Read on, the second part of the Mohan Prasad Interview. In this, he tells us what the most fulfilling part of writing 'Legacy' was, and also dishes out some advice to today's authors, and also gives us information on the next book, he has planned. He also tells us what he's reading currently and also his favourite authors, among others, Folks...
What is the most fulfilling part, now that you have
written your book?
The most fulfilling part is seeing your work
in front of you and in the hands of your near and dear ones. Getting appreciation from your colleagues really feels good. My favourite
professor at IIT loved my book and could relate to the protagonist because her
brother was an important part of Emergency protests. That really made my day.
One of my readers told me she is now keen to
go back and read Indian history again, that seemed an accomplishment. It has
also boosted my motivation to keep working on my other books.
Any
advice to writers that would like to be published today? How tough is it to be
published?
I have already mentored some budding writers. It is easy to empathize
with them because I was among them only a few months ago. The advice I gave
them is to be patient.
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| Mohan Prasad |
Publishing can be really tricky, because it is a slow industry and
editors, even though quite good at their work, might be wrong in assessing the
value of your work.
Big publishers take their own sweet time to agree to publish your work
and that is quite understandable, so at least for your first book you should be
flexible with your publishing options.
Believe in your work, and it does help to get it edited professionally,
because any work of artistry does need a neutral point of view.
Who was it
that told you that you could become the author, you are today?
My
brother. Though I was quite successful in most of my endeavours, I did need
some encouragement for writing, because it can be a lonely pursuit at times.
My brother
advised me to take a break from my professional career, drop my plans of a
start-up and get on to writing, which was my real love. My family and friends believed in me, and in fact I also
believed I could write well if I pursued it seriously.
What
is the next book that you have planned?
My next book is on the Independence struggle. Two very important heroes
(Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army, as well as the 1857 mutiny by
Nana Sahib are the major events discussed and compared along with their build
ups and impacts. The characterisation is very novel to give it the
look of fiction while keeping readers amused and interested.
Which book
are you currently reading?
I have
recently completed two books by Ashwin Sanghi : ‘The Krishna Key’ and ‘The Rozabal Line’. I am currently reading '20
Indian Innovators' by Akshat Agrawal and a collection of Russian short stories.
Who are your
favourite authors and why?
Premchand,
Malcolm Gladwell, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salman Rushdie, Amitava Ghosh, Orhan Pamuk and UR Ananthamurthy, among many others. Most of
them have dealt with the socio-political aspects of their regions quite
vividly.
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| Amitava Ghosh |
Premchand
was probably India’s greatest writer, though he tends to make you sad.
Ananthamurthy was a modern master, more deserving of the Nobel Prize in
Literature than many others. Amitava Ghosh for his details and his selection of
topics, while Marquez for his amazing fantasies that depict reality better than
the reality itself.
What else do
you do on a daily basis?
I work
full-time in education management, which is a passion. Reading is also more of
passion than hobby and takes a lot of time.
I aspire
to be an impactful social entrepreneur and I do take some small steps in that
direction on and off.
What addtional advice do you have for
people who are trying to debut, as well?
We all have artists and writers inside us. Some of us may be great with
words, others may be great with performances or may be none of these.
But we all have stories to share and we all are moved by human stories,
even though our preferred genre might vary. So, when you decide to write, I would just advise them to try to touch meaningful
topics. We are the citizens of a vast land with a very rich culture and
infinite stories covering all emotions. We need thousands of pens to bring
those forth. Be a proud part of it and be true to your writing.
You can read the First Part of this Interview right here. You can also catch the Review and also Buy the Book right here.
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