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Author Nikhil Prabala The Duchess Of Kokora
On The Table Read Magazine Interviewed Author Nikhil Prabala The Duchess Of Kokora, “Best Entertainment eBook Magazine UK“, fantasy author Nikhil Prabal shares the inspiration behind his new book, The Duchess Of Kokora, and his creative writing process.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Nikhil Prabala about his life and career, the story of his new fantasy novel, The Duchess Of Kokora, and what inspired his main characters.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
Hey! My name is Nikhil Prabala. I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, although since graduating from Stanford in 2019,
I hang my hat in California. Outside of writing and reading, my interests are dungeons and dragons (I’m a DM!), guitar, singing, video games, climbing, running, and hiking!
When did you first WANT to write a book?
Oh man, I think it must have been back in middle school, maybe around the 8th grade? Reading fiction, especially fantasy fiction, really helped me understand how I related to the world around me, as well as my own emotions. And I’d have these really vivid dreams with full narratives and stories and experiences and I think all that combined got the narrative voice sort of moving in my head.
I also attribute this to the fanfiction I was consuming in copious quantities at the time. Seeing other people make up stories about stories you like really gets you thinking about doing it yourself!
When did you take a step to start writing?
It was the summer of my freshman year of high school. We were getting some work done on our roof, and in the middle of a Texas summer, the unthinkable happened: it rained.
So we were flooded out and staying in a motel for a little while. I had my dad’s old laptop and tons of free time so I decided to start putting down some of these story ideas I was having onto paper! Or, I guess, screen, in this case.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
I completed my first novel that summer. And it was… bad! It took me three months to write and although it had its moments it was very much the product of my 15 year old self’s imagination. So I shelved it, and moved on to trying a new story. I still look back at that manuscript every now and then to remind myself of how much I’ve grown.
How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?
I first had the idea for this book in early 2021. So a little more than three years! I tend to write a lot of projects at the same time (one day, I will complete my urban fantasy existentialist comedy novel about a skeleton detective!) so that can sometimes delay things.
Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write The Duchess Of Kokora?
I had just finished an epic sci-fi fantasy manuscript that was pretty heavy in tone. I liked it, and I do plan on taking it somewhere eventually, but I really needed a break from that style.
So I started thinking about writing something that was just… fun?
And yeah! The Duchess of Kokora really did begin as an exercise in just having fun with writing. But along the way, I found myself really engaged by the characters, the world building, the themes, so I decided to continue editing past the first draft and really refine it. And now we’re here!
What were your biggest challenges with writing The Duchess Of Kokora?
Getting the dynamics between Phera, Dominic, and Rocelle just right was probably the hardest part of the process. It’s not easy building relationship drama where no one’s really “the bad guy,” which was the goal here.
As a close second I’d say another challenge was cutting down some truly unnecessary speeches exploring certain philosophical themes haha. I do have a tendency to editorialize in writing, but thankfully I also have friends and editors who know that about me and feel comfortable calling me out on it.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?
I tend to be inspired by a character’s first scene at first, more than anything else. I write the scene and the rest of their essence sort of unfolds from there?
I’ve written several first scenes for Phera and each one had roughly the same vibe of a witty, confident woman with an affinity for showmanship and perhaps a little vanity.
That’s not to say that no characters in fiction inspired Phera’s development. Watching them in years past, I loved the zany bravado of Jameela Jamil’s Tehani from The Good Place, as well as the genuinely messy complexity of the protagonist from Fleabag.
Those stick out to me as very memorable and worthwhile characters and certainly had an influence on the work.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?
Ah, there’s two antagonists! Sorana and Ulric!
I think evil couples are fascinating to read because their world views are twisted but their passion for each other is genuine. That tension between love and cruelty really helps make for a sympathetic pair of villains. I can’t point to a specific example of one of those that gave rise to their characters but it’s that archetype for sure.
What is the inciting incident of The Duchess Of Kokora?
Phera and Rocelle’s engagement was broken off after Rocelle’s parents doubted that they could make the cultural divide work. Phera, regretting the vitriol with which things ended, decides to enter into the marriage games of the kingdom of Ryene, knowing that a strong performance there might convince Rocelle’s family that she is in fact an exemplar of the Rynish court, and worthy of her beloved’s hand.
What is the main conflict of The Duchess Of Kokora?
There are two major conflicts!
The first is Phera trying to win Rocelle back, which entails not only presenting herself well at court but more importantly, convincing Rocelle herself that the two of them can work out their own personal differences.
The second is a subplot where Phera, Dominic, and Rocelle must work together to stop a duel between Ulric, the illegitimate son of House Gerhardt, and Caspar, his younger half-brother, the heir.
Did you plot The Duchess Of Kokora in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?
By the seat of my pants for sure! I write a few scenes in advance while I’m just feeling through the book and what it’s supposed to be, then I figure out how to connect the dots between them.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did The Duchess Of Kokora need?
I did get support! I have friends in my writing circle and outside of it who’ve given it reads. I also got a professional to give it a developmental edit which really helped me refine the work in its later stages. And of course, my mother, who’s steadfastly read every draft and had my back.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?
To just sit down and do it! To paraphrase a Neil Gaiman quote I really like, the first draft is for figuring out what the story is about, the second is for making it look like you meant it to be that way. You don’t actually know what your story is going to really be until you put it down on paper and that exploration, that experience, is one of the best parts. And you can’t edit it into something that truly matches what’s in your head until you’ve got at least something down on the page.
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
Well, like I mentioned earlier, I’ve got a Pratchettesque urban fantasy existentialist comedy (say that three times fast!) in the works. I’m also working on the sequel to this book. And I’ve got another story I want to come back to about a human princess who lets herself get kidnapped by dragons because she’s their world’s first sociologist and wants to study them for her book, and the nearby lord of monsters has to step in as a hostage negotiator.
And I’m also thinking of going back to my epic sci-fi fantasy novel, starting with some in-world vignettes and short stories to rediscover what really makes it work before I hop into the last round of rewrites for it. I might even release those as a teaser for the novel!
So there’s a lot, haha!
And, finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
Yes. Yes, yes, and yes. I’m proud of what this story has become, what it’s going to be over the course of its series, and all it’s taught me about writing, love, and myself. And I‘m so excited to share that with you all.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
https://www.nikhilprabala.com/
Instagram: @nprabala
TikTok: @nprabala
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3yDxnmw
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3M3PFjT
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4ce0evr
Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3yvEtcO
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