- Tell us something about yourself?
- I like being creative and thinking out of the box. I like to swim against the tide. Writing gives me that freedom. I have a successful day job where I try to be creative as well. I take my writing very seriously. I can spend hours and days crafting a perfect line or a para. Whatever may be the price of the book, I feel that an author is obliged to put in his very best and create a world-class product—book. But all of this comes at a price. You need to sacrifice your sleep, comfort, and social life to create a good book.
- How did you start writing?
- I have been writing since my school days. I loved listening to stories from my extended family, friends, acquaintances, and even complete strangers I bumped into while travelling or in enormous dreary parties about their happy moments in life and their trials and tribulations. The wisdom and perspective one imbibes while speaking to a cross-section of people across the globe and from various walks of life is quite invaluable. The rest was imagination and personal experiences. There are reams of handwritten poems, stories, scripts that someday hopefully I will get enough time and inspiration to publish. I have been lucky to have mentors who encouraged me to write, family and friends who liked my work.
- What motivates you?
- Inequality and injustice. Unfortunately, the world is slipping on both counts and the pandemic has made the gulf between the have and have-nots even wider. It is not possible for all of us to become activists or martyrs for every just cause but we should do our bit. My writings are not filled with hate and rhetoric, but they are a satirical take on how we all have started accepting inequality and injustice as part of our lives and how “un-cool” it is considered by the so-called gatekeepers of society to ask for one’s dues.
- Who inspires you?
- William Shakespeare. How a seemingly simple play or a poem can have many a wicked interpretation. The almost perfect blend of satire and fantasy.
- What are the challenges you have faced?
- Ironically the biggest challenges a writer faces are from publishing houses and fellow writers. Every good writer I have come across has been rejected multiple times by leading publishing houses. No reasons were given. Often no reverts too. Whilst I work in the ruthless world of financial markets yet the leading players here scout and nurture talent. Here the haves are not hostile to have-nots and are open to mentoring and supporting new kids in town. I have seen no such inclination in the publishing industry. Rather propensity to entitlements and questionable work ethics.
- What have you achieved to date?
- Vodka Vagina Vanity is my second book, and it is currently within the top 20 in thrillers on Amazon. Every book I write makes me a better person and further aligns my moral compass towards the divine light.
- How did your profession influence your writing?
- I keep the two lives separate. No one at my workplace knows that I am a published author and I never share my work details with my readers. For me, both are equally important. You may say I have dual identities.
- Tell us something about the book you wrote?
- Vodka Vagina Vanity is about how different people from different backdrops deal with discrimination and inequities. The question it asks is, should we compromise and move on or stand up and seek our dues and if denied seek revenge?
- What are your future plans?
- The response and reviews I have got for Vodka Vagina Vanity are quite encouraging. It has energised me. I have already started writing my next book. It is a fictional account of the post-pandemic world; will it be better or worse?
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
- I would like to write at least 5 more books in the next five years. Try to create unique stories and experiences for my readers. Whilst, every writer craves success and validation, so do I, but with God’s grace, I can afford to take bigger risks with my writing. I don’t get bogged down with expectations from my books. I am grateful to God for granting me the ability to write.
- Please give some valuable advice to the budding writers and authors so that they can get inspired by you?
- Writing is a trade. Writers like lawyers, doctors, engineers, and teachers must be good at what they do, they owe it to their readers. And like the other professionals, writers do get better with experience and age. If you want to be a successful writer, you need to clock loads of miles, create a body of work and then offer your best to the readers. Yes, there will always be writers who achieve fame and fortune through their very first book, but don’t get disheartened if you don’t. Often failures can be a blessing in disguise and propel you to be a better writer. Write a book that you would like to read and re-read. Last but not the least, don’t let the trolls get to you.