Maya Prasad is a South Asian American author, a Caltech graduate, and a former software engineer. She currently resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and raising her budding bookworm kiddo. Her debut novel Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things is a 2023 Children’s Book Council Young Adult and Librarian Favorite. Sejal Sinha Battles Superstorms is the first in her new STEM chapter book series. We’re so excited to have Maya on our blog today to discuss how to give and receive writing feedback, as well as to tell us about her next novel, Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses!
Hi! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your upcoming novel, Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses?
Hi and thanks for having me! I’m Maya Prasad, a South Asian American author currently living in the Pacific Northwest. When not writing, I enjoy hiking, kayaking, and reading in a hammock while getting some much-needed Vitamin D. This summer, I’ve had fun doing writing sprints in the mornings with my precocious ten-year-old, who is tackling a first novel.
My novel Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses is a YA contemporary releasing October 17, 2023 from Disney Hyperion. It’s the second book in the Singh Sisters duology, about four Indian American sisters who fall in and out of love in the San Juan Islands. Both books are super cozy and full of luscious food descriptions and PNW vibes. They’re also a love letter to beautiful brown girls. The books may appeal to fans of Little Women and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. You can enjoy Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses even if you haven’t read the first book, Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things. WWWK follows the Singh sisters to a murder-mystery party, a short film competition, a broken elevator, and a kids’ rock concert. In the space of one wild, windy day, each sister will have to make heart-wrenching decisions—but they’ll always have each other to lean on.
What did your journey to publishing look like for your debut novel, Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things?
Before my debut, I’d been writing for over ten years. I never thought it would take so long to get published, and if I had known, I might have reconsidered trying in the first place! But I think if you really want to be a writer, you can’t help yourself. You keep writing because stories sing in your soul.
Many joyful milestones kept me going: my first full request; my first offer to revise & resubmit; signing with my first agent; getting picked as a mentee for the wonderful We Need Diverse Books mentorship program; getting a short story published in the Foreshadow anthology, and signing with my current agent. I’ve also made so many writing friends along the way. And now I have five contracted books coming out with Disney and Simon & Schuster. What a dream!
Your author bio says that you are a former software engineer. What made you switch gears from this career path towards writing?
It’s simple really: I wanted to create representation for South Asian kids in the types of books I’d loved to read while growing up. Books about adventure and romance and fantasy worlds. Beautiful books where brown kids get to be the heroes and have agency and fall in love and get their own happy endings.
You’ve participated in many writing panels and events. Is there a piece of writing or publishing advice that comes up most often in these panels?
If you love to write, if stories are an indelible part of your soul, then do it. And don’t let the rejections get you down—almost every author has had ups and downs in their career. Breaking into this industry is ridiculously hard. But if you persist, you can do it. Also: read a lot, write a lot, and get feedback. Rinse and repeat.
RC1 Just launched our Peer Critique Forum, a place for writers to receive feedback on their work. Who is your go-to when wanting constructive feedback?
My husband and kiddo are now my alpha readers—they often read my first messy drafts where I’m trying to figure out where I’m going with something. Over the years, I’ve also been in many critique groups. I found the first ones through Meetup, and it was nice to have in-person meetings. During the pandemic, I pivoted to an online group with fellow authors from the Foreshadow anthology. Now that I have a network of author friends, I usually just ask around to see if anyone wants to swap.
I cannot emphasize enough that everyone needs feedback. I know that sharing your work is hard, and even when you do, you’re secretly hoping that everyone will say it’s perfect as is. Believe me, we’ve all been there. But sooner or later you will probably have to work with an agent or editor anyway, so it’s best to start accepting feedback and learning to revise early on.
Some tips on how to both give and receive writing feedback:
· Take time to digest the critiques you receive—your initial rebellious thought of “no way!” might change when you think it over.
· Don’t over-revise or take suggestions that go against your gut.
· Thank your critique partner sincerely for their time, whether or not you agree with their advice.
· Sometimes people will suggest a change that you don’t agree with. Although you don’t have to take their solution, if you dig deeper into why they’re suggesting it you might discover an underlying issue that should be addressed. Try resolving it in your own way.
· Good critique partners get you excited about revising. They’re also worth their weight in gold. Value them, and return the favor by putting just as much thought and care into reading your friends’ manuscripts.
Do you have any other exciting writing projects on the horizon you can tell us about?
In addition to the Singh Sisters duology, I also have a STEM chapter book series for kids ages 6-9 coming out from Simon & Schuster / Aladdin. Sejal Sinha Battles Superstorms is available now, about a young Indian American girl with a big imagination who converts a cardboard box into a hurricane hunting aircraft and flies into the eye of the storm to save her family’s Diwali celebration. She’s determined to learn all about the science of hurricanes—what powers them, and ultimately what might stop them.
Book #2, Sejal Sinha Swims with Sea Dragons, explores marine life and releases October 10, 2023. And book #3, Sejal Sinha Dives for Diamonds on Neptune, releases in January 2024.
Can you provide links to any websites or social channels you’d like readers to follow?
Instagram and TikTok: @msmayaprasad
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Author photo credit: Jamilah Newcomer
