INTERVIEW WITH CORNELIA FUNKE

INTERVIEW WITH MS. CORNELIA FUNKE – (bestselling author of the Inkheart trilogy)

·      Does writing hold a special place in your life?

I couldn’t live without itJ It is chocolate for me, what I was born to do, a never ending pleasure.

·      Have you always wanted to be a full time writer? Did have other ambitions when you were younger?

I wanted to be an astronaut at the age of 11 (they had just landed on the moon) then a pilot, I wanted to live with the Native Americans…in short, I wanted adventure, dreaming about it while I lived in a small town in Germany. My life became very adventurous, but in very unexpected ways – which is the magic of life: that it surprises us at every corner. We just have to dare to walk through the doors it opens for us. My first profession was as a social worker as I wanted to work with children and make the world a bit better, then I became an illustrator and only at the age of 32 did I realize that my greatest passion (and talent) is writing. Now I support many children’s charities in the world and the circle is closedJ

·      Could you please tell us about your visit to India?

My visit to India felt first of all (very surprising) like coming home. And at the same time like one of the greatest adventures I had ever had. I dreamt of visiting India since I was a child and to see India readers knowing my stories was the greatest possible magic. I also love dto meet all the traditional story tellers in your part of the world. I so admire their craft. I hope I”ll be back soon and many times!

·      What was the inspiration behind your bestselling novel, Inkheart?

That I wanted to show in a story what all passionate readers know- that characters in books are as real as we are…after all maybe we are all in a story?:) And I wanted to write a love song for books and all the people who love and need them as much as I do. And then of course I wanted to climb into a book myselfJ

·      Do you relate to the novel in any way?

I think my last answer shows that. Books always meant the doors and windows to the world to me, a chance to travel in other people’s head. I can’t live without books. And stories.

·      Do you consider someone as you idol?

My first idol was Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish children’s books writer.

·      Are there books that influence you or are powerful enough to grasp your attention for a longer time as compared to other books?

My all time favourite book is THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T.H.White. But there are many others I love very much: John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Saul Bellow’s Henderson, the rain king, R.L.Stevenson’s Treasure Island…and many many more.

·      When did you actually start writing?

·      At the late age of 28.

·      How did the process of turning ‘inkheart’ into a major movie initiate? Was it as exciting as it looks or is there more hard work involved?

It was very exciting ( I had offers from three movie studios) and at the same time it taught me that a novel cannot be squeezed into a two hour movie. I usually work for two years on a book – too much story to fit into a movie. I am glad George R.R. Martin allowed SONGS OF ICE AND FIRE only as tv series. I didn’t allow my new series, MirrorWorld to be adapted as a movie yet because of this experience. Although the shoot of Inkheart was magicalJ

·      What is the most ambitious dream you have ever had?

To write a better book than the last oneJ

·      You’re also a fantastic artist- we’ve seen the small, yet incredible illustrations in your novels. How is it that you manage to do both writing and art?

Sadly I don’t spend as much time on illustration as I should because I write so much. And sometimes I don’t know myself how I get it all doneJ I guess I love to do it all so much. Passion gives plenty of energy.

·      What form of expression do you consider better- writing or art?

I am a better writer, as I am more patient with the words than with the pen. But as an art form they are equal for me. And then there is of course music.

·      What led to your particular interest in books?

To be a bored child in a small town, where the world felt sooo narrow. The books were the promise that there is more!

·      Any message you would like to give to the aspiring authors and artists out there?

Follow your passion and make a living from it. Nothing can make you happier! Even if you can barely earn enough for the rent.  I worked like that for many many years and I never regretted my decision.


http://www.corneliafunke.com/

INTERVIEW WITH KAREN MCQUESTION

INTERVIEW WITH MS. KAREN MCQUESTION- author of LIFE ON HOLD AND FAVORITE!

1.    You have written books for adults, teens as well as for kids. What types of genres fascinate you in each of the three categories?

I love to write for different age groups, but find that most of my books, regardless of category, include elements of humor and fantasy.

2.    Who do you consider your real inspiration and why?

My inspiration began with a grade school teacher (I was about nine at the time) who saw that I had a knack for writing and encouraged me to do more of it. I’m also inspired whenever I read something truly amazing. Reading great stories makes me want to up my game.

3.    What place does writing hold in your life?

Besides my family, writing is truly what defines me. I’m a daughter, mom, wife, and writer. Writing is a full time job for me, one that I absolutely love and I feel grateful to be able to do this for a living. Even when I’m not writing, I’ve got books on the brain. Ideas for stories pop into my head all the time—in the shower, driving, as I’m drifting off to sleep.

4.    Are there any new projects you’d like to inform your readers about?

I’m really excited about the Edgewood books—a paranormal series I’ve written for young adults. It’s getting a lot of reader buzz, so much in fact, that I’m going to write an unplanned for fourth book. It was supposed to be a trilogy but readers want more, which makes me very happy.

5.    Any piece of advice for all the writers out there?

Do a lot of reading and a lot of writing. Write the book you’d love to read. Listen to critical advice, but only make the changes that make sense to you. Most importantly, just keep at it. The writers who succeed are the ones who don’t give up.  

visit KAREN MCQUESTION'S website!

