You said, my love was your escape,
Then why do you feel trapped in yours?
After talking with poetry masters, today we have not one but two brilliant writers with us – Annie Pruth and Vedant Saxena. I’ve read the reviews about book and everyone is already gushing over it. Being a mental health activist, Vedant played his role brilliantly to raise awareness about the same even in his book.
“Will you stay with me” received high acclaim in national and international market. Talking about Annie, a young writer but probably master in her work joined Vedant in creating this book that is doing rounds in reader’s corners.
Their conversation shed light on mental illness and provided us with a glimpse into their literary journey.
- Vedant, From being a hotel graduate and working in Le Mèriden. How did you end up in a writing niche?
When I graduated, I had two roads ahead of me, and I took the road less traveled. I had half a dozen jobs in my hand, but I was adamant to do something different, something that would create buzz and be talked about. I didn’t want to be a 9-5, working guy or have a life limited to my circle, I wanted to be remembered, acknowledged. So, I decided to write, pour everything out on paper. Be the voice of unheard, help and motivate people by it.
- Why “Will You Stay” different from other novels?
It’s not different but distinctive in its own self. The book is a journey, not a destination. Most importantly, it talks about the stigma attached to mental illness. There is no glorification of the protagonist; we didn’t make him a Knight in shining armor. When you read fiction, you know it’s not real. That’s not the case with our book. It’s very much like you; it’s very much like me. You will find yourself somewhere.
- Annie, How was the experience of writing such an amazing novel at such a young age?
Well, a lot of people ask me the same question and I don’t know how writing at a young age makes a difference. For me, it doesn’t. I’ve been a listener for too long and I like to observe people. I often see them as characters. To write a book and get published is amazing, totally. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had for myself. Being published at a young age which raises awareness, adds cherry and chocolate chips to the cake. Otherwise, the cake is equally sweet. Similarly, to write a book and get it published is a challenge in itself. It’s always good to conquer challenges.
- People are loving the cover of your book and so am I. What actually does the cover signify?
At first, the cover will look simple to you, a guy and girl, hugging each other. But, when you look closely, you’ll see the distress, the anguish, the passion, the compassion. Look at the right corner, and you’ll see the guy’s arm melting into the girl’s. And there you’ll know that the book is more than what it looks like at first glance.
- Who is your favorite author and why is it so?
Annie : I don’t have favorite authors, to be honest. I am trying to find an answer to this question. Some Instagram Poets inspire me, other times a normal blog blows my heart away and they are not necessarily written by one person. J.K Rowling’s life story inspires me. I’ve read Bubbles Sabharwal, and her book is a new lesson each time I read it.
Vedant : For me, it would be “Looking for Alaska” because it is the reason I wrote this book and ventured into writing novels. The book is brutally honest; it taught me to be completely honest with my art.
- Vedant, You have counseled various people suffering from anxiety, depression and heartbreak. What do you think is the main cause of these issues and what ways do you suggest to overcome mental illness?
Negligence. Vulnerability is often exploited, people are usually scared to share about their pain and misery, in fear of judgment and mockery. They build a wall around themselves, in the name of survival, but sometimes that wall ends up being their graveyard. The more you keep it in, the harder it gets to live. It’s okay to let it out, it’s okay to talk about it. And, it’s okay to seek help.
To overcome it, communication is important. The more you talk about it, the easier it gets to cure it. Sometimes people need just a good listener, one who’ll listen without judging, and understand their pain. There is help waiting for you in the form of psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, you just have to reach out.
It is okay to seek help, it is okay to talk about it. When you allow yourself to heal, you’ll be able to get healed. And, if you can’t. Indulge yourself in positive things, songs, movies, meditation, yoga. Do things you love, to keep your mind distracted.
- How was working with Vedant? How did you handle the differences?
I’ve learnt a lot from Vedant, and I won’t lie we had our different viewpoints. It was challenging one day, while other times, it made me connect more and understand a contrasting opinion altogether. I think when two people work together; you learn a lot of things like being patient, to know what to say at the right time, to connect. I was still in school which allowed me to only cut my sleeping hours to write. It felt like a torture, many a times. A fear that I’ll not be able to work on a particular chapter before the deadline used to annoy me. But you can always work out if there is mutual understanding and decision. By God’s grace, we were mature enough to handle our differences and tried our best to stay calm.
- How did your friends and families react to your first book? Were they aware of that?
Vedant : My family was skeptical at first, but when my book got launched in the “world book fair”, they were proud, emotional. My friends were surprised and refused to believe that I’ve written a book. Alot of them haven’t bought the book, typical modern friends.
Annie : Nobody was aware when I was working on the first draft. One night my mom caught me writing mail at 3 am in the night and she was suspicious. Let’s not forget the fact that I had school the next morning. She observed me for a week and concluded to yell at me one night. Her thoughts ran wild and I don’t blame her for it. It’s very natural to have doubts when you see your daughter regularly using the phone, at night time.
It was a Sunday, and I explained to her over breakfast that I’m writing a book. She told me to focus on my studies and step out of my fantasy world. I reassured her that I’m aware of my boards and I’ll handle it. I’d make her swear on me to not utter a word to dad. This incident happened when we were already done with the first draft. I told my Dad about this a week before the book cover launch. He was surprised, proud, confused and had no idea how to react. My friends had no concrete idea about me writing a book or anything. But oh lord, so many people, including my family, relatives, friends, acquaintances, and school teachers came to greet me at the book launch. It was a surprise to me as well as them. And I’m proud of it.
Miriam Otto| Interview with the wonder woman
- How was it working with Annie? Who was the dominant one though?
In her words: – “The biggest challenge of collaborative writing is to mutually agree on certain things. At some point of time, what I considered to be good enough was exactly what he asked me to cut down. Productive teamwork is only possible when you balance everything, have enough patience to hear others suggestions on it and not dominate your own views. ” I am the dominant one, always. Typical sagittarius.
- Tell me, from writing your first draft and publishing your book. How was the journey?
It had all the ingredients of a good thriller. :- Smooth, frustrating, mysterious, revealing, fruitful and tadaa a happy ending.
- Annie, what’s your favorite quote or paragraph from the whole book?
“Somedays, I promise myself that I won’t give up. Other days, I struggle thinking of reasons to live. Sometimes, I wonder how long I can survive this way. How long can I breathe until it doesn’t feel like a burden? I always end up choosing life”
- Vedant, Should I expect another romantic novel from your side? Or are you moving to a different genre?
My next book is a psychological suspense thriller. And, I’ll probably be writing in this genre in future too. But, if something good ’romantic’ strikes my mind, I’ll write a romantic book again.
- Vedant, What do you want to explore further in your literary journey?
There are a lot. I cannot name it all. I’m a very curious person, I like to learn, I like to try. I want to write more, about everything which seems to be sane and feels beyond. In the upcoming years, I’m planning to write magical stories like mystery and memoir. I am comfortable with writing prose, but poetry often stimulates me.
- Annie, What can we expect from you over the next few years?
Oh, don’t expect anything. Writing is foremost personal to me. I’ll write how it feels or doesn’t feel at a particular moment. I’m willing to write more about mental health issues and mysteries. But you never know, a creative mind knows no boundaries. I assure you that I will try and do my best, you can only hope.
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PS : The depth that both of them hold whether it’s to explain their bond or their book, it is just so fascinating even to me. It often feels good when people try to demolish the stigma around Mental illness and raise awareness for the same. Also, they were kind enough to send me a personalized copy of the book – so brownie points – just kidding. It was amazing to talk with them. We wish them nothing but the best.