Advice for aspiring authors, getting from the slush pile to the book store, why write a thriller? Answers for these and more questions here.

M& J: 1. You were a successful advertising professional. Tell us a little more about yourself.
UN: I studied in Presentation Convent, Church Park and Ethiraj College. I got Masters degrees in English Literature and Education, and followed up with a course in creative writing in the University of Hawaii. I taught English to Junior College students, then worked as copywriter and Creative Director in advertising agencies such as RK Swamy/BBDO, and in Radio City. I then moved on to corpcomm at Scope International, e-publishing and web editing. The fields were varied, but the common link was my interest in creative communication.

2. Currently some very well-known copywriters are successful screenwriters. For you turning an author, was that a natural progression?
Writing has always been my area of expertise and my passion. If I could combine that with the total freedom to create my own world ― who could resist that? The icing on the cake was that I could choose the kind of world I created too. So my first novel was a thriller, my second is a romcom, and the third is a fantasy.

3. How did you decide on writing a suspense thriller? We would think it is a unique genre for an Indian woman writer to write her first novel. There aren’t too many women writers in this genre.
Let me quote the wonderful Captain Kirk from the Star Trek TV series: To boldly go where no man has gone before. Or in this case, where Indian women writers haven’t ventured before!

My thinking has always been unconventional. The challenge of mastering something new has always interested me. So you could say I willingly took on the torture of plotting a suspense thriller that had to ring true on so many levels! Being an ardent reader of thrillers influenced my decision too.

4. Can you tell us your experience as a first time writer while choosing your publisher? How easy or difficult is it to get the right publisher?
There are so many ways to conduct research these days – the Internet is a huge boon to authors – but I plunged headlong into writing the novel, without knowing that many a manuscript is born to moulder unseen in publishers’ slush piles! Only after I finished writing The Madras Mangler did I even check out the process of getting published.

I had no contacts or information, so I researched online about publishers and guidelines. Then I worked on my synopsis and query letter and emailed my proposal. Some publishers did not respond. A couple turned it down. Some asked me to engage an agent. But Leadstart offered me a contract and I was happy to take it up.

I also created a spookilicious trailer that you can see at www.youtube.com/writerusha.

Nothing could equal the joy of seeing my book in bookstores and online at Amazon, Flipkart, Infibeam, etc. An ebook version is also available, making it easy for readers to start reading in just a few minutes.

5. The Madras Mangler has been well received by its readers, with some great reviews on your settings and characters. What kind of research went behind this novel?
Yes, there have been several positive reviews by media reviewers, bloggers and readers, for which I am extremely thankful. The heartwarming response has made all the hard work worthwhile.

Extensive research was required on every aspect of the book to make it authentic and compelling. This ranged from forensics, serial killers, shoplifters, kill sites and action scenes to college lingo, clothes and online trolls. Well, my principle has always been that if we are going to do something, we must do it well.

6. If you were to make one change in the book, what would it be and why?
The book was the result of many, many hours of painstaking effort and focus on every little detail. At the moment there is nothing I want to change about it, but maybe I’ll think of something by the time I write my 25th book!

7. What is your thought on when a book is made into a feature film, the author is the best person to write the screenplay?
Of course, the author knows the nuances of his or her book best. But a film script has its own grammar and the author would do well to take the help of a scriptwriter and the director.

As for The Madras Mangler, it was called ‘a celluloid pot-boiler in print’ by The Hindu Literary Review. And director Suhasini Maniratnam said at the book launch that it was tailor-made for a movie!

8. Do you follow any author’s work in particular? Who is/are your favorite author/s?
I am a book addict with an eclectic taste ranging from Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer to Lee Child, Daniel Silva and David Baldacci.

9. What’s next?
A breezy romcom set in the bustling world of media ― a cocktail of fun and fizzy elements like power, politics, love, lust, hormones and hangovers.

And a fantasy, set in mythological times, with a full blast of action, adventure, romance, magic and divinity.

10. Your words of wisdom to all aspiring authors.
Keep reading, keep writing, do your research and don’t give up. If you show that you have substance, the path gets easier. Several publishers have already expressed interest in my second and third books.

Do contact me through www.ushanarayanan.com or follow me on www.facebook.com/writerusha and www.twitter.com/writerusha if you have further questions or comments. I am always eager to interact with readers and fellow writers.

Thank you for hosting my interview. I wish you more and more success in the years to come.