Lemon cupcakes, the Asterix series, research for a new book, and a writing desk with a tiny figure of Buzz Lightyear. These are images that tend to recur in Natasha Sharma’s life as she loves to read, write, bake, dream, and travel.
The author of the popular History Mystery series of books dreamt of owning a bookstore as a child. "As a kid, I've spent many afternoons planning the various sections in my store. I even thought of the activities that I'd conduct at the store way before readings by authors became a regular feature. Most thoughts revolved around the children’s book section," she says.
Natasha also considered being a newsreader ("They seemed to know everything that was going on in the world, in addition to being very articulate."). Eventually, she did an MBA and worked as a brand manager before turning to write books for children.
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The author now makes time to write and research when her children are away at school or after they have gone to bed. She doesn’t have a set pattern to write stories, as each tale has a different starting point.
The planned plots With Icky, Yucky, Mucky, Natasha wanted to write about characters with disgusting habits. For Squiggle Takes A Walk, she knew it would be the story of something on a page having an adventure amidst punctuation. “I sometimes begin with a character or a bunch of them. I then have to figure out what is the problem they are facing and what adventures I am going to take them on. I do like to have some story structure before I begin writing,” she says.
The History Mystery series is a lot more planned as Natasha begins by choosing a period of Indian History and a prominent character from the period. She spends a considerable amount of time in research and earmarks facts that would be fun for children. She then creates the problem and plot using some of these facts.
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In Ashoka and the Muddled Messages, the story hinges on the messages that Emperor Ashoka has left on rocks and pillars. In Razia and the Pesky Presents (scheduled for release in June, 2015), Razia's measures to assert herself as a Sultan while overcoming the prejudice she faced as a woman makes for some hilarious plot points, the author notes.
Her new book Vikram and the Vampire is under production with Young Zubaan. “I’m currently scribbling notes as I research Aryabhata for my fifth History Mystery. I’ve also begun work on the next book with Squiggle, a project that I am most excited about,” she says.