Candid Conversation with Author Janvee Menghrajani on How to 'Trust Your Instincts'

 

1) You are now the proud author of "Trust Your Instincts". You have ventured towards Engineering during the initial phase of your career. When was that ‘eureka moment’ when you realized that you wanted to be a writer?

It was during the pandemic that I had my 'eureka moment'. I had been writing in college but never felt writing was a career I wanted to pursue. It was during the pandemic my love for writing reignited. It navigated me all the way through & here I am pursuing writing as a career!

2) Any specific author or book which inspired you towards your writing journey.

 An author that inspired me was Sudha Murthy & a book that drove me was Wings of Fire.

3) What does a normal day look like in the life of Author Janvee Menghrajani?

 Along with being an author, I am a professional writer. So, I write during the day for my organisation & use the night to explore new ideas for my upcoming book!

4) In your latest book, ‘Trust Your Instincts’, you have bared your life experience, expressing your vulnerabilities, milestones, insecurities, and achievements. How tough was it for you to put your personal life and thoughts into words? Please share your experience in writing this book.

I think writing is a liberating experience for me. I wouldn't say talking about my personal life wasn't tough, but it came easier to me because this book was my dream project. I knew since college I wanted to share my personal experiences. So, in a way, I was prepared since I was in college!

5) What was one of the biggest life-changing situations you have faced that you wrote about in this book and how did you tackle the situation? We want to know your ‘Trust your Instincts’ moment.

My 'Trust Your Instincts' moment was when I decided to make a career transition from the life of an engineer to an author. I didn't know the way forward but I still did it because writing was my passion. I knew I wanted to try & fail rather than fail to try at all. I trusted my instincts and took a leap of faith. It's been more than 2 years since then that I have looked back!

6) What is that one major message to your readers that you want them to take away from this book?

I hope readers relate to my book not just superficially but on an emotional level like a close friend. I hope they understand the importance of trusting their inner voices because it's a difficult thing to do at a young age. I hope everything they learn from my book paves the path for them to see and accept new perspectives.

7) Now that you have successfully written a non-fiction book, do have any plans to venture into other genres? If yes, please share your future plans with your readers.

I would love to explore humour and children's literature as a genre. I would love to illustrate a book myself & even author a sequel of Trust Your Instincts!

8) What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?

One piece of advice I would give a writer working on their first book is to become the first audience of their book, not the editor. They may end up editing their book on the go & this does not allow the crux of the book to come through.

9) Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

I am more of a plotter. I laid out an outline when I authored my book & it just helped me write better.

10) What would you say is your greatest accomplishment as an author so far?

My greatest accomplishment so far as an author is the amount of appreciation, I have received for writing my book. Early readers of my book told me that, they could relate to my book, and they felt like an honest and heart-to-heart conversation. I don't think there's anything else an author would want!

11) Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source)

My favourite quote is, "Your world of words is limited to the words you speak".