Author's Interview: In Conversation with Vrushali Telang

Here's I'm in conversation with Vrushali Telang whose second novel "He Loves Me Not"  (Read my review HERE) has been released recently (Random House India) and it's getting nice reviews.

Hello and welcome to my blog.

Thank you Tarang.

So, tell your readers something about you.

I love stories. I love to read, watch and write stories. I'm based based out of Mumbai, in fact I have always been in this city. I live with my husband and daughter and my plants. Currently I am working on my kitchen garden!

What prompted you to write?

I love to write. I love to observe people. I love to see how they behave in different relationships. I love to notice how equations in a relationship change with success or failure. Human behaviour fascinates me. I write my understanding of people and situations.

The characters in your book ‘He loves me not’ are very well defined. On a different note you’ve chosen Parsi characters. Are they real life characters or pure imaginary?

The starting point of any character was a real person I knew. Then I took their traits and added my own dimension. However I only did the initial leg work. Very soon my characters started to take a life of their own. They spoke for themselves. All I had to do was listen to them. I did not create them. They created themselves. They wanted to be set in a Parsi milieu.

 Do you follow any strict schedule for writing?

Ha! I wish! I write as and when I can. My only deadline is 300 words a day. That I stick to.  You see, I have my little one to take care off. And I do it hands on.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

In general, people inspire me. Interesting characters that I meet in my daily life, they inspire me.

Tell me something about your first book ‘Can’t die for size zero’.

Can’t Die For Size Zero is a funny story about a what a plus size Joyeeta Naik feels in an a world obsessed with Size Zero. It is about her love for food and beer and how she finds it difficult to go on a diet.

Many of my readers wrote in saying how they saw themselves in the trials and tribulations of protagonist Joyeeta Naik . Couple of them knocked of the kilos only because they did what Joyeeta Naik did in the book.

Seems interesting! Would you like to share something about your next project

I have just about started work on my next. But it is too nascent in form to talk about it. All I can say is that it’s a crime drama.

What’s your favourite genre in writing/reading?

Humour and Noir are my favorite genres in both writing and reading.

Your favourite book/author.

Tales From Firozsha Baug by Rohinton Mistry

Writing a book is a huge task but getting a publisher is the    toughest nut to crack.  What’s your take?

Not in my experience. I have been lucky that way. Touchwood.

“Writing a book” trend is developing extraordinarily in India. What do you think about it?

I think it’s a great phenomenon. There was no space for commercial Indian fiction a decade ago. Indian fiction was too high brow back then. But now there is room for those who want to write a book. And we have to thank publishers for opening up and Chetan Bhagat for starting the Indian Commercial Fiction Trend. It would have been an uphill task for me, as an author had I written He Loves Me Not in the early 2000s.

E-books or traditional style of reading?

Traditional, Hands Down. Love the woody fragrance of old books and the crispness of fresh paperback. With a cup of hot chai.

Any words of encouragement for aspiring writers who crave  and struggle to get into the ‘published author world’?

At any cost, Write YOUR story. The story that is your truth. Because no one has or will write it as well as YOU can. Don’t worry if it’s not been written or heard of before. It’s probably because it was meant to flow through you.

And after that relax. Just take it easy. If you are having a tough time finding a publisher, try to self publish. Then distribute copies. I know someone who wrote a bunch of short stories, self published and sold copies to his friends for Re.1/- For him it was more about the joy of writing and seeing his work in print than being published in the traditional sense of the word.

Remember celebrity author, aapro Amish Tripathi started his successful journey with self-publishing.

Having said this I’d like to reiterate, this is for those who are struggling to find a publisher. It is not an option if a publisher is interested in your manuscript.

Very helpful tips for aspiring writers! Finally, what do you think about my blog? What’s your idea about blogging?

It is a very popular blog and I think your reviews are widely appreciated. I have been planning to blog, even started once but stopped. A Blog is like a full time job. One has to be Disciplined and Consistent about it. According to me bloggers are serious writers.

Thanks for your kind words! It’s an absolute pleasure to have you here! Quite enjoyed this candid conversation. Thank you and I wish you all the best for your future projects!

Thank you for your time. Good Luck with your Blog. 

My pleasure!