Deepak Kripal Interview – The Devil`s Gate: An Impossible Journey Book

Deepak is a doctor by profession. He completed his MBBS from GSVM Medical College Kanpur. Great to see doctors who write passionately. Let us know more about Dr.Deepak as a writer and his book.

What inspired you to start writing?

I was an imaginative child and I always had this fascination for good stories. I had heard numerous bedtime stories from my grandfather that left a lasting and palpable influence on my overall personality and psyche. Writing was only a natural progression of the love that I had for good stories. It began in college and grew through my blog. And when I felt that I have a story that should be told to the world, in general, and to story-lovers like me, in particular, I ventured on this beautiful journey of my debut novel (The Devil’s Gate: An Impossible Journey).

What did you like to read when you were a boy?

There was nothing particular actually. I would read and listen to all sort of stories be it champaks, comics, textbook stories, novels, etc. Genre never really mattered to me. It stays the same even today.

What is the greatest challenge in writing a book?

I suppose the greatest challenge is to find a story that is worth telling. Generating an idea that can excite you all through while writing it into a full-fledged story, I believe, is the most difficult part. It becomes a bit easier after that as you start playing with the idea, developing the flesh of the story layer by layer.

How much research do you do before writing the book?

Since mine was a story based on fantasy genre, I had to do more of brainstorming than research, for generating unique, innovative and original ideas. But I still had to do fair bit of geographical and scientific research due to the very nature of my story.

What motivated you to write the book “The Devil`s Gate: An Impossible Journey”?

It’s the central idea of my story that came to me out of blue moon. I found the idea very exciting and felt a sort of compulsion to pen it into a novel. I simply gave up to the temptation!

Can you tell us more about your latest book “The Devil`s Gate: An Impossible Journey”?

One day, animals decide that since we can’t negotiate with the humans about the problem of our ever shrinking habitat, we are left with no choice but to negotiate a deal with the demons for allowing us to co-habit with them. Animals sent a team to an invisible demon land buried in heart of ocean to negotiate the impossible deal. Many felt that such a step could bring the wrath of demons to the animal clan. The team was sent nevertheless. What happens after that makes the heart of story. It is this central idea that my book “The Devil’s Gate: An Impossible Journey” is based upon.

How did you come up with the idea of writing Adventure Fiction genre book?

As I told you, I never see stories as belonging to genres. For me, a story is simply a story. It is the idea that matters more to me than genre. For example, I am currently working on a story that belongs to drama genre.

Who are your favourite authors?

There are many! Paulo Coelho, Khaled Hosseini, Amitav Ghosh, Dan Brown, Eric Segal…the list is endless!

How much time do you dedicate for writing on a daily basis?

I am not a methodical writer and I work more based on my instincts. So, there is no fixed schedule. Moreover, medical profession doesn’t give me that much time to sit for long hours in one go.