Author and Poet Smitha Vishwanath Talks Poetry, Painting, Blogging, and Story Chat Digest – Marsha Ingrao Always Write

There’s something special about the contributors to Story Chat—they bring not only new stories, but a sense of continuity to the conversations we’ve built together. One of the joys of Story Chat Digest: Where Stories Meet is discovering not just the stories themselves, but the writers behind them—what inspires them, what grounds them, and what keeps them writing. Note: I created the Featured Image with AI assistance from ChatGPT and Canva, using one of three of her photographs.

widget for Author interviews with people gathered around tables — Widget created with AI assistance from ChatGPT and Canva

Today, I’m excited to welcome the very talented Smitha Viswanath to talk with you today. While this is Smitha’s first contribution as an author to Story Chat Digest, she will tell you that she has been part of our community—reading, encouraging, and showing up for others in ways that matter before she ever sent in a poem.

If you haven’t read one of her poems, you can almost taste this one.

Oranges

by Smitha Vishwanath

Smitha’s painting shows three oranges on a white plate.

Round and plump, juicy marigolds
Dangling on boughs
Thick skinned nectarines
peeping through green rustling fringes
Like many suns hanging on meadow skies
Fill the air with a citrusy scent when the wind blows

Hanging bulbs, the colour of carnelian,
Golden apples, circle of life
a soft sweetness of a baby’s gurgle,
the zesty tartness of a lovers’ quarrel
a tanginess of grandma’s gooseberry pickle,
the zing of grandpa’s naughty chuckle.

Gift to Zeus, King of Gods
Nature’s bounty, a womb of good fortune
Humble and luxurious elixir,
Haute cuisine’s magic ingredient
The fun and irreverent twist

A chef’s delight, the glowing globe.

About Your Story Chat Contributions

Can you tell us about your poems and artwork, Oranges and Fate, the Lips of God in Story Chat Digest: Where Stories Meet? What inspired your poems? What do you hope readers take away from them?

First, thank you, Marsha, for having me here. Your questions made me go back to the poems and artwork that I submitted to Story Chat. I’m honoured to be here.
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Coming to your question, I painted ‘Oranges’ as a sketchbook painting project. The painting itself was inspired by an oil painting by Seimai Ikeda. Mine is done using watercolours. The poem was written later for a prompt given during NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month).

The prompt was to choose a number from 1-10 and then find the item in column A of the table provided by Maureen (the host of NaPoWriMo) and use the words in column B and C on the same row to write a poem. I chose my favourite number : 5 and the item was ‘Oranges’. I wrote the poem and remembered I had a painting that could go with it. So, you see, it wasn’t planned. But the poem and the painting garnered a lot of likes and comments during NaPoWriMo, so I decided to share it on Story Chat.

I think the takeaway from it is that art and poetry don’t need to compete with each other. Rather, one can complement the other if done correctly. Also, the poem is an exercise in writing poetry using only metaphors. ‘Oranges’ is a list of metaphors used to describe the fruit.

The poem, ‘Fate- the lips of God’ was written somewhere in January, 2025. It was born out of a sense of helplessness. The Russia- Ukraine war, the continuous bombing in Gaza, the birth of babies in war-torn zones, with little or no food and constant danger lurking over their heads, and like many other people, I was thinking, ‘Why?’ ‘What was their fault?’ and the only answer I got was ‘Fate’. I want readers to appreciate all that they have– being a citizen of a safe country, having good homes and families, and understand that it isn’t their doing but a matter of chance or luck or fate or destiny, that they were not born in a country going through trouble. It’s also a way of telling people that it’s a matter of bad luck or misfortune when a child is born in a country destroyed by conflict and is no fault of the child. If we understand this, then we will be compassionate and less judgmental of those suffering.

You contributed several paintings, one of which will be the cover of Story Chat Digest Book 4. Since that one will be coming up, can you remind readers of some of the backstory on the Lady in Yellow?

I was thrilled, Marshe, when you said you were using ‘The Lady in Yellow’ as a book cover for next year’s anthology, Story Chat Digest: Threads of Humanity. That painting was inspired by a painting by Sebastian Bauer, which I saw on Instagram. Sebastian used mixed media: acrylics and ink, for his painting. I did it in watercolours on my sketchpad during the time I was living in a hotel. I did not want to stop painting and we were relocating.
Having moved to Africa, where people wear bold colours, this painting appealed to me. I loved the large-sized hat on the lady, how she tells a story, although, you can not see her face and the movement in the figure which is evident by the way her body curves. When I painted it, in that hotel room, I had no idea what was in store for ‘The Lady in Yellow’. She looked very American. Who knew that she would wind up in the U.S. one day?

