Motivation Archives - Literary Harbinger

INTERVIEW

Thirty-two-year-old Vinisha Panwar is strong and stubbornly earnest. She loves swimming and despises prevarication. As a matter of fact, the Gurugram-based author values honesty so much that when we ask her if there is something that she would want to be changed in the world, she resoundingly says, ‘People becoming more honest with themselves and with others.’ Furthermore, there is a depth in the way she articulates her thoughts, and she loves reading. In an exclusive interaction with Stavyah Vatsarah, Vinisha Panwar talks about her favourite authors, what made her a passionate reader, her hobbies, her schedule, and most importantly, her new e-book A Deceitful Evening. She also gives some pieces of advice to budding authors.

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Stavyah Vatsarah: A Deceitful Evening seems like a delightful read. How did it come about?

Vinisha Panwar: I have been writing for the past ten years, but I decided to share my work on a public platform only this year. Once school was over and college began, I faced many challenges. To cope with my emotions, I turned to my pen. I simply could not stop writing afterwards! The idea of publishing a short story as an e-book first came to me this March. Finally, in May, I was able to self-publish it through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Since it was a short story, I did not approach any publishers and instead decided to share it directly with readers.

Stavyah Vatsarah: Is this your debut novel?

Vinisha Panwar: I would not call it a novel, but yes, it is my debut e-book. Since it is quite a short read, it does not qualify as a novel. It took me three months to prepare the final edited version of the story and publish it. Editing consumed most of the time, whereas the publishing process took only about a week. I am currently working on my first novel, and it will take a few more months to complete.

Stavyah Vatsarah: What is the book about? What is the storyline?

Vinisha Panwar: Is not the title quite revealing? (laughs)

Stavyah Vatsarah: No doubt the title is electrifying. A freakish romance thriller certainly makes for an engaging read! Be that as it may, might I ask if you consider yourself a pantser or plotter?

Vinisha Panwar: I did have both the plot and the characters in mind before I began writing A Deceitful Evening. I spent a great deal of time thinking about the characters, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they would fit into the story.

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‘I Let My Heart Speak Whenever It Feels Inspired’

Stavyah Vatsarah: You must be an avid reader, considering you have been writing for over a decade. Who are your favourite authors, and how have they inspired you?

Vinisha Panwar: I have many favourite authors—Ayn Rand, Salman Rushdie, Paulo Coelho, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Arundhati Roy, and many others. However, the one who has had the greatest impact on me is Ayn Rand. Her work was pure gold. Her thoughts, beliefs, and words have profoundly influenced countless readers, including me. She was an exceptionally intelligent writer. Reading The Fountainhead was an unforgettable experience. I simply could not put it down. It made me realise how powerfully words can influence the mind. It also transformed me into a passionate reader. I admired the way she made readers live through her words. Ultimately, I understood that words possess the extraordinary ability to shape our thoughts.

Stavyah Vatsarah: I could not agree more. Words are indeed incredibly powerful. Moving on, when do you usually write? Do you follow a schedule, or do you write whenever inspiration strikes?

Vinisha Panwar: I usually write at night when everything is quiet and peaceful. I do not follow a strict schedule because I never want to force myself to write. Instead, I let my heart speak whenever it feels inspired. On days when I do not write, I satisfy my love for words by reading the remarkable works of other authors.

Stavyah Vatsarah: That is understandable. But was becoming an author a conscious decision?

Vinisha Panwar: It was definitely a conscious decision.

Stavyah Vatsarah: I am sure you have many responsibilities besides writing. How do you balance writing with everything else?

Vinisha Panwar: Honestly, there is no balancing act. Whenever I need to write, I simply make time for it. If you are truly passionate about something, you naturally find the time. Passion gives meaning to every moment of your day.

‘If We Never Fail, We Will Never Learn How to Become Better Than We Were Before’

Stavyah Vatsarah: Besides reading and writing, what do you enjoy doing?

Vinisha Panwar: I love swimming, especially in deep water. It clears my mind and refreshes my thoughts. I am truly a water baby.

Stavyah Vatsarah: Tell me a little about your works in progress. Do you plan to become a full-time author?

Vinisha Panwar: Yes, that is my dream. As I mentioned earlier, I am currently working on my first novel. It is a work of new adult fiction centred on the struggles of a teenage girl in her late teens. It explores a wide range of emotions that we often ignore or hesitate to express.

Stavyah Vatsarah: What advice would you give aspiring authors who lose motivation when some of their work does not receive the response they hoped for?

Vinisha Panwar: If we never fail, we will never learn how to become better than we were before. Making mistakes is essential, but learning from them is entirely within our control. So keep writing, and keep writing more. Do not rush the process. The first draft is never the final draft. Seek feedback from fellow readers and writers, and most importantly, act upon that feedback. Connect not only with local writers but also with international authors, readers, and book bloggers. Finally, engage with both your existing followers and potential readers through social media. Discover which platform works best for you and use it effectively.

Stavyah Vatsarah: That was quite comprehensive, I must say. I am curious to know what a typical day in your life looks like.

Vinisha Panwar: Reading, writing, reading, writing… (laughs) No, honestly, that has been my routine throughout the lockdown. Outdoor activities have been cancelled; otherwise, I would have been swimming. I also enjoy watching films in the evenings. I am a huge movie buff.

