharing opinions, talking about literature, and reading from our works as well.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Well, the world where we set the story plays a major role in making the characters more relatable. So, for my first book, I had to do a lot of research because I imagined the plot to be based in the US, a place I've never been to. So I read about the state of Wyoming and the two cities, Cheyenne and Newcastle where I was going to base my story.
In addition, I had to dig more into the characters mentality, especially since it was a mystery novel. In this case, I had to research amnesiac conditions and juvenile mental disorders thoroughly.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing this book?
Time was the main challenge I had to face. I started writing this novel back in 2012 but it actually took me more than seven years to complete it. In my opinion, creating a story in your mind and putting it into words on a paper is not an easy job. So getting my novel done with the studies, exams, and distractions was another challenge I had to overcome.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
The main advice I want to tell anyone interested to write a story is to never give up. No matter how much you might feel like giving up – don't!
Secondly, learn to manage your time because time is the main factor in our lives. In my opinion, creating a layout of the story and having a idea of what you want to write before the actual writing process, would be a great help to manage time. You can also share your story idea with people close to you and ask their opinions on how to shape the story better.
Thirdly, read a lot! Read novels and short stories from the genre you want to write. The more you read, the more ideas you will get.
What do you enjoy the most about writing?
Well, there are many things I enjoy. I like the fact that you can create a whole new world and a whole array of characters that don’t really exist. It is like escaping reality, into a place you've never been before and living their lives the way you want. In mystery, you can produce obstacles and answers that lie within the story. It is like you play the villain and the hero at the same time. Moreover, I really like that I can make a reader feel surprised and satisfied through storytelling, just like how I felt at the end of greatest stories.
Do you have anything coming up for 2021?
I can't certainly say in 2021, but I'm hoping to write more thrillers in the future, mainly related to the medical field. Apart from wanting to write more novels, I have joined a creative agency called Toon Studio as a comic script writer. We're planning to publish a graphic thriller novel – the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, in the near future.