Author Interview : Tanvi Sinha
1. How would you answer, if I ask you who is ‘Tanvi Sinha’?
Interesting question. But difficult to answer!
Flawed. Messy. Brutally honest. Passionate. Evolving. Living in the hope that the best of her life is yet to come.
2. How would you describe your latest book 'Stubborn Scars'.
It is a short story. Before a person can process their grief, there is a fog. The fog is a comfortable place where you can hide and go back to a time when life was different and you were happy. It is a place of denial and dreams, safe from the reality. The story originated from that state of mind.
3. Tell us something your book, ‘The Invisible Victim’ which you consider your best work so far.
When I look back and read ‘The Invisible Victim’, I sometimes wonder how well I conceptualized the plot! It is something I struggle with now. I consider it my best because it was well thought out and the mystery unravels at the end connecting all dots. Kamini’s personal involvement in the case which created turmoil in her life was an integral part of the plot that women liked. Women have certain expectations when they read a story from a female protagonist’s point of view. The character should be relatable. I did not want Kamini to be super successful. I wanted Kamini to be real. Someone who is working hard to build herself, unsure of herself, with her heart in the right place, until of course she lets her guards down and falls in love.
4. You make it sound like falling in love is wrong! Your stories are seldom romantic stories. There is always a different tangent, even to the love angle in the stories.
I find romantic stories very boring to read, write and watch! I think the last time I enjoyed it was when I was a teenager. I believe women make bad choices when they are in love. And they suffer the consequences. Falling in love, getting your heart broken is a part of life. It is part of the journey, not the destination.
5. You write articles on social issues concerning women, personal blogs and books. Which do you enjoy the most?
My writing on social issues is my identity. I feel very passionate about it. Personal blogging is not popular anymore. It was popular a decade back. However, it is the best connect you can possibly have with your readers. Writing books is a long-term project. It is a frustrating process, and it requires perseverance and patience. It is important to feel strongly about the story you want to tell, else you may end up with unfinished manuscripts after spending days, months or even years.
6. Your articles are very thought provoking. How do you deal with the negative feedback from men?
My articles tell the truth. Truth is always painful. I am okay with the negative feedback because I cannot expect everybody to have the same point of view. It gives a better perspective when people share differing views. The articles I write are mostly opinion pieces. They are strongly worded. Most negative comments urge me to take a more balanced view and share the other side as well which I appreciate in theory. But unfortunately, opinion pieces don’t work that way. If you want to be a strong voice, you have to be a strong voice.
Some men get very abusive and start making personal comments and even tag and ask their supporters to abuse the author! Obviously, that is something I do not appreciate. I choose to ignore and not respond. I did respond when I was younger. That is one of the benefits of getting older. You have limited energy, and you choose where to spend it.
7. Throw some light on your previous books.
‘Dance to my tunes’ was my first book. It is a collection of short stories, all written from a woman’s point of view. Most of my blog readers like that book the best. ‘Till Death Do Us Apart and The Invisible Victim’ are thrillers with female protagonists. ‘Marriages Are Made in Kitchen’ was a pandemic story that surprisingly did very well, and compelled me to write the sequel, ‘Marriages are made in Moments’. ‘Stubborn Scars’ is a short story.
8. Tell us about the awards you have received. In your view, what makes you win these awards? What is your USP?
I have received five awards so far for my writing. The latest was the prestigious ‘Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity’ in the English blog category. I have received the Orange Flower Award for Social Issues and Creative Writing. I also won the Best New Blogger in 2016! I am lucky to have received these awards because there is so much of good content out there, it must be very difficult for the Jury to choose. I think originality matters. It is important to choose a topic or at least a perspective that is not repetitive. But then again, it is not the story you tell, but how you tell it that makes the difference. My USP would be my honesty, but like I said, you always need luck!
9. What does your family think of your writing?
They are very supportive. My mother reads everything I write. She is very good at grammar, and helpful in spotting the errors. My sister is a very intelligent person, and her insights means a lot to me. My father is my rock. My niece is a teenager now and my go-to person to understand their generation! I am blessed to have an encouraging extended family and friends who wish me well.
10. Have you ever thought of your own publication?
I have my blog. Having your own publications requires a lot more – networking, investment, sponsoring. With a full-time job, this is the most I can do as of now. I do not consider myself very enterprising. Writing makes me happy. I do not have the skill-set to run a business yet.
11. Any tips for readers on how to succeed as a blogger.
If anybody has any tips, please I would be happy to know how to become successful! I do not think there is any such thing as success or failure. You just have to believe in yourself, do what you want to do, put in your best and hope that something somewhere may click.
12. Are you working on any new projects?
I have too many thoughts right now. But next I would like to write a non-fiction book.
13. You try to motivate your readers through your blogs. Any message for them?
“We regret the things we don’t do more than the things we do.” – Mark Twain
I have started to agree with this. Take your chances. Make your mistakes. Life is not meant to be perfect. It is meant to be lived. Good or bad, this is the only life we have.
Thanks for reading.
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