The Interview - Harish Chidambaram
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What inspired you to start writing?
When I was in Elementary. I was watching these Hanna Barbera Cartoons and was truly enjoying them. I said to my parents I wanna do that. My Parents said to animate that you need to find a story, where and how are you going to find a story? I Immediately said I will write myself. My Parents said very nice, go for it. That's how it all began.
Can you describe your writing process?
Glimpses-Vision-Sketch-Ideas-Outline-Plot-Construct Story-Write.
What’s the most challenging part of writing for you?
Constructing a Final Showdown Ending with adding twists and twirls in the middle.
How do you develop your characters?
Its a tricky thing! also Fun too. I first vision a costume and imagine what sort of profile will suit the costume and then think hey that's cool what do we call her or him. Okay that's a nice name so what makes them great? Super Sandy a character of my Book for example, what makes her Super? She can do all these amazing things, Oh, that's great! How is she able to do what she is able to do? what's her story? Then the ideas come this is her background, this is her story, this is how she does it. Then I think what are her limitations? what is her vulnerability Super Sandy for example Putrified toxicated erratic food is her weakness. Great so you can poison her and make her lose powers, Okay who should poison her and why so the entire story begins to construct itself on its own. Building an environment arround the character.
What’s your favorite book that you’ve written, and why?
All Books of mine are my favorite. Specifically I would say 3000 ACE because there is no concept of money in the lifestyle of the people in the book. People in the Book do things because they are passionate about it. They get free food because the concept of Money in the year 3000 ACE of my Book has vanished.
Who are your biggest influences as a writer?
Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Lee Falk, Oscar Wilde, Baroness Orczy, L. Frank Baum
How do you handle writer’s block?
It depends under what situation it occurs. Sometimes you have to leave it, anyhow you have to accept what you are going through and say to yourself what you are going through didn't fell out of the sky its absolutely normal for you to have. acceptance is the key to move on or evolve from it.
What do you hope readers take away from your books?
Getting Spiritually Elevated and stop giving useless advice to children and rather encourage them in growing what they think and what they are doing.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write First.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?
It feels like God! You can bring back anyone alive anytime to any story of yours.
If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be?
No answers for ifs and buts. No author is going to have dinner with me reading this interview so Forget it.
What are you currently working on?
I don't have the habit of revealing my work before it releases so, let's just say I am working on a couple of YouTube live action shows and few comic books in pipeline and Pulp Fiction Illustrated Novels.
Do you have any quirky writing habits?
Yeah I spoof my own characters. I spoof all my other favourite characters too.
What’s your favorite genre to write, and why?
Superheroes because they fly and protect the world. Bring Happiness to people.
How do you balance writing with the other aspects of your life?
I don't. You don't balance between inhalation and exhalation, you go with its own flow. Like wise. I go with the flow.
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your work?
All positive compliments are best compliments. You can't choose between inhalation and exhalation.
If your book were turned into a movie, who would you cast?
I have turned a few books into animated movies. a.i. movies too. We will see about it when my book turns into a movie. let's not worry about it now. I may have someone in my mind now, but I may change it later on.
How do you celebrate when you finish a book?
Yay!
What’s your writing kryptonite?
Lack of Ideas at times. I guess?
What do you want your legacy as an author to be?
Nothing. I do what I do and I love what I do that's it. I don't think too much and waste my brain cells.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?
The fact that I know so much and pretend like I know nothing because I have forgotten about it. You know Percy Blackney pretends to be a dull headed fool so that no one finds out he is Scarlet Pimpernel. Atleast he is conciously pretending, I don't even know I am pretending coz I forget the wisdom the knowledge I gain through meditation sometimes when I am in deep psychological trauma, if there is any real life personal situation comes up. After Overcoming it, I forget with what wisdom I overcame it. I forget everything and Think that's all I am, But when I read my books I realize I know that much? So I consider important to read my books and brush myself once in 3 months. You see motivation stays for 3 days. These may last longer.
How do you handle negative reviews or criticism?
Thanks for noticing me. :D I feel very important because, you took your precious time out of your busy life to scold me. :D
If you weren’t an author, what career would you have pursued?
I was clearly not an Author before publishing my 1st Book and I was persuing my passion of screenwriting and direction been quiet successful in it. I still continue to, Just got even more bigger projects to add in my credentials that's it.
Do you write by hand or use a computer?
Computer
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Write.
How do you name your characters?
I think I already answered this question?
Have you ever based a character on someone you know?
A Few times. Most of them are Supervillainesses. :D
How do you stay motivated to write?
