Meet Kalpana - A Content Writer and A Dreamer

#AuthorInterviews

• Hello, please tell us something about yourself.

I am a content writer by profession and a dreamer by hobby. I often need to be dragged from the classrooms at Hogwarts and the gardens at Manderley by my boss, to focus on work. When not earning my dues, I can be found creating little worlds for other dreamers to walk in one day. A non-conformist by nature, I am frequently found scrutinizing social norms and dissecting human nature. My philosophy in life is to create a balance between speech and action. My love for good food and good life is well known, and I believe that when one laughs, it should truly be a loud one. With Altitudinis, I got a chance to channel my wild imagination. I am now hoping to publish my solo novel in the years to come.

• Please tell us something about your book ‘Altitudinis’.

Altitudinis is a a result of a unique experiment initiated by Ms Kusum Choppra. She wished to try collaborative writing. A few of us got excited by the prospect and joined her.
Alatitudnis is collabotaive work of fiction. The unique factor here is that it is not a collection of ten short stories but a novel.
It is a book that encompasses thrill, romance, mystery and intrigue. It is a story of a handful of characters like Sitara Devi, Raghav and Sudha, but most importantly of Nikhil and Nirali, two star crossed lovers, who keep crossing each others paths for over a decade until faced with a now-or-never situation.

• What do you do when you are not writing?

I am a content writer by profession, so when I am not writing for myself, I write for the organisation I work for. Apart from that, I love cooking, reading, watching movies and travelling. 

• How is co-authoring a book different from writing a book as solo author? 

Co-authoring is a relatively difficult process. However, it is immensely satisfying. But most of all, it is a learning process. I personally learnt the value of teamwork. 

As a writer, I find the process of editing the most gruelling. This is all the more difficult when writing collaboratively, as the editor is responsible for making the book flow effortlessly, even when multiple writers are involved. As a solo author, you have the control over the content and the process. As a co-author, especially when ten writers are involved, you have to consider every writer’s input. 

• What are the pros and cons of co-authoring a book?

Pros:
• Great learning experience
• Work gets divided
• We get the most constructive feedback
• One learns teamwork
• A writer learns what his/her strengths and weaknesses are
Cons:
• Editing becomes difficult
• A writer might have to work on a strict timeline
• Less control over the plot, story, characters, etc.

• Which aspect of writing is a challenge for you? Writing? Publishing? Or Marketing?

I find writing difficult mostly because I tend to be very self-critical and I am not very easily satisfied with my work. Publishing for me is just a process. Marketing, though it needs a lot of creativity, is still a means to an end, that of selling a product. So the most important aspect is to make the product the best it can be.  

• Define ‘Altitudinis’ in one line from your perspective.

Altitudinis is a book that will keep the readers hooked till the end, after which they would want to reread it to relive some special moments from it. 

So, do you, my reader friends, have any questions for Kalpana?

Feel free to let us know.

Also, do grab your copy of this super-exciting book via below links.

Lots of Love