What prompted you to participate in Story Chat, and what keeps you going?

I have been following Story Chat for some time now. I used to read the stories but did not comment. I wasn’t sure about the process. I’m a little slow on trying out anything new. Then, in 2024, I think, I read a post by you, where you shared how you engaged readers, grew your website organically, and why it’s important to participate and comment. I commented on the post, and you replied. You not only replied but you sent me an email and in not so many words implied, ‘It’s okay to ask if you don’t get it. Ask me.’ After that, I read your book. It was honest and refreshing and helped me get to know you better. That’s when I decided to participate.

Wow, that is super nice to hear, Smitha. You have made a big impact on my life. Your enthusiasm and participation make all of us feel good.

Your Writing Life

You wrote a delightful and complex novel, Coming Home, last year. I felt like I was there experiencing the Indian culture from the inside rather than the outside. Many of the reviewers felt, as I did, that this wasn’t the work of a debut novelist. Talk to us about your experience writing your first novel.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m happy you liked the novel and you think it was good. I wrote the novel during Covid, at the end of 2020. It was a way of escaping my grief. In a span of two months, I had lost my grandma, uncle and father – my three pillars after my mom passed. It was hard. I was distraught. ‘Coming Home’ was me living in an alternate reality with all these characters that I had created. It kept me distracted because the characters kept talking inside my head. I completed writing it in 2021. The editing took a little more than a year and after several rounds of edits, the book got published in April 2023. By the time it went for printing, I felt I would throw up if I had to edit it again. That’s when I knew it was done.

I think there are a lot of writers here who can identify with that feeling. I am working on a book right now, and I’ve barely started the editing process, and I feel that way. I almost feel like I need to rewrite the entire book when I get more data from my readers. But I feel how much stronger the book will be with all the input.

What was the hardest thing about writing your novel?

The hardest thing for me was coming up with a story that had no loose ends and that would keep the readers turning pages until the end. I also found writing dialogues for the male characters tough. I’m happy that readers who read the book have specifically mentioned that the characters fully fleshed out and the character arcs were strong.

How would you compare writing short stories to writing a novel?

I haven’t written short stories but I’d like to. I think both of them are equally challenging. You need to have enough meat to write a 200-page novel that readers want to read until the end. The challenge in short stories is that it has to have everything – the action, conflict and resolution in a few pages. The author has to know how much description, sensory imagery to add and not just narrate the events; you have to draw the reader into your world, keep him entranced in the few pages and let him out gently, so by the end of it, the reader says, ‘Wow! That was some experience.’ In short, you have but a few pages to make it memorable.

Which do you prefer writing?

I have written a novel and I enjoyed it. I would love to write short stories. Hopefully, some day. As of now, I’m working on publishing my poetry book.

Your Blog

Why did you start blogging?

I didn’t plan on it. It just happened. In 2016, my father-in-law suggested I write and share my writing in a more organised manner than I was doing. I would write him letters of our travels, and I loved that he read it with great interest and responded. At the time I would also write posts on Facebook on my experiences, and the posts got a lot of attention from friends. My father-in-law’s push and the positive feedback from friends was what led me to blogging.

Has the reason you blog changed since you started?

Not really. I’ve always loved writing, sharing my thoughts, and the lessons I’ve learnt from my experiences. However, lately, I’ve been focusing on poetry and book reviews, and I’ve stopped sharing my experiences. I would like to engage more with the readers than I am doing currently. I generally start off well at the beginning of the year. Then I get side-tracked when I’m travelling and have no wi-fi or when NaPoWriMo comes along in April, and I’m too busy writing a poem a day, and for weeks after that I’m playing catch up on everything else I’ve missed.

That is one of the drawbacks of blogging for everyone. It’s easy to slide down rabbit holes as you read. Then, I am, I’m so caught up in trying to make all the corrections and updates to the Photo and Writing Challenges pages on my blog and in my new book, that I barely come out of my office by the time I check the messages on my blog.

Readers feel free to share some of the ways you balance your lives with work, blogging, and life.

What inspired the name of your blog?

I had read a guest post by Hugh. Norm, who started ‘Thursday Doors’, which is now hosted by Dan. Hugh had written a post on why you should revisit your blog every now and then, and update your ‘About’ page, change the blog name if you have to. That’s when I decided to change my blog name from ‘Silver Linings’ to ‘Eunoia’.

