How and when did you first realize your calling for writing books? Can you tell us a bit about the books written by you so far? How long on average did it take you to complete a book?

It all started with a need to find some sort of entertaining release during my taxing maternity break from work. That’s how I ended up writing my first book, I Didn’t Expect To Be Expecting which was a humorous take on pregnancy, without any set expectations about publishing it. It was such an enjoyable and unencumbered process that I realised that I had to do it again. Once I was lucky enough to find not one but two fantastic publishers (Black Ink Books and Harper Collins) I decided to challenge myself and wrote a comedic thriller called Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt Ltd. The experimentation continued and I wrote Excess Baggage next, which was a story of hope and second chances involving a family trip and a crazy adventure. The writing continues, the experiments continue and I’m grateful for the privilege that I get to write whatever my heart is invested in. As for how long it takes to write a book, it varies. I take about 7-8 months when I should ideally be done in 4-5 in a Utopian world where life doesn’t have its way with me on a daily basis! 

“Sometimes, we do not get a chance to thank each one who has helped us in our Journey.” Let the readers get a chance to know about all the important people who have played a part in this ‘Author Journey of Yours’.

I am infamous for writing never ending acknowledgements which often run into 3-4 pages! Which makes it amply clear that I have an endless number of people to thank. Writing the book is an individual endeavour, but there are so many people within and outside the eco system who help prune, publish and market the book. My family is my spine and my heart, fuelling me to write and soar. My husband too deserves a special mention for always egging me on and for having being forcefully onboarded as my first reader and editor for everything I write. This is his night job 😊 My daughter, though 7 is my most fierce publicist and there is also a battalion of friends and family who have my back. Ravinder Singh, my friend and co-publisher deserves a lot of credit for helping me kickstart my journey on the threshold of the wonderful writing contest by Times of India that enabled our first meeting. Needless to say, it is an absolute honour to publish with the likes of Harper Collins, a brand I have admired since I was a wee child and now the wonderful people who make HC what it is, feel like family. Of course, I wouldn’t get very far without the love of readers who let me know so very often that my words matter and make a difference.

According to you which are the 5 books that everyone should read and who are your top 3 Authors and what impact did they have in your journey as a writer?

I can answer this question without hemming and hawing and even then I wouldn’t do it justice. I have been a voracious reader since I was maybe 5-6 years old so picking favourite authors and books is impossible. Merely top of mind:

1. A million thoughts by Om Swami
2. How to stop worrying and start living by Dale Carnegie
3. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4. Regional literature
5. Children’s classics (Hindi and English) 

Top 3 authors:

1. Rabindranath Tagore
2. Amitav Ghosh
3. Stephen King

Through these authors, I’ve learnt that evocative storytelling is a function of simplicity, the power of human emotions and the conduit of effective language to deliver an impactful result that stays with you long after you’re done reading a book. Powerful writing does not need to be pretentious; it needs to be honest.

What inspires you to write? Where do you get information or ideas for your books?

Like most other writers, I am a sponge. Most of my ideas come from reading, listening and absorbing from people and places around me. Sometimes they are sparked by experiences. For example, the idea for Excess Baggage came from a conversation with a friend who I bumped into on a flight to Spain where she spoke about her divorce and how it continues to be a sort of stigma for society at large. An idea started brewing and by the time we were airborne I had my story idea involving a mother daughter duo, the multitude of labels placed on women, emotional baggage and an unforgettable journey! That’s how impulsive and organic the process is at times. Of course once I have an outline and a plot, the remaining information that I need to concretise and nuances to the story and characters comes through the relevant research, conversations and extensive information gathering.

What has been your most cherished experience as an author? Which is your best-preferred genre?

I get goosebumps remembering the first book signing tour post the release of I Didn’t Expect To Be Expecting. The sight of your sweat and blood sitting and glistening on a shelf. There’s no better feeling. Something else that I cherish and use as fuel for my writing are the sweet emails and messages from readers. 

