Get To Know Author Esha Pandey

Today on ILF we have talented Esha Pandey, who juggles her various responsibilities of a cop, mother and author with consummate aplomb. She has written two romances, and as we talk to her she is promoting her new release 'Someone Exactly Like You'.

Over to the interview...

ILF: What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine or do you have any weird, funny, or unusual habits while writing?
Esha: I started writing as a young girl in school, when I didn’t even have a computer. I had a beige coloured notebook in which I wrote in long hand. My first story “Full Circle” won the award of excellence at the UNFPA. That gave me confidence to write. I have continued writing ever since. At every stage of life my writing was influenced by my circumstances. When I was writing as a young girl, I was mostly putting my dreams together in words. When I was writing as a wife or a mother I could understand the depth of emotions and that got reflected in my writing. I guess what I am trying to say is that I depend a lot on my experiences and emotions for writing.

Following a regular routine is not possible with my job. So there are days when I write 500 to 100 words daily and then there are months when I don’t write at all. That is when I try to read as much as I can.

ILF: How do you think you have evolved as a person/author because of your writing?
Esha: I have become more patient. Before I knew about Kindle Unlimited, I depended on traditional publishing and that makes you patient. Also I have learnt to accept my weaknesses. I know there are better writers, but I like to write and put whatever I write out with honesty. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but the best thing about this world is that everyone can find some audience.

ILF: Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad review?
Esha: Yes. My friends have been very ruthless in their reviews. Some of them even said that I should stop writing. My first book was poorly edited so there were many bad reviews. But I am not ready to give up. I feel you should listen to everyone, take positives from them, but believe in yourself. If writing gives you happiness, you should write. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to write, anyone can discredit you, but you should not let it affect you.

ILF: What is the easiest/hardest scene for you to write, why? (Love, action, fight, death, emotional, controversial, etc…)
Esha:I have written mostly romances, so yes, writing love making scenes is the most difficult.

ILF: What are the most important elements of good writing? According to you, what tools are must-haves for writers?
Esha: I am still a struggler as far as writing is concerned, but I will say this, don’t be embarrassed of your work. Good writing needs discipline. If you really like the art, you will learn with each work that you put out there. That is what I am doing.

ILF: What is your favorite scene in ‘Someone Exactly Like You’? Why?
Esha: My most favourite scene is when Veer and Natasha take a walk and it starts raining. I have lived in Mussorie for a while and I was reliving those beautiful walks when I was writing that scene. Natasha is very close to my heart. I hope readers like her for what she is.

ILF: I'm sure they will. Thanks Esha for those lovely insights on your writing and projects. Wishing you all the best for your new release 'Someone Exactly Like You' and many more to come.

'Someone Exactly Like You' At Amazon.

Blurb:
A beautiful young girl, drenched in rain, is being chased by a couple of goons along the narrow meandering roads of Landour, Mussoorie, when a swashbuckling stranger comes to her rescue. She faints and on waking up, realizes she is in the company of the ‘bad boy’ of Bollywood—Veer Singh Tomar.

Natasha falls for Veer, who, incidentally, is married and dealing with a messy divorce. By some cruel twist of fate, Veer’s estranged wife Amyra comes back to his life. But by then, Veer is already drawn to Natasha.


Will Veer ever find his way back to Natasha?

About The Author
Esha Pandey, is an author and a police officer. She made her debut as an author with her book Kiss of Life and Other Stories, a collection of short stories.

Esha currently lives in New Delhi. She is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2010 batch, serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police Traffic. She was Superintendent of Police and Commandant IRBN in Lakshadweep during 2014-16, where she wrote her first book. Her posting as DCP Special Police Unit for Women and Children, in Delhi, gave her an opportunity to understand the problems faced by women, first hand. During her tenure, SPUWAC trained the highest number of girls in Self Defense and established a Limca Record.

Esha has a Masters in International Relations and Masters of Philosophy in American Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Before becoming a civil servant, she dabbled with the idea of being a journalist and worked with Times of India as a copyeditor. She has won a United Nations FPA Award for Excellence for the “Best Short Story”.

She can be reached at;
twitter.: @PandeyEsha
facebook : www.facebook.com/EshaPandeyAuthor/

Book Review :: 'We Women Wonder' by Inderpreet Uppal

Blurb
"When a woman becomes her own best friend, life is easier." 

– Diane Von Furstenberg. 
Thoughts, quotes and determination can make a woman stronger, a survivor but she is a winner regardless. 
This book is the story of every woman, you might find your reflection too. 
A journey into what keeps us women ticking. 
What annoys the hell out of us? 
What are we women really about? 
How does the world see us? 
Is the world changing for us or are we just dreaming? 
What is our success and what it means to a woman? 
We Women Wonder, I often do, don’t you?


