THIS BOOK EXPLORES THE ADVENTURES OF A MIDDLE CLASS INDIAN FAMILY

Author Interview: Radhika Acharya

Radhika Acharya is from Udupi in Karnataka, India but she currently resides in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She is a humor writer, author, and an official blogger with the Times of India. She has recently come out with the book, “The Adventures of the JP Family”, which is her first book as a paperback. Her other works include “The Funny Side of it”, which is an e-book on Kindle. In a candid chat with Chirdeep Malhotra, she talks about her latest book, her writing journey, her favourite books and authors, and much more. Read on!



Please tell us more about Radhika Acharya as a person.

I was brought up in the picturesque state of Goa and I am at present residing in Abu Dhabi, UAE with my husband. I have a pair of twins, both boys, whose early growing up days are always a great source of writing inspiration, whenever my mind runs dry of other ideas. While I may not be a gourmet cook, I have never poisoned anyone accidentally or burnt the kitchen down either, yet.



Has writing been a part of your life? Or did you chance upon it later and then instantly fall in love with it?

I’ve been in love with writing as far back as my school days. My favourite class happened to be the essay writing period once a week. I would wait for it the whole week. It continued when I wrote for my College magazine and then the local newspapers in Goa. I took it to the next level with my humor blog “Radhika’s Diaries” with Wordpress. Now along with writing books, I am a regular blogger with the Times of India, under my blog name The Witty Wordsmith.



Please tell us more about your book “The Adventures of the JP Family”.

It is a wonderfully hilarious book of short stories revolving around a middle-class Indian family. The stories are about everyday lives of the family of four told in a simple but witty style. The characters and the situations are highly relatable and I’m sure readers will see a little of themselves and their own families in the stories. The book, incidentally, was shortlisted for the Coimbatore Literary Awards in the Fiction/Humor category.



How did the idea of writing this book originate? When did you start writing this book and how long did it take to finish it?

I had always wanted an iconic but down-to-earth voice or character for the hilarious observations I wanted to put across. I got this opportunity when I participated in the online A to Z blogging challenge organized by Blogchatter. I came up with 26 stories, each for one letter of the alphabet and presented them through this family. The JP family was an instant hit and the rest as they say, is history.
Believe it or not, it took me just 10 days to come up with the rough draft. Editing, pruning and polishing took a bit longer.



Tell us more about the protagonist JP uncle. How did the character come to you and how much did he change in the process of writing the novel?

Jayprakash Uncle or simply the Uncle, is a simple hard-working family man, who fondly thinks he is the head of his little home. He loves discount sales and is ready to stand in long queues if there’s a good bargain going up. Despite his naughty interest in his son’s glamourous drawing teacher, the man is honest and harmless and wouldn’t hurt a fly.
JP Uncle is absolutely lovable and has turned into a brand of his own.



What challenges did you face while writing this book?

Once I had worked out the main theme, the biggest challenge for me was catching the several ideas running around in my head simultaneously at any given time. I was so worried I would forget some of them that, crazy as it may sound, while writing out one chapter, I would keep making notes for subsequent chapters on the top and bottom of the pages. I wouldn’t really recommend this practice to anyone, but for me, it was totally fun and I had a blast.



Is there a history of writing in your immediate family or are you the odd one out?

While I may have displayed my artistic tendencies through writing, my immediate family members are artists in their own way. Both my father and brother are doctors and are very clever at sketching and drawing. My sister is a wizard with her hands and comes up with imaginative and beautiful creations. And my mother is a music lover and played the violin before her marriage.



Whom would you like to acknowledge in the journey of this book?

I have to thank my readers and followers who were instrumental in instilling confidence in me with their whole hearted enjoyment and support as I posted a story a day on my blog. My brother-in-law added charm to the stories with the creative alphabets. My young sons are my champions with the initial drafting and formatting and with their no-holds-barred comments and critiques. And I can never thank my husband enough for giving me my space to – just write! And last but not the least, I am grateful to my publishers Mark-Fly for helping me all the way in making my dream of a paperback come true.



Can you recommend books from any genre, for our readers to add to their reading lists, that you particularly cherish?

My favourite genre is fiction and I gravitate naturally towards humor. So my top of the list recommendation for anyone looking for some comic fiction would be any book by P.G. Wodehouse. I particularly enjoy books by JoJo Moyes. I am also a big fan of our own Sudha Murthy, especially her short stories. My all-time favourite is however Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”.



What are your other interests apart from writing?

Along the way, I have dabbled in varied interests and I seem to be a ‘Jane of all trades, mistress of none.’ I have hosted live programmes and events in Goa, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. I have also given talk shows on the youth capsule of the All India Radio in Goa. I have recently started my podcast called “Bits And Pieces With Radhika”.



What are you working on next?

While I am still enjoying the success of my book “The Adventures of the JP Family”, I have already started working on the draft of my next book. This time I’m giving a shot at a romcom and it’s shaping out pretty well. It should be ready soon, I guess.



What do you have to say to the several new writers and poets who are aspiring to get their work published?

Being just one book old myself, I’m not really in a position to give advice. However, I would say one has to be convinced and confident about one’s work before pitching it to anyone. And here I would also like to add that aspiring writers do need to pay a little attention to some basic grammar rules. You don’t have to use lofty words or long-winding phrases but nothing jars the reader more than grammatical errors.



Can you share with our readers a motivational quote that keeps you going?

Louis L’Amour said, “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the tap is turned on.” And I couldn’t agree more with him.