I read across genres. I must rotate or my attention starts drifting. I gravitate more towards fiction but a non fiction book does make an entry every few months. While I read everything, I do gravitate towards, literary fiction, historical fiction, thrillers, mythology and period dramas.  I like to spice things up once in a while by picking some speculative fiction or fantasy.

Could you share a few tips for budding Authors and aspiring writers?

It’s important to write and have courage. If you write every day, no matter how little, no matter what format, you’ll begin to understand the nature of your own voice and what you naturally lean towards writing. Identifying your voice and strengths with honesty will help you differentiate yourself. Have the courage to write without being too critical. If you keep finding fault too early in the process, you won’t be able to write with all your heart.

Some of your books are headed to the big screen, how does it feel to contribute to the Indian cinema?

Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt Ltd is slated to become a web series while Excess Baggage shall be converted to a movie. The emotion I feel is immense gratitude and joy at having my words and my stories reach more people. Seeing the characters I’ve conjured; come alive on screen shall certainly be a thrill! Indian cinema is bursting with fresh and diverse content and I’m glad that what I’m writing will contribute to this interesting space.

When did you start your journey as a blogger? What is your take on women’s empowerment?

I incidentally started blogging around the time I was writing my first book. Long before I wrote novels, I used to write poetry. In fact my first book was a collection of poems called A Penchant for prose. I started blogging with some of these poems and a few articles and it was a pleasure interacting with the large and welcoming community of fellow bloggers.

Women’s empowerment to me is not an unattainable hefty term. In its simplest form, it means ensuring daily access to every aspect of decision making, choices, benefits, opinions and privileges to each and every woman across stratas of society. It needs to be enacted not as a movement or an exception but as an accepted way of life. 

Are you working on anything at present that you would like to share with your readers? What are your future plans?

I’m delighted to share that I’ve completed the second instalment of Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt Ltd which will be launched in December. It’s a bolder and even more entertaining version of the original that received so much love. Fingers crossed! I’m working on book 5 at the moment which is yet another challenge that I’ve thrown to myself w.r.t the theme and genre (clearly I have a penchant for that😊)  I’m also working on some OTT concepts that I’m excited about. 

How can a writer keep the mental block or writer’s block away from his/her creativity?

My advice would be to temporarily move away from it. Coercing doesn’t usually help. Come back to it after a break, workout, indulge in a hobby, whatever refreshes you. Alternatively, for some people a writing routine helps. Knowing that you are coming back to your desk every day, keeps the mind oiled and productive.

Rapid Fire Round

1. Favorite Place, Actor & Actress, Person, Food, beverage…. Every corner of this beautiful planet, Ewan McGregor, Surekha Sikri, My entire family! ( no diplomacy here), Kadhi chaval, black tea.

2. Your other Talents apart from writing…. Singing, Craft, mimicking and dancing. 

3. Your First Love… Books (Close on the heels, travel)

4. Favorite Quote….I have a whole book of them! This one caught my fancy recently. It’s rather humbling. ‘Garoor kis baat ka hai sahib? Aaj mitti ke upar, kal mitti ke neeche.’

5. Favourite Character from a book… Reading hundreds of characters with nuances and complexities trained me into writing my favourite character for one of my books. Prachand Tripathi (Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt Ltd) A small-town detective with a big heart and bigger dreams.

What if Round 

1. What if you had to live with only three things all your life, what would the three things be?

Books, flowers, music.

2. What if you were given the power to change one thing from this world, what would you change? 

Conceit. When people can be humble and rooted, it makes for a better, tolerant and more compassionate world.

3. What if you had all the money in this world, what would you do first?

I would divide it into four parts. One big chunk would go to dog shelters, old age homes and other causes I identify with. One big chunk would go towards reforestation and climate change campaigns. One chunk would be kept for my needs and those of my family. It is important to be self-reliant and only then can great things begin. One last chunk would be kept aside as Miscellaneous, for the future and all that it has to offer. The world is changing everyday and I’d like to think that I will be prepared to play my part when it’s my turn.

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