Local Astrology Prodigy Explains Writing Ideology Anonymous

Mariya Kurbatova is busy planning her third novel, and says it will be “the best one yet,” probing into a variety of topics: growing up, unrequited love, AI domination, and the end of the world. Astrology will, of course, also play a large role. “I’m currently at a crossroads in my life. There’s a lot of things I have come to terms with, and a lot I’ve yet to thoroughly process. And, at the same time, the world is changing so rapidly, especially in terms of technology. It’s a fascinating time to be alive, and I want to capture it all,” she says of the work, “And the main character is an Aries. I’ve never done that before [but] it’s always good to challenge yourself.”

She plans to write the novel in about thirty days, participating in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, for the third year in a row. “It’s unfortunate that NaNoWriMo falls in November. That’s mostly Scorpio season. My energy is gonna be all over the place, but I’ll power through. I always do.”Her workspace is cluttered with empty cans of mineral water and crumpled papers scribbled over with incoherent phrases and exclamation marks. On the wall, there hangs a kaleidoscopic collage of drawings, photographs, and quotes, visual inspiration to be digested into...