WriterStory Interviews of Writers
Karan Verma is a software engineer and an MBA from IMT Ghaziabad. He is a public speaker across colleges, corporates and an entrepreneur besides being an author.
According to Karan, Jack & Master, his debut novel was declared as ‘National Best Seller’ within 3 months. Published by Rupa Publications, it has had rave reviews from HT, New Indian Express, Bollywood celebs and people across. He has personally been a prolific National Debater winning many nation-wide competitions in school and college. Let us know about his writing.
What inspired you to start writing?
I can’t really trace back the trigger point, but I guess somewhere during my school days, I realised that I had a knack for articulation and story-telling. As a little child, I was really fascinated with the fact that writers can stir up emotions and absorb the reader in a world of their own, through their writing. That to me was extremely empowering and inspiring to begin with.
What did you like to read when you were a boy?
I was never an avid reader to be honest. I was always more pre-occupied knitting my own stories. But yes, the adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hardy Boys and of course Harry Potter was quite a sensation back in school and later college.
What is the greatest challenge in writing a book?
Writing a book is pretty akin to setting up an entire building from scratch, from where I see it. You need truckloads of persistence, discipline and self-belief. You have to nurture the roots i.e the plot here, use the ingredients judiciously and build up towards your vision. The greatest challenge from where I see it is to have the vision to sense how it’s all blending together. Are the penned pages organically and seamlessly integrating themselves in the narrative? Also, having the courage to distance yourself from your own creation and judging where it’s going rather objectively, is a major challenge.
How much research do you do before writing the book?
Jack & Master, primarily is an inspiring story about friendship, passion and glory.So as a subject, it didn’t require that much of a research . However there are some issues like labor rights, corporate social responsibility which are an essential part of the narrative and needed some basic research which pretty much is a part of my routine as a public speaker.
What motivated you to write the book “Jack & Master a Tale of Friendship, Passion and Glory”?
Well my life thus far has been a pretty crazy ride. Honestly though, that’s perhaps how your 20s are supposed to be. I mean, I’ve dabbled in theatre, advertising, writing, public speaking, software engineering..Phew.. So the one proverbial question in my mind was ‘Jack of all’ or ‘Master Of One’, who do I want to be. ‘Rainbow Of Life’ or ‘Pinnacle Of Glory’, what do I seek from life. By the end of the book I think every reader would be grappling with these core questions.
And that’s how these 2 characters ( used as metaphors) – ‘Jack’ and ‘Master’ were born. The motivation was to tell the readers that even though the paths to greatness may vary, the one common string is conviction and self-belief.
Can you tell us more about your latest book “Jack & Master a Tale of Friendship, Passion and Glory”?
Jack & Master at its heart is a pulsating, page turner. I loved the Hindustan Times review and will cherish it for a long time where it calls it ‘The most wholesome novel in recent years’. I think, it’s a fun ride embellished with friendship,romance, college life and amidst all the fun it also makes you look inward and inspires you to embrace greatness in whatever you do.
How did you come up with the idea of writing fiction genre book?
I’ve always wanted to be a story-teller and not just that, my aim is to tell stories which have a Universal appeal and can stand the test of time. One of the reasons why Jack & Master was adjudged a National Best seller is that everyone felt that the theme and content would stand the test of time. For me that really is and will always be the endeavour
Who are your favourite authors?
Ayn Rand, Gregory David Roberts and J.K Rowling are right up there in my top 3.
How much time do you dedicate to writing on a daily basis?
For me writing is never a mechanical routine affair wherein I open my laptop and start punching keys. For me it happens in busts and it only happens when I’m absolutely brimming with an idea or a thought that needs to be penned.
What words of wisdom would you like to give to aspiring writers?
Just stop procrastinating and start putting pen to paper. Write, re-write, evolve but don’t procrastinate and just keep going.
You can buy his book now:
