Tarunika Kapoor

Hi! I'm Tarunika! I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I still reside. When I am not writing, I'm either trying a new dessert recipe, watching genre television, playing The Sims 4, or trying to pet a corgi.

Question 1: What inspired you to start writing?

Honestly, I don't remember. This is going to sound cliched, but I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I used to scribble down little nonsensical stories paired with badly-drawn art as a kid. My dad taught me to type and use a computer around age four, and since them, I've written uncountable incomplete pieces. It was only until recently that I actually began completing my works.

Question 2: What have you written that you're the most proud of?

Of all my published pieces so far, my absolute favorite still is "the home that we built," published in "All My Relations" Vol. 3. As of Febuary 2023, "the home that we built" is nominated for the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers and Best American Short Stories award, but its significance to me is more personal than the accolades. "the home that we built" is a fictionalization of my paternal grandfather's life and my own tribute to a family home.

Question 3: What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you? 

Frustation! Granted, this is likely true for most writers, but I'm a plotter. Since I don't start writing until I have a complete outline, I often have the most writer's block while plotting. But sometimes I do get writer's block while writing, which is the absolute worst, and it usually takes me a day or two to get back on track.

Question 4: What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

I am definitely a plotter. I can't start writing without a complete plot outline; obviously, the story will still evolve as I write, but I need to feel like the core story has been completely planned before. I will start strong in the beginning, start feeling miserable and inadequate during the middle, and finish strong by sprinting when I realize I am nearly done. Oh, and I need to write in chronological order.

Question 5: Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite?

I have a 41 hour playlist on Spotify called "writing" that I have been adding songs to since 2019. It has a mix of Lorde, Halsey, Troye Sivan, some Taylor Swift, some Bollywood, and some television/movie themes.

I usually just play that in the background. I really, really want to be able to get into themed playlists or work-specific playlists, but I suffer from procrastination, laziness, and indecision.

Question 6: What do you think is the best way to improve writing skills?

Write! Listening to advice from other writers is good, but there's no point absorbing all this knowledge if you don't put it into practice. So write! Write different kinds of pieces, write different genres, write outside of your comfort zone. Exercise your writing muscle.

Question 7: What are your favorite blogs or websites for writers? 

I'm a big fan of Writing With Color on Tumblr because the blog has really helped me become aware of both the importance of writing outside of your lived experiences but also the importance of doing your research during all stages of the writing process.

Question 8: Do you participate in writing challenges on social media? Do you recommend any?

I have tried to do National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) a few times by now, but I've never succeeded, mostly because of life events and burn out. NaNoWriMo may not have turned out to be my cup of tea, but I would still recommend it for others because it really helps to put you in a novel-writing mindset.

Question 9: What do the words “literary success” mean to you? How do you picture it?

Though my definition of "literary success" has evolved in recent years, the current meaning for me is just to have a writing career. A few published novels and enough people knowing my name will probably be success enough for me.

Question 10: How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I've only written one unpublished novel, though I have plenty of ideas left. Called "Trial By Liar," it's a new adult queer crime drama that has been sitting complete on my Google Drive since 2019. I've had two failed attempts at querying so far, and so I am currently treating my short story and poetry submissions as stepping stones to building up the nerve for querying again.