Interview with Ujjwala Kakarla, The Author of The Land of Unfree Laborers

Ravi: What’s your favourite short story?

Ujjwala: I love “The Story of the Pencil” from the book “Like the Flowing River” by Paul Coelho. This lovely story never let me discouraged to think life insignificant, but makes me aware of the change. It often encourages me to know that I am a special person and only I can fulfill the purpose to which I am born to accomplish.

Ravi: Best piece of writing advice?

Ujjwala: Writing is an Art of Contemplation. It opens the path of infinity, an inner journey to experience and realize one’s own self.

Ravi: Where do you write?

Ujjwala: Writing doesn’t require a fixed duration. I write whenever I feel inspired to express. I naturally prefer to be alone immersed in silence when spontaneity and reality turn to be my best companions.

Ravi: Where do you get your ideas?

Ujjwala: I derive ideas to pen from my own intuition. Moreover, I feel more and most motivated to obtain ideas from the struggles of mine as well as others preferred to pleasure.

Ravi: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Ujjwala: Writing often energizes and soothes my fatigued spirit. It’s an elixir that heals my mental and physical pain elevating me spiritually.

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

Ujjwala: It takes a minimum duration of three months and a maximum duration of six months to write a book. It also depends on the genre I choose.

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?

Ujjwala: A voracious reader and a traveller before beginning to write.

Ravi: What is your favorite childhood book?

Ujjwala: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, German fairy tale. It often makes me aware of how dangerous a selfish desire is!

Ravi: What are your favorite literary journals?

Ujjwala: I am neither favourable nor unfavourable towards literary journals. I always admire quality oriented journals.

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

Ujjwala: As a writer, I am against showcasing bitter exaggeration or artificiality away from life’s reality.

Ravi: What was your hardest scene to write?

Ujjwala: The hardest scenes for me are the abstract feelings and spiritual symbolism that are beyond my expression.

Ravi: Do you Google yourself?

Ujjwala: Known is a drop and unknown is an ocean. Of course, I am a passionate researcher and like to Google when curious to know about unknown things.

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

Ujjwala: As a writer, I believe in the philosophy of open-mindedness. I don’t miss to express even the minute details I realize as a spiritual seeker. I love to share everything rather than hiding something as secrecy. It’s on the part of the readers to comprehend and realize those secrets.

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

Ujjwala: I feel delighted to read my book reviews. I accept positivity and negativity in an equivalent manner. I have bitter taste for over admiration. I respect honest critical appreciation.

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

Ujjwala: “Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown, a mystery thriller that’s banned by many countries. I sense bitter realistic boundaries of known and unknown facts that have been exposed boldly by the author. I realized there’s no way of separating historical facts from literary fiction.

Ravi: What did you edit out of this book?

Ujjwala: Editing is out of question. The mythic elements within it have given energy to a set of beliefs about the real world, beliefs that fall under the scope of sceptical investigation…

Ravi: How many hours a day do you write?

Ujjwala: There’s no fixed duration I am bound to write. Whenever, I feel inspired to write deeper from within my hands search for a blank paper and pen. Rather than giving priority to hours, I focus more and the most on quality of my thoughts and emotions. I am unaware of the hours I spend when I want to express something in words. Writing is liberty to me so I am not bound to time limitation.

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

Ujjwala: Full-time or part-time seem ridiculous to me. Writing flees beyond these two factors with little difference.

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

Ujjwala: I do research to spiritualize my own self and the society. Research is an art of contemplation for me; whether for long or short duration is meaningless. It’s a never-ending process. Only elevation of my spirit matters to me the most.

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

Ujjwala: I say a big ‘no’ to showcase my writings. It’s strange to boast about my own writings. When a large number of writers are pouring in day by day, it’s confusing for the readers to build up trust on the writers and their writings. However, writers may prefer social media to advertise or market their published books, but they can’t befool the readers to buy their books without quality content. My honesty, reality, creativity, lay man’s Language, sensible and mesmerizing theme and message become the means to market my books.

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

Ujjwala: I have been planning to write a crime thriller. It’s still in the initial stage owing to bitter conditions and lack of time.

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

Ujjwala: Publishing my first book, “Lyrical Whispers of Self” motivated me to write good number of books to position myself as a writer. My Style of individuality continues to be the same in the past and the present.

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

Ujjwala: My own struggles and sweet bitter experiences of life initiated and ignited my younger self letting me write unpremeditated. I think they remain to be the key to unlock my creativity and spontaneity even in the future.

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

Ujjwala: There are many veteran and budding authors who are my friends. I love the writings of Megha Bajaj and she was my mentor a few years ago. Her writings and wow workshop inspired me to tap out my creative skills to become a better writer. I find many fake and plagiarized writers more than honest and noble writers.

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

Ujjwala: I try to be natural, original and spontaneous in thought and expression rather than trying to please or impress the readers. Originality blended with creativity is the hallmark of profound and effective writing. It also delivers the readers what they want.

Ravi: What advice do you have for writers?

Ujjwala: Your writings have to educate the minds and hearts of the readers, heal the wounds of the sick souls and bring about integrity and variety in unity to save the humanity from inviting their self-destruction. Write and stop not till your own soul is elevated.

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

Ujjwala: I like the holistic magazine “Infinithoughts” and recommend the same for the writers. It’s more than a magazine focusing on destiny designing, spirituality, Science, management and leadership. The magazine features regular columns on legendary people who have left their impressions in various walks of life and silent achievers who have scaled great heights against many odds. It touches the readers’ hearts uplifting them deeper and higher in their spiritual quest providing an excellent opportunity to contribute.

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

Ujjwala: My recent book is an anthology of short stories titled “The Land of Unfree Laborers”. It depicts the real life situations of peasants and vendors. I have been the editor and primary author of this book along with a few dynamic, veteran and budding writers. These stories generate empathy, an awareness of peasant’s miseries, and inspire the hearts of the readers to extend their support for the good cause in uplifting the lives of the poor socially and financially through innovative ideas and practical activity. Such unsung heroes have been recognized, appreciated who have never given up their hope and perseverance, but stood firm and prove exemplary to the hopeless folk.

To Know more about Ujjwala's The Land of Unfree Laborers check out this link.

Thanks to Ujjwala 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.