Author of the Week | Kavita Kane

Happy Easter Everyone! I hope you had a beautiful festival and a great time while reading this week’s book. Alice in Wonderland is a trip down nostalgia lane for all of us but what we skip is that, as a grown-up, we understand and appreciate this book differently from our younger selves. Next week is dedicated to those who dedicate their lives for the greater good.
I’m really excited to tell you about this week’s author as she is my personal favorite. An author and former journalist, her writing style is charismatic and enchanting. Karna’s wife, Lanka’s Princess ad Sita’s sister are some of her notable works. She is Miss Kavita Kane.

So, what was the first book you ever read? How old were you then?

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was given to me by my father. Guess I was 6 or 7 years old then. I recall reading the Noddy and Richmal Crompton’s William series too.

How many Books/Short Stories/Poems have you written? Which is your favorite? Are there any that ended up getting shelved for the time being?

Right now written 7 books, the latest one to be ut this July. Haven’t attempted poetry yet though I would love to write short stories. It is my favorite genre — for reading!

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Thanks to social media, authors, and readers are in direct communication which is an excellent thing as it gives the writer, immediate feedback and the readers have access to their favorite author and ask them all their doubts and yes, even criticism.

When did you write your first Book/Short Story/Poem and how old were you?

Karna’s Wife was my first book. I hadn’t attempted any form of creative writing before — besides my school essays, that is!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

At 13, when I was in Std VII.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Hmm…quite a few! A) I never write at a desk — I feel straight-jacketed!. I have a couch, right near a huge French window with lots of sunlight and greenery streaming into the room. B) I rarely write at night — that’s the time for brainstorming and thinking and visualizing. C) I use different colored inks for different chapters! I tend to experiment with fonts too. But such madness is thankfully removed when the book — primly edited — goes to print. D) I talk to my characters, visualizing the sequence as a full-blown movie. E) I hate to nibble at snacks while writing though a cup of coffee is always welcome. F) I need soft instrumental music. Or it has to be a comfortable silence with the sounds of nature — birds tweeting, the breeze whistling, rain pattering. Silence as a vacuum can be loud. White noise is worse.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your Books/Short Stories/Poems?

Well, just thinking and formulating after a lot of research. It is not an epiphany a discerning search-research that makes for story ideation.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your Books/Short Stories/Poems?

That I could do it!

What does your process of writing look like? What is the hardest part?

It is a full-time, disciplined job — reading, research, writing notes, planning, writing the manuscript, editing, etc. The hardest part is the story ideation. And writing the denouement when you know this project is coming to an end. It’s going to be an end of a journey.

What do your family and friends feel about your work?

My daughters and two selected friends are the first to read my first draft. Another always does the cover art of my books which we discuss and visualize in detail. Once the book is out, I am most anxious about the feedback from my sisters and those ‘reader’ friends because I know they are my most honest critics.

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Write, keep writing. Read. And tell a story well.

Who is your inspiration in the field of writing?

All the authors I have read till now — satire have been a huge, unconscious influence and I wish I could write as well as them!

Has your writing style changed since you first started writing? If yes, in what ways has it changed?

Yes, because with each book an author evolves as a writer both in creative content and technical finesse. It is not just art, writing is also a craft.

What attracted you to the genre(s) you write in?

The subject of mythology itself was fascinating. It is dedicated to exploring ancient satire and themes from all cultures and historical periods and far from being relics of the past, it continues to have significance with contemporary revisioning, reinterpretations of ancient cultural elements while reflecting the attitudes of current culture. Through retelling stories of our ancient texts and the epics, characters and events are recreated and reinterpreted to invest them with contemporary sensibility against the backdrop of the social process of spillover, experimenting with the outlining.

What do you love the most about your writing process?

That I get to create my world, characters, and conversations, thought, and arguments.

Does music help or halt your writing process?

I couldn’t study without music. The same goes for writing.

Are your characters often inspired by real people?

Mostly but not always.

Are there any specific ways that help you out of your reader’s/writer’s block?

I take the warning and simply stop writing. A writer’s block is a sign of brain overload. I take to reading, cooking, watching world cinema, going to museums, everything but writing.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Less wordy!