Subhechcha Ganguly 
Author Rajendra Sarilla can be described as an ambivert with a positive mindset. He has curated the book “Scarlett Lost in the Five Lands”. He has been honored with the CLA Global Award in The Fantasy Genre. Let us know more about him in this interview.
Q1) How did you understand your calling as an Author? What was your first writing experience?
Ans . Since childhood, I am very good at telling stories, but did not realize that I have this gift of writing stories as I was busy with career. When I left my job to appear for UPSC exam, I had a lot of free time to ponder over things. One of my friends suggested me that I should write a book. Although this innate desire of writing a book had been there since college days, I did not act upon it until my friend awakened the creative side inside me.
My first writing experience was in college when I wrote stories to complete a task given by seniors. They were surprised that I could write such good stories even though I haven’t read a single English novel before.
Q2) How did you decide the plot for “Scarlett Lost in Five Lands”? Give us a short brief about the book. Also attach the link of your book.
Ans . When I decided to write this fantasy book, my first thought was to improve my writing skills to match the global standard, because fantasy is a popular genre world-wide. No one becomes a good writer without reading books and learning from other writers. At some point while reading fantasy novels, a brilliant idea popped up in my head. I felt a desire to create a powerful female character like super girl or wonder woman, but I want her to be unique in my own way. Hence the character ‘SCARLETT’ was born, which then led to the brilliant fantasy novel – SCARLETT LOST IN THE FIVE LANDS. Now, I am happy that my book is getting great reviews from fantasy readers across India. But my book needs more time and exposure to reach global audience.
“SCARLETT LOST IN THE FIVE LANDS” is a book about a fifteen year old warrior princess Scarlett who gets thrown away from her sky kingdom during an attack by a powerful enemy. Devoid of memory and powers, she falls into a different world filled with malice and magic. The story is about self discovery and overcoming dangers in a magical world. It has all the elements that a fantasy reader craves in a good fantasy novel. Powerful female villain makes my novel more intriguing for readers.
Q3) Nowadays a majority of the youth is much more focused on social media rather than reading books. What is your view on this topic ?
Ans . There are two sides to human invention, the good and the bad. Social media is no exception. We are living in an age of instant gratification. Anything in excess is dangerous. People are busy watching social media reels, posting pictures and faking perfection in whatever they do. It is as if the entire generation has fallen into a trap of impressing other people. Everyone wants to become a celebrity now. No one likes to admit that they are vulnerable. It’s all about likes, comments and followers. As a writer, this concerns me because majority of today’s youth does not appreciate the value of reading books. Empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence can be achieved through reading books. I think schools and colleges should make it mandatory for students to read fiction as part of their curriculum. In developed countries, teachers and students discuss novels in classrooms, teaching students to think from another person’s perspective. I hope this sort of reading culture develops in India in the near future.
But there is a good side to social media too. It helps users to connect with people of similar interests. Ever heard of bookstagrammers? These are readers that post pictures and reels of books that they read and share their thoughts with other readers. Social media helps me to reach my target readers. I discovered a lot of books through bookstagram. I am glad that some people are using social media to spread the reading culture in a society obsessed with instant gratification. The bottom line is that people should use social media in a rational way, so that they do not miss much needed interaction with real people in the real world.
Q4) You have been honored with the CLA Global Award in the Fantasy Genre . Tell us about your experience.
Ans. I am really grateful for receiving the CLA Global Award in the fantasy genre. Because of Covid restrictions, it was conducted online. I think awards give recognition and encouragement to writers who usually don’t get as much attention as actors and sportsmen.
Q5) We know that there is a lot of hard work that goes behind the launching of books .From preparing the final manuscript to writing the first draft till publishing. Tell us how your experience was and to whom would you dedicate your success in this entire process?
Ans. I would like to dedicate my success to my family. First comes, my brother Manohar who is the first person to read this manuscript in its infancy. Taking time out from his busy schedule, he read this book and gave me valuable feedback that increased my confidence as a writer. Special thanks to my sister Ramadevi and my mother Devika Rani, for supporting me during the writing process.
On another note, I would like to thank Gloryburg publishing. For any writer, it is very important to find a publisher who has the same creative inclination as the writer. I think I am lucky in this aspect, because I found Gloryburg Publishing. They had experience in publishing fantasy novels. So, I approached them without any second thought.
Q6) Being a Freelance Writer is a full time job with a lot of responsibiltiies. How do you manage time for your hobbies in this busy schedule?
Writing is my passion, not just a hobby. Even my freelance job consists of writing articles and web pages. I don’t write everyday because I don’t want writing to become a chore. I write on alternate days with alternate sessions of reading books to improve my writing. At each sitting, I write for two or three hours on a stretch, be it in the morning hours or during night. I save enough time by not going out and keeping my phone away.
Writing involves intense mental concentration especially when its fantasy. Many times, I felt tired after hours of continuous writing. But I enjoy the process. I suggest aspiring writers to write in two sittings, one in the morning and one in the night, if they have a deadline to finish. Sometimes, I listen to epic action music while writing battle scenes.
