Interview| Prajakta Koli: 'I have 100% been hopelessly romantic for years' as she spoke about audiobook Too Good To Be True

Prajakta Koli thrives in a dynamic space. She enjoys the “lack of monotony” that her job offers. From starting as a content creator on YouTube, to acting in films and shows, to becoming a published author with her book, and now working as a voice actor to narrate her audiobook, Too Good To Be True on Audible, Prajakta Koli is popular among her fans as MostlySane on YouTube. 

Prajakta, overwhelmed with the love Too Good To Be True has been receiving, got talking about the process of writing a book with an idea she conceived during the pandemic, if she considers herself a hopeless romantic in real life, and what advice she has for people who want to publish a book in the future. 

A: Thank you so much! Honestly, it's got to be one of the most challenging things I've done in my life so far as a creator. I was very, very happy when I finished writing the book. So, recording for my book was even more special. When I stood in that studio recording for Audible, it was the first time I said those words aloud after having worked on it for more than a year. This has been a huge learning curve for me – from writing scripts to writing a book and recording an audiobook. 

A: During COVID, I was working on a few original ideas, and this was one of those. I wanted to develop this as a show, so when I started work on this, I realised I was very close to this idea and wanted to see if I could do it myself without a writer’s room. I have no training in screenplay or dialogue writin,g so I started writing excerpts, which then became chapters for my book. 

A: I drew a lot from myself for Avni because, as a first-time author, for me, that was the lowest hanging fruit. It was the easiest for me to look for inspiration in myself and my personality when it came to Avni.

But beyond that, I worked a little longer, harder to build from scratch as fiction. 

A: A 100 per cent. I’ve been that for years. I have always gravitated towards it growing up. I used to be all heart for a very long time growing up. Now, I think I have reached a sweet spot where my heart and my mind meet midway. So, I go with my gut. 

I used to be all heart for a very long time until I realised that self-preservation is also important. Now, I feel my heart and mind are pretty much in the same place. So I don't have to battle it out anymore.

A: I wouldn't call him that because he's perfect. I have been with him for a very long time, and I can say that he is everything that he shows. He is very much true in the way I want him to be.  

A: I don’t know what approach one can take when it comes to writing. I feel like it's a very, very personal process. I think everyone has a different way of approaching the first word or the first line, or the first chapter. For me, as much as I enjoyed writing romance, and I always wanted to write romance and develop it into shows and stuff like that, writing a book was never an idea I had. It wasn't until I read about 100 books that I realised that I now know how to tell a story. So the whole idea of writing a book, that is a dual POV book, came to me from reading all these beautiful novels that I ended up reading a few years ago.

A: The only thing that's worked for me is actually putting the work out without being too self-critical of it. It could be a YouTube video, a book or anything else. You would have a way of learning or steering towards the right place unless you put it out. 

Also, even if I wanted to be critical, I couldn’t be because I don’t know better. It’s good to have a little faith in yourself and take that leap.

A: Yes, I shot something exciting for Prime Video that should be coming out sometime this year. It's a supernatural thriller. It's very different from anything I've done before. It's called Andhera. I also finished shooting another project for another OTT platform. I am currently shooting another project for the same OTT, and then there are a couple of other announcements that I am not allowed to speak about yet. Also, there’s definitely more writing. 

Prajakta's audiobook Too Good To Be True released on March 24.