About Nishant Prakash
Nishant Prakash is a Strategic Advisor by profession, an alumnus of IIM-Shillong, and a recipient of the prestigious ’40 Under 40′ Leaders award by ‘Analytics India Magazine’. While ‘Falling In & Out’ is his first novel, he has published numerous articles and short stories in the past. He comes from a small town in Eastern India, and whether it be due to his humble beginnings or his love for the early works of Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling, his keen sense of observation is evident in all his literary work. There are deeply ingrained elements of character development arcs in all his stories that make for an interesting mix of situations and personas throughout his form of storytelling.
LiFT: Tell us about your book, the journey of writing it and its content?
Nishant Prakash: “Falling In & Out” tries to marry a coming-of-age story of 3 small-town kids, with an expansive time-travel story as the backdrop. While the book has a sci-fi / speculative fiction theme, the core story revolves around how these characters’ lives shape up as a result of decisions that they or those around them take at pivotal moments in their lives. As someone who loves to observe and understand the ‘why’s behind individual personas, I am often amazed at how most people always speak about ‘what if’ scenarios in their lives. ‘How different had my life been had I taken a different direction in my career?’ or ‘What could have been had I stayed with this person?’. “Falling In & Out” is a study of these ‘What If’s, as one of the central characters lives and tries to work his way around these infinite possibilities.
LiFT: Why you chose this title?
Nishant Prakash: There were 3 main reasons behind the title – first due to the 3 protagonist’s stories of falling in & out of love with their respective partners, the second is because the story literally starts with one of them falling from the top of a building and the last has got to do with the special ability that one of the protagonist possesses (which I can’t dwell much into, for the benefit of first time readers). When my wife and I were discussing potential titles, this one resonated best given the different contexts in the story. It also leaves the title open to interpretation, as readers gradually try to figure out for themselves as to how the story and the title relate to each other.
LiFT: When did you realize that you want to be a writer and what’s your inspiration behind it?
Nishant Prakash: Since the first time I got my hands on a Ruskin Bond book as a kid, I had always loved the idea of telling stories that people could relate to. As I grew up, and got introduced to the works of Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain, I was mesmerized by their ability to develop characters and make their readers actually feel their emotions. Those 3 are my inspirations that nudged me to explore this path. I ended up writing a number of articles and short stories for my school and college magazines. And while I always had these ideas about writing a novel at the back of my mind, it was ultimately the last conversation I had with a now deceased close friend that made me take the leap – he was someone who used to always push me to pick my pen up.
LiFT: Where do you see yourself ten years down the line in the world of literature?
Nishant Prakash: I would like to think that 10 years down the line, I would have had a few bestsellers in my kitty and was doing this as a full-time author. Maybe a few awards and adaptations along the way as well… but what I would truly cherish is if there is another Nishant sitting there somewhere in a small town, reading my stories and feeling inspired to tell his own – that, for me, would be the most fulfilling thing for me to get out of this opportunity.
LiFT: How much do you think marketing or quality of a book is necessary to promote a particular book and increase its readers?
Nishant Prakash: Marketing and Quality of manuscript need to go hand in hand – they are two inseparable pillars in promoting a book and increasing its readership. The core of a book’s long-term success lies in its quality. A compelling story, memorable characters, and skilful prose create an emotional connection with readers, which leads to word-of-mouth recommendations—arguably the most powerful marketing tool. Readers may buy a book because of marketing, but they recommend and revisit it because of its quality. Quality alone, however, doesn’t guarantee visibility in today’s oversaturated market. Effective marketing ensures that a book reaches its target audience and gains momentum. Marketing builds anticipation before a release, creates engagement through reviews, and sustains the buzz post-launch. I’ll put it this way – Quality ensures readers stay and become advocates, while Marketing ensures readers arrive in the first place.
LiFT: What is the message you want to spread among folks with your writings?
Nishant Prakash: The message I want to spread through my writings is that life is a complex interplay of choices, relationships, and circumstances, but within this complexity lies the power to shape our own narratives. My writing seeks to inspire readers to reflect on their own lives, to recognize the value of empathy, and to understand that even in the face of challenges, there’s always a possibility to rewrite your story. I want readers to see themselves in these characters, feel a sense of hope, and believe in the extraordinary potential of human relationships and perseverance. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that every decision we make carries the potential to ripple through time.
LiFT: What do you do apart from writing?
Nishant Prakash: I have worked as a Strategic Advisor across different firms for close to a decade and a half. An avid Gaming and Sports enthusiast, I am also someone who loves to travel and visit new places. Outside of these, I am a typical Family guy trying to balance the various complexities of day-to-day life, not least of which is to continue to support Manchester United FC, even after more than a decade of shambolic performances. GGMU!
LiFT: What are the activities you resort to when you face a writer’s block?
Nishant Prakash: To be honest, I am still figuring out a way around it – so far, rather than trying to fight through, what has worked best for me is to gradually create a habit around writing – I marked specific hours in the day when I pushed myself to write, and over a period of time it has become more of a habit, and gradually, my mind has also been conditioned to accept this. Of course, the volume and quality you are able to get out might vary, and that is something that you need to be aware of and address potentially in the very next session. But despite all this, I’d be lying if I’d say that there haven’t been any days when I’ve not been able to write a single paragraph properly; but what this method has done for me, is to ensure that the number of such days are far less, and that the consistency in your thoughts & writing process is maintained more seamlessly.
LiFT: What if your story will be adopted as a movie? Whom would you want to work as a director or actors in it?
Nishant Prakash: I think the stories I have in mind focus a lot more on characters and their turmoil in settings that may be out of the ordinary. Given how he made us feel the emotions of every character in “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” in a rather speculative fiction setting, I would love to have someone like Michel Gondry or someone in the same ilk direct the movie. As for actors, I would have loved for Irrfan Khan as a lead, for the subtlety yet profoundness in his expressions.
LiFT: Are you working on your next book? If yes, please tell us something about it.
Nishant Prakash: Nearly half of my next book, “Falling Apart”, is already completed. It’s set up as a psychological thriller that deals with a number of contemporary problems around women empowerment and gender equality. While it could be read as a standalone novel and not necessarily fit right in to where the story is left off at the end of “Falling In & Out”, one of the central characters in the 2nd novel is actually someone that the readers would have met in the first novel. Again, this is not necessarily a continuation, but more of an easter egg that gives the readers of both these books a sense of where the stories might be converging.
LiFT: What are your suggestions to the budding writers/poets so that they could improve their writing skills?
Nishant Prakash: Practice makes perfect, but then, not even a masterpiece is ever perfect. I genuinely live by that motto, and that’s the advice I would want to give to other aspiring authors like me – yes, it is important to hone your skills before you take the plunge, but when you are ready (and you will know when you are), do not hesitate in taking that first step forward. For what you are thinking of as a major hurdle, is more a milestone, and there are immensely more intricate lessons to be learnt after you have crossed that first milestone.
Click here to order Nishant Prakash’s Book – Falling In & Out
