Author Interview With Megha Upadhyaya — The Engineering Major Who Loves To Write
Podcaster, Novelist, Poet. She goes by many names. Discover the world of Megha Upadhyaya.
Could you tell me a little bit about yourself?
I’m a New Delhi based published author and a working writer. I studied technology and always dreamed of being a writer - making myself relatable to the readers. I then started writing for online magazines like Panda Gossips and made guest/ contributing posts for YourStory, Buzzfeed and more. As Far As Paradise was my debut novelette published in the college days, at the age of 20. And soon my poetry collection, Corals will be out in the form of a book! Other then writing, I’m the host and producer of It's Never Too Late, a long form conversation with authors, creatives and changemakers that is gaining popularity among podcasts on Spotify. When I’m not reading, writing, or podcasting, I’m probably sketching or binge watching TV shows or set on my mission to bring animals to people's hearts!
Tell me about your book - As Far As Paradise
I started writing As Far As Paradise when I was 19. I had the story in my mind and just wanted a push to get it done in a book-ish format. But I always had this fear in my head that who will publish what I write, haha. One day, I decided to take a step forward and search for self-publishing platforms. Once I found them right, I began with my first draft. As Far As Paradise is a short story, a fictional narrative which describes intimate afterlife experiences and events. When Mike, a happily married business person dies he discovers the consequences of 'being around’ his wife and strives to search for the right track before it's too late. Again, the fear pulled me back and I could only manage to write a short book so yeah, that’s pretty much a short story! I’ve received some marvelous reader feedbacks, and I’m forever grateful to deliver As Far As Paradise.
Has Engineering influenced your writing in any way?
Albert Einstein couldn’t have said it better: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”. This applies to pretty much any mechanism or phenomenon out there. Meaning, if you can’t explain it well, then you have not understood it well. This what I applied in writing as well my engineering. I pick up the simplistic writing style and get it relatable to the readers!
What is the best part about podcasting?
This is fun! The best thing I love podcasting is the variety of creative I come across every time I decide to interview them. The world is beautiful and so are the people. I’ve come across some really great stories and I am always like, “I can’t wait to share it with my audience, the rest of the world!” Simply amazing. Podcasting welcomes new horizons for me, every day!
What are your interests apart from writing? Do you feel they help your writing, or do you pursue those interests as a separate activity?
I do have a long bucket list, like literally long haha. But only wish is to transport readers to a place where heroes have endearing flaws, gender is only for identification & not discrimination, the land is lush & populated with untamed brutes, and humanity is alive and well!
What aspect of the writing process do you find enjoyable? What do you find difficult?
I struggle with first drafts. There is nothing quite as daunting as the blank page. During that first draft, I don’t know my characters deeply and yes, it’s scary. For me, writing always works backwards. I love to create the ending first and head backwards. I most love that middle place – where I’m still discovering my characters, I’m still unraveling the mystery of my story. Poetry is my favorite writing form. I can’t imagine giving up on writing poetry ever in my life.
Who is your inspiration to write poetry?
None other than Charles Bukowski. A man who lived his life on his own terms and I respect that. Boy, I have come across some wonderful gems of witty Bukowski wisdom and they’re great. I think everyone should read his works at least once in their lifetime. If you’re a fan of Bukowski’s work, you know most of his work is autobiographical. If you want to be a writer or do anything creative, Bukowski has a clear message to you: “If it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it.” It’s blunt, but he has a point doesn’t he? Bukowski was a no-nonsense writer. He doesn’t talk about inspiration yet always inspires me - “The writing arrives when it wants to. There is nothing you can do about it. You can’t squeeze more writing out of the living than is there. Any attempt to do so creates a panic in the soul, diffuses and jars the line.” I mostly relate to what Bukowski says. When people ask me, “Why don’t you write for a living?” I have nothing else to give them but quote Bukowski – “You can’t write without living and writing all the time is not living.”
You can check out Megha’s book As Far As Paradise on Amazon and Notion Press. Please find the links below!
Amazon — https://www.amazon.in/As-Far-Paradise-Megha-Upadhyaya-ebook/dp/B07FQH8S73
Notion Press — https://notionpress.com/read/as-far-as-paradise
