8-days to launch of 'Small Town Bigger Dreams' paperback - Memoirs Author Kanika

Hello everyone, welcome to the 21-day live challenge, and today is day 13 of 21-day live challenge. And yeah, if you do not know, I have taken a 21-day live challenge where I go live on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and I share something or other related to the Small Town Bigger Dreams, or in general about book writing, authoring, marketing, and talking about some other book. Now today's, uh, today's discussion is gonna be special, and I said discussion purposefully because I've got a special guest with me, uh, who is— if I talk about her introduction— is a HR professional by the day, author by the night. Kanika is the graduate of the prestigious SRiram College of Commerce and also the best-selling author of Bikram and Vithal, as well as Memoir, which was a global Kindle bestseller. Further, she's also authored 5 bestseller anthologies of different genre. Few of her anthologies are in pipeline, including 3 global projects. She was featured twice on All India Radio and other platforms like Delhi Poetry Slam, I Ink Magazine, Inspire, Bindas, Befikre, Abo Da Vartis, etc. She's also a book reviewer on different platforms. So let's welcome Kanika. Welcome Kanika, welcome to this live. Thank you so much for joining.

Thank you, Haritosh Srivastav. That's such a lovely introduction, and thank you for having me tonight. Um, I mean, it's nighttime in Indian Sun— Sun time, so thank you for having me on your show, and I look forward to this discussion. Let's start.

Let's start. Thank you so much. So, Kanika, I recently finished your book, and one of the things I wanted to see— that typically books are one or different genre, and when— but when I went through your memoir, it was like a combination, like we call khichdi in Hindi. It was, uh, it has got poetry, it has got prose, and then in prose also you have got short stories, you've got non-fiction How did this all came about? How, how did you come up with this whole idea of having a combination?

I'm, I'm kind of a person who never been a very big follower, a very big fan of conformity. And it has so happened also, like, you know, you can call it a series of fortunate or unfortunate events that my life has not been, um, you know, a very conventional, conformed kind of a life, you know. Like I always say that, um, I, I graduated in chemistry, I wanted to do research, but it so happened that I, you know, got into MBA. I did my MBA in global business but somehow got into HR profile while working in, uh, in corporate, and that to learning and development. Then I switched to writing. So it has been a very not mainstream kind of a life, and that's how I, you know, I, when I, when I came to Instagram, I, I, you know, chose this handle called Kanika_not_mainstream because I, I really don't like mainstream things. I mean, be it food, be it reading, be it TV shows or web series, some— somehow mainstream does not appeal to me. So, oh, when it came to writing a book also, I wanted to do something unconventional, and it was not like, you know, I had planned to do it unconventional. But all these stories, you know, these are part of all these platforms that you mentioned that I've been part of or have been featured on. So all these stories, I wanted to give a platform to my audience, to people who love me, who want to read more of my works, so they don't have to, you know, really find the link to XYZ website or, you know, so-and-so magazine. They can all be written collectively in a book. So when I thought of this idea, people say, no, you know, you— why don't you do it in parts? Like, you first, you know, do a collective of poetry that you've sent across, and then maybe next book may— can be a short story. So I thought, but why? Why not we can have a collective kind of a thing? Why can't we break this, you know, generalization that poems and prose cannot be together, or fiction or non-fiction cannot be in the same book? And when I thought about it, this really you know, was an enterprising idea for me. So I thought, yeah, let's go ahead with this. And so Memoirs happened.

Amazing, amazing. Now I do have to ask, when you're not audible, Haritosh Srivastav, uh, can you hear me now?

Not audible.

All right, uh, is it better now?

Hello?

Okay, give me one second. Can you hear me now?

It is better.

Okay, yeah, you know, technology. Anyways, so I had to ask this question because typically people follow a format while writing a book. Whether it's the— it's the poem, it's the prose, or non-fiction, fiction. And I had my own way of writing. I used to set up a particular time. So while you were doing this memoir, did you follow one particular format, like this is how I'm gonna write the everything, or did the writing pattern also change based on the thing that you're gonna know?

So that's what I'm telling you, um, about me. I am— I am highly spontaneous. I, I cannot— like, I cannot lead a pattern. That's Maybe you can say for some people it's a challenge. For some people who look, look at, you know, beyond the challenging part of it, find it very amusing of me, but I cannot follow a pattern or something. So it's like for me, even, you know, when I see something, maybe I'm just, you know, going out for groceries and I see a cobbler and some something comes in my mind, I want to write it about that cobbler. I'll, I'll come home and, you know, It is so strange, there will be lines running in my mind and I'll immediately pen it down thinking, you know, I might forget some of the good lines that I'm instantly feeling about that. For me, poetry or prose is very, very emotion-driven. I can't— maybe the difference is that you've written a book which is more of, you know, has elements of fiction and non-fiction. I mean, fiction being anecdotes from your life and non-fiction aspect being it reaches, it gives a message, it gives you know, life hacks. It gives motivation to people who are from small towns and trying to do something big. But for me, whatever I write is, you know, non-fiction, is very basic, is about beauty in the mundane, like I've said a couple of times. So I can't really, you know, meh, if even if I try, I can't really find a time and write about it because it has to be spontaneous for me when I feel that emotion. Then only I can pour the lines out. And it has happened with me that sometimes, you know, I was observing a situation and it was generating certain emotion. I wanted to write down those lines, but you know, it is life and some other priority took over. I could not remember those lines and I eventually could have to let go of that particular prose or piece that I wanted to write in that point in time.