Stavyah Vatsarah: It was wonderful speaking with you, Vinisha. I wish you every success. Before we conclude, would you like to leave our readers with a final thought?

Vinisha Panwar: I simply wish more people would cultivate the habit of reading. We all enjoy watching films and videos, but reading is often considered old-fashioned or tiresome. I hope people never allow their reading habits to fade away. The more we read, the more worlds we discover, and the more hidden truths we uncover through stories.

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Making mistakes is essential, but learning from them is entirely within our control. So keep writing, and keep writing more. Do not rush the process. The first draft is never the final draft. Seek feedback from fellow readers and writers, and most importantly, act upon that feedback.
~ VINISHA PANWAR

PS: This interview was originally published in August 2020 in Literary Express. It is republished here with the author’s permission.

INTERVIEW

Author C M Turner does not mince words a bit. With a childlike charm and ebullient disposition, Turner’s repartees to the questions she gets asked are no less than a joyride, for her whimsical responses, just like her impressive works, are not only interspersed with idiomatic expressions and vivid verbs but also with wit and humour. She does not use the word ‘laugh’, for instance, but says ‘chuckle over’. Likewise, instead of ‘shout’, she employs the word ‘bellow’ to convey the meaning she intends to convey. The list, notwithstanding, is endless. To add to that, her works are filled with such graphic accounts that reading a book of hers is like seeing a movie being played in a home theatre. So when the illustrious author agreed to get interviewed by Literary Harbinger, our joy knew no bounds.

‘My Dog Is My Writing Companion’

‘Becoming an author was a well-thought-out decision,’ says Turner, who is currently living with her daughter and son-in-law in Las Vegas, the US. She adds that she pets a Golden Retriever. ‘We call him George Clooney, and he is my writing companion,’ she says with a smile. On being asked how her latest book Where the Ironweed Blooms happened, Turner, who loves to explore different genres including mystery, horror, and surrealism, tells me that it all began with her desire to create a Halloween story for her daughter. ‘It was originally just twenty-five pages,’ says she, adding, ‘but every time I read it, a new idea came to my mind. After years of these new ideas, I ended up with the novel it is today.’

But if you thought she wrote only novels, boy, you were mistaken, for Turner tells me that she loves to paint as well! ‘But painting has never presented the same calling to me as writing. I have always been content to have it as a hobby, something to fall back on during lulls in my writing, or when the mood strikes,’ she explains, clarifying that she has not been painting much lately. ‘It requires a certain amount of space to leave your equipment set up, and my room only accommodates the necessary amount of bedroom furniture, plus a desk, desk chair and computer,’ she elaborates.

Inspired by Old Yeller

So as the discussion warms up, I decide on asking her about her inspiration and she calls to mind the first book she had read when she was all of ten years of age! ‘It was Old Yeller by Fred Gipson, and I knew right then I wanted to be a writer,’ she tells me. Going further, she says, ‘I wanted to try to write a book just half that good. The memory of that book has been so long-lasting that even today the breed of dog I have looks an awful lot like the one in that book did!’

Talking about her published works, Turner says her first book titled Husband: A Short Story Series is a compilation of stories she wrote in her early twenties. ‘They are nothing like my two novels though,’ she states. ‘They occasionally depict true occurrences and most have been embellished for the enjoyment of the reader.’ And as far as her latest novel Not Flowers for Charlie is concerned, she says she had started writing it way before she began working on Where the Ironweed Blooms. ‘It is just that the second one got published first,’ she smiles.

Flying by the Seat of Pants

Reared in South California, the author, who initially experimented with poetry, also lets me know that she has never outlined or planned her story. ‘A story just unveils itself as I am writing it. Sometimes new ideas might come as I am writing, but I will incorporate them right as I go. I do usually have some idea of a plot in mind, but the characters always develop as I tell the story,’ explains Turner, whose list of favourite authors includes Harper Lee, John Irving, J D Salinger, Henry Miller, Emily Bronte, John Knowles, Toni Morrison, and Rebecca Welles amongst others. ‘This is just a partial list, of course!’ she laughs.

Be that as it may, none of Ms Turner’s works has ever got a rating below four stars on Amazon or Goodreads (with a majority of readers giving these books a five-star rating). She, nonetheless, tells me that there is always scope for improvement when it comes to writing. She plans to launch a book by the end of this year and may launch two more in 2021. ‘What I have learned from this business is that you need to exercise a great amount of patience. Nothing is fast,’ she stresses.

‘Don’t Give Up On Yourself’

And does she have any suggestions for budding writers? ‘I suppose what I would tell a budding author who is becoming discouraged is this: Do not give up on yourself. If you believe in your work, then it is your job to make others believe in it too. Do not give up! Just try harder. There are so many more ways to get your work out in the world today than ever before. Do not wait around to be that very small percentage who gets lucky enough to land an agent or miraculously has their work seen just at the right time by the right person in a big publishing house.’

She also emphasises that it is only commonsensical for an indie author to make the most use of the different ways to self-publish in this day and age of cut-throat competition. ‘Take a chance on yourself! If you are not willing to gamble on you, then why should an agent or publisher?’ she says signing off with a beautiful smile.