I’m thrilled to feature Ell P, also known as Lakshmi Priya, on my blog. I have a sneaky suspicion I sat behind her at the Orange Flower Awards event at Juhu, Mumbai, a few years ago. I’m inspired just reading her answers to my questions that I sent her via email.
- Tell us about your writing journey.
I’ve been weaving stories since childhood; scribbling short tales, sneaking them into school magazines, and feeling like an absolute literary genius (until I reread them years later and cringe). But it wasn’t until 2014, when I stumbled into The Write Club, Bangalore via Meetup.com, that I truly got serious about writing.
At that point in life, I needed a tribe, and this gang of passionate writers was just that. Every Saturday, we’d gather, tackle a new theme, topic, or writing technique, pour our hearts onto paper, and then read them aloud for feedback. And let me tell you, my first time there made one thing painfully clear, I had miles to go before I could call myself a writer without wincing.
So, I did the only sensible thing; I showed up. Every. Single. Week. I wrote, read, got critiqued (sometimes brutally), and slowly but surely, found my voice. Along the way, these writers became my lifelong friends who cheered me on and challenged me to be better.
Meanwhile, I spread my wings online. I started writing for WomensWeb.in, and people actually noticed. More writer friends, more visibility, and soon, I found myself co-founding Litlatte and The Hive, two publishing platforms where we put out anthologies and dipped our toes into the chaotic, wonderful world of Indie publishing and KDP.
Basically, what started as a childhood hobby turned into an unstoppable obsession; one feedback session, one published piece, and one (or ten) cups of coffee at a time.
- Tell us about your publishing journey.
By the end of 2020, I had my debut novel, Shameless in Stilettos, polished and ready to take over bookshelves (or at least a bookshelf or two). While self-publishing was an option, I decided to play the long game. I gave myself two years to query publishers. If no one bit, I’d take matters into my own hands.
Cue endless discussions with writer friends, countless hours spent perfecting query letters, and enough research on querying to qualify a thesis. I sought feedback from established authors like Neil D’Silva, participated in Twitter Pitch fests, and even found an indie publisher in the US… only for them to shut down before anything could happen. Because why not?
Not one to quit, I signed up with an Indian literary agent (yes, the kind that charges a retainer upfront), and that didn’t work out either. Rejections rained down from all over the world, like the email version of a bad breakup.
Meanwhile, I kept myself sane by working with The Hive, publishing anthologies, and fine-tuning my manuscript. And then, just when I was considering sacrificing my laptop to the publishing gods, Anuj Bahrison of RedInk Literary Agency called. They loved Shameless in Stilettos and decided to represent it. Fast forward four years (yes, FOUR), and my book was finally out in the world, published by Tara Press.
Publishing is not for the weak-hearted. Or the impatient.
- How do you find the time to do your writing?
Spoiler alert: I don’t find time for writing. Consistency and I have a complicated relationship.
What saved me was Work-from-home during COVID. I’d clock out of my work laptop at 7 PM, slap my other laptop open, and squeeze in an hour or two of writing every day. That’s how Shameless in Stilettos came to life, though the whole process still took two years to write and another year and a half to edit.
Then my brain decided it needed a vacation from words, and for a while, I stopped writing. Moving to the Netherlands at the end of 2023 didn’t help. New country, new language, new existential crisis. But by mid-2024, I picked up my pen (okay, keyboard) again.
Now, I have two books in progress, one is horror, another one is a chick-lit thriller; and after some brutal (but helpful) feedback from my editor, Kanika Munot, I’ve decided to go all-in on the chick-lit thriller. I’m now trying to build a writing routine, but let’s be real, it’s a daily battle between deadlines, life, marketing Shameless in Stilettos, using Canva to create promotional visuals, recording podcasts and interviews and thinking of ways to boost the visibility of my book that is actually out.
And yes, as a woman balancing a full-time job, family, social life, finances, skincare (yes, that counts), working out, and settling into a new country, I feel like a circus performer juggling more than I can handle. Diaspora is real, and the mental struggle of “Where do I belong?” is an everyday thing.
- How did you find out which genre interested you the most?
I’ve always had a thing for the mysterious, the eerie, and the supernatural. At seven, I wrote my first paranormal story, a novella-length 12,000 words (because seven-year-old me had no chill).
My childhood home was a thriller and horror paradise thanks to my father, who devoured Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Frederick Forsyth, Arthur Hailey, and James Hadley Chase. Naturally, I inherited his taste.
That’s not to say I didn’t wander into other literary genres, Jane Austen, Salman Rushdie, Ayn Rand, Sylvia Plath all had their moment. But my love for thrillers and horror stuck. To Kill a Mockingbird introduced me to racism at thirteen and shook me to my core, but when it came to writing, my heart belonged to mysteries, thrillers, and the supernatural.
- How do you approach writing spicy/risqué thrillers?
Just because I write thrillers and horror doesn’t mean I don’t love a little drama and a whole lot of spice. I don’t follow any particular process when it comes to adding risqué scenes. I just go with what feels right. The goal is to keep it classy, sassy, and dripping with chutzpah. No cringey clichés, no forced steam; just natural, sizzling moments that fit seamlessly into the story.
- Who are some of your favorite writers?
My favourite writers have evolved as I have evolved as a reader. Right now, I have to say, Tana French, CJ Tudor, Elif Shafak, Jussi Adler Olsen, Mathew Reilly, Salman Rushdie etc. In the Indian context, it has to be Damyanti Biswas, Apeksha Rao, Andaleeb Wajid & Richa Srivastava Mukherjee.
- What’s your next book about?
Like I mentioned earlier, my next book is a chiclit thriller. It is not as complex as Shameless in stilettos. It is meant to be a light funny read, with of course oodles of drama and spice.
- If you could rewrite a classic, which one would you pick?
“The Fall of the House of Usher”—every. single. time.
This story haunts me, fascinates me, and frustrates me because it leaves behind more questions than answers. I would love to add my own spin to it; fill in the blanks, crank up the psychological horror, and maybe (just maybe) give it an ending that doesn’t make me stay up all night wondering what was the actual deal with Roderick and Madeline.
- What are your thoughts on popular fiction vis-à-vis literary fiction?
I’m not the type to get caught up in the popular vs. literary debate. I read what I want, when I want. If my book club picks something, I roll with it. But one thing I firmly believe? Storytelling evolves. What worked for readers 50 years ago might not fly today, and that’s perfectly fine. Fiction, whether popular or literary, should grow with its audience.
- Why do you write?
Because it keeps me from committing crimes.
No, seriously; writing is my therapy, my escape, and my way of making sense of the world. It’s either that or jail time, and let’s be real, I don’t look great in stripes.