My Review
'We Women Wonder' brings focus on the myriad struggles, dreams, circumstances women face in their life. The various situations and emotions have been beautifully articulated by the author, which I am sure will resonate with most of the women.

Alphabetically arranged, every chapter addresses a subject which makes one think and introspect. Each topic makes one question the circumstances, issues and the solution that we, women, have taken to make life better for ourselves and those around us. Without being judgmental, the author has expressed her views which are quite relatable and apt for the times we live in. The chapters end with a thoughtful quote adding to the charm of each topic.

Since the author has taken the experiences from her own life, I couldn’t help but smile when a few resonated with the incidents of my life. The best takeaway was the advice to keep yourself healthy and active. It is very important not to lose one’s own personality in the daily humdrum and responsibilities of work and home.

Ms Uppal has covered stages of a woman’s life and the related dreams and desires in a comprehensive and realistic way making the collection not only interesting but thought-provoking too. Kudos!

Grab your copy @

Amazon.com |  Amazon.in

check out the schedule here

About the author

" Inderpreet writes for her love of writing, edits manuscripts and reads endlessly. 

A sprinkling of fiction, a dash of books, and a bit of opinion add to the eclectic mix that is Eloquent Articulation, her blog.

Books, editing, writing, and blogging keep her busy whenever she gets a breather from mothering her ‘too tricky to handle son’. 

An Army brat, she now joins her adorable Army hubby across the country. "

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

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O - Outlining Your Story: Authors' Tips A to Z of Writing

Dear readers and writers,

I have been guilty of not writing on this forum for a very long time. So was determined to write on this round's alphabet 'O' under Authors' Tips A to Z of Writing series.

In this series of 'Authors' Tips - A to Z of Writing', where eight of us – Devika Fernando, Preethi Venugopala, Paromita Goswami, Adite Banerjie, Reet Singh, Sudesna Ghosh, Saiswaroopa Iyer and I – post on various writing-related topics with the topic corresponding to the Alphabet of the Week. Complete list is at the end of this post.

On to the alphabet O...

Nothing could be better than writing on the topic 'Outlining a story', because with each of my novels I have learnt something new about the outlining process. I for one believe in outlining prior to the writing phase. The depth of the outline depends on genre and length of the story that I write. So let's delve straight into the subject.

Any writer who says that he/she doesn’t outline their story is either lying or not aware of their thought process or are intuitive outliners.

Everyone has an outline. 

Even if they have it in their mind, it is there. How well defined, structured and detailed it is, is a different matter altogether.

Authors who start writing with an idea in their mind call themselves pansters. But don’t let them fool you into thinking that they haven’t done their homework. In all probability, they will have a compelling idea, strong characters, and setting before they begin putting words on the paper. This cult of people have a remarkable memory, and high retention power, that shows in the final version of their story. 

So let’s not cut corners and learn a bit about outlining a story.

Broadly, there are three elements which need to be explored and researched right at the beginning. These are; idea/ plot, characters, and setting. Let’s look at them in detail.

Idea/Plot - This is the backbone of a story. The seed of the tree which you are going to sow, water and grow. The initial idea could be unique or an already written trope. It’s the treatment that you give to it matters in the long run. The plot should keep the readers hooked throughout the journey of your characters.  

How? Let's see.

The story should open in the middle of action, or a para which intrigues the reader either about the character(s) or the plot. This is the first hook for the readers which gets them invested in the characters and their conflicts.

The next bang should come in between which takes the plot forward. There can be two or more mini-climactic scenes depending on the length of the novel/ story.

For complete reader satisfaction, the story should end in a life-changing climactic event, from which either the protagonist comes out unscathed or loses something dear; this depends on whether you want to end the story in a positive or negative note.

By the end of this step of outlining, the writer should have a clear idea about protagonist, situation, conflicts/ disaster, the opponents, and the closure.

Characters - In order to come up with rich and realistic characters one has to write complete biography for each one of them, along with their backstory. The proven technique to achieve this is to interview the characters. The key thing is to focus not only on the main protagonist but also on the antagonist. A smart and deadly the villain brings out the true potential of the hero.

Setting - Think of a setting which suits the story and your characters. This depends on the genre and time/ era of your plot. Explore the setting in terms of locales, weather, environment, language, and customs. Each of these elements, if used effectively, will paint a rich tapestry in the mind of your readers thereby giving them complete satisfaction/entertainment.

Having said all of the above, don’t think outlining traps your idea in a boundary or curbs creativity. It’s your framework which can be erased and redefined depending on how the characters and conflicts shape up during the writing process. Do not hesitate to change or revise in the interest of a compelling product.

So folks, plot your outline using all the elements and dazzle the readers. 

All the very best!

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Authors' Tips - A to Z of Writing : Complete List