The bubbly and charming Venuka Goyal is a powerhouse of talent and determination. With lofty goals and a drive that constantly pushes her to achieve her dreams, she is a source of inspiration for many women.
An IITian by education, and also an alumnus of the reputed The Ohio State University, Venuka’s world has always been the nerdy kind. Being a professionally trained scientist, she has worked at the National Research Facility in Indore and is currently employed as a visiting faculty in a University in Central India where she teaches Bioinformatics to young and curious Indian minds.
While in her professional capacity she reads scientific literature, she has grown up enjoying both science books and fiction novels. Some of her favourite memories include gorging on the works of classic legends such as the Enid Blyton, The Bronte sisters, Harry Potter, and Nancy Drew.
In an impressive career spanning over fifteen years, Venuka has not just read many scientific journals and papers but has actively contributed to many international scientific journals of repute.
Dealing with the monotony and boredom of lockdown inspired her to take her ideas to paper and that’s how her first novel, You’re Stuck with Me for Life came to be. The writing provided her with an escape from reality and an outlet for her creative juices.
And so was born, in August 2021, Venuka’s debut work of fiction, which opened to an encouraging appreciation and reception from readers. Since then, there has been no looking back and she has added a few more works to her kitty.
As an author, she wants to write fiction that is contemporary and relatable and for this, she draws from her own experiences in life. She also intends to focus on relationships and marriages in modern India, and tell stories that reflect the heart of the Indian people.
When not busy dispensing her duties as the visiting faculty, writing novels, or looking after her twin boys, Venuka can be seen interacting with her readers on Instagram and Facebook. She can be reached on Instagram @venuka.goyal and Facebook @venuka.goyal.author.
We at bookGeeks got a lucky chance to interact with the author. Here is what she has to say about her love for writing, reading, and life.
| Tell us about yourself. Who is Venuka in real life? What are her likes and dislikes? |
| Venuka, in real life, is a mother of twin boys. My role as a mother has been a defining part of my life for the past few years. In the time that I get to myself, I like to read, write, and swim. I also like watching movies. I enjoy watching romantic comedies and science-fiction. I dislike watching horror movies. |
| What do you do in your professional sphere? Has it ever inspired or influenced your writing? |
| I am a professionally trained scientist and I used to work at a National Research Facility in Indore until April 2021. My habit of writing regularly comes from that experience. As a scientist, I have published many research articles in international academic journals. I am currently a Visiting Faculty at a University where I teach Bioinformatics. My professional life has influenced some of the stories I have written. I have published a short read 'On the bright side' which talks about the life of a young Indian researcher working at a University in the USA. Some of the aspects of that story are based on my experiences of doing a Ph.D. in the USA. Also, my upcoming novel 'Because it's you' is the love story of two scientists working at a National Research Facility in India. The description of the place of work in that story is inspired by the research facilities that I have worked at in the past. I hope to publish the novel in June or July 2022. |
| What inspired you to write You’re Stuck with Me for Life? What type of target readers do you have in mind? |
| I started writing 'You’re Stuck with Me for Life' during a lockdown. The story is about a couple who lives in Indore, the city where I live. In this story, the couple is stuck in a loveless arranged marriage. They end up going on a road trip on their first wedding anniversary, and things change between them on this road trip. Some of the details of this road trip are based on a trip that I went on with my husband many years ago. We drove all the way from Indore to Sawai-Madhopur and visited the Ranthambore tiger reserve. While writing the book I used to escape to a world where there was no lockdown; where I was on a road trip and going on a jungle safari. I believe the target audience for this book is anyone interested in reading about realistic relationships in middle-class families of modern India. The book gives you a flavour of the daily lives of people living in joint families and it also gives you a flavour of going on a road-trip through the heart of India. |
| What does Venuka do when she is not writing? Tell us about your other interests apart from writing. |
| I enjoy eating good food. Especially methi-malai-matar that my husband cooks for me at least a couple of times a month. My husband and I enjoy cooking together and travelling together. Both of us really enjoy driving cars. One of the most memorable road trips I have been on was with him. This was many years ago when I had just finished my Ph.D. in the USA and my husband flew over to the USA from India to help me pack up and move back home. We loaded our bags into a Jeep and spent two weeks driving across the continent. We drove more than 7000 km from Ohio to the Yellow Stone National Park and back. We visited a lot of places like Chicago, Mount Rushmore, Grand Tetons, and Kansas City during this road trip. It was pretty cool. |
| Are you a reader yourself? If yes, who are your favourite authors? |
| I grew up reading books and continue to read whenever I can. I have a striking memory of reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte when I was in school. I was really shaken up by the character Heathcliff. I also had a very emotional response to reading the book A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. After reading that book, I decided that I will only read books with happy endings. Sad endings are not for me. |
| One book that you keep going back to? |
| I believe I have read Harry Potter more number of times than I would like to admit. |
| If you were to cast Neeti and Ronit in a movie, which actors would you choose? |
| Bhumi Pednekar and Ayushmann Khurrana. Ronit's ex-girlfriend would be Alia Bhatt. |
| How long did the entire process, from idea conception to the publishing of the book, take? |
| About 8 months. I wanted to publish it before my birthday and I somehow made it happen. |
| What does your writing regime look like? |
| Stories take time to take seed and germinate in my mind. I don't push myself to write at that stage. When I feel a story sprouting, I try to clear about 3-4 hours a day to write. Sometimes, it's after my kids are off to sleep, sometimes it's when they're at school, and sometimes when they're out playing in the park. Sometimes, when I get an idea, I just open my phone and start writing wherever I am. Maybe, at the dining table, or in the kitchen, or at the mall. I go with the flow. |
| One quote that never fails to inspire you. |
| The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step |
| Your role model in real life. |
| I'm happy being myself. I think about goals I want to achieve, not people I want to be like. My current goal is to publish at least 2 novels a year for the next couple of years. |
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