It’s time for
another author interview. Today with us we have Vani, she is an Indian
journalist, novelist, columnist and an art curator based in Chandigarh. She
took a plunge into the world of fiction writing after trying her hand in
business journalism, working for leading newspapers, The Times of India and The
Financial Express. Her debut rom com, The Recession Groom, was released in 2015
to widespread acclaim with top class reviews in all the newspapers of the
country. She has been widely interviewed by the Indian media, both print and
electronic. Her dream is to have a big library of her own, something of the
sort old Bilbo Baggins had in his hobbit hole. First editions of ‘Pride and
Prejudice’ and ‘The Lord of The Rings’ are on her wish list, as are selfies
with all her favourite authors.
How do you handle the success of your first novel ‘The Recession Groom’?
I am grateful
for the response my first novel received. It makes me want to work harder on my
next book.
Did you ever feel that the title ‘The Recession Groom’ is a well-planned title? How did it occur to your mind?
I was in
London, walking to my bus stop for work when I came upon the title of my novel,
The Recession Groom. It suited me pretty well considering as I was writing the
story of a young IT professional from India across the period of global credit
crisis and his adventures to find his perfect partner. Interestingly, for all
the two and a half years that I worked on this novel, this was the only name
that ever came to my mind.
What if the story had been written from a female’s point of view?
Then the novel
would have been called ‘The Recession Bride’, isn’t it? Well, writing
about a girl and her adventures to find a perfect husband would have been the
easiest, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. So I chose to write about
a boy. Not that it was any easier. I had to work hard to understand male psyche
and mannerisms. Moreover, I always thought men didn’t have to bear the burden
of societal expectations, but I realized that I was completely wrong there.
That’s what prompted me to write the story from the perspective of an Indian
boy who is hot on the Indian wedding market and his chances of finding
happiness when he is not ‘so hot’, you see.
How will you react if Shobhaa De writes a novel on the similar topic?
I would grab a
signed copy of the novel as soon as possible.
Now, tell us what’s your area of interest (genre) when it comes to writing novels? Is it general fiction or something else that you want to reveal later with the upcoming books?
When I started
writing, I was in love with romance and wanted to continue writing in that
space. However, the more I write, the more I realise how much I love
experimenting with my craft. I would never allow myself to be defined as a
romance writer because I am so much more than that.
Do you think writing a book from the comfort of bedroom or study room is possible?
Yes, I do that
all the time.
Where do you write from? Do you go to some specific place, like beachside or into the hills?
I work from my
bedroom. I wake up early and work through the day, getting up for lunch and tea
breaks. That’s so convenient, right?
Did you do proper research before penning down this book or was it something based on personal life?
I have a
background in Economics and Management, and clearly, writing about an IT
professional, the triumphs and tribulations of his life wasn’t easy. I needed
to know the terms used in the IT industry, had to understand the routines of IT
professionals, how they work on projects and in groups, what are their day
today challenges and how they deal with them. I read up a lot on the internet
and also had help from friends and family members who are in this industry. I
am so happy that the novel clicked with IT professionals. Most of them could
relate to the story.
What inspired you to write this book?
Year 2008, I
was in London when the global economy started moving into a recessionary phase.
The newspapers were full of stories about bankruptcies, foreclosures and
redundancies. What I saw around me inspired me to write this story.
What was your biggest learning experience throughout the publishing process?
It’s been an
interesting journey and I have learnt a lot at every step. Very difficult for
me to highlight and talk about one lesson. Na ah!
I was working
full time in London when I started writing my book. Initially, everything was a
challenge, from writing a few pages every day to completing the final
manuscript. Several drafts and multiple revisions later, that story is what you
know as The Recession Groom. It took me
two and a half years to write the book and I had a tough time training myself
to be patient. Selling my manuscript to a publisher wasn’t easy, too. As far as
that goes, here’s my advice to first time writers: sometimes, it takes months,
at other times, years, to find a publisher, that is. What makes it difficult,
though, is your attitude. Patience helps and so does perseverance. There are
multiple rejections and staying positive is the key. Keeping your finger on the
pulse of the reader works well because literary agents/publishers are often
looking for novels similar to what people are reading. Sustaining oneself
financially during this struggle period could be a big challenge, too. And I’ve
learnt all of this and much more on my journey.
However, what
I also realized was that landing a publishing deal is not the end of the story.
An author is the brand ambassador for his/her book and must know how to market
it to prospective readers. There are several options to choose from in addition
to newspapers, magazines and TV. I used Goodreads to review books and soon
enough, found success as a reviewer. I have my own website called
vaniauthor.com and I also write blogs for Scroll, Quint, DailyO and The
Huffington Post. I have a twitter account for promoting my book (@Vani_Author)
and I’m also active on Facebook, Google Plus, Youtube and Instagram. Trust me,
I’ve been on a steep learning curve, but it has been rewarding all the same.
Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in as a writer?
I wrote a
commercially viable book and marketed it well.
Any best piece of writing advice from your side that we haven’t discussed?
Writing is a
lonely profession. You must sit for hours at a stretch, all by yourself,
writing, revising and editing your work. True passion must drive your writing,
or else, you will feel suffocated. I love to write and prefer my own company
over all else. If you think you are cut out for it, then go for it all guns
blazing.
Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?
No matter what
my social media profile makes you believe, I am a very shy person. I have three
friends. I do not mingle much and rarely go out of my house. I hate driving. I
hate partying. I love tea and have several mugs of it during the day. I am
addicted to fennel seeds and have copious amounts of those every month. I am an
early morning person and very disciplined. I report to my writing desk at sharp
8 am and don’t get up until it is pretty late in the evening. I finish my day
with a book in my hand. I am not a foodie and I can make do with plain dal-chawal every day as long as there is
mango pickle to go with it.
Any future books that you would like to discuss now?
I have an art
book coming up soon. This one is about a very popular American Armenian artist.
It will be released in the United States. Moreover, it will be available at
major art galleries and museums there, but I can’t talk much about it at this
moment.
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