20 July, 2016

#Interview with Arpit Vageria, #Author of I Still Think About You

About the Author:
Arpit Vageria writes for Indian television industry and has written scripts for three television series and various award functions. Formerly a part of The Times of India Group, he now also writes for the immensely popular digital channel, IIT (Indian Idiots Television). Hailing from Indore, he currently lives in Mumbai. An alumnus of Renaissance College, Indore and IBS-Mumbai, he enjoys road trips, singing, playing pranks and adventure sports.


Interview with the Author:

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?
I started writing because there were books that I wanted to read but weren’t written and I think any & everything in this world is writable & if you’ve imagination. One must do it. Writing gives me power to understand people’s psyche, get into their world and live a different character.  Quite a fantasy. Isn’t it?

What inspires you to write?
Interesting things to tell that I know off, I like observing different characters & situations from real life and that inspires me to write.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?
I wanted to talk about contemporary relationships in every possible equation.  I was always quite inspired by the fact that how two love stories are always different with each other despite of having the same elements- Care, love and affection. Hence I decided to pen down a novel that talks about two such love stories. 

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day?
Yes, there are a couple of such stories that I wrote 2 years back. I’ve not pitched them till now; I am waiting for the right time to pitch them. I believe that to be one of the finest works of me and once it gets released my readers will bombard me with messages of why haven’t I tried getting them released before?

Tell us about your writing process.
I decide the story plot and its end first. It helps me to not get distracted. Many a times you get distracted because you love a character more than other ones and you somehow wants to brighten that character even more which might or might not be in sync with your storyline.

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
I have lots of favorite scenes in the book but still if I had to choose one, It’s the first interaction between Sachi & Dhruv in Dhruv’s years old cottage in Brahmi, Where they both get to know about each other.

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?
Dhruv has a lot of Arpit Vageria in it, Equations between Aamir & Dhruv are quite like equation between me and my own brother, Ankit Vageria.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
Most of my writing is inspired from the interesting things I see in my dreams. My dreams are interesting and my novels are even more interesting that way. I make a note of my dreams and make them into a fully fledged scene the next day.

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?
John Green, Nicholas Sparks, Cecelia Ahern, Mohsin Hamid. They influence my sense of story but not my writing style. I believe one should have their own writing style.

What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?
I got best advice from my elder brother Ankit Vageria, Who always said, ‘Enjoy failures because when failures would stop bothering you and you’ll have nothing to fear off, You’ll write your heart out and that’s the confidence everyone wants to see in your writing.’

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
1. Never get befooled by a publisher who has no market place, Wait for a traditional publisher to evaluate your manuscript.
2. Don’t follow anyone’s writing style. Create your own. 
3. Respect what authors write. You have all the choice to accept or reject it but understand the author’s Point of view and reason behind why it is written because someday when you’ll become an author, You’ll know the importance of it.
4. Read more and more books, Watch more and more quality stuff and that way you’ll definitely become a better writer.

What would be the Dream Cast for you book if it was to be turned into a movie?
It would be for my book ‘I Still Think About You’
Dhruv- Ranbir Kapoor
Aamir- Fawad Khan
Sachi-Shraddha Kapoor
Anvi- Tapsee Punnu

If you were to be stranded on the famous deserted island, what three things would you carry?
1. Lots of pen & notebooks along with interesting books.
2. Arya Stark from Game of thrones, she’ll save my ass from animals when I write beautiful stories. She’ll be my personal Mogli.
3. A Nokia 3310 phone if in case I want to make a call, Battery would last about 10-20 days minimum.

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?
I travel a lot (Mostly roadtrips) whenever I am free, I have quite a few places as my favorite destination. 
1. Goa
2. Manali
3. Maldives

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
I am very much a last minute person so I don’t really make bucket list for myself.

Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
1. I like doing lots of pranks; I mean to say, Serious Pranks which can get people into trouble.
2. I make travel plans at last minute and those who don’t join me in that gets tortured for a lifetime.
3. I still go to my old school late in the night, Put crackers there and run to save my life. I do this every year still.

What do you have in store next for your readers?
It’s a romantic thriller again; this is a story about a writer, his girlfriend and a reader. I am planning to release it by January next year. I’ll reveal the details in a couple of months.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?
Read lots and lots of book even if you don’t like the genre. You learn a lot that way and most importantly, Read my books. People say- They’re good. ;) 

About the Book:
Aamir has never met anyone who understands him better than Anvi. But her passion for investigative journalism scares him no end. She is calling while reporting from a crime scene and promising to switch to anchoring when he hears a gunshot. Will she be able to fulfil her promise?
Dhruv can do anything to please Vratika, for he seems bound to her for life. They have been going steady for a while and he feels she brings smiles and light to his life like no other. Can one misunderstanding in a moment of anger finish it all?
For Aamir, little Dhruv is the best gift life has given him. More than just brothers, they are the beginning and end of their family. After years, struggles and pain are slowly fading away in the face of happier times. But one phone call changes their entire life. 
Life throws Aamir and Dhruv in a vortex of pain, loss and guilt. While Dhruv wanders for redemption, he meets Sachi. She reads his heart, soothes his soul and brings him face to face with his real self. I Still Think About You is a story of love, brotherhood, passion, dedication, pain and the depths to which a heart can go to win back lost love. 




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