YouthKiAwaaz.com’s Shivangi Singh got a chance to interview Ms. Preeti Shenoy, the best selling author of three fantastic books, a mother and an inspiration for us all.
1. ‘Just A mother of two’ has always been very well-received. What in your opinion makes a Blog tick?
To make a blog tick it requires a tremendous amount of hard work, dedication and perseverance. It of course goes without saying that the content in your blog has to be something which appeals to people or else no matter what you do, people will never visit your blog. I also think responding back to comments is very important as reader interaction is a core part of a blog. A blog is nothing without its readers. Of course, there is no substitute for good writing too.
2. Your father had a transferable job. How did growing up in different parts of the country affected you personally and as a writer?
My dad having a transferable job I felt was both good and bad. We moved every three years, on an average, to a new place. This helped me adjust to new cultures, people and also see more of the world as compared to a lot of people who have stayed only in one place throughout their lives. I have made a lot of friends across the country which is very good and am able to easily get along with different varieties of people. Moving every two years also helped me learn more languages.
As a child you are not as well accepted into the already existing ‘groups’. That made me excel in everything I did and take part in every single activity possible so that I could win my entry in to groups and make everyone want to be my friend. I learnt to observe a lot, which is a very important quality for a writer to have.
3. What were the initial challenges that you faced while trying to write a book for the first time?
My first book was a compilation of my very popular blog-posts plus of course some more new matter. All I had to do was adapt the posts to suit a book. I already had ‘tried and tested’ matter. It was a lot of work indeed, but I also enjoyed it a lot.
4. How difficult (or easy) is it for any writer in India today to get a ‘Yes’ from a good publication house?
An editor at a publishing house would be able to answer this better! 🙂 I am just an author.
5. In a certain way all your books have a backdrop of a simple life and innocence- qualities fast disappearing in the fast-paced times we live in! What makes these qualities so important for you?
Not really. My three books are completely different from each other and I do not think they really have a back-drop of simple life or innocence. My second book is about a girl dealing with Bipolar disorder which is a very serious mental condition that can result in loss of life through suicide. My third book is about a woman whose husband deserts her and about a marriage breaking down and her relationship with a younger guy.
However the message is that despite all of this, life is truly worth living to the fullest. This is what I truly believe in and this is the most important quality for me, which is reflected in my writings.
6 .What are the themes you would most like to write about in future and What social message do you want to give through your writings?
Will not be able to disclose this right now! As for the messages in my writing, it is all about facing courageously whatever life hurls at you and being positive and happy despite all the odds.
7. What message or advice would you like to give to the struggling authors and/or Bloggers in the country?
Try, try and try again. Do not give up. Take the challenge head on and if you really want to be an author then do not give up. Write as much as possible each day. Each time you write it will help you improve and develop your personal style. Read a lot. Devour books and try and see different styles of writers. This will make you aware of different writing styles and help you build your own personal style.
Do what you believe is right and because you are passionate about it. You may encounter some failures while taking this path. Take that in your stride and put in more effort. Things will work out. Have hope!