Interview with:Prem Rao [premrao]
WRITING
 | What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote? Like many children of my generation in India, I started with Enid Blyton! I wrote many articles for my school magazine over the years. I wrote a few short stories much later in life. My friends were the first to read and comment on my writing. |
| What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it? I enjoy thrillers and mysteries. As a kid, I loved reading about Sherlock Holmes and later James Bond. My debut novel "It Can't Be You" http://itcantbeyou.com
is being published in Nov-Dec 2010. |
| What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write? I try and capture my thoughts as and when they occur- and that could be almost anywhere. My memory isn't too hot so I prefer to make brief notes of these thoughts, which I then expand as I begin writing. |
| What type of reading inspires you to write? Oh, almost any type! I might read something in the newspaper about an incident which I might like to reflect on and write about later. I am inspired when I read gripping novels from some of my favourite authors.
My reading is often reflected in my blogs: my professional blog is called People at Work & Play http://bprao.wordpress.com/ and has a global following.
More recently, I have started a writing blog called Writing To Be Read http://premkumarrao.wordpress.com/ |
| What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story? I believe the development of characters in the story is as important as the plot. One can't have a terrific plot but lose it by having weak characters. The plot should have the reader engrossed and make the book eminently readable. |
| What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? "It Can't Be You" is my first novel so I can't really speak with much experience. That said, I prefer first person narratives as this style enables me to get into the minds of my characters and think/speak the way I think they would! |
| What well known writers do you admire most? I have a huge list of authors I have admired over time having been a voracious reader for 50 years now! Some names that readily come to mind: Harold Robbins, James Hadley Chase, Ian Fleming, John Masters, James Patterson and P.G.Wodehouse. |
| What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours? The character should be somebody most- though not all- readers can relate to. They should say "Hey, I know this guy, or someone like him". My characters acquire strength through a blend of positioning in the story, their physical appearance and their dialogue. |
| Are you equally good at telling stories orally? You should ask my family and friends but I most definitely think so!! I have been a skilled story teller for many years. My professional work in talent development gave me strengths in holding the attention of audiences through the spoken word. |
| Deep down inside, who do you write for? I write for myself. Only now, on the verge of becoming a published author, I should start writing for a larger audience, my readers. |
| Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force? In a sense, yes but that's not the reason why everyone writes! Internal conflicts, personal experiences and events that have happened to us and people we know do influence our thoughts- and hence our writing- to some extent. |
| Does reader feed-back help you? Oh yes, it does. We are often guilty of making the same mistakes over again, such as :the use of a particular phrase, the length of a typical sentence, frequently used words in a dialogue and so on.
It's wise to get another's point of view. You get greater objectivity that way, don't you? |
| Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards? None so far! |
| Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust? Not really. Till now, I have asked for other's opinions after several versions were first done by me. |
| Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for? I am sure I have found something I would like to do with passion for the rest of my life! There is huge scope for getting better by trying to understand yourself that much more, through your writings. |
| What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? I did the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time last year. Churning out 50,000 words in 30 days was a big challenge. It taught me the importance of fixing targets and goals and working towards them. http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/530406 |
| What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate? It's a bit of a mess, really. I always have paper around to put down my thoughts - as mentioned earlier in answer to another question. I am quite flexible that way and do not require absolute silence or anything like that to concentrate on my writing. |
| Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process? Yes, it's on the computer. I start with notes made on sheets of paper. I seldom print. Most of my corrections and editing is done online. I seldom correct on paper. However, I must add that on a few occasions, I have written passages down and tried to improve upon them. However, these are fairly rare cases. |
| What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information? I try to participate in the many forums available on the NaNoWriMo site. Apart from that my writing blog links me to a host of interesting people and blogs. |
| What has been your experience with publishers? My debut novel is being published by Cedar Books, imprint of Pustak Mahal, one of India's largest publishers. My experience has been very good with them. |
| What are you working on now? I am doing the wrap up work to market my debut novel.
I will take part in NaNoWriMo 2010. My second novel should emerge from my writing for this fascinating program! |
| What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone? You might have some very good stuff in there! Show it around and work on it to improve yourself as a writer. Things written are never wasted. You might remember what you wrote earlier somewhere and use it in your next story.
Hang on to what you wrote. You just might have some gems in there! |
| 
3527 visits Whohub
Prem Rao
Bangalore, India
|
95743 interviews created
![[premrao] Prem Rao](http://www.whohub.com/_pics/50833.jpg?1337672152)
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS