Skip to main content

Author Highlight: Kavya Discusses her New Book ‘Somewhere in a Song’ and Stories from her Life

We are back with another author interview. Today, with us, we have Kavya – the author of ‘Somewhere in a Song’. In this interview, Kavya talks about her writing aspirations, the route to getting her book published, and her inclination towards psychological thrillers. Stay on...while we chat with her. 

What motivates you to write?

This might sound strange. Music motivates me to write. If I love a particular song, immediately a story will form in my mind. I would feel inspired and start plotting the story. Sometimes, an entire soundtrack (especially A.R. Rahman’s albums) will bring in some ideas for my stories. No wonder my book ‘Somewhere in a Song’ revolves around a song.

What were your feelings after publishing this book?

I felt euphoric. Since this story had two themes that were close to my heart, getting it published was really blissful.

Why did you choose to write a psychological novel based around a song?

I didn’t mean to categorize the story as psychological. It somehow fell into that category. Probably because of mentioning hypnotherapy. I just combined music, time travel and mental health in this story.

What are some of your favourite novels and authors?

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (my favourite author too), And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (another favourite author), Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton (favourite author in childhood), P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and The Reader on 6.27 by Jean Paul-Didierlaurent.

Do you think writing a book from the comfort of bedroom is possible?

I have written all my stories from the comfort of my bedroom. So, yeah, it is possible.

Where do you write from? Do you go to some specific place, like beachside or into the hills?

Ha…ha. I have never had the luxury of going to a beachside or hills to write. Maybe in the future I might decide which one is better.

What inspired you to write this book, especially with cross-cultural setting? Any tales to tell…

I was travelling to a town named Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, when I listened to a Tamil song sung by Bombay Jayashri. Immediately I got the idea to pen this story. I wanted the story to reach to all readers alike. Hence, I opted for a cross-cultural setting.

What was your biggest learning experience throughout the writing process?

After publishing this story, I was approached by a friend, who was a manuscript consultant. He pointed out all the things that were wrong in the story and how it could have been better. He also stressed on the importance of hiring a beta reader. That conversation was an eye-opener. I can quote that as my biggest learning experience throughout my writing process.

Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in as a writer?

When I published short stories on short story writing platforms, I had never thought about editing my story. So, you can find many first drafts of my stories online. Later, I learnt the importance of hiring a strong editor before publishing anything. I owe lots of gratitude to my editor Dhivya Balaji, for beautifully polishing ‘Somewhere in a Song’.

Any best piece of writing advice that you would like to share with new or struggling writers?

Read lots of books. By lots, I mean, really lots of books. Reading can shape you into a better writer, if not best. I have befriended aspiring writers who haven’t read a single book, yet they want to become a bestselling author.

Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?

Yeah, I rear unicorns in my backyard. Ha ha, jokes apart. Personal is personal. Why should I make it public?

Any future books that you would like to discuss now?

My first full-fledged novel is in the hands of a literary agent right now. I have started writing my second book, which is a science-fiction romance. Right now, I am enjoying motherhood. So it might take time to finish the book.

Connect with Kavya:

Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/writerkavyajanani
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UKavyajanani
Website/Blog: http://kavyajanani.wordpress.com

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poem Summary: Where The Mind Is Without Fear by Rabindranath Tagore

Poem by Rabindranath Tagore: Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free Where the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls Where words come out from the depth of truth Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit Where the mind is led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. Short Summary: This poem is written by Rabindranath Tagore during pre-independence days, when India was a colony of the British. The underlying theme of the poem is absolute freedom; the poet wants the citizens of his country to be living in a free state. According to the poem, we see that the poet is expressing his views there should be a country, like where people live without any sort of fear and with pure dignity…they should
68 comments
Read more

Book Review: The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond

Among all Ruskin Bond books, The Blue Umbrella has, so far, gathered immense applaud from readers and critics alike.  This is a short novel, but the kind of moral lessons it teaches to us are simply overwhelming. This is a story of Binya, a poor little girl living with her mother and an elder brother, Bijju, in a small hilly village of Garhwal. One day while herding her two cows back home, she stumbles upon some city people enjoying the picnic in the valley. She is enthralled to see them well-groomed and rich. She craves to be one like them and among many other things of their, a blue frilly umbrella catches her attention. She begins craving for it. On the other hand, the city people get attracted by her innocent beauty and the pendant in her neck. The pendant consists of leopard’s claw – which is considered a mascot widely in the hills. Binya trades her pendant off with the blue umbrella. The blue umbrella is so much beautiful that soon it becomes a topic of conversation fo
64 comments
Read more

Poem Summary: Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ozymandias is a short poem of fourteen lines written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The concurrent theme of the poem is that nothing remains intact and same forever in this world. Even the brightest of metal, one day decays with passage of time. The throne name of Egyptian King Ramesses is Ozymandias. It was his dearest desire to preserve himself forever by building a huge statue that he thought would never tumble down. Stanza 1: I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; Summary: The poet narrates the poem through the eyes of a traveler who seems to have come back from a remote and far-away land, referring to Egypt. The traveler r
23 comments
Read more