The protests on the streets of the capital following the infamous Delhi gang rape two years ago inspired Ravinder Singh’s latest book, Your Dreams Are Mine Now . “When the youth of the country began protesting for better security for women in the country, I thought that things will change for the better.”
He adds, “Two years on, not much has changed on the ground. This book is my effort to reignite the spirit of those protests and the underlying message. It is a fictional tale set against the backdrop of the protests in Delhi with university politics also playing a part. My first book was a tribute to my dead girlfriend and ensured that my mortal tale became immortal. With this book, I hope that these protests assume a different meaning and inspire the youth to bring about change on the ground.”
In the age of social media, people are more aware and quick to latch on to the main issues facing the country. “Around a decade ago, you could not imagine such massive campaigns gaining traction in such a small time frame. The advent of the social media has changed the way we communicate and ensured that word spreads quicker than ever before. Anyone who wants to understand the youth of the country, needs to be on social media.”
Unlike his earlier books, which were mainly autobiographical Your Dreams... is a completely fictional tale. “There are aspects of my personality that have been passed on to one of the protagonist. This book has instances
“I saw on television and is not a reflection of the incidents of my own life. It is my first book written in a third person narrative. I hope the readers like this change.”
Indian writing in English is growing by leaps and bounds and has inspired Ravinder to start a publishing house to help get young debut authors published.
“I look for a good story that makes an attempt to break stereotypes and has a good message. I do not believe a heavy vocabulary makes a great book. As long the grammar is fine, a simple tale works. The reading experience will vary. Bad books will not sell.”
Does he write with an ending in mind? “Not really, I have a rough idea in my mind when I start writing a book. However, I do incorporate changes from time to time. I try to ensure that the message I want to put out does not get lost. I have a sense of the main protagonist and other primary characters. Incidents that happen in my life also occasionally affect the story flow.” Ravinder does not finish a book in one go. “I take many breaks, suffer from the occasional writer’s block and take almost a year to finish a book. It is only when I am in the mood to write, that I make an effort.”
He says, “I grew up in a small village in Orissa and reading was not an activity that was very popular then. It was only in college in Bidar that I started to read newspapers on a regular basis. I am not an avid reader. I like talking about social issues facing the country. I want to inspire the youth of the country.”
Was quitting a job at Microsoft for a career in writing a tough call? “Yes, I thought about it for almost three months. I was working in my dream company and earning a lot of money. I was scared at leaving it all behind.”
He adds, “However, I felt that working on my own and starting a publishing house for young Indian authors and making an effort to bring a change through books would be a better option than a 9 to 5 job. That helped me make the shift.”
