Author Interview with Priya Srivastava

 

Today, we present to you our guest author, Priya Srivastava, and our Founder, Palak Chauhan ma'am, got a chance to interview her about her book, The Feminine Mirror. Let's get a sneak peek at the interview. 

Q1. What inspired you to center The Feminine Mirror around the age of thirty? What significance does the milestone hold in a woman's life? 

Ans 1 - I centered The Feminine Mirror: Stories of 30 Women at 30 around the age of thirty because the age feels like a quiet turning point in many women's lives. By thirty, society expects you to "have it all figured out."  Career, marriage, motherhood, stability, yet internally, many women are still discovering who they truly are. 

Thirty is not an ending; it is a mirror moment. It is the age when a woman pauses, looks back at who she has been, and asks who she still wants to become. 

Q2. How did you conceptualize the emotional and thematic diversity among the 30 women portrayed in the book? 

Ans 2 - I imagined 30 women as 30 different mirrors of real life. Every woman carries a different story, love, loss, dreams, and freedom. I observed real emotions from everyday life and asked: What could a woman be feeling at 30? Then each story became one emotion, one struggle, one strength. Together, they form a complete emotional journey of womanhood at thirty. 

Q3. Are the stories inspired by true events? 

Ans 3 - Yes, many stories are inspired by real emotions and real - life experiences of people around me, friends, relatives, and women I have known. I didn't copy their lives exactly, but their feelings and situations were inspired by the stories and turned into fiction. 

Q4. What challenges did you face while capturing such layers of womanhood? 

Ans 4 - The biggest challenge was doing justice to every emotion. Womanhood has many layers: strength, guilt, dreams, pressure, love, and balancing them all was not easy. 

Another challenge was writing each story differently so every woman felt unique, real, and relatable. 

Most importantly, I wanted the stories to feel true and respectful, not dramatic or fake. 

Q5. The book highlights themes of courage, vulnerability, and resilience. How did you ensure authenticity in portraying these qualities? 

Ans 5 - I focused on real emotions, instead of perfect characters. Real women are strong and vulnerable at the same time, so I allowed my characters to make mistakes, feel confused, cry, and still move forward. I observed real-life conversations, struggles, and small everyday moments because authenticity lives in the little details. 

Q6. Which story or character in the book deeply resonates with you and why? 

Ans 6.  The characters that resonate the most with me are from “The Woman Who Could Not Say No,” “The Ink on Her Hands,” and “The Mirror: You  - The Reader, The Writer, The Woman Behind All Stories.” I connect with them because they reflect a woman who feels deeply, often puts others first, and expresses her emotions through writing. Their journeys represent self-awareness, emotional growth, and the realization that learning to say no and finding your voice are both essential parts of discovering your true self.

Q7. How do you think that social expectations shape a woman's identity by the time she reaches the age of thirty? 

Ans 7 - By thirty, society's expectations often influence how a woman measures success and life choices. With time, she starts questioning these pressures and discovering what she truly wants. That's when her real identity begins to form. 

Q8. What message do you hope readers, both men and women, would take away from this collection? 

Ans 8 - For women, the message is: your journey is valid, and your voice matters. 

For men, the message is: empathy and understanding can change a woman's world. 

Overall, the book is about seeing, respecting, and valuing women. 

Q9. How does your background in literature and journalism influence your storytelling style in this book? 

Ans 9 - My literature background helps me focus on emotions, depth, and meaningful storytelling. 

Journalism taught me to observe real life, notice small details, and write in a simple and relatable way. 

Q10. Do you see this book as a continuation or an exploration of different age groups or life stages in the coming editions? 

Ans 10. Yes, I see this book as the beginning of a bigger journey. Thirty is just one milestone; there are powerful stories in the 20s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. Each age brings new struggles, dreams, and transformations. I would love to explore different life stages in future editions.