Today, I am bringing you an interview with YA fantasy author Niranjana Siva. Let's find out more.
Tell me about yourself
I am Niranjana Siva, currently living with my husband in India. A published fantasy author is what describes me best. I enjoy reading books mostly in the fantasy genre but I like to read adventure, action, and crime novels as well. I write books along with my sister, Archana Sujai. We have written two published novels, and the final book in the trilogy, which is soon to be published on May 9, 2022.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. But never wrote seriously until five years ago. I think the very first book I wrote was a fanfiction of Scooby-Doo. The plot was really good, but you know, I was an amateur at writing. That was what taught me that I enjoyed writing stories. Then, my sister and I started writing together and that made all the difference. We wrote an adventure fantasy book that had ten characters in it. We grew attached to the characters and wanted the world to know about them. But the story we wrote lacked in so many things. So, we devised a new plot and gave life to our favorite characters. That was when we started writing Tremendous Ten Chronicles.
What inspired you to write your chosen genre?
I have always loved reading fantasy books. They always seem to take me on a journey that I could only dream of. And the imagination of fantasy authors fascinated me even when I was young. I feel that this basic interest in fantasy books is what inspired me to write fantasy books in the first place. But as I started writing books in this genre, I enjoyed creating new worlds, taking the readers into a brand new place, and explaining to them the dangers and the mysteries behind it. I think the fun in that is what made me keep writing this genre.
What do you enjoy about writing your chosen genre?
I enjoy the fact that fantasy books are a real challenge to write but a real treat to the readers. Challenge, because you have to give boundaries to your new world. Boundaries are not already set. First, you have to understand them, then you have to let the readers understand that as well. Besides that, you know, basically, you are like a God to this whole new world. Who doesn’t like to create new stuff?
Tell me about the experience of co-writing your books with another author
It’s a whole package of a roller-coaster ride. Co-writing a book is quite a challenge. Both persons ought to have one defined version of the story and they must learn to gel well with the other person. If in case, you don’t have a specific view of the story and you are not able to adjust with the person you are writing with, the book becomes a disaster. But in my case, I am writing stories with my sister. Firstly, I must state that I am very lucky to have such an understanding sister. It is an added bonus that we think similar thoughts. This makes plotting, writing, editing, and publishing our stories easy. But I must admit, there are times when we have our arguments and disagreements. I feel now that this writing journey wouldn’t have felt complete without the little quarrels. I am proud to say that we overcome them pretty quickly and get right back on track. In short, I couldn’t imagine writing this wonderful series with anybody other than my sister, let alone write it myself. That is how much fun co-writing with my sister is.
Tell me about the latest release in your series
The latest release is the third book in our YA epic fantasy series. Titled, ‘The Destined Fate of Illusia’, this book brings the epic finale of the Tremendous Ten Chronicles trilogy. This is a fantasy adventure book that portrays a strong friendship giving an epic finish to the mysteries in Illusia. Any reader who enjoys a feel-good epic fantasy adventure book will definitely love this book. It is currently up for pre-order on Amazon and it is to be published on May 9, 2022, coinciding with the birthday of my sister. I am excited for the readers to read and enjoy this book.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
Oh, yes! I have not given out any updates on the book anywhere, but your blog is where I am saying it first. It is once again being co-written with my sister and it is going to be a standalone book.
What comes first for you? The plot, or the characters?
The plot. We always seem to find and complete the plot in short. Only while developing the plot do the characters also get developed. So, it is always the plot that comes first.
What does literary success look like to you?
I feel my success when someone says that they have read our book and have enjoyed it. So I guess, for me, it is not on the number of sales or the money that comes out of it, but the satisfaction a person gets after reading our book. Even if one person enjoys it, I am happy with that. That is what success looks like to me.
What would your spirit animal be and why?
My spirit animal would be a dog, no doubt. I have always loved dogs and have found a connection with them since my childhood. Especially, the strays. But it would be nice to have a dragon as my spirit animal too.
What advice would you give a new author?
Never trust anyone who says you can become a best-selling author overnight. Understand that it takes time, just like all the other good things in the world. And, never give up. Writing a book is hard, editing is harder, and promoting is the hardest. But it is hard only until you find your right audience. So, don’t lose hope at any point in time because when you do find your audience, everything is going to be totally worth it.
What do you like to do when not writing?
When I am not writing, you can find me reading a book or most probably trying out new dishes. I just love cooking. Also, I do book covers for my Wattpad friends but I am trying to cultivate this hobby and hopefully, become a pro-cover designer one day.
Thank you to Niranjana for joining me on the blog. If you would like to check out her work, click on the links below.
