Online interview on September 4, 2015. Read online here.

Last Friday, when most people were busy clubbing, Sip’N’Read along with FWBA interviewed the popular author Usha Narayanan. She is the author of THE MADRAS MANGLER and her second book, PRADYUMNA: SON OF KRISHNA, is already earning rave reviews.

As soon as the open online interview kicked off, fans and friends flooded her page with a lot of interesting questions, and Usha gave equally interesting responses. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Q: How did the idea for the book strike you?

Usha: Well, I found that I knew all the Enid Blyton characters well, as that was what I had read when I was a child. Not Amar Chitra Katha. I knew JK Rowling and Cassandra Clare and fantasy authors from the West but not Valmiki or Kamban in Tamil. But when I started reading our mythology, I found so much color and action and wisdom that I plunged deeper into it. I did not want to write about Krishna or any of the familiar gods. And when I came upon Pradyumna, I was immediately interested, because his story has more fantastical elements than the Mahabharata stories we are familiar with and which happen around the same time. And the name – ah, somehow it struck a chord in me! After all, the hero of ‘The Madras Mangler’ is Vir Pradyumna too, though I did not know then of the existence of Krishna’s son of the same name.

Q: How did you get enough material to make a book, and such an interesting one too?

Usha: There was hardly any reference to Pradyumna even in the epics. So I had to scrounge for the smallest mention of him in any language that I could read and then fill in the gaps with my imagination. The good thing is that some readers told me they had searched online to find the stories without realizing that some were invented. So, I think the mix of fact and fiction worked well.

Q: Do tell us about the journey of Pradyumna. When was the story conceived, and what was your experience of penning it?

Usha: The story was conceived about one and a half years ago. It took a year to write and it really consumed me, heart and soul. But as the book shaped up, it thrilled me no end. You need to research the book thoroughly if you want your book to be authentic. Even the words you use, the comparisons, they must be true to that age. Imagine if I were to write that her hair cascaded down like the Niagara Falls, it would strike a discordant note while you are reading. Making sure of the uniform tone and authenticity is important if you want your readers to keep turning the pages.

Q: Why the shift to mythology? Was it a conscious choice?

Usha: I did not set out thinking that I should write only a myth. But when I read more, I grew more fascinated. And from there, it was a hop, skip and jump to figuring out which character to write about. But of course, that was but the tip of the iceberg and there was much, much more that I needed to figure out and execute before it was ready to be sent to publishers.

Q: As an Indologist I am delighted with the host of books being written on ancient Bharat. My question is whether you consider this as pure fiction or is this an inspirational work. Secondly, do you plan to write the next book as a series?

Usha: It is not pure fiction for many events I have written about are mentioned in the epics, but in a bare bones fashion. Sometimes, there is more than one version of the same story. I chose the version that fitted in with my conception of my character and to serve my plot purpose better. You are right in saying that it is inspirational. These stories inspire us to be better people, to stand up for what we believe in. The fight between good and evil is eternal and is the basis of every major religion. That is what ‘Pradyumna’ is about. And yes, my story continues in Book 2. Thank you for the lovely question!

Q: So, you mentioned there’s fiction in the book. How much is fact (researched facts) and how much is fiction?

Usha: I would think that at least 50% of ‘Pradyumna: Son of Krishna’ is fiction. It’s up to you to figure out which is which!

Q: Do tell us something about ‘The Madras Mangler,’ your first book.

Usha: ‘The Madras Mangler’ was a suspense thriller about a serial killer who walks the placid streets of Chennai. Who is the killer? Which of the five girls who are central to the book is the next victim? There are twists and thrills galore, humorous insights into parent-daughter relationships, and the eternal quest of parents to get their daughters married. There are corrupt politicians, bumbling cops and a climax that roars through Chepauk Stadium to a breathtaking finish. If you haven’t read it yet, go for it.

Q: I am still recovering from plunging into your book, Usha Narayanan! I must say it’s an amazing work of literature. Congratulations! Must have called four people at least to tell them not miss reading it. This one is surely a winner. Kudos! I have just recently begun to delve into writing mythology though I have heard/read quite a bit. You truly have woven fact and fiction so well that it is difficult to unravel. I am in awe! Your first was a murder mystery. This is a completely different genre. How?

