SUCCESSFUL REORIENTATION OF ENGINEERING CAREER TO WRITING FIELD BY SALINI VINEETH
Ms. SALINI VINEETH
BRIEF
PROFILE OF THE AUTHOR:
Salini
Vineeth is a fiction and freelance writer. She graduated from BITS Pilani, Goa Campus
and then did M.Tech from
IIIT-Bangalore. After working for a decade in the Electronics industry, she
quit her job in Dec. 2018 to pursue full-time writing. Since then, she has
self-published four books–Magic Square (novella), Everyday People
(flash-fiction collection) and travel guides to Hampi and Badami. Her short
stories and personal essays have appeared in Café Dissensus, Kitaab, The Bombay
Review, Money Control, Funny Pearls UK, and eShe magazine. She has also contributed
to seven anthologies by Embassy Books, Ukiyoto Publishers, Eka Publications,
The Hive, and Anonymous writer. She currently lives in Bangalore with her
husband and four-year old daughter.
Social Media Links:
Blog:
https://salinivineeth.in/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/salini.sasidharan.37/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/salini_vineeth/
Twiter: https://twitter.com/salini_vineeth
----------------------------------------------
Q Are you a
professional writer? How many of your books have been published so far?
Yes, I am a
full-time professional writer. I write fiction, short stories and technical blogs. I have self-published
four books. I have also contributed to seven
anthologies.
----------------------------------------------
Q What is
your specific field of writing? Are there any specific reasons for
choosing this particular field?
I am
primarily a fiction writer. Even though I enjoy writing long-form fiction, I am
more comfortable with short stories. From childhood, I am intrigued by the
short stories of great Malayalam writers like Vaikom
Muhammad Basheer, M T Vasudevan Nair, and Kamala Das. When I started writing in
school days as a child, I think that their style and prose influenced me a lot.
----------------------------------------------
Q Did you
receive appreciation/recognition/awards & adequate sales for your books?
Please elucidate.
Yes, I have
received a few awards too. I have won the eShe fiction contest in 2019 and
2020. My short story collection 'Everyday People' was the finalist in the
Amazon Pen2Publish contest in 2019. Both my books 'Magic Square' and 'Everyday
People' have received generally positive reviews. The former has a 4.2/5 rating
on Amazon out of 133 reviews, and the latter has a 4.2/5 rating out of 93
reviews. But for me, the biggest appreciation is the number of messages I
receive from my readers. The contents of these messages inspire me to write
more and better.
---------------------------------------------------
Q When &
how do you get the ideas & do you record them immediately somewhere? On average, what is the
timeframe to complete one book, in all respects?
In
my own assessment, I am a keen observer. When I am outside on a trip or among
friends, I pay attention to the details. Before the pandemic, I used to travel
a lot. Many of my short stories are inspired by my observations during travels. I also get a lot of story ideas from
my friends, who are so gracious to share their experiences. Presently, I don't
have a habit of writing the ideas down, but I think I need to cultivate that.
For a short story, I write 8-10 drafts at least, so it takes at least a month
to finish it. Long-form, like a novel, could take anywhere between 2-3 years
from the initial draft to publication.
-------------------------------------------------
Q You might
have been associated with several organizations for different periods, as an
author. Please share some experience during this period.
Yes, I am a
part of several wonderful writers' groups. Hyderabad Readers and Writers is one such group. I am very
close to their members and I have published two anthologies with them. The Himalayan
Writing Retreat is another group. I attended one of their short story
workshops and it was a memorable experience. I also came to know about a group
of 25 women writers through our eShe anthology, named 'Everything Changed After
That.' Being in the company of readers and writers is an enriching experience.
---------------------------------------------------
Q Besides
the quality of writing, in your opinion, what are the other factors for the
success of a book?
