Arya Karwa (class of 2022) recently published his book “Blackout” with the help of Blue Rose Publishers, a self-publishing house in India. His book was published at the beginning of November 2021 and is available on Amazon, Flipkart, and Blue Rose. The Woodstocker interviewed Arya Karwa on his journey and process in the making of Blackout.
- When was your book published and when did you start working on it?
My book was published around the beginning of November this year. Technically, I started working on this book all the way back in 8th grade. However, I completely forgot about it after joining Woodstock. It was only in the 10th grade that I decided to complete my book and it took me around 2 years to do that.
- What inspired you to write a book?
In hindsight, my inspiration for writing this book was simplistic. I really love reading books, especially of the mystery-thriller genre, and one day, I just thought that ‘If I can read so many books, then I can surely write one myself.’ It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I’m really glad that I did it and stayed committed to it.
- What is your book about?
Imagine you’re sitting restlessly in the classroom, waiting for the bell to ring so that you can finally enjoy your summer vacation. Instead, within minutes, you are kidnapped and are thrown into a world of chaos, realizing that things will never be the same anymore. This is how life unfolds for William Terren, the 16-year-old protagonist of Blackout, as he trains to become a spy and embarks on a mission that brings him face to face with his kidnapper. After a shocking turn of events, William finds himself alone, hunted…. and willing to do anything to survive.
- What’s one thing you like about it?
My favourite part of the book is the plot. Before I made the decision to write Blackout, I only knew how it would start and how it would end. I had no idea what the plot would be, but I just let the process take over and let the ideas flow naturally. I believe this natural flow is evident in the progression of the book as well, and it manages to completely engross the reader and really bring out the suspense.
- What’s one part you’d change if you had the chance?
Damn, this is a really difficult question to answer! If I had to change one thing about my book, I would write more about William’s internal conflicts and how being a spy has affected him psychologically and morally. I think I could have included some more instances when William questioned his actions and how this shaped his personality.
- Is there anything in the book that represents you or your life?
I believe the way William thinks is pretty similar to the way I think, but other than that, I don’t think there is really any representation of my life in the book. Blackout’s characters and incidents are completely fictitious.
- What do you want your readers to feel while reading this?
I just want the readers to have fun reading the book, relating with the characters, following the plot, and trying to predict what will happen next. But if I had to choose one takeaway for the readers, it would be realising the personal implications of the decisions that William takes in the book. Becoming a spy and conducting top-secret missions is always associated with a level of glamour and allure (which is absolutely fine), but I think Blackout gives a more realistic indication of the mental, psychological and moral toll it can take on someone, especially an impressionable teenager like William.
- What do you hope to get from this? Are you working on something else?
Honestly, I’m not sure what I hope to get from this. I just want readers to enjoy reading the book and if they do, I’ll consider it to be a job well done. At the moment, I’m not working on anything else. I definitely want to write a sequel to Blackout and continue William’s story, but I’m not sure whether I’ll get the time in college to write another book. But, I’m not ruling out anything just yet. Let’s see how it plays out.
We believe Arya Karwa is an inspiration to young authors worldwide. We hope to see more of his writing come to life and wish him the best.
Blackout available on:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/dp/9354722652?ref=myi_title_dp
Book video trailer: https://youtu.be/0KucFAI124U
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=hbhJEAAAQBAJ
Ira is the managing editor for The Woodstocker.
Edited by Keerat.
thewoodstocker.com 