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# Write Now With Sachi Ediriweera
- URL: https://justincox.com/blog/2023/09/write-now-with-sachi-ediriweera/
- Published: 2023-09-20T15:00:56.000Z
- Updated: 2023-09-20T15:00:56.000Z
- Description: Today's Write Now interview features Sachi Ediriweera, a Sri Lankan designer, filmmaker, and the writer and artist of ENLIGHTENED. Who are you?
- Author: Justin Cox
- Tags: Interview, #sachi-ediriweera

I'm Sachi, an award-winning Sri Lankan designer and former filmmaker with an interest in writing and drawing [graphic novels](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Enlightened/Sachi-Ediriweera/9781665903103?ref=justincox.com), currently based in Dubai, UAE. As my role as a designer, I've worked with brands as Coca-Cola, Twitter, Vodafone, and many more and as a filmmaker, my short films have been screened in numerous film festivals around the world including in Germany, South Korea, the USA, and Australia.

## What do you write?

As my work is primarily in a visual medium, I tend to start with some character sketches of my main characters. These are usually very rough layouts which help me picture these characters in my mind before I start developing things on the page. I tend to start with a story beat sheet first, in which I'll try to map out a character journey. Once I'm happy with that I move on to add interesting scenes and supporting characters which could elevate the story. As for things that I avoid in my writing, I tend to avoid flashbacks, as I prefer a linear story structure in my work.

## Where do you write?

My home-office desk and laptop. I'm surrounded by some of my favorite books at any given time to keep me inspired.

## When do you write?

As writing and creating graphic novels is a side-pursuit for me, my work typically happens in the evening, after I return from my design job. I try to map out the work I intend to get done by the end of each week, which usually spans from story scripts, outlines, and sketches to final inks on a comic page. Of course, life happens and you don't get to meet your goals sometimes, but I tend to spend less time worrying about that and moving on to finish it however I can.

![](https://justincox.com/content/images/2023/09/Enlightened---Cover.jpg)

Photo courtesy of Sachi Ediriweera

## Why do you write?

Purely because I enjoy good stories and there are stories that are worth retelling with my own voice. My latest book is an adaptation of the Buddha's life story; a story which has been adapted in different mediums, in different languages for centuries, and yet I still found an intense desire to retell it through my own lens. I'm mostly inspired by Sri Lankan culture, which had a huge impact on me growing up and many of those influences can often be seen in the stories I craft.

## How do you overcome writer's block?

Writer's block for me is often a sign that I'm overworked and I need a break. Most of the time I take a break and return in a completely odd hour to the table and it usually flows from there. However, on days where I need to keep going, I do something which I call "rambling," where I type whatever that's in my mind, as is, sometimes with no sentence structure, and edit it much later when I have the energy to do so. After all, much of writing is re-editing the page until you're happy with it,

## Bonus: What do you enjoy doing when not writing?

Trying to find inspiration however I can, either for my next story or for life in general. Also, my wife and I became parents a year ago, and going through that has been an exciting journey as well.

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*My thanks to Sachi Ediriweera for today's interview.*