When writing Ratnapped, I needed a way to stop the train. Initially, I thought of using a balloon flying by to distract the two rats, causing the train to stop. But that idea didn’t make much sense—a balloon would either pop or float away. I needed something more realistic, so I created a conflict between the two rat brothers instead.
This is where my dynamic with my twin sister came into play. I drew from our experiences growing up together, creating scenarios that were different from our real lives but still shared similar outcomes.
Writing this way taught me how to be a cathartic writer. While it was initially a bit scary and emotional, it eventually became a fun and rewarding experience. Drawing from real-life relationships like mine with my sister helped me craft a more realistic and engaging conflict for the characters in Ratnapped.