So yeah, it's really interesting, right? Even though I was trying to do structured writing, at times while I'm jogging or while I'm taking a shower, I'll get something that this might be something which is interesting. And that's what people say, that when you are not really focusing on writing, or for that matter, anything that consumes a lot of brain, that's where a lot of these ideas come. And what's important is to capture those, write it in a notepad or note it on a phone or something. Because those ideas, as spontaneous as they come, they also flow out of your brain in no time. And then you'll be like, what was I thinking about? And you must have missed something which could have been very, very pathbreaking or something like that. Now my next question to you is, you were one of those people who have read the Small Town Bigger Dreams, the Kindle version, and you posted a review as well. So what has been your first impression to say? And what did you think about Small Town Bigger Dreams?

Um, see, this, this particular topic, uh, Haritosh Srivastav, is close to, you know, millions of people and their heart because India is made up of small towns. You know, like somebody said, I think Mahatma Gandhi said that India lies in its villages and towns and everything. So even, you know, even the big cities and metros are, you know, developed and are populated and have been made metros by these people who, you know, left some of it, some of their roots, and some of, some of, some part of it they carried it along, made a mixed culture. Even if you see, I'm from Delhi. Delhi has such a beautiful mixed culture. It does not have a culture of its own, and yet it's a melting pot of so many beautiful cultures. We have UP, we have Haryanis, we have Punjabis, we have people from, you know, every, everywhere, northern and eastern part and everywhere. So, and that has become eventually the culture of Delhi. So talk about small, uh, small towns and bigger dreams. It's, it's essentially an idea, um, a content that is close to everyone's heart. So first thing that was there, then I, I really loved how you've picturized the entire book in, in nutshell in your cover. I just loved it. It, you know, very clearly speaks of a person, you being in the background, you're cut out. And how, you know, from small town, uh, you know, we see a glimpse of small towns, all those wires and roads. And then I can also remember, you know, uh, when I used to visit my grandparents and everyone. And then suddenly in the background, big skyscrapers. Okay, so yeah, it tells about the journey that you've made very beautifully in, in a very, you know, quick, uh, can. And then, um, talking about the book, I really— because I am a learning and development expert, so, you know, we, we pay a lot of heed, we pay a lot of importance to the, you know, to having a mentor in life. So I really immediately, I feel connected with the, with that particular chapter when you, you know, you say that be shameless when seeking a mentor and you also have to return. To the society. So, you know, don't be afraid also to be a mentor to someone. So, uh, that was really— I really loved the entire idea and the book, and I hope you write more such, um, you know, content and more such books.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Kanika. I love that. Uh, so what's next for Kanika? You have written, uh, so many anthologies, have done so much book reviews, you have written 2 books now, all of -authored alone. So what, what's next for Kanika?

Well, um, I, I am now taking my time, uh, maybe reading some of the books. And, uh, I, I want to now switch on to full, full-fledged novel kind of a thing. A lot of my author friends, they also, you know, when we discuss work, when we discuss upcoming projects, they say that, you know, now should you— should write a full-fledged novel. Like, my first book was a novella, very short, um, some 100-odd pages book. Memoirs is again 140 words something, and it's a collection of short stories. So essentially I've not written something like a 200-page turner novel or something. So that's maybe— I'm, I have a story in mind, it's just that I want to, uh, you know, sketch it better. And that's a challenge for me because we just discussed that I really find it hard to, you know, to sort of have a structured kind of writing. So yeah, but then I will definitely give it a try.

Awesome, awesome. I know we have limited time, so this is going to be my last question to the author, Kanika. What is that one message that you want to give to any small-towner that they are having— those are having bigger dreams? What is that message that you want to pass on to them?

Don't, um, don't ever lose on your bigger dreams because of any, um, you know, obstacle, uh, be it, um, be it the fear of going to bigger towns or bigger cities, or be it the fear of, um, you know, not knowing the global language or, or anything, you know, just have confidence and faith in yourself and things will work out for you.

Thank you. Have confidence and have faith, that will drive you to the— your bigger dreams. Thank you so much, author Kanika. It was great to have you here, and we look forward to your next book. And I will be doing some book reviews for you. Book— I loved your last book, Memoirs. I've not read the Vikram Mittal, but I love that Memoirs, and I have some of my favorite chapters. I'll probably post it later once I get a little free. But thank you so much for joining today.

Sure, thank you so much for having me, Haritosh Srivastav.

Thank you. So that was author Kanika Sarma, and this was day 13 of 21-day live challenge, and I'll be back tomorrow Until next time, keep learning, keep growing, and keep going out of your comfort zone. If you have not yet booked or pre-ordered the copy, feel free to go to Amazon and look for Small Town, Bigger Dreams. Thank you so much. I'll see you tomorrow, maybe with another interesting guest. Thank you so much. Have a good rest of the day.