The Passionate Mythologist

If you think writing a book and having it published is a huge, distant dream then you have to meet Yashvardhan Shukla, a Delhi boy, who has published two books before turning 16. In class 7, his Science teacher, who was mighty impressed by his script-writing for school skits, predicted that he would be a writer in the next 15 years. But Yashvardhan didn't want to wait that long. He wrote his first book, The Gods of Antarctica, in class 8.

Subsequently, he published its sequel A Space Odyssey. His parents played a huge role in supporting and encouraging him to pursue his hobby. "At times, I used to feel that I was wasting my time, and I wanted to give up, but my father always motivated me to finish whatever I set out to do," says the young author.

His love for mythology is evident in his books, and Yashvardhan gives all the credit to his family. According to him, they are well-versed with the religious scriptures. "My grandparents used to tell me stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I had a lot of interest in it, and started reading them. I got into Greek and Roman mythology too, but then I decided why not create my own mythology. That's when I decided to create my own universe through my books," says Yashvardhan who loves the story of David vs the Goliath.

For this 16-year-old, mythology played a huge role in picking stories of Gods and monsters, which are the central characters in his books. He enjoys writing short stories, skits, and poems, but "Writing books gives me joy as I spent eight months writing my book and when I wrote the last word, it gave me a sense of satisfaction. Short stories can be written in a couple of days. Also, even if I don't get a positive response for the book, I would still have the satisfaction of having completed a book.However, I find writing poems the toughest as you need to have a good vocabulary, find rhyming words, or construct a free verse. Also, it's tough to maintain the flow and give a deep impression in a shorter format."

After completing the first book, he had the storyline plotted for the next book, but suffered from a writer's block. He took a break from writing for a few months and came back with more creative energy. "I have become more descriptive, and the conversations are more real in my second book as compared to the first book," says Yashvardhan when asked about the change he sees in his writing.

Bringing the ancient Vedas to schools is a wish he would like to turn into reality. "There is a lot of science in our religious scriptures which needs to be studied and translated into simpler language, or the essence is lost. Giving students small pieces from the Vedas would encourage them to think and bring innovative ideas," he emphasises. Along with studying for his medical entrance exam, he plans to do an extensive research on the Mahabharata, for his next book. Not just that, he also wants to write a Super Hero novel.

Yashvardhan is a skilled athlete, an ardent keyboardist, a voracious reader and a budding video editor. His advice for teenage writers is to read a lot, connect the loose ends after you have written the first draft, read it from the perspective of a reader, share it with very close friends, listen to advice, make several drafts of your book, connect with other writers, have a motivational factor, and most importantly don't ever give up.

Favourite authors: R.K Narayan, JK Rowling, Rick Riordan, Amish Tripathi
Favourite books: The Guide, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson
Books every teen should read: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Meluha series, books by R.K Narayan, books by Agatha Christie, and Sherlock Holmes