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| Deepti Menon |
BRIEF PROFILE OF THE AUTHOR:
Deepti
Menon began to write at the age of ten and travelled around the country as an
Army kid, and later, an Army wife. Her experiences during those years helped
hone her interest and flair for writing. Her first book, 'Arms and the Woman',
published in 2002, takes a light-hearted look at the life of an Army wife. During 2013 and 2014 many of her short stories
were chosen for various anthologies. She also has a book of poems, titled
'Deeparadhana of Poems', compiled by her mother, herself a talented writer.
‘Shadow in the Mirror’, a psychological thriller published by Readomania in
2016, is her latest offering. Writing has been an endless journey with its
twists and turns, often leading her on to the myriad mysteries of life, love
and relationships. The thrill of seeing her name in print has only intensified
over the years. There has never been a dull moment, never time to regret,
according to her, as life is truly worth living.
Q
What is your specific field of writing?
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I enjoy writing short stories
with a twist in their tales/tails. I wrote my first short story when I was in
my twenties, but it was years later that I discovered that I could startle my
readers by giving them something they did not expect, like a little surprise at
the end that would leave them off balance.
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Q Are there any specific reasons, for choosing
this particular field?
My preference leans
towards books that thrill my heart, sustain the suspense and give me a jolt at
the end. Psychological thrillers are the scariest, according to me, because
there is nothing more fascinating than the working of the human mind. This is
why this particular field appeals to me.
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Q Which particular book of yours, do you
consider as the best so far, and why?
This is like asking a
mother about her children. My books have all been different. My first book
titled ‘Arms and the Woman’ took a light-hearted look at my life as an Army
wife, followed by a book of poems titled ‘Deeparadhana’. Finally, in 2016,
Readomania published ‘Shadow in the Mirror’, a psychological thriller. All
three books belong to different genres and are equally close to my heart.
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Q Who is your role model?
As far as short stories
and thrillers go, it is none other than Agatha Christie whose breezy style has
won her myriad admirers the world over. I also admire writers like Maya
Angelou, Jeffrey Archer and Chitra Divakaruni Banerjee. Having been a student of
Literature, the classic writers like Dickens, Dumas, Austen and Oscar Wilde
also occupy a special niche in my heart. However, PG Wodehouse wins, hands
down, for the humour and cheer, he spreads through his books.
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Q When and how do you get the ideas and do you
immediately note them down in a diary or elsewhere?
The world
is a maelstrom of ideas that lurk in every corner. I could get ideas from a
walk down the street, a drive along the sea coast, a simple conversation or
even sitting in my study. I enjoy meeting people and I often model my
characters on real life. In fact, my friends and family are quite petrified of
saying anything to me because they might see it in my next story. I note down
my ideas in a little notebook (I love notebooks of all kinds, the more
colourful the better!), and on my laptop as well.
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Q Could you share with us, an interesting
event/incident/experience faced with the other writers, publishers or readers
in your writing career?
When I was
a freelance journalist in Chennai, I was lucky enough to have interviewed some
brilliant writers. Two interviews stand out in my memory. The first one was
with Ruskin Bond, who came across as a gentle, good-humoured human being and it
was not difficult to see a trace of his persona in his stories.
The
other author was Jeffrey Archer who has a quick, acerbic wit and I had to rely
on my own wits to keep up with him. When I asked him how many more books he
intended to write, he retorted, “As long as I have the twists, I shall write!”
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Q Besides the quality of writing, in your
opinion, what are the other factors for the success of a book?
The quality of writing
is a significant factor in the success of a book, but there are others, which
propel a book and make it succeed. Writers are not islands. They need to
interact with the readers and publicize their books widely on social media.
Today’s writers can do wonders, if they are tech and media savvy and often, the
best public relation teams sell the most books.
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Q Which aspects motivate you to write books?
Earning money/publicity/helping readers/self-satisfaction/others?
My writing has always
been an outlet for me and gives me self-satisfaction. I strive to get into the
minds of my readers, so that I can give them what they look for. If I could
learn to make money on the way, that would be a bonus.
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Q Has Face Book helped you in any way, in your
writing career or even otherwise? If yes, please elucidate.
Absolutely! Facebook
has always been of great help in garnering publicity for my books, be they
novels or anthologies. We have many effective writing groups and we all try to
help and promote one another’s books and writing. There is immense support all
around, which is encouragement enough for many of us.
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Q Have your family members and friends helped
and/or contributed in any way, in your writing career?
I am lucky
in my friends and my family. My mother, herself a writer and educationist, not
only encouraged me to write, but also brought out my book of poems on a certain
birthday of mine. My husband, my siblings and my daughter read whatever I write
and give me valuable suggestions. My friends, online and otherwise, rally around
me every time I write and share my writing.
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Q What are your future plans for writing books?
I have sent two
manuscripts to a couple of publishing houses. I am keeping my fingers crossed
that they are accepted because the themes of both are close to my heart.
Besides, I also want to bring out an anthology of my thriller short stories in
the near future.
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Q What is your advice to the budding authors?
Keep writing, accept
rejections gracefully, turn them into stepping stones and then carry on
writing. Also remember, editing your own work and sending across an error-free
manuscript in which your writing style sparkles, is all-important. Publishing
houses receive thousands of manuscripts at a time and if yours needs to be
noticed, it has to stand above the rest.
--------------------vijaiksharma
1 comment:
Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to express my views on my writing journey, Mr. Vijai Sharma. I will share it on my social media links as well. God bless!
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