PVPF 2024

Interview with Pragati Deshmukh, Author of A Dark and Shiny Place

Maya's biggest challenge she faced was acceptance. She didn't want to accept the tragedy that had hit her life and continued to live in denial.
on Sep 04, 2023

Frontlist: "A Dark and Shiny Place" delves into love, loss, hope, and mental health themes through the story of Maya and her sister Meera. Why and how did you think of plotting a psycho-supernatural thriller against the backdrop of mental health?

Pragati: I would like to break this answer into two parts. First- There are similar symptoms between people experiencing certain supernatural phenomena and some mental afflictions. Thus, it lent itself as the perfect combination. Second- I'm not an expert in either subject but a professional storyteller. My objective was to weave a fictional tale to open conversations around mental health. The thrill that the supernatural brings to readers is the perfect setup to bring out a conversation, making it relatable, engaging, and not preachy. This genre may not be commonly explored, but it is authentic in our lives. I was astounded by the number of similar cases I encountered while researching this subject.

Frontlist: Maya's journey through the lockdown creates a unique blend of psychological and paranormal elements. Can you discuss how you developed her character and the challenges she faces as her mind navigates the blurred lines between these two realms?

Pragati: My endeavor to create Maya was to create a character we could relate to. She is in all of us, and if not, at least in someone we know. As her name suggests, Maya is also an illusion or dream (in Hinduism) and courage (in Maori)- metaphorically, she is an embodiment of something that seems very real and may not exist but a force to reckon with, which is also the central theme of the book. While developing her character, the biggest challenge was to keep the balance in her mind. I had to become her in my head and constantly imagine if I were her, what would I do or feel to maintain the authenticity and believability. The lockdown offered the perfect setting to explore the isolation and loneliness people experienced.

Maya's biggest challenge she faced was acceptance. She didn't want to accept the tragedy that had hit her life and continued to live in denial. That, coupled with the supernatural experiences in isolation, amplified her fears, insecurities, and desperation. She further gets trapped in her mind and buries herself deeper into the labyrinth of these fears and desperations, no longer remembering the root cause of her situation. She initially navigates through these two realms to explore what may be happening. With time, she is convinced about the supernatural activities in her home. Even though her instincts occasionally tell her to look beyond that realm, she is unwilling to consider it. Towards the end of the book, she realizes subconsciously she allowed herself to fall into the abyss of her mind because it was the only way forward for her. In a way, she had also given up the desire to carry on and surrendered to going with the flow. That turned her journey into an intense emotional one. Her emotional journey was about losing herself, and she let it happen intentionally through the supernatural world she experienced. Being in denial and having new paranormal experiences opened up the possibility of letting herself go, and so she went for the free fall. She thought, "What's the worst that can happen to me when I have nothing to lose? If I just go through with it and not try to control it." And that's why she just completely let go, not realizing the dangers that could come with it.

Frontlist: The relationship between Maya and Meera is a central focus of the story. Could you elaborate on the process of creating and depicting their sisterly bond and how it contributes to the depth of the narrative?

Pragati: Sibling bonds are very special and strong. I believe it is even more dynamic when it comes to sisters. You can hate or love each other but are connected at the "soul" level. I have two sisters, and we are best friends with each other. With a sister, you can talk about anything without being judged and will always hear the brutal truth about yourself. You can share any dark secret and know that only she will understand, and if she doesn't, at least she will try. Because the story is a first-person narrative of Maya, it was essential to show the other side of her narrative through someone who knew her from childhood, was willing to do anything to save her, and someone Maya listened to. Since the book's core is about duality exploring the fine lines between the supernatural and the psychological, the best way for me to show the two sides of the same experience was by a first-person narrative of two people who were connected by a strong and unique bond. A parent-child relation could not have brought out the same aspects of understanding as a sibling equation does. The fact that the world may turn its back on you, but your sibling very rarely would, lent itself to a layered and deep bond for this narrative.

Frontlist: Your writing style has been praised for its engrossing and descriptive quality. How did you approach weaving vivid details into the narrative to transport readers into Maya's world?

What techniques did you use to evoke emotions and build connections with the characters?

Pragati: I come from the media entertainment industry with almost 20 years of experience creating TV + OTT shows and films. It's been my good fortune that my profession has sharpened my ability to think in a visual medium. My approach to writing is always first to visualize each movement's entire setup and feel what the characters are going through. Once I have that moving picture clear in my head, I describe it in words as I write. Additionally, I used simple language to tell the story. That puts less stress on the reader to comprehend, making it an easy, quick read with the visual details coming to life much more vividly. It also helps make it more emotionally relatable with less complicated words, shorter sentences, and crisper paragraphs.