Usha: It was difficult to shape this story as it is completely different from my first. If the crime thriller was more about the brain, solving the puzzle, plotting the story, ‘Pradyumna’ is a journey of heart, head, body and soul. So that much more focus was required, and that much more effort writing and rewriting. But the joy I felt when it was completed – that cannot be expressed in words!

Q: When you write Indian mythology, do you think you are alienating foreign readers? Or are you bringing them closer by giving them a glimpse into something they don’t know? I have always wondered about that.

Usha: My book has a fast-paced plot with suspense and thrills and action and romance. There are wars, demons, awesome weapons and love that transcends time. I think it will have a global appeal due to these elements. As for foreign readers, why do you think so many flock to yoga classes or Gita lectures or climb the Himalayas? We have a wealth of knowledge, an explanation for man’s eternal questions – that can be made easily accessible to foreign readers as well.

Q: How do you react to the trend these days to write a kind of alternate mythology? Do you think it is okay to play with mythical characters, characters we have grown up praying to? Does this in your opinion diminish them? Eager to hear your views on this.

Usha: Your question is very valid when we see books, very popular ones – that have our gods swearing and living it up in very contemporary ways! There are many ways to do anything. Mine is to spin an absorbing tale without using such means.

Q: All your books are from such different genres. What if anything made you turn to each genre? And which one do you prefer writing the most?

Usha: I am a sucker for punishment! I have never stayed in the same arena too long, even in my career. Advertising, radio, corpcomm, journalism, websites…It gets easier when you continue writing the same genre but I have chosen three different genres for my three books! I read all kinds of fiction and I never back away from a challenge. So I start, I struggle, but I forge on till I finish it to my satisfaction. Fortunately, the two books that have been released have won excellent reviews from readers and from media!

Q: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How does one overcome this?

Usha: Yes, writer’s block is a very real, very troubling phenomenon that frightens every author. I write visually, which means that I must see the scene, the location, the mood, the ambience before I can write. If I cannot see it in my mind, I don’t push myself to write a requisite number of words for the day, just for the sake of writing. Big scenes, war scenes, emotional peaks and lows – these must come from the heart. So I stop, I think, I beat myself up, I lie sleepless and then finally, if I am on the right track – the block opens up. And I close my eyes in thanksgiving.

Q: Have you ever “lost the plot” in the middle of your writing? How do you continue to stay inspired to the theme all through the 70,000-odd meaningful words? Also, do you plan the contents of the chapters before you begin and expand on the theme (which basically ensures that you stick to your guns)?

Usha: You asked a very important question! ‘The Madras Mangler’ started off almost like chick lit. But then what happens when my five girls set off from home to live in a hostel for the first time in their lives? I needed to know where they were headed. So I stopped stockstill, wondered, grieved, agonized. And came up with a serial killer who terrorised them, and dead bodies piling up in the Madras rivers! So, whatever I had written till then had to be discarded. The tone changed, the characters changed and a dark cloud of evil hovered overhead. So, I must confess that the best-laid plots of authors often go astray and you have to go wherever your characters take you!

Q: How did you decide which chapter to start with? Vama comes first and Pradyumna comes much later.

Usha: Well, that’s how it happens chronologically. It’s always better to start in the middle of the action than to have extensive flashbacks, unless there’s a particular reason for showing it as a flashback – to create suspense, for instance. There are no absolutes though. You have to write and rewrite till you figure out which works best!

Q : That simplifies/solves the writing bit of it and complicates the characters, all at the same time…

Usha: Yes! You cannot be a sissy if you decide to be a novelist! Get ready to fight battles on many fronts.

Q: Did you face criticism as you were writing about gods and goddesses?

Usha: My story is written with respect. The truths I discovered when researching the background fascinated me and filled me with awe. If a fraction of what I have distilled from the Gita and other spiritual texts and woven into the story stays in readers’ minds, I will be very happy!

Q: Your next is for Harlequin. Whoa! That’s pure romance. Can you tell us a little bit about that one? And when is it releasing?

Usha: Yes, it’s coming out at the end of this month and was a different kind of challenge in itself. But my attitude is always – Never say die! Like an actor, I believe a writer should be able to don different garbs and make it work! The challenge was in shifting focus from the external canvas of a thriller to the internal canvas of the hero and heroine in the romance. It’s not strictly a mushy romance though. There’s a lot of witty dialogue, humorous and even farcical situations, politics and power play and nasty bosses and layoffs that all of us who have worked in corporates have experienced! So guys, this is for you too, not just for the ladies!

