Interviews

December 2018 - Interview with Anupamarc

Mysteries are incredibly popular. So are thrillers. While they were traditionally read by a more male audience, the female readership is growing fast. This month's interview features @anupamarc who has written a psychological thriller - with a female protagonist. Well, at least that was how  we see it.

Adultfiction: You started off with a science-fiction trilogy. What made you switch genres?

Anu : It would be switching genres if my trilogy stuck to the SciFi banner Lol. That one seems to have escaped only a few genres. To be honest, I started Unforgiving Shadow around the same time I started writing the trilogy (Dying Embers, Walking on Fire and Fire in the Sky) but then I stopped for a year. I started again during a Nanowrimo month and stopped again. While I wrote the trilogy book-set straight - three full length novels, it's taken me a while to write this one. The next one I am writing can probably be best described as 'Cosy mystery' so there you go, not a stickler to genres.

Adultfiction: I love, love cosies!! Looking forward to that. But yes, there certainly is a mystery strand running through your novels. What are your writing plans in general. The famous job interview question (LOL) - where do you see yourself in a year? In two years? Three perhaps?

Anu: When I was 25, I had very clear plans laid out for my next year, decade and a grand scheme for the rest of my life. Having gained some wisdom through age :) I have now wisened up to not have too many of these plans. Plans change. Three years ago I wouldn't have thought I would be writing and here I am four completed books later...

Adultfiction: So you are more of a "pantser" than a "Plotter" is that correct?

Anu: When I started I was a total panster. I was typing the story so fast and yet I had no idea what was about to come on the next page. So as you can imagine, the plot twists were a surprise for me too :P

I have changed a little since then. I now try to plot after the first draft is written. I'm still not convinced I have improved in anyway but there's always hope right?

Adultfiction: Now back to "Unforgiving Shadow". It centers on a nurse with a shadowy past who gets drawn into her neighbour's murder. The story is set in a bleak, modern version of London. The whole story has a very "noir" feel to it. I know you live in London. Is it that bad? Or what prompted you to write this way? Or this story?

Anu: Most of the story settings and characters just pop up on the page. I struggle to change character names for this very reason because usually when they appear on the story, they come with the name.

Like Alice turned up as a nurse. Yes, she gets drawn into a series of murders some seem more closer to home than others. It was tricky to write this book as there are only a few main characters and keeping the mystery intriguing between these characters and also having the reader still vested in them was hard.

In terms of location - London felt right for this one. There are some fabulous places in London that I tried my best to draw out in the book. I found it was easy to visualise, easy to write and as a reader, it's fun to read fiction stories in real settings.

Although I should put a disclaimer on the first page - all opinions of London are purely the characters thoughts and bear no resemblance to my opinions haha! Alice is very quirky and her view of life can be quite twisted and varied.

Adultfiction: Twisty it is, I agree with that. If you had a wish for your publishing journey, what would it be. And why?

Anu: :rubbing hands in anticipation of the Pulitzer prize: Like most writers, I have aspirations of being a well known name. Some days I am happy to be publishing on WP and want to leave it at that. Other days, I want to become the next big name ha! No limits to dream eh. On the third day usually, my brain connects the pieces and tells me how terrible I am and how long a journey that would be to publishing.

I especially enjoy writing short stories so I think for 2019 I'm setting up one goal - write and submit as many short stories as possible externally. It might be useful for my writing resume to have a few awards even if they are for short stories.

Adultfiction: Did you have a very clear idea about your audience? Thrillers with female protagonists are quite popular, or so I think

Anu: I'll be totally honest here. Till today, I have never written a word thinking what the reader might say or think or read. The stories come to me and I mostly write because I have this compulsion to put it on paper then and there. Sadly for me, I'm not one of the clever authors who understands how markets work and how to make my book the next seller.

Adultfiction: You are not alone in that. Enjoying writing is the key part of it. Too much focus on the commercial aspects, and writing can become yet another "job". You are doing very well there. I'm curious now. What role did or does Wattpad play in your writing journey?

Anu: I agree with you on enjoying the writing. Since the past few years, I have gone through various swings of wanting to be published tomorrow to dreading sending a single query letter. I have since moved on the thinking - 'enjoy the process'. Writing can be super fun. It's like being on a rollercoaster ride. It can be gripping, entertaining and surprising even to the writer, and there's a sense of bittersweet feeling when you finish a story no matter how small or big.

And add to that writing journey Wattpad and the equation gets all the more interesting. The interaction, comments, votes. It has been amazing experience to be here. I tried my luck with contests last year and won two of them interestingly - two very different stories - a mystery and a romance which helped boost my confidence hugely.

Talking about Unforgiving Shadow, the book wouldn't have been completed if not for Wattpad. I stopped the story and got nudged several times by readers wanting to read. A special credit goes to my writer friend, @lyttlejoe who prompted me several times to continue the story. I only finished it because I couldn't leave the readers with an unfinished story.

Adultfiction: So, What role does Wattpad play for you?

Anu: I love Wattpad. I feel I'm in this perfect place on WP. I have met several lovely people and really good authors. I love the interaction on the stories. People are helpful, supportive and critical which is a great combination to learn something new. Not just writers but waking up to see someone read and voted all through your book can be very motivating. Readers sometimes don't know the power they have in inspiring an author just by a simple vote. I am itching to post my next novel right now but this time I have decided to post only when I have completed the story so I'm holding back.

Adultfiction: If you don't write, what do you read?

Anu: If I'm not writing then I'm usually reading or watching TV. I love analysing movies and TV programmes. I am a complete nerd like that. While watching my brain is whirring with questions - how did they make the character likeable, what happens in act two. I find myself grilling my teenage kid on what she liked about the movie and she often turns to me and says, "I just want to enjoy the movie, Mum so stop asking the million questions."

My reading patterns are very unpredictable. I swing from reading brand new thrillers to classics depending on my mood. If I am reading a published book I have only one demand and that is the story has to be compelling. For me, as an author, that is the main aspiration I would like to achieve. A story that someone cannot stop reading. Usually, if I like an author, I will pick up every book of theirs.

Adultfiction: Thank you very much for this interview, we will NOT pass on your address, otherwise you will be bombarded with books. Well, people know where to find you on Wattpad!