Fact on fiction

Writer Raksha Bharadia talks about what it takes to venture into fiction writing.

What prompted you to write your first novel, after two non-fiction books?
Fiction was always on my mind. After my books Me: A Handbook of Life, which is part philosophy and part self-help, Roots and Wings: A Handbook For Parents and Chicken Soup titles, I was more confident of my writing. And as I was always intrigued by people’s lives and stories, I decided to write my first novel All And Nothing.

Does the creative process that goes into characters and plots make it difficult to write fiction?
I believe in the inevitability of story telling. With fiction writing, a writer cannot go wrong with the plot or the characters. In non-fiction, you follow factual writing and the space to experiment with thought or a character doesn’t exist. In fiction writing, one can explore the plot and characters better.

How important is it to write a fiction novel based on research, as compared to drawing from real life experiences?
It is important to research the background of each character. For my novel, which features a fashion designer in the plot, I went to various fashion institutes, design houses, well-known designers to understand how the industry works, its dynamics, peer pressure and so on. While one does draw inspiration form real-life incidents, research is an integral part of fiction writing. Only then can a writer bring out the nuances of each character and the plot.

Besides writing a book, marketing it is also important. Is that a huge challenge?
It is easier to write a book than to see it [laughs]. To get it out there is a big thing these days. For an author book promotion is an exhausting task, convincing readers to pick it up. It is after all like your baby and asking people to come for a launch or reading your book can also become embarrassing at times.

A lot of books are just easy reads rather than being a language experience. Doesn’t that degrade good reading?
It depends on what audiences you want to reach. If my reader has to refer a dictionary at every page of my book, the understanding of the thought is completely lost. For me as a writer, it is most important to convey my thought to my reader and if that means writing in an easy vocabulary, then that’s absolutely fine.

In so much clutter of new-age writing, how difficult is it to get one’s writing published?
Indian authors currently are in a good spot. In spite of all the manuscripts doing the rounds, I think that publishers read each and very script sent to them. I don’t think it is necessary to have big contacts to get a foot in the door. If your work is good, they do get back to you, thought the waiting period can vary. Also, for rejections, one must not give up. It does not mean a comment on your writing. It means that the theme is not right. So a writer must rethink on the plot and what will work for the publisher.