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Preeti Shenoy

The bestselling author is the only Indian woman writer to be on the Forbes list of most influential people in India. Her new book, <em>It’s All In the Planets</em>, is just out.

How did writing happen?

I have been writing since I was a child. For me, writing is as essential as air.

You started with blogs. How the transition from blogging to fiction?

It happened gradually. From blogging I took to writing in newspapers, then in magazines. As my blog became popular, I was asked to write a book.

Your blog’s tenth anniversary is coming up.

I have something big planned and will announce it soon.

Tell us a bit about your new book.

By far my best work, it delves into the will versus destiny debate—how much of our decisions are in our own hands.

Who is your target audience?

My youngest reader is 14, my oldest 82. I’d say mostly between 18 to 35.

Where do you find inspiration from?

Everywhere. I draw the greatest inspiration from my dad. Only this morning I wrote 15 story ideas.

Your interests vary widely, from portraits and music to yoga. How do you strike a balance?

Balance comes naturally to me. My latest interest is ill­ustrated journaling.

How do these interests translate into your writing?

Various interests come out in various books. In my new book, the female protagonist is a blogger.

Where do you stand on the whole content vs marketing debate in writing these days?

While content is important, marketing and promotions must have focus too.

What do you think of publishing in India?
It’s a great time to be a writer in India since we don’t just compete with other writers but with other interesting content and mediums.

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