Interview with Author Vrinda Singh

The author of stunning books like 'Murky Girl' and '5 Minutes'. 

Hello ma'am,

1. What inspired you to write "5 Minutes", the cover seems so creative what is the story behind it?

The vulnerable situation of well settled and independent women is often hidden from the general masses. They go silent, owing to the social obligations and suffer. Such pressing issues don’t intrigue people much, and therefore needs to be presented in a creative art-form. The cover page is designed in a way which captures the interest of the readers in the first go, compelling them to contemplate the meaning of 5 fingers. 5 fingers not only represents 5 minutes but also 5 elements of a human body. It also signifies the 5 basic human emotions and 5 senses. The practical importance of number 5 has been thoroughly narrated. 5 minutes is a perfect pretext for making woman realise, what they are capable of doing.

2. List your talents you can perform in 5 minutes.

Well, this question is my favourite, it relates so much with my life. I have personally witnessed the importance of 5 minutes and what wonders it can do. To exemplify, I just took 5 minutes to ponder upon the tricky questions of your interview. I am quick learner, so for me 5 minutes are more than sufficient to prepare a quirky presentation for my team. 5 minutes are enough to give mom a hug and satiate myself in any distress. I can chop vegetables in 5 minutes, what else, even solve a mathematical problem.

3. Oh wow, lovely. What advice would you like to give your readers before reading it?

I will advice my readers to be ready to experience a roller coaster ride in the train of experiences, we live daily but don’t get into the details of it. Through 5 minutes, I wish to connect with my readers across the globe. I am sure, after reading the book, women and men from different sections of the society will encourage the ambitious people to pursue their dreams with their heads held high. If the readers too wish to share any such experience and feel empowered after reading the book, please feel free to write back to me on the portal details given in the author’s bio column.

4. Would you like to share some incidents from your childhood days with us? 

Childhood was not as rosy as I expected. A plethora of incidents are still intact in my memories. One of which was a sexual harassment, I faced, at the age of 15 while travelling in a public transportation. As far as I can recollect, it was a massive blow to my confidence as a child and my respect as a girl. This is one of the reasons I stand so strongly for women and feel their pain in every aspect.

5. Omg, so inspiring. From the book we derive you to be a creative person, how true is this statement?

We all are creative, the need is to identify your speciality. Thanks to my mother, for not acting as an orthodox mother and giving me a chance to spread my wings. I did a lot of experiments in my life. A few were successful and a
 many of them failed, which is where, I identified my charm. I am fond of intellectual creativity and have somehow built a respect for myself within me. I believe, you should respect your art and skills first, before putting it upfront in the world. If you appreciate yourself, world will certainly follow the trail. I have been blessed with the skill of creative writing and programming. Currently I have been very expressive with my poetry in both English and Hindi, and I am sure they are soon gonna do wonders in the world. Nature has always been my inspiration, which can be deciphered easily in all my works.

6. That sounds so good. How many hours you dedicate to writing?

Writing needs a lot of peace and a stable mind. Since I own a company, I barely find out time to write during the day time. My writing has an uncanny relationship with nights. Writing hours at night varies tremendously but even 5 minutes of writing at the end of the day, keeps me sane, the next day.

7. Many of us haven't read your debut novel, can we have some insight on the same?

It’s sad that, my debut novel, couldn’t be distributed in Pan India through offline channels owing to some limitations. However, I am happy to announce that "Murky Girl" did really great on online portals. Murky Girl, is the story of the first Indian superwoman, whose powers are a bane to her. The fiction genre, reveals all the attributes of the real magic world and also touches you deep inside with its emotional concepts on womanhood. The multiverse is catch of the book and is a must read for sci-fi lovers.

8. If you wasn't a writer, then probably which profession would you be into? 

Since ,I am not a full time writer, my prime profession is creating software solutions for telecom companies. But if I had a chance to go back in past and change one thing, I would have chosen to be a journalist. The knack of writing, I have, at times curses me for not being a full time writer/ journalist.

9. On an average how long it takes you to write a book, as you are an author of two?

After completing the 5 minutes draft, I realised that it doesn’t take more than 2 months to write a book, if the flow of the content maintains its pace while you write.  My way of writing is to study the subject, develop an abstract and then start writing. Such methodologies will never lead to what we call, “Writer’s Block”. However, it depends on the writer and his/her approach completely. I have also personally met people who took an year’s time to write a book.

10. Have your family helped you in your writing career?

Honestly, not until I was studying. My parents always knew that I excel in my academics, which made them a little insecure about my performance, when I used to express my desire to write. Nevertheless, the past is over. Make hay when the sun shines. I have been into book writing since last 2 years and there is no stopping since then. I own my blog with the handle @intheheatofthemoment having more than 100k subscribers on board, which is indeed a matter of great pride for me and my family.

11. Which was the hardest part in the book to write?

Writing few intimate scenes was a major challenge in 5 minutes, since I didn’t want it to be the sole reason of attracting more readers. The scenes portrayed in the novel were the need of the situation but had to be written very carefully, so that readers don’t get deviated from the centre point of the book.  Feeling the skin of the protagonist in those acts was quite intimidating and shook me inside with just mere imagination of their physical or mental assaults.

12. That's so true. Do you read classics? Which one is your favorite? Who are your favorite authors?

Who won’t be an admirer of Ruskin Bond and Jane Austen. Perhaps, They are the classic writers and hence their every creation is classic in their kind. Needless to mention, I am an ardent reader and naming one book as favourite, would be an injustice to the rest.

I agree on this, totally. Thanks a ton, wishing you good luck.



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