Bengaluru hudugi Roopa Pai, who has written over twenty books in varied genres for kids, including the fantasy adventure series Taranuats, says she started writing for children just for the love of writing. The computer engineer-turned-author says Bengaluru, the city she grew up in, has inspired her writing. “I have lived all my life in Bengaluru and I grew up reading books from the stores that are part of the history of the city now. Hence, the city and its people obviously inspired me and my writing in a lot of ways.”
Despite being a a lover of the fantasy genre since childhood and writing some herself, she says she never wanted to use magic unnecessarily in her writing. “Children will listen to any story that is told well with a good plot, crackling dialogue, a great amount of humour, and most importantly, a satisfying conclusion.” she states, adding that the challenge fantasy poses is to maintain logic in the events that happen, apart from being careful in crafting the laws that define the fantasy world.
Beyond world building, Pai says she also makes an effort to keep her characters interesting.
“I would say that in the great tradition of Indian literature, storytelling and philosophy, I try and ensure that none of my characters is all good or all bad. I think it is the shades of grey that make characters interesting, and their struggle to keep the dark side of their natures in control that make readers identify with them. When a character succeeds in making his or her better nature triumph over the baser one, the reader is inspired to do the same in his or her own life.”
Opening up a little about herself, Pai says that she is a passionate Kannadiga, having even tried her hand at translating Kannada poetry into English last year. “This year, I hope to do more of that.”
And what would Roopa Pai be doing if she had not become a writer? “I think I would almost certainly have been a teacher of some kind. What I enjoy doing most is researching a subject thoroughly, and then breaking it down in simple, accessible, and unusual ways so that children and interested adults can understand it better. I have done this through my books and I do it through the history walks I lead for students as part of my job as a tour guide with BangaloreWalks. If I wasn’t writing, I am sure I would have done the same thing anyway, but via a different medium.”
Pai says she has two more books in her kitty that are ought to be out shortly. “I have finished writing a book on life skills for tween and teen kids one about King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara for children.”
