Interview with Rohit Dawesar, The Author of No Matter What.. I Will Always love you!

About the Author:

Rohit Dawesar is an author from Indore whose debut novel 'The Stupid Somebody' became a national bestseller even before he signed a contract for his latest book 'NO MATTER WHAT... I will always love you!' which released recently on 5th Jan'2021. The book is already getting some amazing reviews from the readers.

Rohit is immensely popular for his Nano tales, short stories and one-liners that he posts on his social media and his website.

Now a full-time writer who creates magic with his words, he is a book lover and a movie and television series fanatic who will hardly say no to a cup of coffee any time.

Ravi: What’s your favourite short story?

Rohit: The one that I wrote for building my readership when I began writing. The short story was titled 'Walk on a Goa beach'. Later the same short story got converted as a full-fledged book which is now also my latest novel named as 'No Matter What... I will always love you!'

Ravi: The Best piece of writing advice?

Rohit: My advice (no matter how cliché it may sound, but it is the most important) is - Read, write. Apart from this, I have written a full blog-post on the subject which is on my website.

Ravi: Where do you write?

Rohit: I can write anywhere and everywhere. I just need my cell phone with me in which I write. My favourite place is on my bed, in my room.

Ravi: Where do you get your ideas?

Rohit: I believe ideas are like the air we breathe. They are everywhere. Every human has a story. In fact, every creature, even non-living things have their own stories. So, I get ideas from anything and everything.

Ravi: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Rohit: Both actually. It energizes/ satisfies me as nothing else does. On the other hand, when I write continuously, it becomes exhausting. Exhausting because stories have emotions, and you feel every emotion that you bring on paper. So, if you write continuously, it can be exhausting.

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

Rohit: One year.

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?

Rohit: Just one thing- I would start writing a little earlier. I started writing just four years back when I decided to write a book about my own life. Wish I could start writing even before when I started it.

Ravi: What is your favourite childhood book?

Rohit: Comics of Chacha Choudhary, Super Commando Dhruv, Bankelal, etc. I just loved those comics. They had made my childhood memorable.

Ravi: What are your favourite literary journals?

Rohit: Honestly speaking, I am not much into reading literary journals. But, I enjoy the interviews and articles you share.

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

Rohit: If I would have known that, I would have already given that up. Seriously!

Ravi: What was your hardest scene to write?

Rohit: Though this was not an easy book to write, because I had to write from a girl's perspective as well and that too in a situation (that she faces in the book) that is actually extraordinary. Still, there's this scene in my book where the mother of the girl protagonist in my book, Mishika, dies. That scene was so tough for me that I wrote it in very short. Later on, some of my beta readers suggested me to make it a little longer. Then again I sat on it and wrote it. That particular scene was the toughest for me.

Ravi: Do you Google yourself?

Rohit: Wouldn't lie - Yes, I have.

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

Rohit: I would like to think so. I mean, as a writer, I write stuff which has more than one meaning. There are definitely things in my stories which connect to the plot in a different way too other than what it seems. I like when a reader messages and tells me that he/ she loved what they understood of it.

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

Rohit: Oh yes! I surely try to read almost each and every review. And, they affect me. Thankfully 99% of them are genuine and are encouraging. Out of these 99% sometimes some reviews tell you what they didn't like much. You learn from them. They are constructive. Rest 1% which are negative and are negative because maybe they just want to target you, are the ones that had affected me badly in my initial days. I used to get angry and sad. But, later on, I concluded that they haven't even actually read the book. Perhaps they had some other agenda. Also, there's a saying in my first book which I keep on reminding myself whenever I feel bad about someone else's opinion of me and my work - If you want to make everyone happy, stop breathing.

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

Rohit: Every story does that to me. The best thing about writing according to me is that there are rules, but there are no rules. A writer is the one who is free to make his own rules. And, that freedom to create something which can be any damn thing (to the point where you are able to convince the readers about the world you have created) is the beauty of this profession.

Ravi: What did you edit out of this book?

Rohit: A lot. My self-editing goes for months. I would say I edit my book for minimum ten times. My take on keeping anything in the book is that that particular scene/ line/ word must earn its place to be in the story. For example, in my latest book, I have deleted a chapter where the guy proposes the girl. If the book gets an amazing response, which it already has started receiving, then I and my publisher has planned to add that as a bonus chapter in the novel.

Ravi: How many hours a day do you write?

Rohit: When I am writing a story, then 3-5 hours.

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

Rohit: I guess, for four-five months. After that, I knew I had fallen in love with writing. And, I believe when you are sure that you are in love, then there's no point in cheating with your beloved.

Ravi: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Rohit: It depends on the genre and the characters in the story. For example, since Rishi and Mishika were based in Manali, I had spent a few days at the beautiful hill station. In my opinion, love stories are comparatively easy to research unless you pick up characters that are based in a whole different setup than yours. On the other hand, researching for a thriller novel is a herculean task. While penning down a thriller recently, it took me a couple of months just to do some research about the characters, preparing the outline, thinking of proper character arcs, etc. I think it will take me a few more months of research as I bring that book to its completion.

From understanding the character, his/ her mindset, to staying true to the characters, places where the story is set- research for me involves a lot of things. Storytelling is all about making the readers believe in the world you have created. If the characters are kissing each other standing on a Goa beach, a reader must feel the sand, water beneath their feet along with remembering the moment when their beloved's warm, soft lips were locked with theirs'. Otherwise, what's the point? So, research is a key aspect for me.

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

Rohit: Traditional plus innovative. According to me, it should be a combination of these two things. Marketing should make your end-user think along with making them relate to what you are saying or showing them. Also, it must tell the consumers (readers in my case) correctly about what the product (book) is about, so that they get what they paid for. In my case, I try to give them even more than what they had paid for, always.

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

Rohit: One finished, one half-finished.

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

Rohit: Actually, it didn't. My process is the same as it was then, with improved writing skills (at least, I think it improved). It's just that every day you learn something new and get ahead in this extraordinary journey of storytelling.

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

Rohit: Start writing earlier. And, read more fiction novels too.

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

Rohit: There are lots of them. It's always good to be in touch with people of the same profession who are growing and are also wanting you to grow. We don't discuss story and plots much. But, we surely discuss marketing, current trends and industry as a whole.

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

Rohit: It's a mix of both.

Ravi: What advice do you have for writers?

Rohit: As I already said this answered above - Read, write. You can also read a blog post on the subject which is on my website.

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

Rohit: I like the interviews you conduct. You always get to learn a lot from interviews of successful people. I love to read them wherever I can find them.

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

Rohit: 'No Matter What... I will always love you!' is a romantic thriller that will make you laugh and cry and be amazed and hooked to the story - all at the same time. In the book, I had tried to bring out the true meaning of love along with showing the helplessness of us humans, when we don't see light at the end of a tunnel. If you have ever been in love and want to know what it really takes to stay there, you should read this book.

To Know more about Rohit's No Matter What.. I Will Always love you! check out this link

Thanks to Rohit 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.