How'd You Create That?

In our biggest ever group recording, we have the writers and illustrators of the story anthology Like A Rising River joining us to discuss how the anthology was made. We explore how writers navigated real-life stories that made it to the page, how illustrators made decisions on what styles to use, how pictures and words complement each other, and more. The first edition of the book was published in 2025 by Srijanalaya with the support of UN Women Nepal and the Government of Finland. Link to the book (English): https://srijanalaya.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/small-nov23-ENG-UN-women-Anthology-Folder.pdf Link to the book (Nepali): https://srijanalaya.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Urlando-Nadisari_nov12-UN-women-Anthology-compressed.pdf -How'd You Create That is an art podcast about the creative process and is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science.Founder/Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh ShresthaMusic - Shaurya Kshatri

Sneha Pradhan is a children's author and a visual storyteller. Her debut book, co-created with Promina Shrestha, "Yelp! Yeti! Chaos in Kathmandu" (Flying Eye Books) came out in 2025. The book is written by Sneha and illustrated by Promina. In this conversation we get to know about how an intuition snowballed her writing journey.-How'd You Create That is an art podcast about the creative process and is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science.Founder/Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh ShresthaMusic - Shaurya Kshatri

Nirvana Bhandary is a writer and filmmaker and in 2025 she self-published her first collection of essays titled "Unsanskari: A Feminist Life." This conversation is about how this book came to be, her journey with feminism, and some tips and tricks on self-publishing. You can purchase her book here: https://linktr.ee/Unsanskari -How'd You Create That is an art podcast about the creative process and is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science.Founder/Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh ShresthaMusic - Shaurya Kshatri

It's been two years since How'd You Create That started and we're backed with the 4th season. We continue the conversation on the enigma of creating art. How'd You Create That is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science. Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh ShresthaMusic - Shaurya Kshatri

In Nov 2024, How'd You Create That? was featured as a panel at the WOW Women of the World Festival, Nepal. We had two visual artsits Mrigaja Bajracharya and Subidha Lama 'BLU' join us on stage to talk about their journey in the arts, their creative process, and how to fund artistic endeavors .The festival was organized by the British Council in collaboration with WOW Foundation and hosted by Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The panel was curated by The Open Institute for Social Science. Video Link: https://youtu.be/ue0zM_c01zY

We’re here at the season finale of the third season. And for this episode we have a journalist and writer, Pranaya Rana. Pranaya has a wide range of journalism experience and is currently running Kalam Weekly (https://kalamweekly.substack.com), a current affairs newsletter about Nepal. We talk about how Pranaya’s love for fiction shapes his journalist writings. -How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theopen.institute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh Shreshta (Amax Inc) Music - Shaurya KshatriSocial Media - Sampada Regmi-How’d You Create That?On Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / howdyoucreatethat⁠On Substack: ⁠https://howdyoucreatethat.substack.com⁠ On Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast..⁠Write to us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Childhood stories are special, and this episode is all about them. Poet and multilingual writer Rownika Shrestha joins to talk about a special story - about the Kartik Nach of Patan. Listen how heritage and childhood stories come together in her creative process. -How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theopen.institute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh Shreshta (Amax Inc) Music - Shaurya KshatriSocial Media - Sampada Regmi-How’d You Create That?On Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠  / howdyoucreatethat   On Substack: https://howdyoucreatethat.substack.com On Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast...Write to us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Prawin Adhikari is one prolific writer, always writing, always working on the next project. He joins the podcast to talk about his latest book Budhani (SAFU). Budhani is based on Tharu folktales and is an exciting collaboration between two writers and languages. Prawin wrote the English version while Indu Tharu has written the Tharu version of the story. Prawin says he 'refabulated' the tales. Listen to explore what that means and some important tips on character crafting. -How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theopen.institute⁠⁠⁠⁠)Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh Shreshta (Amax Inc) Music - Shaurya KshatriSocial Media - Sampada Regmi-How’d You Create That?On Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/⁠⁠⁠On Substack: https://howdyoucreatethat.substack.com On Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707⁠⁠⁠Write to us: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]

