
My name is Ananya V. Ganesh and this is the story of how I achieved my dream of getting my first book published as a 10-year-old.
My name is Ananya V. Ganesh and this is the story of how I achieved my dream of getting my first book published as a 10-year-old. The book called 9 Chocolatey Bites is a fun collection of short stories that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It was published in October this year. My parents say that I developed an interest in books when I was 10 months old and my love for reading has only increased since then.
I started reading chapter books like Famous Five on my own at the age of five and started writing short-stories, poems, and skits when I was seven.
We have a no-TV rule at home on weekdays (I know, right?) So, after school, aside from my music, dance, and sports classes, and after playing with my friends, I read many books and write whenever I get some ideas. Writing a story is like exploring a dense jungle, climbing a mountain, or swimming across an ocean. You never know when you will reach the other side. You get so many ideas when you sit down to write. Your imagination runs wild and you can’t seem to catch it. It throws a hundred light bulbs at you, but you have to find the one that fits just right. It’s exciting to see it all come to life on paper and play before your eyes. My real life experiences, travels and the values I’ve been taught, trigger my imagination with the flow of my stories.
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Works of authors like Enid Blyton, J.K Rowling and Wendy Mass inspire me to write. I adore all three of their writing styles. Enid Blyton’s light and fun writing; J.K Rowling’s richness and description; and the depth and determination in Wendy Mass’ books. All of them really sing out to me and I can connect with them well. Enid Blyton taught me how to make a story fun while J.K Rowling influenced me to project the feelings of every character and to never shy away from descriptions.
Whatever be my mood, you can always see me turning to a book – what better way to cheer yourself up than to get lost in books.
It’s been an incredible adventure living in the world of stories and this is my first attempt to create that magic through 9 Chocolatey Bites. My book brings out the humour in each situation and can make readers laugh out loud. It consists of nine short stories that have wonderful positive messages and have been illustrated by me. Most of the stories are connected to real life experiences. That way it makes it easier for readers to be able to connect and appreciate the stories.
It took me around two months to work with publishers, edit, format, etc. The publishing process was really fun. It was exciting to wait for the end result.
The book has a foreword by Dr. Kiran Bedi and meeting her at my book launch was a wonderful experience.
She was very warm and kind and asked me to never stop reading and writing. I sure hope to follow that advice.
You can purchase the book here.
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