50 Good Questions to Ask an Author

1. What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

Ans. Oh, many! Visiting any place of historical significance or just a beautiful scenery is a literary pilgrimage for me!

2. What is the first book that made you cry?

Ans. Ramayana! My mother had made me read it when I was a seven year old. I just cried at the miserable fate that was bestowed on the heroine, Sita. 

3. What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

Ans. Huhh, well, from my limited experience in working with newspapers and magazines, I can safely say that when editors force the writers to make the content more spicy and populist in nature, neglecting the writer's creative aspirations, that is the most unethical practice. Oh, and also the bias against female writers.  

4. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Ans. Both! My mind is the most active when I write. But sadly, my fingers and back are the most tired when I write. 

5. What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Ans. Catering to populist demands. Writing characters who are either too good or too bad. Paying more attention to romance rather than the story. 

5. Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

Ans. It mostly hurts the writers. Because then you are not able to take criticism and improve. 

6. What is your writing Kryptonite?

Ans. Not able to write less. Just look at how big my chapters are! Also, I have a penchant of repeating words. 

7. Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

Ans. Many times! Due to my very picky habit in choosing reading materials, I often end up with a reader's block. It's actually been quite a while since I read genuinely moving book. 

8. Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

Ans. Oh, online I write under a pseudonym. Offline, it is my real name, as I prefer. 

9. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Ans. I try to be the former and hope that my readers will like my work. 

10. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

Ans. You can still be a writer, of course! Though you might face difficulty in writing emotions, which is a big part of good writing, according to me at least. 

11. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

Ans. Online here on aff, I have a good friend in Leo, the writer of sweep me off the feet. She helps me to moderate the craziness of my writing a lot. 

12. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

Ans. I want each of my work to stand on its own despite having connections to my other works. 

13. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Ans. Be patient. Try not to get angry at every little thing. And also to never give up. 

14. How did publishing your first work change your process of writing?

Ans. Well, I had written my first publishing work when I was 11 years old. It was a short story which was published in a children's magazine. Since then I think I have become a lot more systematic in my writing.  

15. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

Ans. From the money I have made by doing offline writings, I made the best buck with a monthly serial story writing for the weekend newspaper. I spent it all on getting a dress for my mother.  

16. What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?

Ans. Here on aff? Hmm, I didn't like Tezmiso's writing style at first. But it slowly grew onto after a while. 

17. What did you do with your first feature?

Ans. I celebrated it with a big bucket of fried chicken. 

18. What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

Ans. I had written an article on career choices in Psychology a few years ago for a local daily. I received an email from a school student a few days after its publication. They thanked me for the article, saying how her parents now support her career choice after reading it. That day, I realised how powerful and life-changing a few words can be. 

19. What are the most important magazines for writers to subscribe to?

Ans. You should always subscribe to local literary magazines rather than glitzy international ones. 

20. What’s your favourite under-appreciated novel?

Ans. Wuthering Heights. The Dark Wife too. 

21. How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

Ans. I try, hahaha. 

22. As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Ans. A little Swan!

23. What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

Ans. Immense gratitude for being my muse. 

24. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Ans. Too many!

25. What does literary success look like to you?

Ans. Hmm, when you get criticism, that means you have done good writing. Someone cares for you enough to be brave and give criticism. 

26. What’s the best way to market your books?

Ans. Do good writing and they will market on their own!

27. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a chapter?

Ans. I try to source my research from legitimate, quotable sources. The Internet is a place full of muck, so I have to be really careful. I could spend as long as a whole week in research for a chapter. 

28. Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?

Ans. Anything that gives you peace can be said to be a spiritual practice. So, yes, writing is a spiritual practice for me.

29. What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite ?

Ans. Trying to capture their thought process. Because as a woman,I can never fully put myself in their shoes. Still, I try to base them on my own male models of life to write them decently.

30. Are you a part-time writer or a full-time writer?

Ans. I do writing as a side work besides pursuing my education. Writing for me is more of a passion.

31. How many hours a day do you write?

Ans. Mostly for two hours. On serious days, it can stretch to six hours.

32. What period of your life do you find you write about most often? (child, teenager, young adult).

Ans. I used to write the most as a teenager then I do now. My LJ was full of gibberish, hahaha. 

33. What do you edit out of books?

Ans. Mostly scenes that I feel are too complex or not compatible with the flow. 

34. Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

Ans. Reading Leo's smomf made me think you don't have to be flashy or flowery to sell a good story. 

35. What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?

Ans. Always put up a disclaimer. And try to stick with facts. 

36. How do you select the names of your characters?

Ans. By their personality, nothing too complicated. 

37. What do you do besides writing?

Ans. I lead the life of a college student.

38. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Ans. Yes, I do! Both for offline and online works! I try to not let the good ones get to my head, and the bad ones to my heart. Keep writing on is my motto. 

39. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Ans. Anyone who knows me personally will easily find them in my writings. 

40. What was your hardest scene to write?

Ans. Hmm, in my current online work, Honour and Duty, writing the scenes is always hard. Especially the latest ones. 

41. Do you Google yourself?

Ans. No, I don't. But I do search on Twitter, hahaha. 

42. What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

Ans. My arrogance.

43. What are your favourite literary journals?

Ans. I like Harper's Magazine, but I usually stick to local ones.

44. What is your favourite childhood book?

Ans. Anything of Mark Twain. 

45. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Ans. Trying to find the words for my ideas. Because English is my second language, I have to often sit down and do the translation to write out my thoughts. 

46. Does your family support your career as a writer?

Ans. As long as I have a solid side career plan, yes they do. That's why I have chosen to do writing as a passion and not a livelihood. 

47. If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

Ans. Try to be more better with criticism. Do your research before writing anything. So many things!

48. How long on average does it take you to write a chapter?

Ans. A week. Most of the writing is done in around a week. Take too long and you lose your grip on the flow. 

49. Do you believe in writer’s block? 

Ans. Yes, I do. Its something every writer faces in their writing time. 

50. Would you ever give up writing?

Ans. I might leave aff at some point in future, but writing? Never. 

Got any questions of your own? Ask away in the comment section below!