1. Tell us more about your background and journey.
I have always been an avid reader of stories. Even in my childhood, I read a lot of comics. This love of stories only grew once I read novels like Harry Potter, Eragon, and the many works of Jeffrey Archer. I read a lot of different genres under the Fiction umbrella and realised that Fantasy was my true love. I did my engineering in IT and joined Flipkart as a Software Developer. Because of the work-life balance that my company offered, I started dabbling in writing. I took some time off from work to finish writing Divinity, and things have been going great ever since.
2. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
2. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
It was somewhere around the time when I had completed 3 years in my job as a Software Developer. I really liked my work, and I was great at it, and yet I couldn’t help but think that what was it that I could give to the world that only I could do? That’s when I realised that I wanted to try my hand at writing stories.
3. Is it a financially stable career?
For the majority of the people, writing is certainly not a financially stable career. You either need to be in the league of the absolute top bestsellers like Amish Tripathi and Chetan Bhagat, or you need to supplement your writing with other side endeavours. In my personal opinion, unless your writing income matches or exceeds the income from your day job, it is ill-advised to quit your job and start writing full-time.
4. Who is your favourite writer and why?
Brandon Sanderson is my favourite author. He is not only an incredible storyteller, but also a great teacher and all-round pleasant human being. His command on the craft of writing and his work ethic are truly inspiring.
5. Where does your inspiration lie?
My inspiration lies in chasing new and exciting things. In the world of my stories, I can do so much which is otherwise impossible. I can create worlds from scratch, deciding each and every aspect of them. I can create innumerable characters, each different from the other, and live a life through their eyes. I can create new magic which can dazzle and awe. The endless possibilities of story-telling is what inspires me.
6. What does your typical day look like?
On a typical day I wake up early in the morning, and after some meditation and exercise I try to put in two hours of writing before I start my office work. Office takes up the majority of my day. After office hours, I focus on the promotions and other aspects of my debut novel Divinity. Dinner and post-dinner time is for family.
7. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring writers?
It is important to write your book in your own unique voice. You need your work to stand out, and what better way to do it than to write it in a way that only you can.
- Prateek Srivastava
Interviewed by- Rupali Rawat
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