Interview with Shweta Grewal

Shweta Grewal is an author of the book Who are you Stranger?.
Read the review of the book here.
Get your copy here.
Interview:Vidhya Thakkar- Indian blogger, Mumbai blogger, book blogger, Book blogger Mumbai, Book blogger India
1: What are your hobbies, passion other than writing?
I am a reader and a book hoarder. I have my own mini library, which I dream of extending to a full-fledged home library. I like to sing, it soothes me. Most of all I like to experience new things, I keep on trying to learn something new. I like travelling and experience new places.

2: Which character of a story did you like the most? And why?

I like Aarav’s character the most. He is witty, kind, caring and mysterious. He has a different perspective of life. He is a forgiving and responsible character. Writing him was the most challenging part of writing this book.

3: What inspired you to write this book?

Being an engineer has its own pros and cons. It’s a highly competitive and stressful job. I started writing this book as a diary entry to relieve that stress. One of my friends read it once and complimented me on my clear thoughts and crisp writing; and advised me to write a book. I gave it a try and fell in love with writing.

4: The story in the novel is connected to your real life too?

The story is not exactly connected to my life, but it is based on a belief that every person comes to your life for a reason. There are no extras there. Every person you meet influences your life in some way. Also, some of the characters from the novel are based on real people, like Goonj father’s character is based on my grandfather and Aarav’s character is partly based on my husband.

5: Which character of a story did you like the most? And why?

I like Aarav’s character the most. He is witty, kind, caring and mysterious. He has a different perspective of life. He is a forgiving and responsible character. Writing him was the most challenging part of writing this book.

6: What inspired you to write this book?

Being an engineer has its own pros and cons. It’s a highly competitive and stressful job. I started writing this book as a diary entry to relieve that stress. One of my friends read it once and complimented me on my clear thoughts and crisp writing, and advised me to write a book. I gave it a try and fell in love with writing.

7: What do you think makes a good story?

A fast paced story mixed with good characters. I never found extra details appealing. I would rather know what the person is thinking than how fast is he pacing or what position is he sitting unless that’s relevant to the story. The story should be gripping from the start, and the characters should keep me awake at night. Writing about a world and characters that people can connect to is the most important part of a gripping story.

8: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

I was most surprised by my ability to have a 360 degree vision about the characters and their contribution to the story. Once I started writing, I started thinking about the same event from different character’s perspective. How one character will find a different meaning in each line that were being said and each event that was happening. It was fun.

9: In which genre you would write your book other than this Genre!

I would like to write books about serial killers, as I find them interesting. It’s interesting to think about what drives them to be so cruel and cold towards people. I would also like to write dystopian thrillers. Creating a whole world in your head is a big challenge and a freeing experience at the same time.

10: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I was sure I would never make it. I never thought I’ll be able to spin a whole story by myself, let alone write or publish it. The day it got published I felt elated. I gave it to some of my friends for reading, the compliments I got made me beyond happy. The experience has made me more confident about my writing. As I am getting reviews on the book, I am getting to know my strengths and weaknesses. It has helped me better my writing.

11: Do you recall the first ever book/novel you read?
The first book I read was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It made eight-year-old me question my perspective of animals and the world itself. Black beauty never let me be cold to any animal. Although I am not a great animal lover it made me appreciate the importance of small acts of kindness. It shaped me into a curious soul and ultimately a book lover to a fault.

12: Have you ever written a character based on the real you in some part?

The funny exchange between the father-daughter duo is based on me and my grandfather. I have always adored him. The part where Aarav tries to make Goonj see things from a different perspective is based on me and my husband. He is my magic problem solver. He makes every problem looks so easy and simple to solve.

13: When can the readers expect your next book in print?

I am currently writing the second part of the Stranger trilogy. I am trying my best to make time to write it as soon as possible, I am hoping to publish it by the end of this year.

14: A Message for all Aspiring writers.

You will find a hundred reasons for not writing, but you only need one to keep writing. Keep writing without thinking what other people will think about it, express yourself, let the story flow from you. You can always go back and smoothen out the edges but don’t let the fear of other’s opinions stop you from writing.

 

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