By Kimberly Hosey
Risha Chaurasia began writing when she was 8, starting with plays that would go on to be performed in her school. Soon, she knew she wanted to do something bigger—and by the time she was 11 she had published her first novel, Tales of Twinkling Tweens.
She was hooked: not only on writing, but on the power of her stories to reflect the conflicts, victories, relationships, and challenges faced by her peers—and the potential she saw in her stories to frame everyday trials, emotions, and life choices in an uplifting way.
“[A] fascination for the publishing business and love for books motivated me,” the Indian author said. Chaurasia aims to leave readers “hopeful and better about themselves,” she said. “I want to make them believe that they are not alone and even if I’m able to impact my readers’ lives slightly for the better, I’d consider myself successful.”
She’s focusing on a real need. A global pandemic, the spread of online hate and abuse, mental health challenges, escalating concerns around climate change and inequality, and even rising suicide rates in India and worldwide all contribute to what is a complicated and often grim time to be a teenager or young adult. Psychologists highlight the importance of greater understanding of emotional distress and pressures faced by adolescents, and their focus often includes the importance of effective support and of nurturing meaningful hope in the face of challenges. Chaurasia believes she can add to that positivity.
A growing body of work
Tales of Twinkling Tweens, which came out in May 2019, focuses on the turbulent life of a tween. It opens with a lament that a “long time ago, people who sacrificed their sleep, fun, laughter, were called saints” but “in the millennial times they are called students.” It’s a down-to-earth, casual collection of anecdotes combining childlike playfulness with the candid peer observations and commentary expected of teens. In other words: A book by a tween for tweens (and their parents).
Her next novel, TRUCE, examines “the themes of friendship, love and self-discovery” through a group of five college-age protagonists and was published in January 2021. Although her characters were older, Chaurasia turned to a cousin in college—and research—to fill in the details.
“No matter what age we have the same emotions, and I tried to target the emotions,” she said.
To My Homies, released this March, is based on Chaurasia’s own life and friends and explores confidence, friendship, and self-discovery.
Chaurasia, who says she’s enjoyed the full support of family and friends but has faced bullies and criticism, believes she can serve as an inspiration both through down-to-earth stories and in her “real” life as she grows as a writer.
“I think experience is the best teacher and from constantly writing, I grow. I make a point to write every day, even if it’s just a few sentences,” she said. She’s currently working on “a high school drama based on friendship and betrayal.”
If her peers connect with her stories, it’s because she approaches them from a personal perspective.
“Writing is therapy for me. It’s like taking a piece of my heart and putting it out on paper for the world to read,” she said, adding that her stories give the inside story “on teenage life, our struggles and our happiness.”
A positive impact through words
Chaurasia said her favorite authors are Sudeep Nagarkar and John Green, whose writing she likened to “meeting a new friend who changes the way you think.” She isn’t too interested in grimness and negativity. Her Instagram page, straight.from.my.pen, regularly highlights “what went right this week.”
“Young people need someone to tell them and it’ll be alright,” she said. She added that “with the increase in conversations about mental health and finding happiness,” stories revealing a “light at the end of the tunnel” are the most engaging for her to read or write, though she stressed she strives to be realistic.
“Relatable and honest stories speak to me the most: stories that show you how things are and not how we want them to be,” she said.
Support from family and fans
Chaurasia acknowledges not everyone has had the advantages she enjoys—which motivates her to make the most of her skill, passion, and the support of others.
“My family has played a gigantic role in my writing career,” she said. “It isn’t easy being a teen author and there have been several times when I’ve wanted to give up. In these times my mom got me going.”
It’s not all praise and doting: Chaurasia said her mother is her “biggest critic,” but added that “every piece of feedback she’s given me has helped me grow.”
The best reactions, though, come from fans. From phone calls to fan mail, she says connecting with grateful fans has been inspiring.
“My favorite feedback was when a reader told me that he saw reflections of himself in TRUCE,” she said.
Chaurasia has spoken at several public events and last month was the youngest speaker at the Young Eager Writers Conference (YEWCon), discussing the changing world and writing industry in the panel “The Next Generation of Writers.”
She said attending the Indore Literature Festival was a “surreal” experience, from connecting with a fan to signing her first autograph.
“It opened my eyes to the wide world of literature as I was surrounded by book lovers,” she said, adding that taking photos with the young fan is now her “most cherished memory.”
It hasn’t all been fans and photos: When Chaurasia published her first book, not all of her peers were kind. (It’s not easy being a first-time author at any age, let alone 11.)
“At 11, this broke me,” she admitted, but said she would rather focus on “the bright side.”
The power of youth
She might be younger than most authors, but Chaurasia expects adults to take her—and other young people—seriously.
“It is imperative for the world to believe in the power of the youth,” she said, both because young people deserve support and because they have real talents and insights to offer.
“You don’t have to do much,” she said. “We’re unsure and unconfident. Just a few words of encouragement, a mere interest in our work can go a long way.”
Chaurasia said she hopes to explore important issues while setting an example, especially as a girl with ambition and drive. She said that although she hasn’t faced much gender discrimination and has been thoroughly supported by those close to her, she knows that’s not the case for everyone—including many girls she knows.
“I try my best to be a role model and an inspiration,” she said. “I want young girls to believe in themselves and in the power they hold within.”
Connect with Risha Chaurasia, learn more, or buy her books here. She posts regularly on Instagram at straight.from.my.pen.