Searching for love in crisis

When Vani decided to quit her journalism job and become a full-time writer, little she knew that what she had learnt while writing for newspaper was much different for writing a book. In her own words she had to 'unlearn many thing' but the outcome has been quite satisfying. Her debut novel The Recession Groom is getting positive response from her readers. Here are excerpts from an interview

How has been the journey from a journalist to an author?
Journalism nurtured my creativity and gave me a platform to express my ideas. After all, journalists thrive on uncertainty, not knowing one day from the other and yet, they always manage to stay ahead of their readers. I drew heavily on my journalistic skills and instincts when I started writing my first fiction novel, The Recession Groom. However, I soon realised that writing 'fiction' was a different ball game altogether. By the time I finished writing the final draft of my book, my imagination had completely taken over. In a way, I'm glad I made that effort.

Did it help that you came from media?
I was more confident about my writing, since had spent a few years in journalism. My dictionary was also made up of words that common people used and understood. The only change being, in a newspaper organisation, I worked with a team of editors who were always there to help and guide me (perhaps, correct my flaws, too). Contrary to that, when I started working on my novel, I was my own guide and it was my decision what to include in the story. No wonder, I spent many years working on it, writing multiple drafts and carrying out several revisions just to ensure this was the best I could do.

How did the idea of your book came up?
I left the comfort of a full time job and went to London in the year 2008 to pursue an MBA degree from Kingston University. It was here that I witnessed first-hand how global recession affected the Western economies. When I read that top multinationals were declaring bankruptcies and handing pink slips to their employees, I thought about how these macro changes would affect the little world of an average middle class Indian and his or her chances of finding happiness, of living a wonderful life and finding a perfect partner. My situation and circumstances prompted me to write an international story and give it a uniquely Indian flavour, with its underlying theme of 'arranged marriages', a concept which I knew had long piqued the curiosity of readers.

Are there any similarities between the characters of the book and people you know?
Many authors borrow heavily from personal incidents and real life characters. I do, too. But it is imperative to be creative, otherwise one might feel stuck after one or two novels. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and use my imagination to the hilt. To get into the skin of the characters, I did a lot of internet research, aside the help from friends and family members who were in the IT industry. For the rest, we all have nosy Aunts, bossy sisters, and doting grandparents in our families who always believe that 'our life is their business'.

Was it written keeping NRIs in mind?
The Recession Groom is an international story with a strong Indian flavour and an important foreign female character. In that sense, it is of great potential interest to the NRI population, IT professionals and their families. My novel is a light-hearted take on the Indian family value system and I have made every attempt to ensure that it engages readers from multiple cultural backgrounds and social milieus, quite contrary to popular authors some of whom present a hard-hitting satire on the Indian society thereby commanding a more mature readership.

Do you plan to write more?
I have given a very uncharacteristic ending to my first novel and it was by choice. I am currently writing a sequel to my first book.

Who are your favourite authors? What are you reading these days?
I love so many authors, it is difficult to name a few. Jane Austen, JRR Tolkien, John Green, Ray Bradbury, George RR Martin, Stephen King, John Grisham, J K Rowling, Ernest Hemingway, Dan Brown, Ashwin Sanghi, Ravi Subramanian, Amitav Ghosh. Alice Walker is also a favourite and I simply love her book, The Colour Purple. I am currently reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

But, today's youth can't read so much!
To be honest, that's what it looks like. Attention span of most people has reduced drastically because of multiple distractions like apps, games, TV and social networking. People are also much busier in their life than before, working ten to twelve hours a day. Where does it leave the time for leisure reading? However, if the book is really good, you may be able to hook the audience early on and then it doesn't stop; A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin is a case in point.

And that's why fast-read is becoming popular?
That's definitely a trend the world over. The book may have an enticing cover and blurb, but if it is not firmly plotted and slick in narration with an interesting cast of characters, a reader is most likely to leave it mid-way and never read that author's book again. In that way, readers love 'fast fiction' just as they love 'fast food'. However, this does not mean that an author cannot write a beautiful story in as many pages as a modern reader prefers.

What about ebooks? Are they a threat to publishing industry?
I am quite fond of e-books but equally so of paperbacks. However, that's just me as a reader. The world over, e-books have expanded readership, cutting down on intermediaries and institutional bottlenecks of distribution. It is bound to have created some impact on the bottom lines of traditional publishers because of their pricing and maybe they have been forced to reconsider their business models. But at least in India there is no immediate threat. Not many readers here have e-readers and the culture is still heavily skewed in favour of paperbacks.

What advice would you like to give to first-time writers?
Writing is hard work. Be committed and write daily. Cut down distractions in your life. Write first, revise later. Discipline helps. Patience helps much more.