Indian Noir's Nikesh Murali shares how to write critically acclaimed fiction and capture India's Crime and Horror podcasting scene

In this episode, we are having a chat with the host of Indian Noir, Nikesh Murali!Nikesh is a critically acclaimed crime and horror writer, as well as a globally acclaimed spoken word artist, the creator and voice behind India's number one storytelling podcast, Indian Noir. He is a Commonwealth short story prize winner and DWL story prize winning writer also received the honorable mentions for the Katha short story prize twice.He's also the author of a multi award-winning Amazon bestselling short story collection, the Killing Fields and novel His Night Begins is adapted to an audio version for his podcast. Nearing the end of the storyline, I reached out to Nikesh to talk to him about the origins of Indian Noir and his take on creating such an amazing show.We talked about:Nikesh's origin story, how he went from spending decades writing novels, doing spoken word to diving into the world of podcastingHis writing process: Using TV and screenwriting techniques to create fast binge-worthy episodesThe unique structure behind Indian Noir and its multiple showsNikesh's take on the creative podcasting scene and how to tap into it as a budding podcaster/creativeEnjoy!Timestamps4:57 Writing in a dying publishing industry: Nikesh's origin story8:18 Poetry and the beauty of recitation11:15 "I've always had a very dim view of the world" Focusing on crime, and the start of His Night Begins14:11 "What about our stories?" The void of Indian crime and horror stories18:43 Indian Noir's audiences span the globe because stories transcend cultural contexts20:31 Spikes in listenership from overseas (US, Middle East, Australia), and Horror in Asia22:46 A billion people and multiple languages: The sheer potential of translating Indian Noir24:46 Indian Noir's multi-show structure: Indian Noir X, One Shots, FearFM and Desi Crime29:09 "I do not think of Indian Noir as a podcast" Nikesh compares running his show to HBO29:56 "Television is the most superior, supreme form of storytelling, full-stop."32:37 The release schedule for Indian Noir, the podcast run like a TV channel36:44 My own fiction show, Tempered Fables, the lore and continuity behind it40:38 The beauty of oral storytelling41:50 Oral storytelling has always been the oldest form of storytelling43:58 How Nikesh feels about ending His Night Begins45:37 "I get complaints if there isn't an episode" The fierce loyalty of His Night Begins fans46:18 The pressure of ending a show, and writing a satisfying ending49:48 Nikesh Murali will be the sole actor of Indian Noir, and why53:10 The challenges of being a single voice actor55:12 Indian Noir as a duty, novel adaptations, and the satisfaction of making a podcast58:33 Invest in your craft, invest in your skillset1:03:59 The learner's mindset1:05:20 What Nikesh would like to see more of in the Asian podcasting scene - critical analysis of the scene itself1:11:13 EXTRA: More on fiction, backgrounds and accents!LinksListen to Indian Noir in your favourite appIndian Noir WebsiteIndian Noir on AudioboomIndian Noir TwitterNikesh's Website