What does writing from memory mean? How do we do that? These are some central questions we explore in this episode with Niranjan Kunwar. Niranjan's memoir Between Queens and the Cities (FinePrint) was published in 2020. Mijok's Trip and the English translation of Seto Dharti are two of his forthcoming works. -How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (⁠⁠⁠https://theopen.institute⁠⁠⁠)Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh Shreshta (Amax Inc) Music - Shaurya Kshatri-How’d You Create That?On Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/⁠⁠On Substack: https://howdyoucreatethat.substack.com On Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707⁠⁠Write to us: ⁠⁠[email protected]

If you've been struggling with your writings, here's an episode to help you get back on track. Weena Pun spent a long time writing Kanchhi (Hachette), her debut novel that came out in 2024. The novel is set in her grandmother's village and in this conversations she shares what inspired her to write this book, some golden writing nuggets, and how she persisted through the years. -How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (⁠⁠https://theopen.institute⁠⁠)Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh Shreshta (Amax Inc) Music - Shaurya Kshatri-How’d You Create That?On Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/⁠On Substack:https://howdyoucreatethat.substack.com/ On Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707⁠Write to us: ⁠[email protected]

In the first episode of the third season, we have journalist and writer Tom Bell joining us! We met him during the launch of his second book Human Nature (Penguin) in November 2024 and sat down for a quick conversation about the process behind the book. He shares his research process, note taking, reading methods and others. -How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (⁠https://theopen.institute⁠)Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh Shreshta (Amax Inc) Music - Shaurya KshatriSocial Media - Iru Niroula-How’d You Create That?On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707Write to us: [email protected]

How'd You Create That? is back with the third season. It's the time of AI as we head to summer in 2025. But why talk about the creative process when we can generate many things by simply writing a prompt? -How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (https://theopen.institute)Producer/Host - Alfa M. ShakyaSound Editing - Animesh Shreshta (Amax Inc) Music - Shaurya KshatriSocial Media - Iru Niroula

Janice Pariat visited Nepal during the Nepal Literature Festival 2024 and that was when this episode started to take shape. Janice is a storyteller, a traveler, and a forest seeker. She is the author of a short story collection Boats on Land and the novels Seahorse and The Nine Chambered-Heart. In this episode, she takes us on a journey behind her latest novel, Everything the Light Touches which was published in 2022. — How’d You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science https://theopen.institute Producer/Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Animesh Shrestha Music - Shaurya Kshatri Social Media - Simran Lageju — How’d You Create That? On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/ On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707 Write to us: [email protected] Janice Pariat https://janicepariat.in https://www.instagram.com/janicepariat Alfa M. Shakya https://thewordcastle.com https://www.instagram.com/thewordcastle/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfamshakya/

What makes a story unforgettable?  In this episode, we sit down with the creative minds behind the 2023 Writing Nepal story writing contest winners.  Sharad, Lalahang, and Dia take us on a journey through their inspirations, challenges, and the magical moments that shaped their award-winning stories. You’ll hear how their ideas sparked and evolved into the final story.  Settle in, and get ready for a candid chat with these talented writers that might just spark your next creative piece.✍🏼 - 🏆The winning stories Kumari Galli is now a Cul-de-sac by Sharad Duwal: https://lalitmag.com/kumari-galli-is-now-a-cul-de-sac/ Till You Remember to Forget Me by Lalahang: https://lalitmag.com/till-you-remember-to-forget-me-writing-nepal-2nd-place-winner/ Unwritten Letters by Dia Yonzon: https://lalitmag.com/unwritten-letters-writing-nepal-3rd-place-winner/ - How’d You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute⁠ Producer/Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Animesh Shrestha Music - Shaurya Kshatri Social Media - Simran Lageju Snack Partner - Paalcha Newari Kitchen 👉Follow How’d You Create That? On Instagram:  www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat   On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/howd-you-create-that/ On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707 Write to us: [email protected]

