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https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/writing-in-fifth-gear/article2329206.ece
Pursuing his childhood dream of writing books, 50-year-old Joygopal Podder is writing at breakneck speed as if compensating for all the lost time. Podder has already written 10 novels in the last eight months and would be writing at least three more by the end of the year. “For me stories are not a problem, but I need to find publishers who can publish all my stories at such a fast pace,” he says. At present, five of his novels are available at bookstores while two others, Truth Is Stranger than Fiction and Superstar will be available next month. Limca Book of Records is also likely to include Podder in the category for “Maximum number of crime fiction books published by an Indian author in the fastest time.”
“So, how come writing took a backseat for so many years as he made his career in the field of marketing, “My father passed away early and I had a family to support. Thirty years ago, being an author was not a very lucrative option in India. But writing always stayed on as a hobby and now every moment of my free time I want to pursue my passion.”
For ideas, Podder resorts to his personal experiences. “Once you have passed a certain age, one has many experiences to share, many stories to tell and that is how I get the plot of my novels, from my various experiences and the people that I have met.” But it was not all that sudden. Podder says it was a gradual process which started when he was in his mid-40s. “I started various blogs, in order to get ideas for my works — one on mysteries, one on believe-it-or-not and one on folktales.”
While his language is simple, his plots are racy with many twists and turns. Growing up, Podder loved reading the works of Erle Stanley Gardner, especially his Perry Mason series, (in fact he was the reason why Podder studied law), John Grisham, Jeffrey Archer, Leon Uris, Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon.
MOONIS HASAN ZUBERI