Interview with Harshita Srivastava - By Akash Khonde

A full-time writer, she is the author of 'One In A Million' that got published by Mahaveer Publishers in April 2013 in her final year of Mechanical Engineering at G.L. Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management, Noida. She is an avid reader and a prolific blogger. She loves reading classics and is a diehard Mills and Boons fan. She believes that writing provides solace to her soul and that is why ditched her engineering skills for the mighty pen. She writes for a number of online platforms on a regular basis and loves interacting with people. 

Apart from writing, she loves travelling, reading, listening to music and spending time with friends and family. At present, she resides in Gurgaon and works as a Content Writer with a leading e-commerce group.

Buy her second book here: Homeshop18 (and don't forget to drop your reviews)

Here we get to know her a little more closely:

Akash: An unforgettable compliment or critic you received till date?
Harshita: Till date, a lot of people have appreciated my work but one compliment that I cherish was from a reader who said that after reading my book, she realized that no matter what happens she would never break down. I still wonder why I find it so wonderful but then I guess, certain things are out of comprehension; maybe, the sheer fact that I could help create a difference in her life gives me a high that alcohol can never ever offer.

Akash: Would you like to give any advice for upcoming writers/authors and our readers, in choosing their publishers and preparing their manuscripts?

Harshita: I don’t know if I have reached the stature to advice aspiring writers but as per my experiences, I can just say that do not get disheartened by rejections. Write what your heart says and always believe in what you write. You constant faith in yourself is going to take you heights.
I have often observed that there are a lot of freshers who don’t take preparing a proposal sincerely and thus end up facing rejection even after having a strong script. To everyone, I’d suggest you to please give proper time to your proposal so that your efforts of writing out those 60000 words don’t go futile. And on a personal note, it’s the cover letter that the editorial team at Gargi, takes quite seriously. Always remember, first impression is the last impression.

Akash: Are you a voracious reader? What kind of books do you like to read? Any particular writers who inspired your writing?
Harshita: I do love reading books and my life is actually incomplete without books. I have been reading since I can remember being alive. I read all kinds of books though yes, classics, serious drama and romance fall under my preferred genre. One writer who has contributed in a big way in making me love reading and writing is Charles Dickens. If he wouldn’t have created magic in Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and A tale of Two Cities, I would have not been sitting around here answering your questions.

Akash: From Engineer to Author, Passion versus Profession. How difficult was the fight?

Harshita: The path wasn’t a cakewalk. I had to struggle a lot but then I believe, for every battle fought, for every sleepless night and for every hardship, all of this was worth it. I had loved writing since I was eleven but at that time, I had no idea that I’d actually end up taking my hobby as my full-time job. The conflict that I faced during engineering was something I’d rather not narrate but then I knew that I had to take the path. I understood that if I did not take up a stand then I’d have to give up on my dreams and I didn’t want it to happen. I wanted to turn my dreams into reality. Gradually, things began to fall in place with all the efforts that I put in and here I am, working for my passion. 

Akash: Many young people land up in engineering solely because of parental pressure. Do you have any advice for the parents?
Harshita: Parents need to understand that there’s a lot more at stake than just career. I have always believed that whatever you do should be done with your heart and soul. If you aren’t inclined towards what are probably going to do for the next 40-50 years then you can forget terms like inner peace, contentment and success, maybe.
I understand that parents are pretty much correct in thinking about the welfare of the kids but instead of pushing them into a profession, it is always good to analyze and understand the preferences of their children so that nobody remains at a loss.

Akash: What can the fans of Harshita expect from you in the future?
Harshita: A lot of my readers have originated from my blog so they’d know, by now, that I either write down about relationships or social issues. These are the two things that are quite close to my heart so in the recent future, three topics around which my stories may revolve include romance, drama and social issues.

Akash: Tell us something about your new novel BAD ROMANCE?
Harshita: ‘Bad Romance’ is an intense romantic fiction and is extremely close to my heart. This is the story of a girl Kritika and how life changes for her when Tanishq comes along. This isn’t just about how two people fall in love, it’s about dealing with the traps and complexities of life. This is the story of choosing priorities, unravelling the mysteries surrounding love and lust and finding the courage to survive.

Akash: What else you love to do apart from writing & reading?
Harshita: Sleeping and eating (laughs). Cooking is my new found interest; in the past six months I have learnt and experimented a lot with food. I love teaching kids so it may not be surprising if you find me some day playing with street kids and teaching them simultaneously. Also, I love interacting with people and listening to soft music.

Akash: What do you think about the present scenario of publishing industry? What was your experience with your publishers?

Harshita: There are a lot of good as well bad aspects of the present state of the industry. While it has become a little easier to get published, exploitation of talent has become a major issue. But I do hope and believe that situations will improve.
My experience with Mahaveer Publishers as well as Gargi has been quite amazing. Both the houses have helped me grow as a person. I shall always remain indebted to Binay Dutta from Mahaveer for giving me the much needed break and Pulkit Gupta for having immense faith in my abilities, more than I could have ever imagined myself.

Akash: Would you like to give any message to your readers?

Harshita: I’d like to extend a big thank you to each and every one of you for making me reach this position. Please continue to motivate me and do send me your feedback at hsrivastava0205@gmail.com. 

  (This interview was taken by Akash Khonde under the internship program by Gargi Publishers)