BENGALURU: As a sports journalist, Suprita Das has covered many notable sports tournaments, including two editions of the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Her first book, Shadow Fighter: Sarita Devi and Her Extraordinary Journey, is a critically-acclaimed sports memoir. Her second book, Free Hit: The Story of Women’s Cricket in India, focuses on the struggles, adventures, and victories women in Indian cricket have faced. Excerpts from an interview with City Express:
What was your trigger for writing Free Hit: The Story of Women’s Cricket in India?
I was at work, writing a match report for the India-Australia league game at the World Cup last year. Mithali had gone past Charlotte Edwards’ record in that game, when it struck me that between Mithali and Jhulan, India has produced the world’s highest run getter and highest wicket taker in women’s ODIs. I thought it was sensational given how little these girls have been celebrated for their achievements. That was pretty much the trigger. I had a skeletal idea that I discussed with the publishers, and then we fleshed it out.
What has been your inspiration as a writer?
Sportsmen and women are real yet extraordinary in some sense, hence their appeal. They put themselves through so much. How many of us can imagine waking up at the crack of dawn to go train in an open field? Their levels of dedication is tremendous and that inspires me.
Does your writing draw influence from vernacular books?
Both my books, Shadow Fighter and Free Hit have pretty much been inspired by incidents/tournaments/situations that I have witnessed or written about as a sports journalist.
With the digitisation of books, have you moved to reading books onscreen or do you prefer the old-fashioned books?
Old-fashioned book, always! It’ll make my handbag or backpack a little heavier if I’m carrying a few of them at a time, but I don’t want to be staring at yet another screen.
What is the process you undergo while writing?
A schedule is a must. For both my books, I’ve started with a basic storyline, following which I have gone about with my research and gathering of material. I may get nothing for the first chapter of my book for months, so I’ll have to start with what I do get. While writing I keep my phone away in a different room.
If you have writer’s block, just disconnect for a few days. I do, however, before switching off, make a quick few pointers about what the next part of the writing will be about. Otherwise when I restart, I feel a little lost.
How difficult or easy is it to get published? Have you had to modify or change the content of your book for it to get published?
I have been blessed that I was approached by my publishers to write for them on both occasions. My first book was commissioned on the basis of my writing and reporting. And then the second one happened. It is surely more challenging if an author is approaching the publisher. But there are apps like Juggernaut now, which is a great platform for aspiring writers, also because the books don’t have to be that long, in terms of number of pages.
Do you think marketing plays an integral role in the success of a book?
Absolutely. So many books get published every year, how is yours going to stand out? Marketing is key, and social media has made things much more dynamic these days.