Learning Stories

On Episode 93 of #LearningStories, I chat with Varun Gwalani. He is an author and teacher. He is a 7 time published author whose books span a variety of genres and stories. He has been teaching English and Creative Writing for nearly a decade now. He mentors young authors. He is a mental health advocate who has a TEDx talk on OCD. Finally he runs interactive murder mystery games that have been popular across the country. In this conversation we chat about his creative process and his advice for budding young authors in India. You can find Varun on Goodreads, Amazon and Instagram. Show Chapters (00:02) - Podcast Introduction (00:20) - Guest Background (02:10) - "I was the one always reading a book" (02:20) - "There was a sense of loneliness growing up" (02:40) - "Writing became an outlet for my emotions" (02:50) - When was the first time your writing was recognized? (03:40) - How did you develop the habit of reading as a student? (05:00) - What was your experience studying English Literature at university? (05:15) - On choosing to study the arts (05:45) - Why I found literature fascinating? (06:20) - "I like understanding how the human mind works" (07:10) - "We are one story in the book of humanity and we are all of it" (07:15) - "We are all different but we are all also connected" (09:00) - What was your experience publishing your first book in India? (10:20) - Why writers need to be critical about their work? (10:40) - "So much of writing is about rewriting your work" (12:00) - How do you decide what story idea to convert into a novel? (13:50) - The story behind my second novel (16:00) - "You should write what is meaningful to you and what matters to you" (17:00) - What is your relationship to the characters in your stories? (18:40) - "If I am not emotionally invested in my character than my readers won't be" (19:20) - "Writing needs to interest me" (19:40) - How writers create stories as architects and gardeners? (20:10) - My creative process as a writer (21:00) - The skills of a writer (21:10) - "I taught in a school for 2 years" (21:30) - Writing a story for teenagers and young adults (22:17) - Writing a story set during the pandemic (23:45) - How do your personal biases and experiences come into your stories? (26:00) - "Writers must listen non jugdementally and approach stories with sensitivity" (26:40) - Writing a story set inside a cult (28:00) - The role of sensitivity reader and beta readers (28:30) - Writing about difficult and challenging topics (29:40) - The role and responsibility of the reader (30:22) - Are the author's opinions the same as the character's opinions? (31:22) - How author's market their books today in India? (32:32) - Responding to reader feedback as an author (33:52) - The reality of being an author of English fiction in India (34:00) - Why people are reading more? (35:10) - The challenges of marketing and selling your book in India (36:00) - Can artists find a balance between business and creativity? (37:20) - The process of creating murder mystery games for general audiences (40:00) - What was your experience teaching English and Creative Writing? (42:40) - How does a writer read? Who are your favourite writers? (46:40) - Closing Notes and Connecting with Varun Show Links Varun on Linktree - https://linktr.ee/varung Varun on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7307603.Varun_Gwalani Varun on Amazon - https://www.amazon.in/stores/Varun-Gwalani/author/ Varun on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorvarungwalani/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of #learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable #skills and #knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.