Interview With Shravya Gunipudi
Shravya Gunipudi, a twenty-five-year old Chartered Accountant, has been writing for over a decade and a half. What started with an article in The Deccan Chronicle at the age of nine has now become so much more. Over the years, she has won numerous prizes for her articles, short stories and poetry and is a part of 17 Anthologies with a total of 19 published stories. In 2013, she was recognized as the Best Writer of the Year by yourstoryclub.com. Recently, she was also awarded the Best Author of the Year, 2016 by salis, for her debut novel. Having recently started her own website www.shravyagunipudi.in, she also blogs avidly.
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Chit Chat Session
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Well, the first thing I tell anyone who asks this question is that I am a Chartered Accountant by profession and an author by passion. Writing is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I remember when I was eight years old and I wrote an article for the Deccan Chronicle newspaper as a part of a contest. When I won, I just felt like this was something I was meant to do… and the rest, as they say, is history!
How did ‘Twisted’ happen? Could you describe the journey?
Twisted actually happened by chance. I don’t think about plots when I sit and write. I just go with the flow. This book took me through the twists and eventually landed me to the epilogue. The journey was fascinating and I really challenged myself with this story.
What according to you is different about your book?
The plot is very unique, very bold. I have never written a mystery before, so this is my first attempt. It isn’t your run of the mill, conventional novel. I feel like Twisted has a lot more to offer to its readers than being just another story.
What is the most fulfilling part of writing this book? And what is the most challenging?
I stepped out of the‘regular’ mindset and wrote something beyond a single theme – like romance, or action. That is the most fulfilling part for me, knowing that I was able to blend in a lot of genres and come up with a plot that is a complete package.
The most challenging part of this journey for me was tying up loose ends. With a plot that has so many twists and turns, you’re bound to end up forgetting something or messing some connection up. I tried my best to tie it all together and it was exhausting, to say the least.
Related: 3 Blank Pages by Anuj Sahoo to release soon!
Any advice to writers that would like to be published today? How tough is it to be published?
My only advice is that writers need to believe in their words. If you don’t feel the emotion behind your own words, how can you expect your readers to? Today, publishing is definitely hard. When most commercial successes revolve around one or two genres, writing something different may get you rejected.
When I tried publishing Twisted traditionally, I was asked to make changes to my story. Had I done that then, I wouldn’t be so confident about my book today. So I made my choice.
What is the next book that you have planned?
My next book is going to come out during winter this year. I am very excited about it because it’s yet another new concept. Fingers crossed, everything goes great! But let’s leave the rest for imagination!
Last but not the least, we would appreciate if you say some words about our venture, writing geeks.
Writing Geeks is an excellent platform for readers, writers and anyone who would love to know more about the literary world. I really admire the consistent quality and the determination to succeed. I hope that your entire team reaches great heights!
