Pooja Srinivas & Nitai Pandya, authors of The Flying Chip, gave us the behind-the-scenes story of their work. The Flying Chip is about a unique adventure embarked upon by a bunch of curious kids along with a flying chip (read microchip). The geeky and friendly chip takes the kids into the fascinating world of technology. It allows them to make notes and learn fun things about gadgets. And also encourages them to keep a check on their screen time.
What do you hope kids or readers get from your story?
I hope our young readers understand the world of technology from closer quarters, the concept and spread of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the importance of keeping a tab on their screen time.
What inspired your story?
It was my school friend who first planted the thought of writing a children's book in my head. Then, one day my co-author spoke to me about the idea of writing a book for children that would take kids deeper into the world of technology. And also one that carried wisdom without sounding preachy. We brainstormed over a couple of story ideas and it lead us to The Flying Chip.
Having worked with microchips in the past, being a mom to young children, and a writer, The Flying Chip feels like it was destined to happen.
What was the hardest part of your journey in creating this book?
The hardest part of my journey in creating this book was to keep the language simple and easy to understand. Since I have worked with microchips, I had to suppress the urge to throw jargon and instead focus on deciphering concepts in a fun and interesting way.
What was the most inspiring part of your journey in creating this book?
This is my first book baby. So, I would say each and every part of the process was inspiring. But, I loved the exchange of ideas, the way the illustrations came up, and the insightful phase of proofreading and editing, the most.
Who helped or inspired you through your journey as an author?
I hail from a family of educators so books have always been discussed in my home. I developed the habit of reading as my father and brother read a lot then. My mother studied English Literature and besides being a teacher, she also gave her voice to documentaries back then. Her command over languages and her pronunciations kept me in awe.
Also, when I was little it was a family ritual to play scrabble every night after dinner. Thus, my journey as an author began way before I can remember. I also draw a lot of inspiration from authors that I admire, from my husband who is an avid reader, my friends and family who continue to render their unflinching support, and from my children who are my greatest sources of inspiration.
Pooja Srinivas is an engineer turned writer. She spent nearly a decade in the semiconductor space before writing took her in its stride. The Flying Chip marks her debut in the league of published authors. Being a mom to tech-savvy twins, an engineer, and a writer, Pooja finds The Flying Chip very close to her heart. Pooja writes technology and creative content on a freelance basis. She blogs and enjoys penning pint-sized poems too.
She was born and raised in India. She has also lived in China, and Kosovo and currently lives in the USA with her husband and children.
Follow Pooja Srinivas at the links below
