BENGALURU: Nikita Singh has to her credit 11 novels, which include including Letters to My Ex, Every Time It Rains, Like a Love Song and the most recent: The Reason Is You. She worked in the publishing industry for a couple of years before she went on to attain her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from The New School in New York. Besides writing, she also marketing for a solar energy company based in Brooklyn. Excerpts from an interview:
What was your trigger for writing your latest book The Reason Is You?
The first idea that I wanted to explore with The Reason Is You is that of the constrains of traditional relationships. There is very little space for individuality in monogamous relationships in India. Everyone is supposed to follow the same set of rules and regulations regardless of their own feelings and natural tendencies.
In The Reason Is You, on Siddhant’s first date with Akriti, she receives a bad news that gels them together and they decide that it must be love. Suddenly, they jump over the getting to know each other phase completely and are thrown into a serious relationship that neither of them is prepared for. On top of that, Akriti is dealing with loss and depression, which makes their situation even more complicated.
Have any of your books been inspired by vernacular books?
No, none of my books have been inspired by other books. They usually come from observation and imagination. For me, the process goes like this: I form characters in my mind, imagine their interaction with other characters under normal circumstances and finally introduce special situations in which they would interact.
With the digitisation of books, have you moved to reading books on screen?
I read books on all available platforms. Of course, there is immense comfort in reading hardcovers and paperbacks, but I also read on my Kindle and iPad and listen to audiobooks.
Do you go back to your old writings? How does it feel to re-read what you had written years back?
After I give the final go-ahead after typesetting and the book goes to press, I don’t read it. Not only is reading my own work cringe-inducing (same as listening to a recording of my own voice), it is also impossible for me to stop editing when it’s my own writing. However, when asked if I would edit my past works, I say no, because every book is like a time capsule. I will never be nineteen again, and think like that, use those words, care about those things… so I prefer to let those books remain frozen in time.
Have you always seen yourself as a writer? What has been your inspiration as a writer?
Growing up, I was a quiet, thoughtful child who always imagined one day sharing what’s on my mind through a book. I never could’ve imagined having a career like this! Even when I look back now, it’s unbelievable to me.
But because I focused on one book at a time, I have been able to rely on hard work and persistence without crippling under undue pressure of impossible expectations. I am inspired by our earth and the humans who share it. The rest is imagination. My constant inspiration is believing that hard work pays off. Even if it doesn’t end up paying off, it’s all I have, so I stay dedicated to something that allows me a form of expression and fulfills me.
What is the process you undergo while writing?
For the first draft of every book, I set aside two weeks. Everything non-essential is put on hold for those two weeks, so that putting down all of my thoughts is my only focus. Sometimes I’m in school/college and I always have a job, so there’s careful time management. Luckily, I’m very good at compartmentalising, so I am able to leave school/work and be present a 100 per cent when I’m in front of the screen at the end of the day and write all night.
How difficult or easy is it to get published? Have you had to modify or change the content of any of your books for it to get published?
At the end of the day, publishing is also a business and runs on money. But all things considered, publishing is one of the most liberal industries there is. Editors are open to new ideas and embrace authentic materials, so fortunately, I haven’t had to modify my books in order to get them published.
Who’s your first reader? And who are your biggest critics?
My first reader is usually my agent. Sometimes my editor is the first one to read my manuscript, but my editors keep changing every 1-2 books, while I’ve worked with the same agent since 2014, so he’s definitely one of the first people to read a new manuscript. My biggest critic would be me.
Do you think marketing has played an integral role in the success of your books?
Absolutely. However, my books were (luckily) doing quite well from the beginning, long before we had the resources to market it. My first four books sold on their own. The only marketing done for them was organic posts on social media. Ever since Someone Like You (which was my fifth book) I’ve been working with established publishers who have been investing resources into marketing my books and it does play a significant role in increasing visibility.