Newbie Corner: Vinodini Iyer

Today on 'Newbie Corner' we have the gorgeous and versatile Vinodini Iyer.

Welcome to "Newbie Corner' Vinodini.

Find her on  FACEBOOK 
                HER BLOG

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you begin writing?

I am an Andhriate, born and brought up in Gujarat, a painter by academics and a design professional by occupation. I have always been a dreamer. I love observing people and use my imagination to guess their background and thoughts in my own way. Although, I wouldn’t want to typecast myself as a feminist, I do end up writing from the perspective of a woman.

I used to write from a very young age.  In my school days, I would scribble pieces of poetry on the last page of my class notebooks, particularly during boring Math classes. My mum would collect those forgotten poems and file them neatly, often sending them to the kids’ columns of local newspapers. Although, I was inclined towards writing stories back then, I could never finish an entire story due to lack of focus.  I continued writing poetry throughout my college days, a tad inconsistently though.

I started blogging about 7 years back but was again rather inconsistent. It was only in the recent years, when I took a temporary break from corporate life that I started writing again. This time it was articles for an educational newspaper for the youth. Soon I revived my blog and started participating in blogging challenges, which exposed me to a lot of bloggers and writers from across the globe. It is along this blogging journey that I realized that I was inclined towards the art of storytelling.

What is your favorite genre in writing?

My favorite genre is fiction. I love spinning tales and I often surprise myself with the twist and turns in my own tales. I also love studying different styles of storytelling of other authors. It speaks a lot about the mind-set of the author themselves.

Who inspires you most and to whom would you dedicate your creative growth?

My main source of inspiration is my mother. Her endless pursuit for honing her creative skills is amazing. I wish I had the same kind of enthusiasm in my own ventures. I also get inspired by a lot of people I have known, watched or read, consciously and sometimes subconsciously imbibing their traits.

What kind of a writer are you? Do you plot the entire novel/story or make it up as you write.

I never plot my stories. Even if I do, it changes with the flow of words that comes to me in random bouts. I stick to spontaneity and that works for me most of the times.

Do you have a favorite place to write or a scheduled time to write every day?

Not really. It all depends on my mood. If I’m in the mood to write, I have to do it, no matter where I am. I sometimes write on my cell phone in the middle of my sleep!

Who are your favorite authors and what is the genre that you like reading most?

My favorite authors are Cecelia Ahern, Mitch Albom,  Ayn Rand, Jeffery Archer,  Sydney Sheldon, Enid Blyton and among Indian authors, I enjoy reading Amish Tripathi and R.K. Narayan’s books. I like reading fiction with a generous sprinkling of romance and a pinch of philosophy in it.

Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

I see myself spending more time doing things I love doing and if feasible turn into my livelihood. Yes, I do nurture dreams of becoming a full-time writer, writing novels.

 I am currently working on what I hope will be the story of my first novel. It is about a small town girl from south India, who breaks free from the narrow-minded boundaries of the orthodox mindset that she has been raised in, only to be surprised by the flip side of life on the other side of the boundary, in the big bad city called Mumbai. I hope to bring out and clear a lot of misconceptions small town girls normally carry about the glitz and glamour of big cities.

The book is still in its nascent phase and I look forward to finish it soon. 

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

I would never write anything technical. I am more inclined towards creative writing.

How much important do you think marketing is for the success of a book?

I think it is as important as writing the book itself. A book adds value when it touches a bigger audience, and that can effectively be achieved only through proper marketing.

What is the message that you want to convey to the readers through your writing?

The one message I wish to give my readers is that live your life one day at a time…with full spirit.  Most of my fictional characters reflect a certain shade of life that either I have experienced or observed in somebody else’s life. There are many shades to life, but the moment you’re living in is the shade that is going to further make or mar your rainbow of life. Choose your colors wisely J

The book released on 22 August and is now available on Amazon India, Flipkart and Pustakmandi. You can also purchase the eBook on Google Play, where you can also go through the sample chapters before buying. More details about the book and reviews can be read on Goodreads.

Buy Blank Space, an anthology with 100 inspirational short stories by 100 writers from the  Propel Steps Online Store ( delivery time within India 1 week) or from  Amazon.in (Fulfilled by Amazon + Additional postal charges, delivers in 1-4 days)

Thank you Vinodini for the interesting answers. It was wonderful knowing more about you. Wishing you a bright future in your writing career.

Buy her books and encourage this debut author folks.

Until next post,

Much Love,