When author Preeti Shenoy started her blog in 2006, little did she know that she it will help her build a whole new career altogether. And now, six years and four books later, Shenoy is happy and wants to continue writing. “I started a blog to get over the grief of my father’s death in 2006,” recalls Shenoy, adding, “After that, one of my columns was picked up by a radio show in the US. Then, some of my readers asked me to compile all my blog posts into a book.” That is how Shenoy’s first book happened and since then there has been no looking back. Now, she has come out with her fourth book, titled The Secret Wish List.
More from the author herself:
What is your latest book, The Secret Wish List, about?
The story is about parental expectations versus following one’s heart. It’s a back and forth narrative — shuffling between when the protagonist was 16 years old and when she is 34 years old and married. She has a wish list and the story is about whether or not she manages to fulfil her wishes.
You got into writing after your father’s death?
Yes. I started writing after my father passed away in 2006. I was looking for some sort of medium to overcome the grief of losing my father — that is when I started writing a blog. I used to post about anything and everything positive. It was because of my blog posts that my first book happened.
How is your current book different from your previous books?
As I mentioned earlier, the first one was a compilation of my blog posts. And one of the other books was about bipolar disorder. But, there is a common common thread to all my books — a strong woman protagonist, and an element of romance.
Why a woman protagonist?
I feel more comfortable writing from a woman’s perspective. That’s why I stick to having a woman protagonist in all my books. However, most of my readers are men. And a lot of them have actually written to me saying that my books help them understand women better.
You also write poetry?
Yes. My poetry is quite contrasting to my writing though. While my writing is very positive, my poetry is cynical, dark and talks about pain. So, in a way, it balances out the positive and negative aspects.
Do you plan to get your poetry published as well?
Yes. Definitely. Sometime in the future.
What do you do when you are not writing?
I spend around six hours a day writing. Apart from that, I am into pencil portraits and quilling.
What next?
I am working on my next book currently. Have given myself six months to finish it. But, I can’t talk about it because it is still in the nascent stages. However, it will be a work of fiction and will surely have an element of romance.