Apart from the fact that ‘Eunoia’ is the only word in the English dictionary which has all the vowels (which makes it unique and hard to remember), I chose it for the meaning of the word. It means ‘the feeling of goodwill between the speaker and an audience.’ I write a variety of posts – poems, book reviews, quotes, travelogues, on my paintings, experiences – no matter what I write about, I want the reader to feel ‘goodwill’ after reading a post.

I wonder how many of our readers have changed the name of their blog. I changed mine from Streaming Thoughts to Always Write in 2016. Readers, if you changed the name of your blog, tell us about it.

What do you most want people to see on your blog?

That’s a wonderful question, Marsha. I hadn’t thought of it earlier. I’ve always written what I wanted to and not followed any specific direction. But I understand that having a sense of direction helps readers know what to expect when they come to the blog. It’s something I’ll have to start working on consciously.

I’d like my blog to be inspiring, to let people know they shouldn’t be afraid of trying, that it’s okay to fail (that’s why I share my art- the good and the bad pieces), to take chances and to be willing to accept change. That’s why I share my stories, my fears and all the things that I’m grateful for on the blog. Maybe, I need to make it clearer.

As I write this, I realize that I haven’t shared enough about the challenges I faced ever since I moved to Kenya. So, thank you for your question.

Your Life Beyond Writing and Blogging

What is something fun about you that few people know?

I’m a completely different person on holidays. All my rules go on holiday, too, the moment I board a plane, and that’s something only a few people, who’ve been on holiday, know about me. I can surprisingly switch off completely and turn on ‘holiday mode’.

I have found that my honesty tends to surprise people for some reason and entertain them— I have no idea why, though.

You’ve lived in several places and probably traveled to many more. Of all the places you’ve been, which ones might tempt you to move there at some point in your life?

I’ve lived in five countries and travelled to 23. Kenya took me by surprise. As of May 15^th, I complete a year, and I must say that I like the weather, the greenery and the quiet in Kenya. It’s very much like my grandma’s place in India, but with better weather. So, it’s the kind of place I’ve always wanted to live in. In fact, I wrote a poem on it, a few days ago, ‘All that I ever wanted’. It’s a blessing that I’ve also managed to make just the number of friends I need.

The only issue is that it’s extremely far from Bangalore, India (my hometown) because of the unavailability of direct flights from here to Australia (where my children are). If the children were closer, I might want to settle here. If not, then it would be Bangalore in India because there’s no country like your own, where all your memories are, and where you’re not an outsider.

That’s so true for me anyway, Smitha. Even though the United States has many issues, I’m happy living here. Even within the United States, we experience that. We moved back to California from Arizona a year ago, and again, there are issues, particularly higher prices. However, it is what feels like home to me.

What is your favorite season?

I like all seasons in moderate. I do not like extreme weather.

What kind of music makes you feel happy?

I’m mostly tone-deaf and I wouldn’t call myself a music lover. But I enjoy jazz, country music, pop music and instrumental. It depends on how I’m feeling. I like music where the words talk to me.

Smitha, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today on Always Write. Thanks for being part of the Story Chat Digest Anthology, Where Stories Meet. I’m anxious for the next one to come out now!

Biography Smitha Viswanath

Smitha Vishwanath embarked on the writing journey in 2016, with her personal blog https://smithavpennings.com/ , while still working as a banker. After having worked for almost two decades in senior roles in the banking industry in the Middle East, she quit in July 2018 and moved to India. Since then, she has busied herself with writing and art. In order to hone her skills, she continuously attends writing courses with the International Writers Collective (Amsterdam), Master Class, Oxford and Author’s Publish.

Among her noteworthy achievements is the poem, ‘Omid’ which was nominated for Best of the Net in 2019, Do you have dreams?’ and ‘Forgotten’ were recognized in the International NaPoWriMo hosted by Maureen Thomson in 2021 and 2022, ‘Out of Order’ was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2024. She was also awarded the Reuel International Prize in 2023 and was nominated as ‘Poet of the Month’ and ‘Author of the Month’ by SpillWords Press for her poems, ‘Ye birds on my windowsill’, ‘Empty Lines’ and others. Thieving Magpies, Rebelle Society, Silverbirch Press and Borderless Journal are a few online magazines in which her poetry has been published.

Coming Home, her debut novel, written in 2023, was received well by readers and is available on Amazon. It won the Certificate of Excellence from the Asian Literary Society.
Roads- A Journey with Verses, is a poetry book she co-authored in 2019.

She currently resides in Kenya, with her husband.