Five Questions with Devika Fernando

by Julie Tetel Andresen | January 21, 2016 |

Five Questions Series

I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met through Twitter and blogs. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Devika Fernando, an author of contemporary and paranormal romance.

What first attracted you to the Romance genre and then to writing Romance?

Devika Fernando: I used to read other genres like fantasy, and traditional literary fiction until romantic movies and daily soaps caught my attention during my teenage years. With it came a sudden interest in romance novels. I rekindled my love for them some years ago when I discovered the joy of eBooks and of international publishers like Harlequin and Mills & Boon that I had mostly not known in Germany back then.

Writing romance just made a lot of sense because I love reading it so much. And truth be told, I am a sucker for happy endings and I believe in love, so writing romance is bliss.

I love meeting authors who have lived or traveled a lot outside of the US. You’ve lived in both Germany and Sri Lanka (where you currently live). How has your experience living in countries outside the US influenced your writing?

Devika Fernando: Well, I am half German, half Sri Lankan. Though I was born in Sri Lanka, I grew up in Germany. After spending 19 years there, I decided to explore my roots. Along the way, I fell in love with a Sri Lankan man, and the rest is history (and a bit complicated). J

I do believe having lived in a European and an Asian country has influenced my writing. It has made me more observant, ready to immerse myself in something, to adjust and explore. It also made me learn many subtleties and differences in human behaviour, which I love delving into while writing. And maybe, just maybe, my Asian side is the driving force behind writing a ‘sweeter’ kind of romance where love is more important than mere lust.

What kind of Romance do you write, and why did you choose it?

Devika Fernando: I write contemporary romance and paranormal romance. With the first subgenre comes the familiarity of settings and happenings, combined with sheer endless opportunities. It’s also the genre I read most. What I love about paranormal romance is the freedom to just “be crazy” for a bit, to explore new abilities and magical worlds, to throw up questions and make people believe the unbelievable.

Tell us about your writing routine.

Devika Fernando: I write a minimum of 6,000 words per day, working from morning until evening. Most of it is reserved for technical writing because my main job is being a content writer for German customers. However, I make it a point to always write fiction too, even if it’s just a bit. Sometimes I use Sundays to write a whole chapter in one go. While writing, I keep off the internet and focus on the story. I hate distractions like family members wanting something or music or the television in the background…

Where do you get inspired for your stories?

Devika Fernando: I see everything and everyone as inspiration. Sometimes a picture prompt or a quote will trigger a story, at other times a personal experience or a news item. Even a setting, a scientific discovery or a book I’ve read can spark a novel.