1. When was the first time you realized you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer since childhood. Books have been my best friends since the age of 5, and so I’ve always dreamt of being an author someday.

2. What were the highest and lowest moments in your journey as a writer?
Being naturally shy and a recluse, I’ve been very fortunate to receive a lot of love and support from my readers and the writing community.
Awards and rewards aside, for me, the greatest high has been the writing process itself. This might sound like a contradiction, but the lowest moments have also been the writing process itself.
I feel extremely accomplished every time I complete any writing project. It could be a blog post, poem, or story. There’s something innately exciting about chasing and catching your fleeting abstract ideas and turning them into something concrete, substantial, and distinctively unique. There’s something very satisfactory to a well-done job. You know it in your bones when you’ve written something extremely well, and it reads just right.
Ironically, I experienced my lowest lows when I was also receiving the most attention as a writer. There was a phase when I was a full-time writer and I was growing rapidly across diverse platforms, winning awards and accolades all the way. But it also left me feeling extremely drained and unidimensional. That’s when I realized that even though I was living my dream, I would never ever want to be a full-time writer. Writing was my sweet escape, and not my “be-all and end-all” in life. So, I immediately changed gears the following year. I’m glad I made that decision at the right time.
I did get questions like, “That’s strange. Normally, it’s the other way around. Most people quit their jobs to pursue writing full time or any other creative calling. Or non-beneficial remarks like, “It’s very tough to have a job and be a moonlighting writer. I tried that, and it never worked out for me.”
It’s true that it’s much harder to be running parallel on two tracks, and your growth trajectory as a writer also slows down if you have other unrelated things on your plate. However, I discovered it’s what works for me and makes me happier even as a writer. Besides, I’m in no tearing rush to get published, and maybe that patience has also helped me make peace. But I know others might think differently and find that quitting their jobs to pursue their calling works best for them. To each their own!
Continuing with the lows, writing is an extremely frustrating process. It’s a lengthy, solitary, and an excruciating journey on the whole – the several writing drafts and editing drills. The lows are definitely what lie underneath the writing iceberg, but it’s also what brings you the highs in this field if you persist.

3. What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I try to write everyday. It could be as simple as a tweet, social post, or an informational or well-researched article, poem, or story.
Usually, I try to keep the latter part of the day or weekends for my creative writing pursuits. But sometimes I get that persistent writing itch to get it all out the first thing in the morning, and I succumb to it keeping aside the more important money-generating activities. I have also burnt several midnight oils for the sake of writing.

4. Is there anyone special who’s played a major role in your literary journey?
A major influence on the choice of my calling has been my father. He was the one who introduced me to books, and I took to it like a duck takes to water. He continues to be very supportive of my calling and keeps reminding me to be intellectually honest in my writings.
I still distinctly remember my mother’s remarks about my writing when I had just ventured into freelance writing decades ago when I became a first time mother. She said I wrote better than my father, which was a huge motivational boost for me, as my father writes with tremendous heft and depth.
I discovered blogging only because of my younger brother. When he’d moved abroad for higher studies, he immediately got in touch with me to consider blogging as he thought I’d enjoy it. He was right, as I’m actively blogging to this day even though there was a long interim gap for several years. In fact, I dedicated my first blog to him. My other younger brother, who is not a reader like my mother, is generally appreciative.
My husband, who’s again a non-reader, has also been a silent pillar of strength. While he doesn’t read all that I write unless I share something specifically with him, he understands my need for space and the zone to write. He’s always my go-to-person for everything, including my writing ambitions.
Out of everyone in my family, surprisingly, it’s my twelve-year-old daughter who’s the most excited and also the pushiest about my writings. She’s extremely curious about what I write, gives her honest feedback, suggestions for the next story or book, and is very cheesed off that I’m so chill and not out with my second book yet. This makes me the happiest because there’s a lot of love behind her nags and that she genuinely wants me to create more books as I’ve always dreamt of.
And of course, there’s the writing platforms I contribute to regularly and their founding and editorial teams who’ve been hugely instrumental in my growth as a writer to date. The writing community, including you, has showered me with nothing but love, kindness, support, and respect.
So, as you can see, it takes an entire village to raise a writer.

5. Do you think women writers face greater challenges? If yes, how?
Yes, I do. Even more so if you’re a woman writer who doesn’t fit into the patriarchal norm. Then, you’re like the quintessential vamp in the old Hindi movies and not like its sanskari heroine.
But first let me share the common problems all women writers face, irrespective of their background and outlook.
There are innumerable sexist notions about women writers. Like your books sell because you’re a ‘good-looking’ woman. Or women cannot write certain genres akin to the stereotypes on gendered jobs. Even today, I know of fellow Indian women authors who feel more comfortable using pseudonyms to write certain taboo genres like erotica because of what their readers, families, work peers, or society might think.
The challenges become bigger if you’re a liberal woman writer and even bigger if you belong to unprivileged or minority groups. Some challenges are more evident, such as being vulnerable to rape threats and abuse online and offline, and it can go extreme to the point of being thrown in the jail or murdered. Some challenges are more subtle and involve gaslighting, slutshaming, lack of support and encouragement from the family and establishment etc.

6. Who is your favourite woman writer and why?
Toni Morrison. She used her writing to be the voice of the voiceless. There’s an intellectual honesty and ethereal spiritual quality in her writings which is rare to find. It speaks volumes about her as a person as well, which makes me look up to her in more ways than one.

7. Are there any subjects which are particularly close to your heart, or any special causes that you would like to contribute to through your writing?
I tend to use my voice to write about the underdogs, the pariahs, the ones outcast as uninteresting, boring, and worthless to society as per its set norms. I’m also drawn to playing the Devil’s advocate sometimes, because I find it really hard to look at the world in shades of black and white, and take a radical stand. If I have to narrow it down, then the themes of universal love, equality, and social justice matter to me, and I’m sure, it reflects in my writings.

8. They say, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword”. What do these words mean to you?
It means there’s a lot of power in your words. We can choose to cut through people with our words, or win them over with love.
But I don’t aspire to change the world or anyone for that matter through my writings. I merely write to speak my truth or speak up for a certain section or viewpoint or perspective, however minoritarian, unpopular or stupid it might seem at the outset. There is truth in all perspectives.

9. If not a writer, what would you have been?
Writing is only a part of what I do, as I mentioned in one of my earlier answers. Doing several unrelated things makes me a better, happier writer, and this is what works for me personally. While I’m a natural risk taker, becoming a full-time writer would never satisfy or make me happy.

10. What are your future literary projects that we can look forward to?
I’d rather talk about the present than the future at this stage. All I can say for now is that there are a couple of things I’m working on, but I’d like to be tightlipped about them until its fruition. You can expect some announcements on a few of my literary projects this year. But some of them (especially the bigger projects) will have to wait for a while as I have other focus areas this year.

Rapid Five!

Your favourite holiday destination.
USA because of the diversity in its geography, wide entertainment options, and the wonderful people.
Your favourite food and beverage.
Very tough one as I’m a huge foodie. But if I have to pick just one food, it’d have to be something spicy, wholesome and Indian like Bisi Bele Bath (Sambar and Vegetable Rice laced with Ghee). And something tangy and refreshing like fresh Valencia Orange Juice.
Describe yourself in one word.
Resilient
An interesting book you’ve read recently.
Love Without A Story by Arundhathi Subramaniam
Your go-to-person at 3 am.
My husband, of course.