Ask the Author: Payal Dhar

“Hello fellow-readers and -writers. Ask me anything, go on!” Payal Dhar

Answered Questions (7)

Sort By:

An error occurred while sorting questions for author Payal Dhar.

Why your book 'A helping hand' is not here in the book list? It's a good one!

Payal Dhar A very good question. Thank you for pointing it out. I will add it ASAP.

flag

1 like · like
Comment

You're amazing. Does your skill extend to movies? Can you watch just the last 10 minutes and give a meaningful review?? I bet you can name a tune with just one note, right? All sarcasm aside, if you're not going to read the entire book, do me and all indie authors a favor: don't leave a review. Not only is that dishonest and presumptuous, it's lazy as hell!

Payal Dhar Thanks Walter. If a book bores me and I can't finish it, I'm sure as hell going to leave a review to that effect. Reviews don't mean "say nice things". Reviews mean, "what the reader thought".

flag

like
Comment

Hi Payal. I am a huge fan of your books, especially Slightly Burnt and Satin. I've been waiting for the next Satin book for a really long time. Could you tell me when it is likely to be published?

Payal Dhar Thanks, Champak. The next Satin book is a work in progress, but unfortunately there's no publication date yet. :-(

flag

like
Comment

"Death is more meaningless than life." OMG - reading that was an Ah! moment for me - a revelation! It could be the most powerful tagline for a suicide helpline. How did you get that (insight)?

Payal Dhar Oh, I'm not sure where it came from! It sort of followed quite naturally when figuring out Viru. The decision to feature the subject of suicide in a children's book wasn't an easy one, and to do it without inciting pity for Viru or trivializing him weighed more on my mind than anything else.

flag

2 likes · like
1 comment

Where do you get your inspiration from ?

Payal Dhar It sounds like a cliche, but ideas and inspiration do really come from anywhere and everywhere. I've got some of my best ideas in dreams -- I keep a pen and notebook next to my bed, because if I don't write them immediately, I'll forget my morning. But inspiration is a very small part of writing. It's mostly a lot of hard work, and just like when you play a sport or sing or dance, the more you practise, the better you get at it. It's easy to forget that sometimes, and you sit around feeling sorry for yourself, waiting for inspiration to strike. What you actually need to do is chase it determinedly with a big net.

flag