Preeti Rajput is an India native and lives in the Noida city. An IT expert by profession and a storyteller by heart, she is a travel enthusiast and a voracious reader. When she is not reading, travelling, Writing or coding, you can find her spending time with her doting husband and vivacious baby girl. She balances her busy work schedule with efforts to be a mother, wife, writer and a travel blogger. Preferably all at once.

She’s recently published her debut novel, a collection of short Stories, Clean Slate.

Clean Slate refers to a “fresh beginning”. Characters of this collection of stories are stuck in the dilemma of their ordeals looking to start afresh. Some succeed and some don’t.

All of them made some choices in their lives that sooner or later came face to face at an unexpected time – A common man who considered his honesty as his biggest asset, a woman who aborted her unborn girl child knowingly, A father who encashed an unexpected opportunity at the cost of his only daughter’s injury, A professor who got insulted by a wealthy and unruly student openly.

Some stories are light-hearted like “my tech-savvy father” where a son wants his father to be upgraded with emerging technologies. In “Unfaithful partner” two friends are preparing for their revenge from a single person but with different motives. “Reincarnation” brings out a hidden face of society. Also, there is a horror story “Haunted house” running in the background of a broken love story.

These stories will open your mind to strange things that could happen. Although not all of them are true, some are lies as well. For instance when “Raghu” finds out why the stuff from his apartment was getting disappeared day by day. A few characters and their stories are relatable like “Hari” who got graduated with flying colours but could not grab a decent job no matter how hard he tried. On top of that, he struggles with a nagging father.

This collection of fictional stories shows distinct shades of lives and situations. While reading it, you live a dozen times. Its aroma will linger in your conscious long after you close the book. You will yearn to know a bit more.

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Interview

How long have you been writing for? Did you always see yourself being an author?

I have always been writing. For many years I wrote only for myself. My closet is filled with diaries, notebooks, journals written over a long time which I never read twice. It was four years back that I officially started my blog focussed on travelling (www.inertiaspeaks.com). Stories that I gathered during my travels instigated to overflow and I felt the urge to share it with everyone.

I never saw myself as an Author by profession. Professionally I always wanted to be a techie (which I am). However, writing a novel was my audacious goal since the time I read my first novel at the age of 13.

What inspired you to write your debut novel?

Ironically I officially completed and published “Clean Slate” when others take a break. I wrote it during my maternity and after the birth of my child. Everyone warned me that after the child, my life is going to turn upside down. I thought before that happens why don’t I complete my much-awaited dream of publishing a book. Lockdown due to Covid-19 gave me ample time to devote it to my writing.

Can you walk us through your writing process?

Process!! I loathe it. Writing is something that pleases my soul. If I will put the process into it, it would become as boring as a routine 9-5 job. I don’t as such follow any process. I just write when the inspiration strikes, when the words flow itself into the pages and I don’t have to push myself to think.

Do you have a favourite writing space or a place that you go to for inspiration?

There is no particular space but yes I write better in complete silence. I think about the ideas while performing daily chores and convert them into stories when I am in a peaceful ambience.

While writing your novel, was it your intention for each story to stand on its own or were you trying to a body of work with connections between each story? Is there a theme that you’ve revisited time and again in your short stories?

In this novel, all stories are different from each other. “Reincarnation” is a story of a little girl who gets the stature of a goddess overnight. “My tech-savvy father” is a story of a son struggling to upgrade his father technically. In “The missing stuff” a news journalist is spying his apartment to find out where is his stuff going. Each story has a different flavour, different setting, and a different perspective.

Although the common thing is that whatever is happening with them is the repercussion of their choices.

Did your own life or the life of those around you drive the plot or the personality of your characters in any way?

Not my life or anyone closely related to me. But yes, they are inspired by the real people. Some I met personally, some I crafted from the stories I heard from locals during my travels and some are pure imagination.

Publishing a novel consisting of short stories has, no doubt, giving you the opportunity to write from the point of view of many different characters. Were there any that you found easier or especially challenging to write?

“Hari “ is one character which was very easy to write as he is struggling to get a decent job even after scoring good in his degree. This kind of characters can be easily spotted in real life who are gullible and naïve. The desperation of getting a good salary is relatable for everyone.

Most challenging character to develop was of “Ved”. He is torn between rapacity and her only daughter. It was arduous to craft a character influenced by gluttony that could override his figure of a doting father.

Does writing usually energize or exhaust you?

I never let writing exhaust me because I never take it as a job. It’s a leisure activity for me. I only pick up a pen and paper (or keyboard) when I am energized enough to write at least 300 words.

What are some of the aspects of writing that you love, and some that you hate?

I really really hate revising. When I am writing the first draft, I could pour out my heart on paper without bothering that all my sentences are starting with “He or She”. Revision forces me to go by the rules of language and restrict the process of imagination.

The thing that I love most about writing is developing characters. Imagining a nobody and giving it a life energizes me. We often think of unimaginable things that we wish could happen in our life. In writing, you can make that come true in your character’s life and no one judges.

As a debut author, at what point will you consider your book to be a success? What is the definition of success for you?

In general, the definition of success for me is my inner satisfaction but in the case of a book, every step is a success. Writing a book, choosing a title, designing a cover, Publishing it, when first copy sells, when 100th copy sells and 1000th copy sells – every stage is reached after a lot of hard work. I am sure I have escalated through them. Waiting for the next stage of success.

Who are three of your favourite short story writers, living or dead?

Jeffrey Archer – my most favourite author. I loved his Kane and able, The Clifton chronicle, And thereby hangs a tale, Tell a tale and a lot more. Then, short stories of Premchand are in my preferred list. The third one I would say, Haruki Murakami. His collection of short stories “Men without women” got me intrigued for days.

Do you have any tips for aspiring novelists about writing and publishing their debut?

Writing a book is real hard work and the euphoric moment of holding your paperback in your hands is above all. Do not quit. Slow and steadily keep on writing. Worst that will happen is that you will complete your book in three years rather than three months but it will eventually be completed.

When it comes to self-publishing especially for authors from India, do your research thoroughly. It is because if you need your paperback to be available in India then Amazon and IngramSpark would not be helpful as your book would become so costly that you won’t be able to order it for you. If you need any guidance in this, you may always connect with me: [email protected]

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