I honestly don't know How I do it. How I stay motivated. I just do it. I get visions all the sudden, I get Ideas about it, construct a story and I just get on with it. AI could be a thing you know? I realized my sketches are hyper realistically colored when I give it to ai. So you see your characters life like that could be a thing.
What’s your writing kryptonite (biggest distraction)?
Making my Animated Series. While I write I always feel isn't that better if we go visual more than getting stuck with literature? Then I come back to what I am doing and prioritize literature because there are no budget limitations like films in the book, you can be as imaginative as you wish in books. There is no post production complications like the movies.
Which book of yours was the most difficult to write, and why?
Super Sandy coz I did not know how to drive the plot after the first half. suffered a lot to come up with why question. And today surprisingly it's such a good read and someone is saying I can hold 5000 crore souls with that book, somebody is saying I wanna have a waist like that heroine, which is surprising. Little do they know I suffered a lot to drive that plot from the middle.
If you could rewrite one of your books, which one would it be and why?
I haven't thought about it in that direction yet. Once its done its done. That's it. Untill the book gets published I think about it but once its out I don't think about rewriting it.
What’s your ideal writing environment?
A true creator will not even hear a bomb blast when he is idea ting. So I don't care, even if I am in a chaos. coz I will build a story out of a chaos imagining a man experiencing silence in a highly busy street because he is meditating. simple. I don't have an ideal environment.
What’s a fun fact about you that most readers wouldn’t know?
I am an active person who loves spending time with babies and do all those exciting things a kid does.
How do you celebrate your book launches?
Yay!
Do you believe in writer’s block? How do you overcome it?
There is nothing to believe or disbelieve, Simple if it happens to you believe it, acknowledge it, accept it and you will overcome it. Acceptance is the key to overcome anything. If it doesn't happen to you and you don't believe it. it's fine. good for you. Your having a good time celebrate it. Simple.
If you could live in one of your book’s worlds, which one would it be?
I am not going to live in my book's world right now so forget it. Let's see when it happens.
How do you decide on a book’s title?
It depends on the story. 3000.ACE for example I could also name it Messiah. But no one would ever understand the core plot of it. The core plot happens because of 3000. ACE Events so in here the year is predominant. Look for that which is predominant in your storyline. That's what I do to decide a title.
What’s the best fan interaction you’ve ever had?
There is a sweet lady from America and a man in my local city. She is such a hardcore fan admires me respects me and he is such a true seeker who seeks to be a writer shows me all his films asks my personal opinion and tries to correct it sincerely. These are true blessings.
If you could co-write a book with any author, who would it be?
I don't have the answers for Ifs and Buts. No one's gonna ask me to co-write reading this interview that's for sure. Also being a screenwriter in the film and television I would never be comfortable co-writing with anyone.
How do you keep track of your ideas?
Yeah that could be a thing. Coz you gotta see a lot of aspects which is involved around it, I mean the mode, the mood of the Book, the treatment of writing every aspects need to be taken care before you get to write the sequel even though you get the idea of what could be the sequel when you are writting the first one. I still refer my Book 1 Book 2 Before I write my Book 3. Just to understand myself better and in what kind of a mindset I wrote the book, what treatment did I give it, what was the moods of the characters, In what mode the genre travels and then I get the grip of it, The grip of the same status of mind, track of my mind during that time of writing and catch the spine of it to continue. People may ask Even if it's my own book? Especially if it's my own book its very very important for me to do so because, people get into a state of Envy or Pride, when it comes to writing their own book sequel and may cause blunder in the continuum. So self critical review is very important for me.
Do you write with a specific audience in mind?
Uh! I stopped having specific audience in mind because, I originally wrote for 13 to 30. But my Books are enjoyed by 50 plus American people because I remind them of their childhood when they read these sort of books. So my Idea is currently just enjoy the story you are writting that's it.
What do you love most about connecting with your readers?
The very fact that they read my book.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Like I said I don't have answers for ifs and buts. These are not going to happen, I mean Time Machine is not real let's face it. Then why waste my precious time giving useless advice to my younger self who is neither going to hear it nor going to work on it?
How do you choose your book covers?
I follow Jack Kirby's advice. Jack Kirby always picks up the cover page from the middle of the comic book story because that's where you find the essence of it.
What’s next on your writing journey?
I've got Comic Books and Pulp fictions in the pipeline, I'm confused which to release first. :D
How do you approach world-building in your stories?
I always blend the characters close to the real world we are in so that anyone can relate themselves to.
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve received from a reader?
Any feedback that is positive are best. you can't differentiate between two eyes, two legs, two hands of yours and say which is better.
