Interview with parama dasgupta
Author of The Guest House
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How would you describe The Guest House to a new reader?
- The Guest House is a culmination of a few real-life events that were experienced by my relative. A true story told by a few fictitious characters will surely keep the readers at the edge of their seats. The guest house follows a young girl setting off to a new city to start off her promising career. Things start to go haywire when she comes face to face with events that her technical mind simply couldn't comprehend and she is thrown mercilessly in the arms of the rude realization that there is a lot between life and beyond that can not be explained by science.
What was the inspiration behind The Guest House ?
- I was always intrigued by the paranormal and my relative's experiences really fascinated me. I had this inherent craving to tell the stories to the world. I hope the readers enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- Believe it or not, I am still a crazy fan of Enid Blyton. Whenever I am at a loss of words I visit one of the books. J.K Rowling have been an inspiration as well. Another writer that I absolutely adore is Irving Wallace.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in the book?
- I have chosen the Indian city of Bangalore as my story's location. However, not all the events happened in Bangalore but quite a few did.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors? How would you advise a new author about traditional publishing versus self publishing?
- Self-publishing is very easy. As far as writing goes, just pour your heart out. Think of yourself as one of the characters, become the characters when you write. everything else will fall into place.
What's your writing process?
- I usually write at night when the world falls asleep. I meditate a little before I start to get into that space. Mentally I create the world around me and the characters are actually having the dialogues in my head. For this story, I didn't have to research much since I mostly based it on actual experiences.
Which character in The Guest House has had the greatest impact on readers?
- I am eagerly waiting to hear that from the readers.
If The Guest House were to be adapted for TV or film, who would you see in the lead role? Who did you have in your mind’s eye when you wrote him/her?
- Haven't really thought of that. It is based on real events so I guess I always had my relatives and friends in mind when I wrote it.
How have readers responded to The Guest House?
- It's only been a week I have published it, so I cant wait to know how people respond to it.
Where next? What are you working on now?
- I am working on a sequel to The Guest House. There are a lot more events that need to narrate and I am trying to base my second book on them.