INTERVIEW WITH ANJALI KIRPALANI

INTERVIEW WITH MS. ANJALI KIRPALANI-author of Never Say Never...

1.     Could you tell us a bit more about your debut novel and the inspiration behind it?

Never Say Never tells the story of Nikita Kumar, an unemployed twenty-five year old based in Mumbai who doesn't know what to do with her life. To make matters worse, Nikita is in love with her best friend Aziza’s boyfriend, Raghav Shetty, who is a radio jockey on the popular radio station, Spruce fm. And that’s not all; Nikita doesn't even like, let alone love Deepak, the man she’s in a relationship with! Tired of her life going nowhere, Nikita decides to change her life. On the night of her cousin Natasha’s wedding, she makes a list of things she will never do. She vows to never marry for money, never doubt her abilities, never have feelings for a friend’s boyfriend, never stay in a relationship with someone she doesn't love, never get completely drunk in public and never wear velvet!

But life seldom goes according to plan and Nikita soon learns that you should never say never…

             Inspiration behind it:

I started writing 'Never Say Never' when I was unemployed and unsure of which direction to take career-wise. I knew I had a good story idea- A story about a twenty-five year old unemployed girl who makes a list of things she will never do. Since life has a plan of its own, however, most of these things end up coming true- and hence- she learns that one should 'never say never'. The idea came about when I heard my sister talk about how she ended up doing all the things she said she'd never do in life. 

2.     What career field were you involved in before you turned to writing?

Although I studied business, I always knew I'd be associated with the media- I always wanted to be a TV anchor and writer. I was a Producer and Anchor with ET NOW. In the past, I’ve been an RJ, Marketing Executive and Content writer.

3.     Has writing always been your passion? How did it make way into your life?

I started writing poetry when I was about 13. I won an award in school for one of my poems and that's where my writing journey really began. Thereafter I wrote articles for magazines, newspapers and websites. One of my short stories won an award on radio in South Africa. I followed this by writing 3 radio drama scripts in South Africa.

4.     The publication of a debut novel is the most joyous thing for a writer. I’m sure that your feelings were similar. It would be great if you could elaborate on the publication process of your first book.

I started writing the book in the middle of 2010. However, I believed I should get a 'real job' and so ended up finding a job soon after. Once I started working, it became tough to take out time to keep writing the book- so I procrastinated and let a lot of time pass by. In 2012, however, I was on holiday and re-visited the book. That's when I vowed to finish the book as soon as I got back to India. I completed it within 2 months, showed it to a Creative writing professor and edited it further. 

I started approaching publishers in November- December 2012; Grapevine India accepted my book and called me in the first week of Jan 2013 to tell me that they are picking the book up. I remember thinking that it was the best New Year gift I'd received and the best way to begin a new year! 

5.     How do you relate to the protagonist of the book?

Nikita Kumar is just like me- and everyone who knows me agrees! From the way she looks- she has frizzy hair and is 5’2-to her personality, Nikita is a reflection of me.  Unlike Nikita, however, I’ve never fallen in love with my best friend’s boyfriend-and even if I have, I’ve never done anything about it!

1.     What are your future ambitions?

I want to keep writing for sure. I’m a true Gemini- I love discovering new things and hate being stuck in a rut. So I’m sure I will be doing many things ten years from now. I’d love to see my books turned into movies so perhaps scriptwriting is something I will be doing in the future too. 

7.     Writing, after all is a form of expression. What place does it hold in your life?

I write to inspire, entertain and connect with readers. Writing allows me to give shape to my dreams. The creative satisfaction that I get after writing is an unmatched feeling.

8.     What was the driving force behind the title of the book- NEVER SAY NEVER?

From the time I started writing the story, I knew it had to be called ‘Never Say Never’. It is the most appropriate title for the book since the book is about a girl who makes a list of things she will never do-and who breaks her resolutions (or comes close to breaking her resolutions)

9.     Which writer(s)/novelist(s) do you consider your idol(s)?

I have always admired and been inspired by Jane Austen, Vikram Seth, Marian Keyes, Fiona Walker, Khaled Hosseini and Paulo Coelho.

10. Are you working on any new projects?

I’m currently working on my second book-which will also be a funny, slice-of-life kind of contemporary novel.

11. Are there books that influence you or are powerful enough to grasp your attention for a longer time as compared to other books?

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga…there are too many actually!

12. When did you actually start writing?

When I was 13. There was a poetry writing competition in my school and that’s when I really discovered by ability to write.

13. What do you think, is the hardest part of getting a debut novel published?

Keeping the faith. Believing that your novel will really see the light of the day is hard, especially when people keep telling you about how difficult it is to get published.

14. Does your novel include some real-life instances?

Of course! It is said that your first novel will always draw majorly from your own life. So certain incidents in the novel are real-life incidents. But the overall plot is fictional. So I’d say my novel is an amalgamation of fact and fiction. As for what’s real and what’s imagine; well, that’s for me to know and the readers to keep guessing!

15. Is there any message you would like to give to all the writers out there?

Believe in yourself. As clichéd as it may seem, stay optimistic and believing in your dreams is really the key to success. So just stay positive, keep writing and keep working on your craft, and you are bound to succeed. Never say never to following your dreams ;) 


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