Sugandha goes by her pen name Sugandha Pallan. Born in 1995 in Delhi, India, Sugandha was drawn to poetry from a very young age. Now an eminent Indian writer, she started writing poetry while she was in college. Her first book is ‘Mother, God, Me & The World.’ The book is a collection of over 30 poems. ‘Where the Dead Come Alive’ is her second book and her first novel which has brought her national and international fame. While interacting with Prof Shiv Sethi from the Daily Guardian, the author threw light on her literary journey. Here are the excerpts of the conversation.
1.When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I was born with it, I feel. I remember when I was a kid, I used to scribble a lot. As I grew up, I started taking it seriously and decided to make a career out of writing.
2.What advice would you give a new writer just starting?
Just write! Write whatever comes to your mind. Stop chasing perfection! It will come eventually. Try free writing. It helps to clear the mind.
3.What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Something self-explanatory, where the writer is not trying to explain everything. Leave certain things to readers’ imagination. It should look natural, not flowery.
4.How many books have you written? Which one is your favourite?
So far, I have written two books. ‘Mother, God, Me & The World’ is my first book which is a collection of 30 unique philosophical poems. ‘Where the Dead Come Alive’ is my debut novel. It’s a supernatural thriller and I am excited for this one.
5.What is the key theme and/or message in the book?
You should not test your fate too much and let some things remain as they are. If you put your bare hands in the fire, they are surely going to burn.
6.What is the future for the characters? Will there be a sequel?
The climax is open-ended. So, there can be a sequel based on the performance of this book.
7.What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
Whenever I have any idea or musing, I immediately write it down. To write the novel, I utilised after-office hours and weekends.
8. Was the writing process different and what challenges did you face writing thriller genre?
It was very challenging. I am more into poetry. Writing my first novel and a thriller was a very different experience, but the plot convinced me. So, I decided to just go with the flow.
9. What is the most difficult part about writing for you?
The most difficult part is to write the first sentence. But I have come up with a solution. I have started practising free writing. In fact the whole process is a journey with many phases to be covered and many milestones to be achieved.