Meetup with Kulpreet Yadav: 10 steps to writing a bestseller

After reading Catching the Departed, I was super eager to meet the author and shower accolades on him for writing such immensely readable spy thriller. On April 12, we finally had a chance to catch up and it was amazing. People showed up in large numbers and the people at the venue were friendly and helpful.

Here is a link to the meetup's page- http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Books-in-Delhi/events/221076372/

The best part was that we had people from all walks of life showing up and ideas merging seamlessly. I felt the brunt of being the organizer because I had to step aside from time to time to coordinate with members and give them directions to the venue. Even then, all the words that went into my ears sporadically were enough to leave me inspired and awe-struck.

The author talked about the differences between commercial fiction and literary fiction. His talk was essentially about commercial fiction wherein he laid emphasis on easy language with short sentences and their impact.

He shared tricks of good fiction writing with us. Reading the work aloud, getting it reviewed by a neutral reviewer being a few of them. He also talked about diligence and discipline.

The session was interactive and people asked him questions and he patiently replied. Me and Rohit Ainapur had already read the book so, we had some specific queries. We laid out our questions regarding pace of the novel, role of female protagonist in it among other things. His replies were satisfactory and helpful toward understanding the intent of the author while designing the plot.

The conversation kept flowing even when the event got over and I talked to the author about the financial aspect of writing as a career choice. He laid out the difficulties that befall one's path when he chooses to take up writing professionally. He emphasized that one has to have a back-up plan.

We talked about Haryanvi people and their rustic nature. He told us more about his family and background. Then he talked about his upcoming novel in the Andy Karana series. He revealed that the novel has Goan backdrop and it was enough for me to start drooling. I am sure the next one will be even better. He also talked about how he wanted a vulnerable hero. I urged him to increase the theatrics in the novels. I told him that a Karna is incomplete without an Arjuna. He took my advice to notice.

All in all, it was a nice experience. The day made my life fuller and richer. Hope to see such lovely people more and more.