How do you handle balancing multiple projects at once?
I just prioritize as per the deadlines of it that's it.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever researched for a book?
Some of the Primitive Tribes rare to be seen can bring back people alive. My Master Yogananda brought back a lot of people alive.
How do you deal with self-doubt as a writer?
I am very very self critical about myself since I started knowing things in my childhood so for me its easy. I always have this Yellman in my mind yelling at whatever I am doing is wrong. :D I now know to prioritize what Mr. Yellman is yelling about.
Do you read reviews of your books? Why or why not?
I do. Simply because its boring not to see anyone noticing you and your work. Good reviews or bad reviews that doesn't matter they notice you that's it. It's a big thing when someone notices you. Celebrate it.
How do you prepare for book signings or public readings?
I haven't signed any of my books publically nor have I done any public readings so, I don't know.
What’s a writing challenge you’d like to tackle someday?
So far I have tackled the challenges I know like depicting a background music in writting, visual descriptions, pictoral descriptions of scenes. These are few things which others think as challenges that I have tackled effortlessly. Yes I am literally blowing up my trumpet here.
Which of your characters do you relate to the most?
I haven't published that one yet, its on the publication pipeline.
Do you prefer writing standalone books or series?
Both
What’s the most rewarding part of being an author?
I think the question is rephrased from an already asked one. I have answered this already I guess?
What’s the hardest decision you’ve had to make while writing a book?
Nothing! Its a fictional story, why worry about it to find it hard? If you are finding hard decisions to make in a fictional story you need immediate medical attention, coz you are mentally not sound.
Do you outline your books, or are you more of a ‘pantser’?
I don't know what's a Pantser so Yeap there is an Outline page before my chapters begin and in the back of the paperback cover.
What do you do when you get stuck on a particular scene?
It depends on the scene, the characters the situation of the book, the environment in the scene. Sometimes its good if I stop it and comeback to it after 3 days. sometimes I have to revamp the entire book from scene 1. Sometimes you have to cut down your infinitives. Each Book, Scene, is different. There is no lenear methodology to treat it.
What do you think makes a story truly unforgettable?
It depends on the individual who reads it. So I would say the mindset of the individuals while they read it. In what mindset an individual reads your book is also very important for your book review. If you just had a break up with your girlfriend and she is reading your book you are not going to recieve a good review for your book, even if your book is too good.
What role does research play in your writing process?
A very high priority role. You should not reveal anything without a proper research, that's my way of looking at it even if its a fiction. You can't show in a fiction this blind person had a dummy eyes implanted and the person has see through vision. No you can't do that even if it's a fiction. There has to be a higher sense to it. Like someone wires video camera like a pupil and creates artificial functioning of the eyes through electrical wires and if that is implanted to a person there is some sense to it. But will a body accept wires mixing with your sensory nervous systems? or will it electrify and give you pain to the 600,000 nerves? because our body has liquid which is a very good conductor of electricity, Which is why Research is very very important.
How do you decide which idea to pursue when you have multiple story concepts?
That's a good one. You have to prioritize what are you working on right now first and see if you can use all these ideas in the same concept, If you can't you have to segregate and prioritize what fits the current book you are working on.
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
Nothing. I forget what's happening around me and I get teleported to the world of GC UNIVERSE (my publication) when I write. I will not even know what I am eating or drinking when I write.
How do you find the perfect balance between dialogue and narrative in your books?
I am inspired by Batman and The Phantom Books to find it. Lee Falk writes the story of Phantom through the diaries of previous Phantom and the story materializes it and the dialogues come to existence. Batman has his Super Computer to record his voice diary of a case and the scene materializes to a dialogue conversation. Robert Khan had his wonderful ways in the comic books to depict that. Classic Pulp Fiction Novels of 1930's are always inspiration to do it.
If you could add a new skill to your writing toolbox, what would it be?
I haven't thought of it. If I think of it I won't be saying it I would've been done with it by now.
What’s the one thing you hope readers remember about your books?
The Spiritual Upliftment of the characters.
How do you come up with your book titles?
I have visions of the Lead Protagonist, Then I think of what he can do, So you immedeately think hey that's nice what do you call him and I come up with a name which usually becomes the tittle of my Book. For me its Simple. Because I am doing this since Elementary. I can understand if many say it's difficult.
Do you have a favorite writing quote that inspires you?
Yeah! "Write"
How do you celebrate small writing milestones?
Yay! Since My Pulp Fictions are in the form of illustrated Novel I enjoy sketching the important events in the beginning and end of the chapter to enjoy it more.