By Suneetha
Remember this Purdue alumnus techie Techgoss introduced in 2012? He has enviable degrees in technology and management, plus a muse-blessed pen that scripts stuff like Chhota Bheem and Kumbh Karan. Prashant Pinge is back with a young adult fantasy ‘Sceadu’, a fast paced adventure that travels out from the real world. Techgoss caught up with Prashant as his book hits the shelves.
Techgoss (TG): Could you introduce your techie self once more? We had last spoken to you in 2012!
Prashant Pinge (PP): I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a specialization in communications and signal processing from Purdue University. I subsequently worked at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as a process engineer in their avionics division. However, I soon decided to pursue further education in management, specifically strategic marketing and brand management. For the past few years, I have been operating a marketing and branding firm, Media Panther. I have also recently set up an animation, VFX and design studio, Reptile FX, where our focus has been on creating explainer videos and designing marketing collateral for businesses.
TG: A new book and a YA Fantasy. Could you tell us more about the book Sceadu? Any inspirations? What is the title about?
PP: Sceadu is a fast-paced adventure which blurs the boundary between the physical and the psychological, the real and the mythical. It chronicles the journey of four children who are transported by a verse from a century old book to a land inside their shadows. The reluctant visitors search for a way back but find themselves chased by the Hefigans, creatures of Sceadu. The stakes are suddenly raised when an ancient prophecy foretells the doom of the world they left behind. The children have no choice but to try and unlock the secrets of the shadow or suffer the destruction of their own kind.
Sceadu is the old English term for shadow. I have always been fascinated by these supposedly docile grey shapes. But what if they held a land infested with dangerous creatures just waiting to escape into our world and cause devastation? This was the question that inspired me to write Sceadu.
I chose Sceadu as the title because the word has a very mysterious feel and the story takes places inside the shadow. There is a deeper meaning attached to the title as well since the shadow has been interpreted from a psychological perspective.
TG: Your website has a lovely intro: My website is paved with words. How come you opted for self-publishing even after being a Crossword finalist in the past?
PP: It is all about the words. It always has been. The channel doesn’t matter as long as these words reach my audience. I have, of course, been traditionally published in the past with Raja & the Giant Donut shortlisted for the Crossword Books Awards in the Children’s Writing category in 2011. The decision to take the self-publishing route with Sceadu, however, came after a lengthy period of deliberation. The primary drivers were complete creative control and the ability to reach a global audience. However, I do plan to work with publishers, with my next work of children’s fiction already picked up for a 2015 release.
TG: Why do children these days have a penchant for fantasy? As an author, what reason could you give for this preference?
PP: I believe children have always had a penchant for fantasy. It is only in recent times though that fantasy as a genre has received so much attention, possibly due to the popularity and success of the Harry Potter series. I also feel that children are, in general, more accepting of this genre as there is willingness at that age to open the mind to all kinds of possibilities and ideas.
TG: What comes next?
PP: I am currently working on a romantic comedy. I shall then veer again towards writing a children’s fiction book. I am also doing research for a historical fiction novel which I hope to start by mid 2015.
Techgoss Note: Suneetha has been reporting for Techgoss since 2007. She also writes fiction, and translates into two languages English and Malayalam. Read her new upmarket fiction The Guest at the Amazon shelf.
Source: http://www.techgoss.com/Story/632S11-Purdue-Alumnus-Pens-YA-Fantasy.aspx