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Interview With Author Shubha Apte

by Shubha Apte
(Bengaluru, Karnataka, India)

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I am an author, leadership coach, mentor, and a Business Leader with over four decades of experience across leadership, consulting, quality, execution, and transformation roles in Global blue-chip organizations. Over the last several years, I have been coaching and mentoring leaders while also pursuing my passion for writing.

I write both fiction and non-fiction. My non-fiction work draws from my leadership, mentoring, and life experiences, while my fiction often explores human emotions, relationships, resilience, identity, and personal transformation. I am also a blogger and enjoy reflecting on life, society, leadership, emotional wellbeing, and human connection through my writing.

2. How did you start writing?

My love for writing began in childhood. During school, I enjoyed writing poems and essays, some of which were published in Teenager Magazine. Writing came naturally to me and became a way of expressing thoughts and emotions.

However, as life progressed, career responsibilities and family commitments took priority, and writing moved to the background for many years. Around 2015, I rediscovered this passion and started writing again with renewed purpose. I began publishing articles on platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, and magazines.

To strengthen my craft, I completed a Diploma in Creative Writing from the Writers Bureau, Manchester. I have also contributed to anthologies, including The Joy of Life (an article collection published by Dancing Elephant Press, 2023) and Ripples II, a short fiction anthology exploring the influence of social media, published by APK Publishers. Writing, for me, feels like coming home to something I always loved.

3. What is the greatest joy of writing for you?

The greatest joy of writing is the ability to touch lives, create reflection, and make readers feel seen or understood. I deeply value when a reader tells me, “I could relate to this,” or “Your story made me pause and think.”

Writing allows me to transform lived experiences, observations, emotions, and lessons into something meaningful for others. Whether it is a leadership lesson, a story of resilience, or a fictional narrative about relationships, I find joy in creating emotional connection and sparking self-reflection

4. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

One surprising lesson was discovering how deeply personal writing can become—even when you are writing fiction. Sometimes characters unexpectedly mirror emotions, observations, or experiences you have encountered in life.

I also realized that writing a book requires far more patience, discipline, and emotional resilience than I initially imagined. A book evolves over time, and sometimes the story or message reveals itself only during the writing journey.

5. How do you develop your plots and characters?

My plots and characters often emerge from observation, lived experiences, conversations, travel, coaching interactions, and human behaviour that I observe around me. I am deeply curious about emotions, relationships, and how people respond to challenges, loss, success, and change.

I usually begin with an emotional idea or a human dilemma rather than a fixed plot. From there, characters start taking shape—their fears, hopes, struggles, and motivations. Since I have worked with people for many years in mentoring and leadership, understanding human complexity comes naturally to me.

6. What were some of the challenges you faced on the road to publication?

One of the biggest challenges has been understanding the technical and publishing side of writing—self-formatting books, navigating self-publishing platforms, editing, cover design, and identifying reliable publishing options.

For many independent authors, publication is not just about writing the manuscript; it also involves learning marketing, visibility, formatting, and reader engagement. It has been a learning journey, but one that has also made me more resilient and resourceful.

7. What genre are your books, and what draws you to this genre?

I write both fiction and non-fiction because both allow me to express different aspects of myself.

My non-fiction work is inspired by leadership, emotional wellbeing, resilience, workplace realities, mentoring, and life lessons drawn from decades of experience. Fiction, on the other hand, allows me to explore human relationships, emotional struggles, healing, identity, and transformation in a deeper and more imaginative way.

What draws me to both genres is my fascination with human behaviour and personal growth.

8. Where do your ideas come from?

Ideas come from everywhere—life experiences, travel, observations, conversations, coaching sessions, societal changes, relationships, news, emotions, memories, and everyday moments.

Sometimes a single sentence, a personal interaction, a challenge someone shares, or an observation during travel can become the seed of a story or article. I observe people closely and often ask myself: What is the story behind this emotion or behaviour?

9. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Yes, I read my reviews and value them deeply. I genuinely appreciate readers taking the time to share feedback and try to respond wherever possible.

Good reviews are encouraging and reassure me that my writing has resonated with someone. Constructive criticism or less positive reviews help me improve. I see them as opportunities to reflect, grow, and strengthen my writing rather than take them personally.

10. Please tell us something about your latest book.

My latest book, "Rising Beyond The Storm," is a deeply reflective and compassionate exploration of resilience, emotional healing, and the strength we discover within ourselves during life’s most difficult moments.

The book was inspired by observing how people—including leaders, professionals, caregivers, and individuals from all walks of life—navigate grief, setbacks, uncertainty, emotional pain, and personal loss. Through reflections, real-life insights, and practical guidance, the book encourages readers to move beyond emotional storms with greater self-awareness, self-compassion, courage, and hope.

At its heart, Rising Beyond The Storm is a reminder that adversity may change us, but it does not have to break us. Even after difficult phases in life, we can heal, rediscover meaning, rebuild ourselves, and emerge stronger with renewed purpose.

This version feels more personal, emotionally resonant, and consistent with your mentoring, coaching, and reflective writing style.

Please check out Her Blog to know more about her book.

https://storiesfrommydesk.com/