Interview With Sudesna Ghosh

Today I’m talking to Sudesna Ghosh. Sue is a is a multi-genre author based in India. She is a graduate of University of Rochester (USA) and an ex-journalist. Sue is passionate about animal rights and animal welfare. You can find her writing, or with her nose and eyes stuck to a book, or trying to keep her rescue cats happy.

Thanks for talking to me today. Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing never exhausts. NOT writing exhausts me somehow. When I’m not writing, I toss and turn in bed, multiple story ideas going through my mind. When I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing – about what I’ll write next and how to put the characters and plot together in the most perfect way. Thinking so much and not letting the thoughts out onto paper, leads to days of over thinking which can really make one tired. On the contrary, when I am in writing mode, I feel a constant rush of adrenaline until I type ‘The End’. There’s a sort of excitement and feeling of accomplishment when you see your words filling the pages.
Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
I think anybody with good language and vocabulary can write a book, but emotions are a must for writing engaging fiction. More importantly, empathy is a must. If a writer cannot put herself in the characters’ shoes, the storytelling will lack something. Readers can’t connect with the story or the characters if the writer cannot do it first. We have to feel what each character is feeling in order to move on with the story. To build authentic characters who touch the readers’ hearts, emotions need to be felt and conveyed straight from the heart. There’s no other way.
How many hours a day do you write?
I don’t have any set timings for my writing. I also take a few weeks off between each story/novella. When I do start a new manuscript, I make sure that I write at least one thousand words each day. I like staying in the flow and finishing the first draft with no gap in my writing days. I usually aim for one thousand words in each writing session. That usually takes me an hour or so. Some days, I may get the time to fit in two such sessions. On other days, it may be just one session.
Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
I was born in the United States and I moved to India with my parents when I was about nine years old. Then I went back to America alone for college in upstate New York. I decided to move back to India and stay here and shocked my family and friends — everyone had always assumed that I was going to live in America forever. The thing is, it took me four years away from home to realise where my heart was.
What do you think about the ebook revolution?
I have been reading ebooks mostly for the last one and half years since I bought my Kindle. I think ebooks are a great invention. One, I am always using a smart device anyway so an ebook readers makes sense to me. Two, my apartment has no more space for books. Three, I am not a patient person most of the time, so it’s nice to want a book and have it in my hands immediately. And finally, most of the books that I wish to read by authors abroad, are very expensive here in India. I think ebooks are here to stay.
Pen or type writer or computer?
I write my first draft in pen these days even though my fingers hurt by the end. It’s a good way to get words down without any distraction from the internet or other documents that usually tempt us when we use computers. Writing by hand also ensures that I don’t keep on staring at the word count. After the first draft is ready by hand, I type it in and edit as I go.
What has your experience been like as an new Indie Author? Bruises, Highlights, and lessons?
It’s been a learning experience. I knew nothing about book marketing until I was a few books down. I learned mainly by seeing more established indie authors and by reading lots of books and articles on book marketing and self publishing. It’s important to build an online platform with a steady if small audience before you launch your books. It’s also a good idea to focus on two social media channels that work for you. The author community on Twitter is very supportive but only retweeting isn’t going to help. You need to engage and get people interested in you, and thus, your writing.
Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?
I just released the last short story in a three part series about a 40 plus woman who isn’t looking for love and who has irritating parents too. The third and final part released this month is set in Christmas time in Kolkata, India. The whole series is a must read because the protagonist is older than most other female protagonists in romance and women’s fiction books. Love can happen at any age. New beginnings are possible.
What genre do you consider your books? Have you considered writing in another genre?
I started my writing career writing short stories for children. Then I made friends with many authors who all turned out to be romance authors. I challenged myself to write a romance novella. My Singapore Fling was written. And then, many more. I haven’t written any stories for children in a while.
Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?
My mother is a bookworm. She used to read books to me when I was little. Then one day, I told her to let me read the books myself. Then we’d go to the large public library in whichever American city we were living in at the time. I developed the habit of getting a pile of books and reading them every weekend. There was also a elementary school teacher who encouraged us to write short stories and read them out loud to the class. I felt most confident sharing my stories, and not about much anything else.

Twitter @sudesna_ghosh
Instagram @sudesna_meow
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sudesna-Ghosh/e/B00AOPT3Z4