Yes, the quality
of writing is utmost important. That includes the language, the storyline,
characters and how it connects with the readers. I believe a stunning cover
also adds to the value of the book, even though we say don't judge a book by
its cover. In my opinion, a writer’s staying connected with his or her readers
through social media is very essential. With the influx of so many books,
readers have very little time to cover everything. So, if they come across the
book of a writer, who engages with them, they might pick it up.
-------------------------------------------------
Q While you
were working in an engineering job, were you also concurrently engaged in the
writing field? In my opinion, you could have served as an engineer and also as
a writer, both together. What are the exact reasons for your entry in the
writing field on a full time basis, even though you are a qualified engineer
and you have served in a job for ten years.
I have been
writing from my childhood. I remember participating in writing competitions as a
young ten-year-old. So, writing is something that has stayed with me for a long
time. There was a long gap in my writing career, when I joined engineering discipline
and then started working in a job. It was very painful for me since I wanted to
write with all my heart.
I
tried to handle both my engineering job and writing career for almost six
years. Honestly speaking, I wasn't finding time to write quality
fiction/non-fiction while managing my home and work. Initially, I wasn't sure
about being a full-time writer. I wrote every day for almost six years before
quitting my job. All that preparation culminated in change of my career. Therefore,
when social media presented an opportunity, I restarted my writing career.
Also, Kindle Direct Publishing has helped me to publish my books.
Now
also, I utilize my engineering skills when I write content for technical blogs.
I have found a very lucrative career in technical and content writing. My
engineering degree is a great boon to understand complex concepts. So, I would
rather call it a change of career, rather than the end of my engineering
career. I have found a new niche to use my skills and training in a way that
gives me a lot of job satisfaction.
-------------------------------------------------
Q Which
aspects motivate you to write books? Earning money/publicity/helping readers/self-satisfaction/others? In your opinion, is there adequate
scope for name/fame/wealth in the field of writing?
I
would say all of the above. Yes, writing gives me a lot of satisfaction and it's
a way to channelize my emotions and thoughts. I often make enquiries about the views
of the readers and I have converted quite a few of their inputs into stories.
It's helpful to tell their stories in a way that helps them to channelize their
feelings. I also quite enjoy the fame and publicity it brings. I am not quite
sure if fiction writing can bring a lot of wealth, though. Maybe it works out
for a very few writers.
------------------------------------------------
Q How are
you able to divide the available time between management of home and your
writing career? Have your family members and friends helped and/or
contributed in any way, in your writing career?
I have a
very supportive family. My in-laws live with me, and they understand the
importance of what I do. My husband is also a great help. With their help, I
have developed a writing routine and I am able to focus on my craft. I write at
least for four hours a day. My parents and sister also help me out and back me
up emotionally. Not just them, my extended family, college mates, and even
Facebook friends have been very supportive and kind to me. I think it's a great
privilege to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Whatever I write is
because of their help and support. I am very lucky when it comes to a great
support system, which also includes a great circle of friends and readers, who
constantly support me. Without an understanding ecosystem it is very difficult
for a woman to achieve her dreams and aspirations.
------------------------------------------------
Q Would you
like to share your future plans for writing books with the readers?
I am in the
process of making the last edits of my debut full-length novel and then to get
it published traditionally, which is time consuming. I am in the process of
approaching publishers. If everything goes well, I am hoping to get it published
this year or early next year. I am also hoping to write a few good short
stories and personal essays.
-----------------------------------------------
Q What is
your advice to the budding authors?
Persistence
is the key. If one has decided to become a writer, he or she should keep at it.
Everybody realizes that it is tough to face rejection after rejection, but it
is better to get used to it, sooner than later. Even the greatest of writers
have faced rejections many times. We should not try to focus on success or
failure, but on improving the quality of our writing. We should read books, attend
workshops and do everything possible to improve our craft, but never give up on
writing. Ultimately success will definitely knock at our doors.
---------vijaiksharma
1 comment:
As the interviewer, I appreciate the candid responses given to the questions posed during the interview, which the readers will find interesting. Best wishes for future.
Post a Comment