Ask the Author: Rahul Deokar
Answered Questions (7)
Rahul Deokar
Tip1: Read. Read not only from your own genre but from all other interesting genres.
My personal reading has ranged from suspense/mystery thrillers to epic tales and philosophies from Ayn Rand, Kahlil Gibran, Fedor Dostoevsky and Albert Camus to spirituality from the East and West. I was fortunate to read and learn from some of my favorite authors: Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts), Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra), and Game of Thrones series (George R. R. Martin). Currently, I am reading this amazing book All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Tip 2: Stay fastidious about the time and space in which you write. Don’t let anyone/anything encroach.
My mornings are very precious to me. I like to start my day early, particularly for the creative aspects of the story where new plot twists and character conflicts are being introduced. My mind is most fresh and fertile in those pre-dawn hours when everything and everyone around you is quiet; only your ideas are clamoring to get distilled and transcribed.
Tip 3: Get used to the feeling of inadequacy when you read your own work. Learn when to stop fixing.
Do you get that nauseating feeling of inadequacy when you read your own work? Well, get used to it. This dismay will never, ever leave you, no matter how successful your book becomes. It is essential to the art of writing and should be valued. However, many a times, I struggle to know where to draw the line and when to stop making edits and adjustments. Every re-read of a chapter, a scene, a sentence, points out something to fix, and improve, and enliven. I have to force myself to stop making the edits once it gets to a certain state, pull myself away, and work on something else.
My personal reading has ranged from suspense/mystery thrillers to epic tales and philosophies from Ayn Rand, Kahlil Gibran, Fedor Dostoevsky and Albert Camus to spirituality from the East and West. I was fortunate to read and learn from some of my favorite authors: Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts), Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra), and Game of Thrones series (George R. R. Martin). Currently, I am reading this amazing book All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Tip 2: Stay fastidious about the time and space in which you write. Don’t let anyone/anything encroach.
My mornings are very precious to me. I like to start my day early, particularly for the creative aspects of the story where new plot twists and character conflicts are being introduced. My mind is most fresh and fertile in those pre-dawn hours when everything and everyone around you is quiet; only your ideas are clamoring to get distilled and transcribed.
Tip 3: Get used to the feeling of inadequacy when you read your own work. Learn when to stop fixing.
Do you get that nauseating feeling of inadequacy when you read your own work? Well, get used to it. This dismay will never, ever leave you, no matter how successful your book becomes. It is essential to the art of writing and should be valued. However, many a times, I struggle to know where to draw the line and when to stop making edits and adjustments. Every re-read of a chapter, a scene, a sentence, points out something to fix, and improve, and enliven. I have to force myself to stop making the edits once it gets to a certain state, pull myself away, and work on something else.
Rahul Deokar
In fact, when I wrote Quest for Kriya, I had envisioned it as the first of a Trilogy. But I wasn’t sure how the readers would respond to my debut attempt, whether the book would just sink down unceremoniously without a blip. Naturally, you see your own baby as cute, precious, and one-of-a-kind, but expert critics and unforgiving readers don't don the same rose-tinted glasses as you. I was apprehensive, but when they scrutinized and said "the baby ain't all that bad”, now I feel somewhat confident to start the second one.
I have recently begun to craft a storyline and plot for the sequel. I am furiously making notes about the characters (the previous beloved ones and some interesting additions), the new settings, and the central conflicts that drive everything into motion.
I have recently begun to craft a storyline and plot for the sequel. I am furiously making notes about the characters (the previous beloved ones and some interesting additions), the new settings, and the central conflicts that drive everything into motion.
Rahul Deokar
The best thing about being a writer is to touch and impact many people across the whole world, and hopefully inspire them with your experiences and creativity.
The experiences in my books are a combination of events from my own life and from the lives of folks I know. Take Shiva’s startup rollercoaster ride; I obviously base it on my own startup experience and that of my friends in the Bay Area. But to create the part about Shakti’s loss of her brother Sanju and her family in the Latur earthquake; I had to dig into the deep recesses of the emotional loss of my dear uncle Sanju who grew up with me in the same house, but passed away at a very young age in a car accident in the US.
As I often say, 50% is based on real experiences (both mine and of folks I know) and the other 50% is pure fiction. It’s just not obvious which 50% is which, and I’d like to keep it that way. I mentioned this recently at a panel discussion, and another panelist quoted his standard riposte when asked how much of his book was based on real life: “all the hot, incredible sex scenes are completely real!”
The experiences in my books are a combination of events from my own life and from the lives of folks I know. Take Shiva’s startup rollercoaster ride; I obviously base it on my own startup experience and that of my friends in the Bay Area. But to create the part about Shakti’s loss of her brother Sanju and her family in the Latur earthquake; I had to dig into the deep recesses of the emotional loss of my dear uncle Sanju who grew up with me in the same house, but passed away at a very young age in a car accident in the US.
As I often say, 50% is based on real experiences (both mine and of folks I know) and the other 50% is pure fiction. It’s just not obvious which 50% is which, and I’d like to keep it that way. I mentioned this recently at a panel discussion, and another panelist quoted his standard riposte when asked how much of his book was based on real life: “all the hot, incredible sex scenes are completely real!”
Rahul Deokar
I don’t suffer from a traditional "writer's block". But when I read my work, if I don’t feel like I am in the midst of the scene personally experiencing all the happenings, I get very frustrated as an author. I need all the senses of a reader to be fully engaged - seeing, hearing, and breathing the unfolding of the story around him. So, I make every attempt to revise and inject any missing dynamism and liveliness into every aspect, willing those tiny black and white words to bring alive the scene, the settings and character interactions in vibrant hues.
