Mohit Goyal is a full-time entrepreneur and a part-time author and intends to reverse the roles over the next decade. He’s the author of Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0.
Q: Why do you write?
My biggest inspiration comes from heartfelt love for entertainment and stories. I think books are the most original form of entertainment (going back to our scriptures and ancient epics) and I always find myself more drawn towards a good book than partying or going out etc.
Q: Your favourite word?
Hope. One simple word with so much depth. I would like to quote a dialogue from the movie Shawshank Redemption: “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good things ever dies.”
Q: Describe your favourite writing space.
At present I rely more on the couch of my neighbourhood café. The space keeps on changing, depending on the stage of my story. If I am very clear about what next 10-pages are going to be about, then I don’t mind chaos around me. Otherwise, I prefer a completely silent environment.
Q: Do you have a writing schedule?
Unfortunately, not yet. I am not very proud about it and am trying to develop one. I rather keep a deadline for the entire manuscript of three-months of writing time.
Q: Ever struggled with writer’s block?
All the time. Actually it happens all the more to people who don’t have a writing schedule. If you restart after a gap, you often fall short of words or plot connectivity. Again I try to be strict.
Q: Do you keep a diary?
I do keep a diary and try to scribble random thoughts in it. Or sometimes a quote that I like. I even jot down important character traits of people that I play with in my storyline.
Q: What inspires you to write? Do you have a secret trick, or a book/author that helps?
Two things. One is a very selfish thought of leaving behind a legacy. And I hope 50 years later, my books will still be around in some library (or whatever the concept of reading then). I hope someone will pick them up and is able to relate to at least some bits of my work with his/her life. It’s a very liberating thought.
Second is the fact that you get to decide what happens next. For example, if you want to make a sexy girl fall for a fat guy then you can do it in your story.
You want to call a war upon your enemy nation you are free do it.
You want life to shift to moon and beyond, you can make taxes disappear from countries, you can make eating pizzas as the answer to obesity and cholesterol, you can make your wildest imaginations come to life because its your story. The power of writing can elevate you into your make-believe and ideal world, even if it is for a few days.
Q: Best piece of advice you’ve ever got?
It’s easier to become something. Difficult part is to sell.
Q: Coffee/tea/cigarettes — numbers please — while you are writing.
I am a big-time coffee person. Even when not writing, I can easily gulp down 4-5 cups in a day and still want more. While actually writing, I usually don’t drink any at although I do have one before I sit down to write. I am rather furious at the computer.
Q: Which books are you reading at present?
Currently none. While writing if I read something, I tend to get influenced by the author’s style and end up diluting my own. So I don’t read books during the writing period. Last good book I read was Lost Horizon.
Q: Who are your favourite authors?
I usually prefer Indian authors; our talent diaspora is good enough. My favourite author is Zubin J. Shroff and I specially loved his book The Gandhian Adventures. It’s a light satire and I love the simplicity of his writing.
Q: Which book/author should be banned on grounds of bad taste?
I am not saying this because criticising Chetan Bhagat has become a fad, but seriously using sex to sell your books (One Indian Girl) is not cool at all. The guy is considered as father of Indian mass-fiction and owes a lot more responsibility towards his success and fans. I have read all his books, but skipped this one.
Q: Which is the most under-rated book?
Most of them. Actually good books are like Bollywood’s parallel cinema of 1970s and ’80s. People appreciate it but they don’t become popular or make money.
Q: Which are your favourite children’s books?
Good old R.K. Narayan’s Swami and Friends. It was the first book I liked and its stories are still fresh in my heart. It is the book I am going to gift to my son as well when he turns seven or eight.
Q: Which classics do you want to read?
Actually I am looking forward to reading Frankenstein.
Q: Who is your favourite literary character?
The protagonist from The Inscrutable Americans, named Gopal Kumar, heir of hair-oil tycoon in India. His curiosity to explore life amazed me.
Q: Which is the funniest book you have read?
I liked The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor. It is not an in-your-face comical, but satirical take on our democracy.
