“I started writing The Seven Daggers when I was 12 years old. I have always been very fond of reading and writing, and once I had the story in my head, it evolved as I kept writing,” says the 17-year old author, Malvika Misra who was born in Belgaum, and now lives in New Delhi.
Malvika has always enjoyed adventure and mystery stories, so she was very keen on writing an adventure novel ever since she was a little girl, which is the reason why she based the main characters in her books around that age group too. “It helped me understand how to create characters and their respective behaviour, actions and reactions,” she says.
But apart from her own book, this voracious reader can’t make up her mind about her favourite list! She says her favourites are, The Book Thief, Murder On The Orient Express, Malory Towers and To Kill a Mockingbird. “One thing they all have in common is that they are all fiction, whether it is adventure, crime, or comedy. Fiction gives the writer the power to do anything,” explains Malvika.
The Seven Daggers -Book Cover
Most of all, she adores Agatha Christie! She says, “I love her style of writing. If I met her, I would have loved to ask her, ‘What do you think are the ingredients to make the perfect plot for a mystery novel?’ Because there is nothing more exciting than gripping suspense and mystery in a great novel.”
Her father’s transferrable job was quite overwhelming as they hopped from one city to another but she feels, “Each place offered me new experiences but the best part was making more friends along the way.” She has lived in numerous cities, and just moved to Delhi a couple of years ago, and it has been a good experience.
The 17-year-old also is quite good at golf and likes to play the sport whenever she gets the time. Asking her about what she has been up to lately, she adds, “I’m learning Kuchipudi at the moment. Although, nowadays, I don’t have much time to pursue it as I’ve been busy studying for my board exams.” Studies have got her more than occupied these days!
Back to her book, she describes why Peter Thomas is her favourite character, “I find him very humorous and mysterious. He becomes someone who the other characters can depend on and trust. Another fictional character that I like would be Mary Poppins. She has always been a favourite as she is fun and peculiar!”
In the future, she plans to write a sequel to The Seven Daggers and also try her hand at other genres for different age groups. She also hopes to get recognition for her writing and would also like to trek around the country with her friends, “As there is a lot to explore, see and learn,” Malvika concludes.
