‘Take writing one word at a time’

Becoming an author is never easy, but for this debutant wordsmith, the journey was fuelled by grit, a vivid imagination, and unwavering consistency. From scribbling story ideas late into the night to setting daily writing goals, she transformed her dreams into a compelling reality. Meet Sunayana Singh of Class IX at Apeejay School, Nerul, whose debut book isn’t just filled pages but it inspires, uplifts, and resonates with readers of all ages.

Read edited excerpts here.

Tell us something about your published book and its plot?

My book, LunAsh Chronicles: Legend of the Missing Diamond, is a fantasy set in a magical world called Lomania, where magic flows through every being. It’s a story about power, identity, and how far one will go to protect their secrets.

How long did it take you to write?

I started writing the book in Class III and finished it in Class VII, so it took me around four years in total. During that time, I went through multiple drafts—writing, editing, and rewriting the story nearly 50 times. I kept refining the plot, the characters, and the world-building until it felt right. It wasn’t always easy, but seeing the story evolve over time was really rewarding. I finally published it in VII grade, and that moment made all the effort worth it.

How did the idea originate?

The idea started out a lot differently. The book’s plot changed almost completely as I refined it over the years. I started writing the book because I loved reading and wanted to create something of my own.

⁠Who is your favourite author?

My favourite author is Sarah J. Maas. The genre I find comfort and solace in, is fantasy. I chanced upon her books about two years ago when I was going through some fantasy reading lists and have loved her writing ever since. I have learnt a lot about writing from reading her books and hope to implement more of this knowledge in my upcoming books.

Has writing honed your personality?

Writing has helped me in many ways. Above all, it has made expressing my thoughts and voicing my opinions clear. Before, I used to stutter because I couldn’t find the right words, but writing fancy dialogue has definitely helped me in concisely structuring my thoughts before voicing them. It has made me much more confident in myself.

⁠Any challenges faced during the writing and publishing process?

Sometimes while writing, I became completely blank. I had ideas in my head but didn’t know how to put them on paper. And many times, I have come across an infamous problem every writer faces at least once- writer’s block. It was hard to find inspiration or ideas or stories at times. But time and support from my parents and friends helped me get through it all. The publishing was handled by my father so it was a smooth-sailing process.

Any piece of advice for budding writers?

Writing a book is a hard and huge commitment. Sometimes you will feel like dropping the whole project, but you have to push through. Set a goal for every day, however small and just write anything and slowly, the ideas will come to you. I also suggest telling your parents and close ones about your ideas and taking advice from them. I wish best of luck to all the budding authors reading this!