However, many a times, I struggle to know where to draw the line and when to stop making these adjustments. Every re-read of a chapter, a scene, a sentence, points out something to fix, and improve, and enliven. I have to force myself to stop making the edits once it gets to a certain state, pull myself away and work on something else.
However, many a times, I struggle to know where to draw the line and when to stop making these adjustments. Every re-read of a chapter, a scene, a sentence, points out something to fix, and improve, and enliven. I have to force myself to stop making the edits once it gets to a certain state, pull myself away and work on something else.
Rahul Deokar
My latest (also my debut) book is Quest for Kriya, a moving saga of love, friendship and sacrifice. Life’s wisdom gained through years of stumbling, reaching within, and picking oneself up, made me realize that the great epics and scriptures (Ramayana, Mahabharata, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Bible, Koran, Bhagawad Gita) have embedded at their core certain esoteric but absolute truths. Our exalted ancestors rightly understood that if these truths are to endure the tribulations of time, they have to be relayed as stories the common man could understand, re-tell, and pass on from generation to generation. And lo behold! These stories have indeed outlived cataclysms and human wars, and are still so very much a part of our world history and culture.
The challenge though is that these stories were told with characters of long-gone eras amidst settings and scenarios far removed from the current, modern world. I asked myself: why can’t a story be told in today’s times with today’s characters that embody these truths; wouldn’t the readers be able to relate and resonate better to something that is their way of life?
This was the humble inspiration driving Quest for Kriya.
The challenge though is that these stories were told with characters of long-gone eras amidst settings and scenarios far removed from the current, modern world. I asked myself: why can’t a story be told in today’s times with today’s characters that embody these truths; wouldn’t the readers be able to relate and resonate better to something that is their way of life?
This was the humble inspiration driving Quest for Kriya.
Rahul Deokar
Today as a seasoned executive, I travel for my company’s business and these work trips take me all over the world. They provide me a wonderful immersive experience as I get to partake of different cultures, environs, and the people. Also, on these long flights and the jet-lagged, sleepless nights in hotel rooms, I tend to read a lot of books.
On one of these international flights back to Bay Area, perhaps it was the rarity of air or lack of oxygen, I had a flash. A moment of inspiration! Or moment of insanity, maybe. A thought, an idea, a story germinated. I was excited but apprehensive. And when I got back home, I couldn’t get it out of my head. But it’s one thing to have an idea, and an altogether different ball-game to execute on it. I did not necessary have all the skills and tools of the craft of writing a novel.
So, I began to learn the art and science of fiction writing. I must have immersed myself in at least 15 to 20 how-to books that enlightened me on how to create an unforgettable plot, how to make your settings come alive, and how to create flawed characters that readers can relate to. I learnt about transformation arcs, effective dialogues, much-needed conflict, and the dichotomy of character’s thoughts, words and deeds.
Feeling confident with this new knowledge, I embarked on my writing adventure…
On one of these international flights back to Bay Area, perhaps it was the rarity of air or lack of oxygen, I had a flash. A moment of inspiration! Or moment of insanity, maybe. A thought, an idea, a story germinated. I was excited but apprehensive. And when I got back home, I couldn’t get it out of my head. But it’s one thing to have an idea, and an altogether different ball-game to execute on it. I did not necessary have all the skills and tools of the craft of writing a novel.
So, I began to learn the art and science of fiction writing. I must have immersed myself in at least 15 to 20 how-to books that enlightened me on how to create an unforgettable plot, how to make your settings come alive, and how to create flawed characters that readers can relate to. I learnt about transformation arcs, effective dialogues, much-needed conflict, and the dichotomy of character’s thoughts, words and deeds.
Feeling confident with this new knowledge, I embarked on my writing adventure…
Rahul Deokar
I grew up in Juhu, a western suburb of Mumbai, India, famous for its sprawling beach and home to Bollywood celebrities. In our loving household, my parents - particularly mom, ran a tight ship with just the right amount of discipline and freedom.
I was always a good student, even scored a 50/50 in English in high-school, which is fairly uncommon, and once, almost started a mini-rebellion when our senior English teacher refused to admit her serious grammatical error. But as is the norm in middle-class families in India, if you aspire to do well in life, you need to focus wither on engineering or the medical profession. So I did, and graduated with top honors from VJTI, one of the oldest (founded in 1887) engineering colleges in Asia.
I came to USA as a student pursuing a Masters in Computer Engineering and later an MBA at Iowa State University, New York University, and Santa Clara University. I rode the customary roller-coaster start-up journey in the Silicon Valley technology industry, being eventually acquired by a leading software company. I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my loving wife and two adorable kids.
I was always a good student, even scored a 50/50 in English in high-school, which is fairly uncommon, and once, almost started a mini-rebellion when our senior English teacher refused to admit her serious grammatical error. But as is the norm in middle-class families in India, if you aspire to do well in life, you need to focus wither on engineering or the medical profession. So I did, and graduated with top honors from VJTI, one of the oldest (founded in 1887) engineering colleges in Asia.
I came to USA as a student pursuing a Masters in Computer Engineering and later an MBA at Iowa State University, New York University, and Santa Clara University. I rode the customary roller-coaster start-up journey in the Silicon Valley technology industry, being eventually acquired by a leading software company. I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my loving wife and two adorable kids.
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