Frontlist: The book offers unexpected twists and turns that keep readers engaged throughout the story. How did you plan and execute these plot twists while maintaining a coherent and suspenseful narrative flow?

Pragati: As a process, I first wrote the entire story, keeping in mind the core plot. At that time, it was barely a 25-page document. Then, I developed the characters and their independent journeys. Each one's backstory, personality, and consequences to actions helped significantly because, after a point, the characters begin to tell you how and where to take their graphs. The next stage was to go back to the story document and start detailing it. Here is when I thought of several subplots and what they would be. Each subplot worked as a high point where the characters needed to reach an inevitable progression in their graph. The original story document is the foundation and stops me from wavering. The character docs help add the layers without losing sight of 'who' they are. There were times when I would scrap a subplot and re-write a new one. It's a process as long as we don't lose focus of the core motive, plot, and character journeys.

Frontlist: The story's climax is noted for tying up loose ends effectively, offering a satisfying conclusion. Can you share insights into how you crafted this climax and its significance in resolving the journey readers have taken alongside Maya?

Pragati: I had two different endings for this book. And it was tough to decide which one should be followed. The other climax was more dramatic but open-ended, and I felt I lacked emotional closure. For me, this book is a conversation starter. Given the alarming interpretations it leads the reader to experience, I wanted it to end positively. I needed the book to end up being comforting rather than stressful. Hence, I chose this climax, which is a lot more positive, showing that despite all that Maya was going through, she still had the will to seek help, fight her battles, and ultimately see the truth. She may not be ready to accept it yet, which was her biggest challenge, but at least she sees the truth, which translates into the famous saying- 'There's always light at the end of the tunnel!'

Frontlist: "A Dark and Shiny Place" has Bollywood vibes, combining psychological thriller elements with emotional depth. What motivated you to blend these genres, and how did you balance the story's thrilling aspects and emotional resonance?

Pragati: I think blending these genres comes naturally since the paranormal and the psychological can be seen as two sides of the same coin. Quite a few symptoms of either are easily confused for the other. Diagnosis usually depends on cultural background and the bent of mind one may belong to. Thrillers and horror have always been my favorite genres, with Stephan King and Agatha Christie being my favorite authors. Being an avid reader, I have explored many books on these subjects. One of the most inspiring films based on the actual incident tapes for me was The Exorcism of Emily Rose. That led to my fascination, reading, and research of the subject of blending these genres. No thriller can be told about striking a balance without heightened emotional resonance. They are simply complimentary. The stronger the reader feels an emotion, the more impactful it will be, making it more thrilling! The higher the drama/ surprise or thrill will be, the stronger the reaction we get from the reader, impacting them emotionally as they feel it on their nerves. We just need to choose which emotion to heighten at which stage and take the story in that direction.

Frontlist: Could you share any personal experiences or inspirations that contributed to the creation of "A Dark and Shiny Place"? How did your perspective on mental health and relationships influence the story's development?

Pragati: "A Dark and Shiny Place" took birth because of a simple question I asked myself out of sheer fear. My husband and I had moved into our new apartment two days before the lockdown. After a month of unpacking and living a life of confinement, listening to horrific stories of isolation, loss, death, depression, and grief from loved ones, and also feeling helpless for not being able to help them much remotely, except through video and phone calls led me to ask myself- What if I was alone through all this? What if I had lost my husband like someone I knew who had? And that sent chills down my spine. That fear of loss gave me the motivation to write. It was coupled with specific paranormal incidents that have brushed my life growing up. I used some of these facts and experiences as cornerstones and began to weave this fictional tale. On mental health, I believe it is a vital subject that needs to be spoken about more openly. We are more accepting today as a society than we were about a decade ago, with more people coming out and mentioning the need to talk about mental health. However, I feel that it is not being done correctly. It is, unfortunately, becoming a hashtag more often than a more genuine conversation. And I think it is because we do not know 'how' to talk about it yet. We must start building more curiosity around mental health rather than using the term more widely, expecting people to know it already. Let us be more open to someone asking about it unabashedly rather than getting offended by them not using the proper terminology.

Frontlist: Given the success and impact of "A Dark and Shiny Place," are there any plans for future projects that continue to explore psychological themes or human relationships similarly?

Pragati: Yes. I am already writing my second book, and the story for the third is in process. The genres are different from 'A Dark and Shiny Place.' However, they continue to explore the theme of the psychological world with solid human relationships in the thriller space.