Between the Lines with Rashmi Bansal

In conversation with HarperBroadcast, Rashmi Bansal, the bestselling author of multiple non-fiction books, talks about her foray into fiction and explores the stories #BetweenTheLines of her delightful collection of short stories, Saturday Stories.

Also read an excerpt from the book below!

Q. What does your writing process look like?

Rashmi Bansal: Writing is part inspiration and part perspiration. I need to dedicate myself to it and get into the flow, that’s when my best work emerges. I prefer to write in the mornings, apart from that no special ritual or place. I have found that my first draft is the best, so rewrites are rare for me. But that just works for me, I don’t advocate this method to my students.

Q. How did you enjoy writing fiction for the first time?

RB: In non-fiction, my job is to take existing facts and narrate them in an interesting manner, But in fiction, I can take a story in any direction. So writing fiction felt liberating in that sense. However, I found that often a character took on a life of its own and ‘told me’ where it wanted to go. That was also a new experience – to create something from one’s imagination which felt so real!

Q. Could you share your thoughts behind your writing workshop, and its 6 writers featured in your book?

RB: I believe that each of us is a born storyteller and my role is to awaken that lost part of you. At the end of my 3 hour workshop, you will write a story – that is my promise. After conducting more than 30 such workshops with 500+ students I can say with confidence that the method works. Of course, the more you write the better you get. The stories in the book are from those students who took part in the advanced program called ‘Writer’s Gym’.

Q. Your stories capture everyday vignettes of life with great precision and wit. What are some important elements of a ‘good’ story?

RB: A good story must have relatable characters, it must be able to take the reader into their world. And of course something must ‘happen’. Girl meets boy and then they live happily ever after is not a good story. There must be some obstacles to their union, whether internal or external. The story is always in the struggle.

Q. What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

RB: Write regularly. Write fearlessly. Write because it gives you pleasure. Write because it’s a form of leisure. Write because you have something to express.

Think about the audience very less. If your writing is brave and true, readers will themselves find you.