Author Interview: Dr. Piyush Kumar

The Myth: Prince Chandra and the Demon’s War by Dr. Piyush Kumar is a mythological fantasy fiction revolving around the life of Chandra whose concealed identity is revealed amidst a war. It’s a mix of power, love, thrill, and myth.

In a candid conversation, the author talked about his writing and more. Let’s explore:

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, my name is Piyush Kumar and I am a doctor by profession. I have lived almost all my life in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. I completed my Bachelor’s degree from Mumbai in 2012 and Post-graduation in ENT from Delhi in 2017. That was also the year when I started writing my first novel The Myth. I was a fiction lover as long as I can remember and telling stories is a passion that was garnered in me by my grandfather, who was a writer himself. When I feel like it, I write poetry too.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

As I said earlier storytelling was always a passion but due to heavy load of studies and career, I never got the chance to write something. After I got married in 2016, it was my wife Nidhi, who asked me to write whenever I got the chance. In the same year, I started thinking about what genre I could write, but when Chandra’s story popped up in my head I decided to write it down. Thus started my first adventure as a writer, The Myth.

What inspires you to write books? What are the things which catch your attention?

My inspiration comes from a good story. I read novels and comics a lot, and I am a huge fan of Hollywood movies and tv shows. Every good story that comes my way in these forms nudges me to write my own story and create my own world. A good character, a different kind of storyline with twists and turns and victory of good over evil have always caught my attention.

Tell something in brief about your latest book. How did the idea of coming up with this book strike you?

book, book review, bookish fame — The Myth: Prince Chandra and the Demon’s War

My book The Myth: Prince Chandra and the Demon’s War has many aspects but first and foremost it is the story of individuals who follow what they think is right and how it pans out for them. It’s about good, evil, loyalty, friendship, honor, power and greed. How various feelings guide a person towards doing something that may change his and other’s life marks the essence of the book. But it’s not a simple story. It is what I call a Mythological Suspense Thriller. Also, it is not a reimagination.

Does the anxiety of being a first-time author hit you? How did you cope with it?

I was anxious initially because I had no idea how people would react to this kind of writing. But as the reviews started rolling in, my anxiety was reduced and I feel more confidant about my writing now.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

My writing is pretty consistent. I try to write 4 to 5 days a week mostly during evenings and nights. But the busy schedule of a practicing ENT surgeon comes in my way.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

When I take a break from writing, I have many things to do like spending quite dinner dates with my wife, watching movies, playing video games, and playing with my 3 pet guinea pigs.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

There were many surprises during my first attempt at writing but two things stand apart. Firstly, I was surprised by how detailed my fighting sequences became. It was like I wanted the reader to see what I was seeing in my head while writing and I believe at times I overdid it. Secondly, I was surprised at how the story guided me forwards. I had initially planned a single novel because this was not the genre of my choice to begin my writing career. But the story in someways showed me the path to create this world which was simple from outside with an intricately woven tale of love, betrayal, loyalty, and conspiracy.

What do you think makes a good story?

Any story can be good if you know how to tell it. Mr. Chetan Bhagat makes a college story look so beautiful it touches people’s hearts, JK Rowling makes the story of magic, magical, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes a detective look out of the worldly and Lee Child makes a man the perfect hero. What I feel is there are many ways of telling a story and how the storyteller chooses to present it makes it good.

Have you ever gotten a writers’ block?

There were times when I thought the story I am writing will not reach its conclusion but given time and thought, the blocks gave way to a better turn and the story moved forward.

How would you describe the contemporary scenario of writing and reading around the world especially in India?

This is very difficult to determine given the fact that there are so many different and exceptional authors in the world from experienced to young ones who are writing some amazing stories. As far as India is concerned two genres are being very heavily written in fiction these days, one is reimagining Indian Mythology and the other is a romantic story. One of the main reasons that I wrote The Myth was I wanted to present a new world, not reimagined, to the readers and see how they react.

The best piece of writing advice you would like to give to the budding writers?

Writing is a difficult job and with experience, it gets better. So if you feel you are weak at it, read as much as possible and rewrite until you are satisfied then ask someone experienced to judge you. We must remember not to lose hope, so have patience. Not everyone can be like Sir Salman Rushdie, but we can always try.

Do you read books? If yes, which one is most dear to you?

I read a lot. I have read fiction ever since I was able to and I am still reading. It is absolutely impossible to tell which one is the dearest to me but I would like to repeat that few authors like JK Rowling, Fredrich Forsyth, Tom Clancy, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lee Child, Dan Brown, and Jeffery Archer are few of the many great authors who have inspired me to write.

Are we going to read more from you in the near future? Any new project that you are working on?

I can’t say about near but I definitely plan on writing and I will be presenting the second part of The Myth as soon as possible. Apart from The Myth for which I have planned two sequels, I am writing short stories for children and a detective thriller in Hindi. I have many plans after The Myth is completed but it would be too early to tell if and how they will materialize.

Meanwhile, I will continue writing poems and sharing them on my blog-

http://www.piyush2602@blogspot.com