We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest published author, Tvisha Gupta! Tvisha recently published her book, Alone, but Not Lonely, through our Fresh Ink publishing program. In Fresh Ink, youth authors with a completed draft of a novel are mentored through a chapter-by-chapter revision process. At the end of the program, the author is guided through the publication process resulting in an ink-and-paper book they can hold in their hands and share with other readers! We interviewed Tvisha about her experience in the program. Keep reading to learn more about Tvisha’s book and Fresh Ink.
Interview with Tvisha Gupta
What inspired you to tell this story?
When I first moved from India to the U.S., I was quite alone. Culture shock and an introverted personality had combined to make adjusting to my new life in the U.S. quite difficult. I frequently felt as though there was a flaw in my personality, one that was the root of my loneliness. So, I began to change myself to seem more amicable and approachable to other people. However, in doing so, I abandoned my own passions to take on other people’s interests and acted in ways unlike me. In essence, I lost my own identity. However, as time when on and I found myself feeling increasingly exhausted from doing everything I could to keep people around me, I began to truly understand that being alone wasn’t a bad thing, that I wasn’t doing something wrong if I distanced myself from people that I didn’t feel natural or comfortable around. I began to take the phrase “Alone, but Not Lonely” to heart, and learned to find comfort in being alone. Ever since I’ve done this, I’ve been able to build friends and relationships that are the most genuine I’ve ever had. I wanted to write this story to help others realize that being alone isn’t always a bad thing, and that there truly is never a need to change yourself to avoid loneliness. Stick with your own unique, incredible personality, even if it means flying solo for a bit.
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
My favorite character in my book is Cruise, simply because he represents the type of friendship I’d craved for years and have finally found with the people currently around me. Cruise is an incredible character: he’s genuine, caring, and isn’t afraid to show his passion for the topics of his interest. He doesn’t retaliate to instigations, and instead, takes them in stride. I especially love that he’s a writer: there are very few male characters that I’ve seen in novels that are truly passionate about writing, and I’m glad that I was able to create one that was. I also love the excitement Cruise has for exploration. Be it food or new locations, he’s got an adventurous spirit that works really well with Sanah’s kind-hearted nature!
Did you enjoy revising your story in layers? What did you learn about revision by working on it stage by stage?
I loved the revision process. My favorite part was seeing my characters grow more and more lifelike at every stage of the revision process. I’d felt very close to my characters from the moment I’d planned them out, but writing and revising them took our relationship to a whole new level. There is no better feeling than seeing characters you hold near and dear to you come to life and morph into the people you’d imagined them to be!
You can grab your copy of at Alone, but Not Lonely at Barnes and Noble or by request it at your favorite indie bookstore!
