Shefali Arora is the author of ‘Bittersweet Coffee’ and the compiler of ‘Dare. Dream. Travel.’ She has authored several other books and is the recipient of many awards for her works in fiction. She is a lecturer by profession and author by passion. She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at NIT Jalandhar and has a doctorate in Computer Science and Engineering. Her other works include ‘A Paradise of Thoughts’ (a short poetry of haiku and senryu), ‘The Infinite Road’ (fiction) and ‘Passion meets Profession.’
‘The Infinite Road’, was published by Locksley Hall Publishing and garnered great reviews from readers on Amazon. It was listed by Outlook among the top reads of September 2021 and was among the top 100 Indian books list of the Literary Mirror Magazine. The book was also featured by other media portals such as The Dispatch and School Life among the top books to read in 2020. It was in the prestigious Pune Literature Festival 2020 and in another e-fest organized by ‘Kharidobecho’ and Srishti Publications. The book won her several awards for this debut work in fiction. Her book ‘Dare.Dream.Travel’ was endorsed by The CEO Magazine and launched by the literary club of IIT Mandi and was featured by Mid-Day, a leading daily.
In this interview, Shefali Arora talks about her writing journey, her motivations and inspirations, shares some tips for the new and emerging authors. Read on to know what she has to say about being a writer:
Q. Tell us what led you to writing. You said that you are lecturer by profession but an author by passion. So what made you want to write?
A.- I had a penchant for writing since childhood. Yes, I am a lecturer by profession but I wanted to make a place for myself in the world of writing. I remember reading a lot of books, writing poetry and articles as a child. In fact, my first piece of poetry was dedicated to my favourite character Harry Potter! Gradually, I wrote full-fledged stories and started pitching them to publishers. This, writing was always my passion.
Q. You have published multiple books. Would you say that your writing style has evolved through the years, since your first publication? What change do you feel in you writings?
A.- I would agree with this, my writing has surely matured with time. When I wrote ‘The Infinite Road’, I was focusing on the fiction part, weaving stories in my head around Anokhi and Alunkrita. While writing Dare.Dream.Travel, I got the flavour of writing non-fiction. It was more about collaborating with my women travellers, portraying their stories correctly, keeping the facts right. Of course I have published two books on Kindle Digital Platform after this, and I feel that I am now able to deliver my thoughts in a much better way.
Q. Are there any authors or writers whose work inspired you? Who are your literary heroes?
A.- I do have! JK Rowling was my first favourite, and shall stay forever. Besides, I adore the work of Paula Hawkins and Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni, Sudha Murthy, all these ladies are my literary heroes!
Q. You are an acclaimed writer, and your works have won many prestigious awards. What does literary success look like to you?
A.- Definitely it gives you a great feeling when you win awards for your books. I remember when I won the ‘Most Promising Debut Author’ in the Coimbatore Literary Awards, I was on cloud nine. It is like seeing the saplings you nourished growing into beautiful trees. Appreciation always motivates me to write more!
Q. What advice would you give to the authors who are stepping into the world of publishing for the first time? Any tips on how to secure a book deal, the negotiation process and then the marketing?
A.- I would advise aspiring authors to be patient and enjoy every phase of your journey. It will take time to get the right platform for your work, so you need to explore every option before you tread this path. As for securing book details, there are a lot of opportunities in today’s era, given that we have gone digital, your books would be easily accessible to people around the world. Just be cautious about the mode of publishing you take up, and the terms you are agreeing to. When it comes to marketing, it is the wheel of your chariot. You cannot move ahead unless your book reaches your reader base. Do not shy away from interacting with your audience, getting their reviews and interacting with them in every possible way.
Q. Tell us one thing you enjoy the most about writing and the one thing you find most challenging?
A.- The one thing I enjoy is that writing acts as my stress buster. I forget the world when I am jotting down my thoughts.
Yet the challenging part is the anxiety that comes when you publish your book, the most important is the reaction of readers when they read your work. That anxiety is indeed tough to deal with.
Q.- Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If yes, how did you deal with it?
A.- Yes, writer’s block does occur. It is just a phase though, when you aren’t in the right frame of mind, or you are unable to express your feelings into words. I just let the phase pass and wait for my real self to be back!
Q. What is your favourite motivational quote, in writing as well as life?
A.- I think this quote is from my own book ‘Passion Meets Profession.’ I think it aligns well with my writing and life:
‘Passion is akin to a beautiful valley where you have the freedom to stroll and cultivate your own flowers. It never drains you, instead, achieving your goals sparks new dreams and ambitions.’
Q. Does your family support your career as a writer?
A.- They do, I believe my family is my biggest strength. My mother has always encouraged me to write and publish books. After getting married, my husband plays the same role in my life.
Q. Any books or authors you would like to recommend to our readers?
A.- I am fond of so many books, but I think my favourites are ‘The Immortals of Meluha,’ ‘The Housemaid,’ ‘The Forest of Enchantments,’ ‘Circe,’ ‘The Monk who sold his Ferrari’ the list goes on…
If you have any questions for the author drop them down below.
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