Thursday TAG! - Utsav Mukherjee

(For all of my awesome followers who continue to stop by even though I've been slacking on getting to your blogs to comment: THANK YOU!! I've been trying to get caught up on my writing, revising, and critiquing so I can get back to commenting. It's hectic over here, but I'm getting there-slowly.)

Now on to the TAG! Today is Utsav Mukherjee. He's an awesome guy and writer who I met at...Why yes, of course, AQC! :D You can find him at his blog, Pineapple Lightning (he's lightning, btw) and he's also on Twitter.


1. When did you start writing?
At the age of 11. I started with a rip-off on Secret Seven/Famous Five and then transcended to a fan fiction of the Order of the Phoenix. It had several good plot points, which were quite similar to the actual book (Sirius dying, Fred and George's shop etc.) I had the threads of my current novel when I was 14 and although most of the story has changed since, a few words from that time still remain in my first chapter.

2. What made you want to write?
The joy of reading about a world you can immerse yourself in. I wanted to experience my own world and also, through it spread the joy to others.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
I always had that thought in mind. I love writing but more than that, I love having my works read. For that, publishing is essential. I didn't know anything about the publishing process though and I probably still don't.

4. What genre(s) do you write?
Fantasy and Sci-fi. I don't think I am good for writing anything else, yet.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
You write what you read. And my favourite genre is High Fantasy, although I have ideas for a thriller.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Get a laptop and type! No, not really. Although, I am a slave to my writing moods. I can't get too much done unless I am in one of them.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
A mix of both, I think. Having a vague outline is important, so that you know where you are heading. But then again, ideas keep popping in while you are writing, so I tend to go with the flow.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
Internet. I come up with so many questions while writing, that it is imperative for me to keep researching on topics.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
I used to write on paper when I started off. But college life turned me into one of those desk guys sitting in front of a computer. So now, it's directly on the computer.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
Two books and about ten short stories. None of them have seen the light of day. I may come back to them some day.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
Well, surprisingly no. Everybody always thought I had a way with words. But for me, sometimes writing takes a backseat because of the ten-thousand other equally awesome passions I have. Right now, writing tops the charts.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
I am not much of a social person. Other than Facebook, I have only recently joined twitter.

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
I will keep that on hold because I don't have enough experience to comment. One thing I am comfortable with is long sentences, whether reading or writing, but run-ons seem to be a strict no-no.


14. Why do you write YA?
I don't have an age group in mind when I start writing. I selected the genre first, which was Fantasy/Sci-Fi and I guess it became a YA because I was 14 when I had the preliminary idea for Jimmy, so my writing and my story reflects that. I know, it is a norm to know your target audience because it helps the marketing of the book but we as authors want everyone in all age groups to connect to the story. Harry Potter is read by adults and LoTR is read by teens.

15. Are there many writers in India? (Just curious how common it is for people there to pursue writing)(And I mean this question in no offense at all, btw.)
I am not entirely sure, as to how popular writing for getting published is in India yet. But there are several leading novelists from India like Arundhati Roy (God of Small Things), Aravind Adiga (White Tiger), Chetan Bhagat (Five Point Someone) and a new favourite- Amish (Naga Trilogy).


16. Attorney by day/writer by night...Do the two ever mix/interfere with one another?
Sadly, more than mixing, being a lawyer hampers my writing time. Being on the call 24 hours a day makes it tough to continue writing on a regular basis, especially since I am not a legal drama writer like John Grisham. The one thing that has been a positive impact is my drafting skills have improved.

17. What would you do/think if you stumbled upon an invisible ladder?
Do what my MC did. Climb it and pretend to be Superman. Also I could make money getting other people to get pictures clicked like that.

18. Are there similarities between you and your MC in Averagely Extraordinary?
There are similarities and differences. I was decently well-placed academically and sports-wise and some of my friends, who were at that time not so inclined to study, used to get lectures from their parents. I wanted to put my fantasy of going on an extra-ordinary adventure being in the shoes of an average kid. And my story follows the dictum- Sometimes being average at everything is better than being good in one and bad at others. The desire to be special is strong in all of us. Jimmy wants to be special as well. The story is about how he responds when he understands being extraordinary is not always about being the best.


19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
Usually working, playing table tennis, cooking, academic pursuits and the minimum dose of socialising.

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Try and write so that you can see the events in your mind like a movie. To me, that is the core of writing.

Mention Monday - Book Releases and More

I have quite a few mentions for today...

One, for anyone who does not know it yet...The AWESOME Ali Cross just released her second book in the Desolation Series. AND to make this even more awesome? I'm having a GIVEAWAY!!! So, click RIGHT HERE to go enter for a chance to win not only an eBook of DESOLATE, but an eBook of BECOME (book one in the Desolation Series) as well. And then check Ali's website out for all the awesomeness that is her. :D

Next up, a friend of mine from AQC has a book that was just released on Amazon yesterday. THE MAGIC IN THE RECEIVER by Paul Dillon. Paul is an awesome guy and his book sounds intriguing. It will take you on a journey to the beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia.  Check it out. :)

Another announcement of sorts for myself...I've signed up for a blogfest hosted by the awesome ladies over at Falling For Fiction. The fest is called Hookers and Hangers-things like this title is part of what makes that group of ladies so awesome. (The little picture there on the left-perhaps you may need to scroll down a little-will send you to the linky list if you'd like to sign up). On next Monday (July 16) I'll be posting my 'hookers'-The first sentence of each chapter from my MS, CREATED: WITH LOVE. And then, on Wednesday (July 18), I'll post my 'hangers'-The last sentence of each chapter. It's exciting, so come back by next week and check it out. :)

Now I want to mention a few people/blogs/books-some I've mentioned before, but they're awesome enough that I'd like to give them another shout-out...

Lori Sjoberg: I had a Thursday TAG! with her a few weeks back and she didn't have any links yet. Now, she has a Facebook and a website. Check 'em out. Lori is AWESOME!

Kendra Conine: I just did a TAG! with her last Thursday and she's still building her blog following, so check her out if you haven't yet.

SC: He's a writer and also a new Tweep and blogger. I can only give you his initials because that's all I know. (He likes to be anonymous at the moment. :p  ) But he's still awesome, so check him out.

Utsav M and Brighton L: These two witty characters have their blog, Pineapple Lightning. The blog is still new and they're building a following. Plus, they like to do query crits and author interviews.

Jacqueline Gardner: I've not mentioned her in a while. I have a TAG! with her here though, so check that out. Also, she's got a few books out...Mutiny, Thoughtless, Jade, and Crystal. I've got Mutiny and Thoughtless on my TBR, but I can say that her short stories-Jade & Crystal- are great reads.

Jean Oram: This awesome lady has been a topic in a few posts. She's the super mod over at AQC. She's an awesome writer, who also (if I'm remembering correctly) has a short story coming out in an anthology. (I'll post about that anthology when it's out. :)  ). She also did a TAG!-here- and she's got a Facebook page and website all about fun activities to do with the kids in your life. (Her site is for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and anyone else who has a child in their life in anyway. Plus, some of the activities on her It's All Kids Play site are fun in general. Maybe just some ideas for the kid at hear. ;)  ). So, check her out as well.

That's going to wrap up my mentions for today. I think I've done enough. There are always a ton of people I want to talk about, so if I don't cut myself off I'd go on and on. :D

I hope y'all have an AWESOME Monday!

Happy Mentioning. :)