Sunday 15 August 2021

An Author’s Greatest Fan…and Critic!


I was fortunate to be interviewed by
LITREAL in July (2021) as part of their Essential Reads segment. It was through a connection on LinkedIn that got me this amazing opportunity with CEO and co-founder Dr. Shasikala Palsamy. LITREAL introduces English speaking authors to India (and the world), so I thought it was a way for me to expand my literary reach, and perhaps gain some new readers. Here’s a smattering of what they do for authors:

“LITREAL wishes to have a hands-on approach towards the study of literary works. LITREAL BROADCAST is the official YouTube channel of our institution. We have several live segments on a weekly basis where we interview writers across the globe. The input that writers of the current era provide us can really be useful to bring out the literary scholar in every individual.”

Honestly, I’m blushing. I was so out of my comfort zone during our interview! Despite the technical difficulties I experienced (I couldn’t see my video feed, but they could see me) we persevered and the interview went on as planned. I’ll include the full interview in this post, but there was one question I’d like to revisit, and wished I had answered differently.

That question?

Can you mention a person in your personal life who is your greatest fan and someone whom you may regard as your harshest critic?

The harshest critic was easy. That would be me. But my greatest fan? Wait…what? I honestly had no idea, so I rattled off a few names of girls I knew that had read my books and loved them. After the interview, it hit me like a ton of paperbacks. I was my greatest fan. All authors must be the champions of their own stories or what’s the point of writing?

As promised, here’s the interview with LITREAL. It was a scary-wonderful, humbling, and just plain old fun experience. You can hear my enthusiasm rise out of my voice at times, and to my surprise, it made me feel like I belong in this crazy literary world. Enjoy!

The actual interview:


If you’re an author, do you agree with me about being your own greatest fan and harshest critic? I’d love to read your comments. Cheers and thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate you!

14 comments:

  1. That is a great question, Sharon. I’m definitely going to ponder that today, but I have a feeling my answers are going to be the same as yours. Great interview-thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks so much, Leigh! I was a little stumped on that question until the truth hit my like a lightning bolt. LOL! Cheers!

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  2. I hear you and totally agree. Hugs for the share. 💗

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    1. My pleasure, Helen! Thanks so much for stopping by for a chat. Cheers!

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  3. Fantastic interview Sharon! Good job :)

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    1. Thanks, Boss! I'm sure you've had a hand in helping me grow as a writer, so thank you!!

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  4. Love your interview. You are my idol.

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    1. Now I'm blushing, Sloane. LOL! Hugs and thanks so much for your kind compliment. Cheers, my friend!

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  5. I've told you before that you're an inspiration to other writers, Sharon, but no harm in saying it again!

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    1. I so appreciate you, Carol! Thanks so much for your kind words and support. They sure mean a lot to me. Cheers!

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  6. Congratulations, Sharon! I definitely think I'm my own worst critic.

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    1. You're not the only one, Andrew. Authors need to start being kind to themselves. Wink. Thanks for all your support, my friend!

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