Mr. Pandey is a humble and shy personality, and
was initially reluctant to give an interview. Still, I would like to take the
credit for my ability to pursue a case till I finally convinced him for this
fantastic interview.
KM Heartiest
congratulations on the book. From an engineer to an author; how has the journey
been?
AKP-Thanks for the wishes. The journey was
tough, but nothing can be tougher than what I have already been through. I got a
positive response from Srishti, after a year of my submission. But then I was
inclined to release it on Bhavna’s birthday for which I have to wait for
another year.
KM These
days, they say, if you have got admission in an Engineering College; you will
soon become a Writer. How true, do you think isthis?
AKP- Yes, there are a few Engineers who have
switched over to the field of writing (smiles). But, in my case, it was my own
story. More so, the Engineering Colleges make you tough enough to face the
realities of life. Some of the incidents are so hilarious, that they should
reach out to all.
KM What are
the difficulties a person who starts writing for the first time faces? And
what is your advice for those people?
AKP- First drafting is a wild and wonderful
ride, full of discovery, dreams and promises. But at some point we have to
settle down and make the book really work. One should approach their manuscript
with sober objectivity and knowledge of the craft.
Start small. 300 words per day is plenty. Have
an outline. Have a set time to work on your book every day. If you want to take
a day or two off per week, schedule that as time off. Don’t just let the
deadline pass. I always choose a unique place to write and will suggest the
same.
KM The book is a personal account of your life. How difficult was it
for you to pen it down, since it has a tragic ending.
AKP- Initially it was not very difficult to
write as I was writing my own journey, but I realized soon that I have to
present the content in creative manner to trigger the interest of the readers.
Then the struggle started, I read many books to know nuances of writing. And
re-edited it dozens of times to present my draft for final editing. It took one
and half years to share the final draft with the publisher.
KM What
was the purpose behind writing the book?
AKP- It is atribute to my wife Bhavna. It gives
me immense satisfaction to see her alive in so many hearts. So I am more than
happy.
KM Did the
book transform you? If yes, how?
AKP- Yes, you are right; it transformed me in
many ways. I found a confident person inside me.It is not just a book for me.
It is journey of my life, and after penning it down I feel myself emotionally
stronger.
KM What
do you want the readers to 'take-away' from the book?
AKP- The most important take away from the book I wish to highlight is “Life is
a journey; we all are born and will die someday. Some celebrate their silver
jubilees, some celebrate golden ones and some may score a century, but life
cannot be evaluated on the basis of the number of years spent alive. The
quality of life is what matters, not the quantity.”
KM Who
is your inspiration and why?
AKP- My wife is my inspiration behind writing
this book. I have never written if she wouldn’t be an inspiring soul. Now
coming to my writing mentor and inspiration, I am big fan of Buddhadeva Bose
and Khushwant Singh. I learnt the art of writing and also how to demonstrate
emotions in limited words. I admire their characters which were real and close
to common people.
KM What
more do you plan to do for the 'best wife'?
AKP- As I already mentioned that whatever will
be the earnings from the book will be donated for good cause in life and if
this book will reach the peak of success than I have a hidden plan which I
don’t want to reveal now. I am confident that her journey would transform many
lives. This is the best way to prove that she is the best wife.
KM Do
you wish to write more books? Why or why not?
AKP- I never had a thought to write even a short
story but this book has given me a lot of appreciation and enthusiasm and my
readers are definitely not leaving me with single book. So I will come back
with something inspirational but currently nothing to share.
KM What
kind of books do you read?
AKP- I read love stories that have deep thought
and message behind it. I don’t prefer love stories with childish theme
and forced intimate scenes. Sometimes I also like to read stories inspired from
real life.
KM And
lastly, how does it feel to be on top of the bestselling fictions’ list and to
be voted as the No. 1 book by the online magazine Salisonline.in?
AKP- Feels nice, that’s all I can say at this
stage.
No comments:
Post a Comment