How did you become a writer? I’ve enjoyed writing ever since I can remember— language, narrative, playing with all of the building blocks of fiction.  

Name your writing influences. Books are my biggest influence. I immersed myself in them since I could read. I am very, very fortunate in that the books I was exposed to were very varied, from a large number of literary traditions (British, South Asian, African, Russian, American) and languages. There are so many books and writers that have shaped me, it would make a very long list if I were to name even some of them. I think much of my writing comes from all of these different voices having left traces of themselves in my head. 

When and where do you write? I have no fixed routine. It depends on my teaching schedule – but I try to write in the mornings, whenever possible. I write every day when I have a project at hand. Where do I write?  I grew up in a small house where we did not have our own desks (let alone rooms) and the idea of privacy was mostly unknown (or ignored!), so I’ve learnt to write wherever there is a bit of space. I still don’t work in an office or at a writing desk – the dining table is fine by me, or the couch, or even the bed.

What are you working on now? A historical novel set in New England in the early 1800s. It is about magic shows (and their performers) in the early American republic – a wild, wonderful, also very complex world!

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? Of course! Things happen that make it hard to write/write well – one is simply tired. But I try not to make too much of it. I think most blocks can be moved, though on some days a little extra effort is needed. 

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received? I don’t know if I received this from anyone in particular, but I’ve learnt over the years that it is best if one makes writing a habit – do it every day (or nearly every day). It should become part of your life, almost a way of being, a practice. The more one practices the better one gets. 

What’s your advice to new writers? The above! Also, keep at it. It can be a long journey, disheartening at times, but it’s worth it if you truly think you have a story worth telling.

Brinda Charry came to the United States from India as a graduate student and has been living here since. She has published novels and a short-story collection in India and the UK. Her writing has won several awards and prizes. THE EAST INDIAN is her first novel to be published in the United States. Also a specialist in English Renaissance Literature (Shakespeare and contemporaries with a focus on race, cross-cultural engagement in the 1600s and 1700s, and the early history of globalization), she has published a number of books and articles in her field. She currently lives in Keene, New Hampshire.