Bits Pilani
I recently had the opportunity to speak with the creative writing students at the prestigious BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus. Invited by Mr. Tony, I spent an afternoon discussing children's literature, storytelling, and the writing process with a group of thoughtful and curious young writers.
Rather than giving a formal talk, the session unfolded as a conversation. The students asked insightful questions that encouraged me to reflect on my own journey as a writer.
How do you understand children as readers?
I spoke about how children are often far more perceptive and open than we imagine. They are willing to enter unfamiliar worlds, meet unusual characters, and consider new ideas without hesitation. At the same time, writing for them requires care. Stories need to be engaging, but they also need to be honest and meaningful.
I also shared the importance of giving children agency in stories. I want young readers to encounter characters who are capable of making decisions, solving problems, and finding their own way forward.
How do your stories begin?
I explained that stories rarely arrive fully formed. They usually begin as a small spark, a character, a place, or a question that refuses to leave me alone. I carry these ideas with me for a long time, often thinking about them long before I sit down to write. In many ways, the writing process feels less like following a plan and more like slowly discovering something that was waiting to be found.
How much of yourself goes into your work?
I reflected on how every writer leaves traces of themselves in their stories. The landscapes we love, the people we meet, and the experiences that stay with us often find their way onto the page.
At the same time, a story cannot exist only for the writer. It must also make room for the reader. It needs to offer them something to think about, feel, or connect with.
How do you find your voice as a writer?
This was one of my favourite questions. I shared that voice is not something you find overnight. It develops slowly through reading, writing, experimenting, and making mistakes.
I encouraged the students to write about the things they genuinely care about, especially subjects that are often overlooked. When you write from a place of curiosity and sincerity, your voice begins to emerge naturally.
By the end of the session, what stayed with me most was not my own answers but the students' questions. They were thoughtful, reflective, and deeply engaged with the idea of storytelling. It was heartening to see so many young people thinking carefully about stories, why we tell them, and what they can achieve.
My sincere thanks to Mr. Tony and the students of BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus for such a warm and memorable conversation.
