Roller-coaster journey of a teenager’s life

Isha Nagappan, 17, could hardly be designated Just Another Teenage Girl -- even though that’s the title of her second novel. She was 12 when she wrote her first book, Alisha -- the Beginning, which traces the life of a young girl through school. Now, she’s all grown up, sounding way beyond her years, as she fielded questions from the media with élan and with a certain clarity of thought that she credited to writing.

Just Another Teenage Girl, launched recently in the city, “traces the story of my 18-yearold protagonist, Alisha,” says Isha. “She turns back and sees how life has changed and what a roller coaster ride it has been. She reminisces over her transition from being a kid to a young adult. She talks about how she handled certain situations and how they’ve impacted her as a person. It’s a very tellable story.” She struggled too — as do most writers — with the craft of it. “I started my second book two years ago, and as time went by, my style of writing and thoughts kept changing. 

Something that I found amazing at one point didn’t seem as good later. Keeping up with my own criticism of the book was a tough challenge when I was writing. This was followed by the fear of how others were going to react to it. But when the book was finally completed and I was happy with it, all the criticism was constructive and I felt so accomplished,” she says proudly. 

Writing has played a huge role in shaping her as an individual and Isha says her passion for it has only grown over the years. “Writing is a huge part of my life. When I started off writing at the age of 12, I didn’t understand its importance as much. Ever since the first book, I have felt like I have this responsibility of putting my points and thoughts across properly, to make others understand my point of view the way it is in my head. 

Writing is a way to voice one’s thoughts and express oneself through words; I find it beautiful. How different combinations and arrangements of the same alphabets can make all the difference in the world,” exclaims Isha, who intends to find time for writing and expressing herself irrespective of the circumstances and situations that befall her.