‘My book is about sacrifice, the purest form of love’

Refuting any negativity in the title of his new book Three Times Loser, author Akash Verma talks about the need for extensive research in writing fiction and discloses his plans for a third book.

What prompted you to be a fiction writer?

Nothing prompted me in fact. About four years ago, I felt that I had an urge to tell a story which resulted into a book that subsequently got published.

From management guru to story-teller, how was the transition?

I still need management and marketing to run my expenses. The day I can do that with just my books and stories would be the appropriate day to answer this question, and how I feel.

How much time and work did your first book, It Happened That Night (IHTN), require?

It took me about a year to write that book.

How will you compare that with Three Times Loser (TTL)?

Both are vastly different stories. IHTN is the story of a professional who is caught in the turmoil of listening to his own inner self or succumbing to the pressures of the business world. Who wins in the end is the premise of the story. Three Times Loser is a love story with a huge canvas, that dates back to 1988 and ends in 2011. TTL is about sacrifice which I feel is the purest form of love.

Why a negative title for the book?

It isn’t a negative title. I think that’s the suspense behind the book and to figure it out, the reader will have to read it.

Does fiction writing require any research?

It does. As a writer, unless you suck the reader into a world of imagination and draw a very vivid picture for him that looks real; he won’t become a part of your story. To paint that picture, research is a must.

Which books and authors had a major influence on you?

All the good stories that I may have read, whether Indian authors or from the West, have had an impact on me. I usually don’t get influenced by names but more by the stories, and for that matter, it can be anyone.

What’s your take on contemporary Indian fiction?

It's progressing at a rapid pace but a lot of it is being written and published is just for the heck of it. Soon it will lose steam and only quality authors will have takers.

What do you plan to write next?

It's again a love story but a very different one. Perhaps it may be a pioneering attempt. I don’t want to disclose much at this point.