Rendezvous with Lovely Sharma :)

Hi ,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

It’s a pleasure to take your interview today. So let’s start:

Lovely Sharma is turning 23 soon. She has been in some really nice cities as her part of growing up! Durgapur (an emerging steel city), Kota (the IIT sheep hub), Bhubaneswar (city of temples, and weekend getaways to beaches!) and now Bangalore (the Silicon Valley of India). She has been writing since the age of 14. Her solo debut, ‘The Weekend’ has released and now she’s here to talk about it!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you Lovely Sharma:

1. Tell us something about you that only people close to you know.

Lovely: I’m an ambivert.

2. How does it feel to be a published writer? Has it changed you in anyway? How do you handle fame?

Lovely: It feels really good to know that something in my mind is on paperback. The journey is very special and close to my heart. About changes in me, I think most of what stayed shut is coming out and it is making me more confident and bold in my general life.
Fame? I guess I’ll wait and see about that.

3. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Lovely: From the time I have started writing, no. But from the time stories started connecting within my mind, I did start to want to be a writer.

4. Tell us something about your book, The Weekend. How did the idea of a social fiction shaped up in your mind?

Lovely: My book has plain and simple plot which is: two strangers making each other see the reality of today’s society. The twist lies in the stories of both and how their past shapes them, how society and societal beliefs impact on their past. And the biggest question being the con made in name of ‘conservativeness’.

5. How do you envision your book will impact your readers?

Lovely: The story of my book is about changes. One message I hope people will get is: western culture is not bad, Indian culture is not the be all and end all. Change is constant.

6. Briefly tell us about your earlier writings and the subjects that interest you.

Lovely: My first fiction piece is Once In A Lifetime Happens Again, which speaks about the rising heat and hormones of teenagers.
My subject of interest is the ever manipulative society which dumbs down the passion of today’s generation. Hence, I took the initiative to write one story about this. I am hoping to write more as I grow and acknowledge the whole of my self. The other subject that interests me a lot is scientific research and the corporate life associated with it. Hence, I have jumped headstrong into my job.

7. Share some of your interesting memories you lived while writing The Weekend.

Lovely: It makes me nostalgic to think about how the story shaped up in my mind. The first memory is a 3am talk with one of my close friends and her supporting the idea like a fanatic. The most interesting was talking to one of my batch-mates about the city of Vishakhapatnam. He (Abhinash Parida) is quite a photographer and traveller. A conversation with him and I felt like I was on the shores of Bay of Bengal myself. Later, I interacted with a few people who I thought could relate to the characters and those discussions were never ending too.

8. What or who was your biggest inspiration behind this book?

Lovely: No names here, as I just call him ‘lobster’.

9. What’s the biggest mistake new writers make according to you?

Lovely: This book being my solo debut (and second book) has given me a chance to see both sides of the coin. The author and the reader. I think most new authors focus on getting the story out rather than the story reaching the proper audience.

10. How do you feel when someone disagrees with something you say or have written?

Lovely: I know everybody has an opinion on everything. If someone disagrees, I would want to know why and have a conversation about it. My curiosity drives me forward always.

11. What is your least favourite part of the writing process? What is your biggest strength when it comes to writing?

Lovely: Matching the timelines and dates! Especially in this book The Weekend, there are lots of flashbacks involved, so I had to be extra careful about how I wrote both the present and the past. My biggest strength would be me being a night owl when required!

12. How did you decide the characters and the settings for this book?

Lovely: The protagonist is very much inspired from a friend who is living her dreams now. The settings and plot developed as I saw almost each of the ‘major’ incidents happening to real girls around me. The story of the twins came quite suddenly on talking to my ‘Mr. Shukla’, as I call him. Joining the two stories is what the biggest hurdle was. It took a few months but letting the characters have a go at each other can do wonders!

13. What are some things you like to do when you’re not writing?

Lovely: I like to read a lot! Science fiction, thriller, suspense, motivational, philosophical, whatever you pick. Some soothing music, a cup of coffee and a book is my ideal weekend.

14. Tell us something about your future projects. Are you writing anything at the moment?

Lovely: Currently, being a fresher in IT sector I am putting a pause on my writing. This does not mean that stories which have already formed and been laid out will not see the light of paperback!

15. What do you think about the writing industry these days? Do you think becoming a full-time writer is an advisable option?

Lovely: The writing industry, particularly in India, has had a huge inflation from the time of Chetan Bhagat and Ravinder Singh. People are writing whatever they wish to write about, and their thoughts- raw and innocent - are seeing the light of paperback. In such a huddle, I feel, some special stories need to be looked up more than just the love stories. We are way past that, and the new authors need to get more succinct and raw about other feelings which brew inside them.
Currently I feel being a full time author puts pressure on the person to be marvellous in their passion, which becomes their job! This does not seem right to me. The economy for us authors is a great factor to look upon when someone feels like asking this, I believe.

16. What are the roles of an editor and a reviewer in the success of book according to you?

Lovely: The editor is very vital to the success of a book. Having a book properly edited makes it easy on the readers and people tend to buy a book because they say the narration is flawless. The reviewer, an even more vital person holds the wand to say ‘Lumos Maxima’ or a non-verbal ‘Nox’. [Harry Potter references, please!]

17. How does it feel to be interviewed by me? *basically the interviewer wishes to hear praises* *haha*

Lovely: I feel very happy and giggly. You ask fun and cool questions!

18. Anything that you would like to tell us? Your favourite writers? Your hobbies? Or just some sneaky peaky details?

Lovely: Sidney Sheldon, Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, Paulo Coelho and in India? Novoneel Chakraborty!
Hobbies are reading books, watching TV series and researching about new IT products! And coffee, of course!
(Peak into my week) My best friend took my copy of Forever is a Lie before I could finish it. She has a bad weekend coming!

Wow! So we have come to an end of this awesome session.

Description

Underneath the rich spoilt brat, lies a broken heart.
Underneath the attitude of a bitch, lies a lost friendship.
This is strictly not a love story, but made of many small ones. It is a story happening over generations of bygone traditions and beliefs that still run deep in our society. The society that loves as well as fears the same things.
As Akshya Shah runs to never look back at the disaster that happens, she collides with Deepak Shukla. While Akshya is running away from her future which has been set in stone by her parents, Deepak is running towards his aspirations set and supported by his parents.
In a world of pretence, both are wanting to be grounded. It is a chemical reaction uniquely qualified to be tested. Friday brings down the pretences, but what will Monday morning bring?

Buying Link: Amazon

Readers, let’s be kind to the writer and buy the book soon. Do share your feedback with me once you read The Weekend.

Happy Reading!