Author Interview: Ravikant Svateerth

Ravi: What’s your favorite short story?

Svateerth: There is nothing in particular. English as such was not my native language, yet it

fascinated me because it is so versatile. This is where I am most expressive.

Ravi: The best piece of writing advice?

Svateerth: When you are writing, read other content as little as possible. This is because

reading can contaminate the originality in your creative writing. Poetry especially is all about

creativity.

Ravi: Where do you write?

Svateerth: Normally, I write my poems on Google ‘Keep’. Earlier it was the pen and paper

until we discovered digital devices. The world is a changed place, so did I.

Ravi: Where do you get your ideas?

Svateerth: My poetry originates from life experiences of my journey within. This is more

like meditation arising out of my core being. But then it is the nature all around that

empowers you to search within.

Ravi: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Svateerth: It is never exhausting. Writing re-freshens my entire being. It always is like I

have discovered something unique and contributing to my evolving. The ‘Zen’ element keeps

the ball rolling.

Ravi: How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Svateerth: Depends on how life reveals its secrets to me. On average, my books could take

anywhere from one to two years to complete.

Ravi: If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer

as an adult, what would you do?

Svateerth: Not take up a job. A job is a distraction to writing and takes up plenty of time.

Writing requires a certain amount of focus which a job could imbalance with loss of freedom.

Ravi: What is your favorite childhood book?

Svateerth: Can’t point out anyone, but have loved reading comics, magazines like Readers

Digest, wild west books by Louis L’Amour, and many more.

Ravi: What are your favorite literary journals?

Svateerth: I do not subscribe to journals as such. But some authors and masters have

immensely helped my journey within. Masters like ‘Jiddu Krishnamurthy’ and ‘Osho’ have

enabled me to be where I stand. Authors like ‘Richard Bach’, ‘Carlos Castaneda’, and ‘Paulo

Coelho’ have given me wonderful literature to read. Last but not the least, I am glad that

‘Bob Dylan’, the American singer-songwriter, author, a visual artist was awarded the Nobel

Prize in Literature in 2016.has

Ravi: What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

Svateerth: This is a difficult one to answer. What could it be? Nothing comes to my mind. I

have kept with the flow. No regrets. I would just let the creator flow through me.

Ravi: What was your hardest scene to write?

Svateerth: When I started doing poetry, my works centered around my physical self. It was

like I was relishing the outside world. But with maturity began my journey within. With

meditation, the ‘Here & Now’ element became central. This is where modern poetry is born.

It seeks no rhyme but is bent on passing a message to the reader, though aware, could have

failed to notice it in his or her journey.

Ravi: Do you Google yourself?

Svateerth: Yes, I do. Being aware of SEO practices, I make it a point to check out how my

works are gaining visibility. Always good to know what Google thinks of you.

Ravi: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Svateerth: Never. I am quite frank and open with my readers. I wish them to see the truth

like I have without holding back anything. Every reader is important to me. I do not

differentiate. I do the best I can to put my experiences across. But then, there is the distance.

What a reader understands may not exactly be what I am trying to say.

Ravi: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Svateerth: Book reviews are meant to improve the authors’ writing. I take it positively and

see how readers have taken the writing. Good and bad reviews are both valuable. They

enable us to get better.

Ravi: Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

Svateerth: My work generally involves non-fiction. Like I am trying to see this world afresh

vis-à-vis my being. Exploring life, and how it evolves. Birth is just a beginning, and the

journey has been never-ending so far.

Ravi: What did you edit out of this book?

Svateerth: Not much, it is more or less as it was born. Just the spacing of words could have

changed to enhance the musical character of the poem. Music is one of the only things in

existence that we learn by heart.

Ravi: How many hours a day do you write?

Svateerth: This is not a regular job when it comes to poetry. It depends upon circumstances

and how life reveals its secrets. Quite often poetry happens on the go. Hours and days are

fruitless for the verse. Poetry just happens.

Ravi: How long were you a part-time writer before you became a full-time one?

Svateerth: Over the last 15 years I have been generating content for the internet. But then

poetry moved side by side as and when milestones were crossed in my journey within.

Initially, my bread and butter did not allow me the luxury of plunging wholeheartedly. It is

now that I have realized that poetry is here to stay with me.

Ravi: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before

beginning a book?

Svateerth: There is no space for research in the poetry I write. Well, the search within is a

type of research involved in my works. Apart from writing, I also paint, photograph, and

make music. All these different forms of art for me is like speaking different languages. They

originate from a single source.

Ravi: What’s the best way to market your books?

Svateerth: There are several online platforms available nowadays where you could market

books, including eBooks. I am fairly new to this and it has been just a few months since I

have published my book. I am still in the process of exploring but have taken to SMM or

social media marketing to reach a wider audience. Amazon as such also provides

opportunities to promote the book.

Ravi: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Svateerth: This is the first book that I have published and am having a couple of half-

finished books in the pipeline. However, I want each book to look different and so would

take some time to work it out. My second book should be out by the end of 2020, and the

third sometime in 2021. As things move, my second book is likely to involve my visual

artworks as well.

Ravi: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Svateerth: Finding your way for the first time is challenging. Once you have done, it

becomes technically quite easy the next time. But it is the creative part that dares you do not

get repetitive. Repetition gets boring so you will have to constantly reinvent yourself. As for

the change in the process of writing, storing works have become more digital.

Ravi: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Svateerth: I haven’t changed much really. If there is something, I would like to tell my

younger writing-self is that ‘Relax, work at your own pace, you’re not going anywhere’.

Ravi: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better

writer?

Svateerth: There are quite a few poets like ‘Ullie Kaye’ and ‘David Navarro’ who also do

poetry. ‘Robert A. Hunt’ is a word-painter writing fictional stories. Their feedback means a

lot to me. Most of my author friends have works online.

Ravi: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Svateerth: Generally, poetry is not written for the reader. It is more of a monologue

conversation with the self. It would, therefore, be sensible to be original and subsequently

share your experiences with the other.

Ravi: What advice do you have for writers?

Svateerth: “Be yourself. It is not the sales that should drive you. Give the best you can to the

world. The creator loves and appreciates you the way you are.”

Ravi: What are the most important magazines for writers to subscribe to?

Svateerth: This depends upon the genre of literature you are contributing to. As for poetry

‘Poetry Magazine’ and ‘poetry.org’ will be a good start.

Ravi: Tell me about your recent book to our RaviReads Blog Readers?

Svateerth: “We never know why, how, and when we were born. Everything we do now is

more or less taught to us. The search within involves getting back to our origin and an

attempt to find answers to the questions we inherently possess in our conscience. What better than poetry to provide a clue? The taste of the pudding is in the eating!”

To Know more about Svateerth The Sound of Rain Book check out this link.

Thanks to Svateerth for agreeing to this interview! If you know of an author who’d like to be featured in an interview (or you are an author who would like to be featured), feel free to email me at the address on my contact page.