Q: Usha, being traditionally published, and with a book which is doing well, are you happy with the support you have received from the publisher? Anything you would have liked done better?

Usha: Publishers also look out for a return on their investment. So, if they have a successful writer to whom they have paid an enormous advance, they are going to promote them assiduously whereas the newbie author has to often be satisfied with just getting published! The industry is not too organized as yet or transparent. But with more writers jumping in, more options for self-publishing or publishing as eBook, the market dynamics should change – hopefully in our times.

With a leader like Penguin as my publisher for ‘Pradyumna’, I am able to reach more people in India and across the world!

Q: How do you manage your expectations from the book, the publisher’s and the market’s expectation and the reader’s expectation (both intelligent and mass)?

Usha: This question is a very perceptive one! My expectations from my book: I am sort of obsessive that it should be the best I can write – every comma, every word, every scene. And that can be pretty exhausting; but I cannot compromise on that. The publisher’s and the market’s expectation – there is not much I can do about it, except write well, promote it as best I can and then hope that my work reaches more people, and that lovely readers like those in this group spread the word! The reader’s expectations (both intelligent and mass): I think these are not two different categories. The mass is often the term used as an excuse to provide substandard stuff. Our readers are very intelligent and discriminating, so we should ensure that our work is polished to a rich gloss before it reaches their hands.

Q: It is said that even a good product (which in this case is your book ‘Pradyumna’), is incomplete without proper marketing. How did you manage the marketing part?

Usha: There is some amount of controversy on whether a book should be marketed. Earlier, authors protested, saying that a book is not a product to be sold. But if it is not sold, how will it be read? How will the hours and days and months of your toil reach prospective readers? What I do to market my books is to use social media which links people from distant shores together and helps me reach out. Also, I make it a point to always reply, acknowledge, and give serious consideration to readers’ comments, good wishes, and criticism. I also support other authors in promoting their books. With more of my books being published, I hope that there will be greater recognition of the quality of my writing.

Q: Do you think one should assess the market and then write or should one write what they want to?

Usha: A book consisting of some 80000 words cannot be written just because the market favours a particular genre. Unless the idea of the book captivates you and keeps you going endlessly, you cannot hope to complete it.

Q: In your opinion, which is the better option? Going through publishers? Or self-publishing? What are the difficulties/hurdles you faced during the process of getting your book published? From the time of submission, how long did it take for the published book to hit the market?

Usha: Most people in India are comfortable only with a physical book. Internet connections and Kindles have not penetrated that much for eBooks to reach every nook and corner. In foreign countries, after a spurt in eBooks, paperbacks are clawing their way back up! So, to reach more people, there’s not much choice but to have copies in book stores. Having a good publisher with a wide distribution network certainly helps to reach more readers today. Of course, self-publishing lets you see which promotional tools work, to identify your core target audience, etc. You have greater control over your book too. I emailed my submissions to the id given on publishers’ sites. Fortunately, not too many rejections happened before ‘The Madras Mangler’ was picked up. Then there was a waiting period of a year to see it in bookstores.

Q: How important do you think reading is to writing? Does reading play a pivotal role in your writing?

Usha: You have asked a very important question! You cannot write if you do not read. I read anything, everything, and if there’s nothing available, I read the label of the jam bottle on the table! Seriously though, when you read some great authors, you can only gasp and marvel and wish you were even one-tenth as talented. And as my choice of genres will reveal, I read Baldacci and Ayn Rand, Georgette Heyer and S J Watson and an Enid Blyton whenever I catch sight of one!

Q: How do you manage multiple genres? Is it a conscious decision or does it just happen?

Usha: There are no half measures in anything I do. So when I started reading mythology, I devoured everything I could find. And it was the half-hidden, mystery characters who galvanized my imagination. Krishna’s son, with an exciting past life – who could resist him? And Pradyumna was pulled out into the spotlight, muscles and all! I think conventional thinking is that we should write only in one genre so that we will have a loyal pool of readers who read that genre. But what can I do when inspiration strikes from the streets of Chennai, from the skyscrapers of Mumbai and the emerald thrones of Indraloka? Now, I await the judgement of readers and reviewers on what you would like me to write in future.

Q: Do you have any tips for first time writers?

Usha: It’s not an easy task to write a novel. At least 70000 words, with interesting characters, plot, dialogue, action, emotions… So don’t get into it lightly.