By Ava Korkmaz – Staff Reporter

Advanced Creative Writing student Samiksha Mehta takes readers on wild fantasy adventures with her stories in the upcoming book “The Fine Art of Messing Up.” She is proud of her stories – “It All Makes Sense” and “Prophecies” – that she has created. Advocate Staff Reporter Ava Korkmaz interviewed Mehta about her stories and her future writing plans.

Ava Korkmaz: How did you feel after the stories were finished?

Samiksha Mehta: I felt kind of sad and excited at the same time. It was sad because I wouldn’t be able to continue and create those worlds anymore but excited because it would be my first venture into actually getting people to see my stories and it’s exhilarating.

AK: How do you hope people react to your stories?

SM: I feel like everyone thinks that people will like their stories only because the writers took so much time to actually think of the worlds and create them, but in reality, that hardly happens. Some stories receive so much criticism and hate just because some flaws are presented that couldn’t be edited out but in all realness, I really hope at least some people like my stories. I wrote them for a reason, hopefully that reason will be realized.

AK: As an aspiring writer, how would you feel if someone criticized your stories?

SM: Obviously I’d feel a little hurt, considering how much time I took to create the characters and the world just for some person to begin to tear it all down. But, it’s all in reminding yourself that it’s just one person and the fact that they hate the story doesn’t change the fact that more people like it. It’s all about perspective and how you look at things.

AK: Will you be creating more stories like these when you are in college?

SM: Yes! I’m going to college to major in English with a Creative Writing lean, so I 100% will be writing more stories – and possibly even expanding the ones I’ve already written. You can look forward to seeing more of my works, hopefully. 

AK: What will be your next career move?

SM: Hopefully, my next career move will be to actually publish a book when I’m out of college and fully experienced in the art of grammar and writing and all that jazz. I’s been my dream for so long and getting to see it finally happen would be a literal dream come true. But you never know, so I’m just keeping my hopes up.