Ananya Achar, a 23-year-old software engineer with a wide range of passions grew up as the daughter of a teacher herself and was thus inspired to create a story based on her own life. Ananya’s imagination knows no bounds as she weaves tales that blend reality and imagination, taking readers on extraordinary adventures. She has a knack for exaggeration, transforming everyday moments into thrilling escapades. The Teacher’s Daughter by Ananya Achar consists of several nostalgic moments that would make the reader yearn to go back to their school years.
1. How was your time in school?
Quite amazing to say the very least. It was definitely a mixed roller-coaster ride but my school memories are and will continue to be cherished for a really long time. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had a unique schooling experience and I often joke about it. My name “Ananya” means unique and it definitely entitles me to feel that every path of my life is unique. I enjoyed having certain school memories just for myself. I do not share those with anyone but I am glad. It was also the time when my life was entirely simple and not complicated. Some days were good days and the other days could have gone better. Fortunately, I embraced the joy on good days and learnt lessons on the bad ones. Very similar to the protagonist of the book, I had my perks of being a teacher’s daughter and also, I faced certain backlash for the same. Nonetheless, it was the best phase of my life. Hands down!
2. What inspired your literary curiosity?
To be very honest, I am not a passive reader or a writer. I have read all the famous books and was probably up to date when I was a little kid but growing up meant no time for books. Never in 1000 years had I imagined myself writing a book. I think that is the beauty of life. Its unpredictability is a charm. It was a spontaneous decision to pen down my childhood memories in the form of a story. I was always good at telling stories but I never really could formulate anything out of it. But yeah, it fell in place by the end of it.
3. What would it be if you could tell your younger writing self anything?
Haha! My younger writing self was not at all good at writing. She always made a ton of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. She probably still does. But yeah, I would definitely ask her to continue writing in her diary and not give it up every 2 months. I would also ask her to write what she writes with confidence and to worry less about what other people have to say. I would also tell her “it is completely fine to make mistakes and to be imperfect.”
4. Do you believe that a writer needs to have strong emotions?
Yes! Emotions are certainly needed to catch the attention of the reader. It makes it easier for the reader to connect with the author and the story. Lack of emotion can often lead to good narratives but terrible flows and no audience.
5. Is writing every day a ritual?
Absolutely not! I never really write as much as I want to. I suffer from an acute case of perfectionism that makes me question every line I write. However, I really want to get back to writing and explore the different genres. My younger self would write more than I do today but I want to change it in the future.
6. What are some of your life’s passions?
I love to write. It is a different story that I do not write much but I love writing. It gives me a sense of freedom and it is a perfect way to unwind on a really stressful work day. Apart from that, I also support education. I am extremely passionate about education, maybe because I come from a family of teachers and principals but I believe strongly that education can eradicate half of the world’s problems and issues and help people lead a better life.
7. Any advice for our aspiring writers?
I really don’t believe I am set to give advice to any writer but I think aspiring writers should experiment as much as they can. They should be willing to take risks and figure out what they are good at eventually. Probably I would say something I tell myself all the time, “Keep making mistakes, but make sure to learn from it and never give up.”
8. What is your favourite childhood book?
Oh, this is tough. I really love Nancy Drew. I even had a list of all the books by Carolyn Keene and would tick it off as and when I read it. I would sometimes enact like I was Nancy and that I would solve mysteries along with my imaginary friends. Yikes!
9. Which animal, and why, best embodies your writing style?
I love animals and so choosing one would be darn difficult. But I guess it is the closest to a Cheetah. Fastest and more often than not, I land perfectly on the prey. I write quickly and I believe the best of me comes out while doing so.
