Question 1. Hi Arpit, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Answer: Hi, I am Arpit Agrawal. I am a story teller; this is what I love to be called. I can’t say it to masses, so I write my heart out.
I completed Engineering in Mechanical from RCET Bhilai, then worked as a Software Engineer with Accenture, Pune for 2.5 years and then quit my job for my own venture.
After all, money is not all you need in life, sometimes you need more money.
Question 2. Out of all those options that you’ve had at your disposal, how did you end up picking the pen for career?
Answer: I accidently turned out to be a writer.
When I was in college, out of the blue, I wrote a small piece for my college-magazine. It was cherished by many. ‘I must do big’ I thought and approached an English Newspaper. They willingly published my articles and I got emails of readers from all over the State. I looked into the bigger picture and approached a National Magazine, they loved my stories too and it gave me a monthly readership of almost 4,00,000 readers across the Nation.
‘I must do big’ I thought again and hence, I got published through my debut novel in the year 2013 called ‘Dear life, get well soon…’
Isn’t it a nature’s clue for me to write further? And hence I wrote my second book ‘Take my heart,forever’.
Question 3. It seems as though your career graph reach out from the typical shades of a software engineer to a writer, how will you explain this? :)
Answer: In my first year of working as a Software Engineer, I realized that I am not one of 2.75 Million software engineers in our country.
The primary goal of my life was, if someone searches my name in google, it should show the result. And yes, it shows if you search about my books.
Question 4. How were you able to keep alive the wishes of an author inside you until you left your job for the same.
Answer: I continued to write even when I was in office. I wrote few chapters of my first book in my office computer (don’t tell to my ex-boss).
If there is something you love with all your heart, you can easily keep the spark alive inside you.
Question 5. Your writing genre for the debut novel “Dear Life, Get Well Soon” seemed to be sarcastic yet emotionally appealing, will there be any shift expected in the 2nd novel?What draws you to this genre?
Answer: ‘Dear life, get well soon’ is basically a sarcastic and humorous read; on the contrary ‘Take my heart, forever’ is a revolutionary tale with a romance genre.
I got the concept of ‘TMHF’ in my mind even before I started writing my first book, but this is a mature topic and I wanted my debut to be a light and comic read, that’s why I wrote ‘DLGWS.’
Question 6. Which writers inspire you? Whose work do you admire?
Answer: I like Chetan Bhagat for his simplicity in writing. He build a platform for numerous authors in India.
Question 7.What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
Answer: I read many Indian and foreign authors.From paulo Coelho to Shidney Sheldon, and from Chetan Bhagat to Durjoy Dutta, I like to read every author.
If I ever get paid for reading, I will shut my door and continue reading forever and ever…
Question 8. What you feel is hardest about writing? Do you ever get writer’s block? If yes then how do you deal with it ? Does support from family and friends matters ?
Answer: The hardest about writing is to get stress-free time. Even if you get time but you are stressed, you can never write.
When I newly joined my job, I didn’t write even a page for almost a year. It wasn’t easy for me to cope time for writing. But as I aged I started again and then never stopped it again.
Question 9. What were some sweet and bitter experiences of your life that motivates the artist inside you to continue on this path?
Answer: I had many sweet moments which inspired me to write further.
Once I wrote an article with the message that we should not elope with our lovers, we should peacefully convince our parents for marriage instead. I got email from a girl saying, she was planning to elope with her boyfriend, but she changed her mind after reading my article published in a Newspaper.
Once a school student wrote me how he dropped his plan of suicide after reading my article on suicide attempts of students who flunk in examinations.
These incidents stimulate me. I am blessed that I am able to do good to the society with my pen.
Question 10. Tell us some more about your book. How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Answer: I need an average of two years to write a book.
With this book I want to share a unique idea that, if the court of law announces capital punishment to any terrorist or a murderer, they shouldn’t just be hanged till death. It is a loss of body organs. Court should order them to donate all their functional organs to needy patients in the hospital. It may save their lives. It is like, “You kill people, now you save people…” this is the only justice to humanity according to me.
Question 11. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Answer: I would advise to write original stuff, write what you actually like to read.
Like whenever I write anything, no matter how entertaining it is, there is always a message hidden in it for the society.
This is I think writing should be, it should entertain you and at the same time make you a better person.
Question 12. Last question/s Rapid fire round :P :
How do you relax?
By writing. Trust me…
What is your favourite motivational phrase?
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” -By Steve Jobs.
What is your favourite book and why?
‘Two States’ because of its humour.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
‘Giving another interview to your juniors for this same magazine, for my fourth or fifth book.’
What is your favourite movie and why?
‘Jab we met’ because I believe we should live life like ‘Geet’ as it shows in the movie.She is filled with vigor and liveliness.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Enjoy the moment, don’t worry too much about the future, I am doing well here.
Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
I would love to meet you ‘Yash Kant’ for asking me so sensible questions.
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
I wish if I were the author of ‘Harry Potter’. I would have not changed anything in the book, but it would have changed my life as I get huge royalty cheques.
Who edited your book and how did you select him/her?
It is moreover publisher’s part of work.
Who designed your book covers?
It is also publisher’s part of work.
Why do you write ?
Because deep down in my heart I always knew that if I will write, one day, a magazine from IIT will take my interview.
Do you write a draft on paper or at a keyboard (typewriter or computer)?Ballpoint, uniball or fountain pen?
My handwriting is awful, but I can type 70 words a minute, so I always type in a computer.
Aren’t writers supposed to be solitary?
Of course not. Had it be true, from where all those romantic ideas come from?
How was your academic performance at school?
Above average. But not that good to make it to an IIT, like you guys.
Question 13. Tell us the blurb of your book and how to order it?
Answer: I just love it when someone ask me, ‘How to order’. Let me share the link.
Blurb: “Meet Siddhartha, a good lawyer but a bad human. Meet Rahul, a good human but a bad doctor. And meet Shuchi, a good human and an exceptionally well doctor. Shuchi tries to make a good human out of Siddhartha and a good doctor out of Rahul, but a bomb blast transforms their lives. Read this revolutionary tale to know how Siddhartha will get a unique PIL passed in the courtroom and Rahul will perform a life changing surgery, to save the girl they love.”
Order link
http://tinyurl.com/htjy57t (Free shipping)
Amazon order link
We wish you great a future and fortune ahead, thanks again.
Till then sayonara! :)