In our first ever episode featuring a photographer, we have visual storyteller Prasiit Sthapit in conversation about his photo series 'Red is the Colour of Spring.' Based in Kathmandu, Prasiit's work explore the complicated politics of being a Nepali. We talk about the art of taking pictures, finding a story, and how Prasiit executes his projects. - How’d You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute⁠ Producer/Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Animesh Shrestha Music - Shaurya Kshatri Social Media - Simran Lageju - How’d You Create That? On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/ On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707 Write to us: [email protected] Prasiit Sthapit https://prasiitsthapit.com.np https://www.instagram.com/prasiitsthapit/ Red is the Colour of Spring https://prasiitsthapit.com.np/work/red-is-the-colour-of-spring/ Alfa M. Shakya https://thewordcastle.com https://www.instagram.com/thewordcastle/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfamshakya/

The first musician on the podcast! Singer-Songwriter Simma Rai joins in to talk all about music - her journey, her inspiration, and how she writes, composes, and sings. We talk in detail about her song ‘Jaai Jaaney Mayalu’ and the process that brought the song to life. Listen/Watch Jaai Jaaney Mayalu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip50oQqvIP0 — How’d You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science https://theopen.institute Producer/Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri Social Media - Simran Lageju — How’d You Create That? On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/ On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707 Write to us: [email protected] Simma Rai https://www.instagram.com/simma.rai/ https://youtube.com/@simmarai?si=owtmCekZ65E3cM9y Alfa M. Shakya https://thewordcastle.com https://www.instagram.com/thewordcastle/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfamshakya/

Ranjan Adiga joins in to talk about his debut short story collection 'Leech & Other Stories' and the process behind his book. We talk about how to create memorable characters, finding a point of view, and building a writing habit. — How’d You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute⁠ Producer/Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri Social Media - Simran Lageju — How’d You Create That? On Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/⁠ On Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707⁠ Write to us: ⁠[email protected] Ranjan Adiga https://www.ranjanadiga.com https://www.instagram.com/ranjanadiga Alfa M. Shakya ⁠https://thewordcastle.com⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewordcastle/⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfamshakya/

Aneka Rebecca Rajbhandari, Co-Founder of The Araniko Project (https://thearanikoproject.substack.com) joins the podcast to talk about her experience of learning what is considered one of the hardest languages in the world, translating from the Chinese, and writing non-fiction essays that explore the Nepal-China history and relationship. — How’d You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science https://theopen.institute Producer/Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri Social Media - Simran Lageju — How’d You Create That? On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyoucreatethat/ On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/np/podcast/howd-you-create-that/id1721132707 Write to us: [email protected] The Araniko Project https://thearanikoproject.substack.com Aneka Rebecca Rajbhandari https://www.linkedin.com/in/aneka-rebecca-rajbhandari-864256148/ Alfa M. Shakya https://thewordcastle.com https://www.instagram.com/thewordcastle/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfamshakya/

How'd You Create That? is back with the second season continuing the conversations on the creative process. Listen to the opener episode as you prepare for the second season. Who do you think will be joining us? __ How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science (https://theopen.institute) Producer/Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri Social Media - Simran Lageju

How'd You Create That? is a podcast about the creative process. __ It feels like yesterday that we were trying to set up the microphone for the first time and here we are in the season finale! For this episode, we had Smriti Ravindra, author of ‘The Woman Who Climbed Trees’ winner of 2023 TATA Literature Live awards for First Book. The novel is a haunting, multi-generational story, shedding light on the transitional nature of women's lives. It beautifully captures the poignant sense of loss accompanying their journey from one home and family to another. We discussed womanhood, Smriti’s research process, writing from memory, point of views of various characters, and much more. __ How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute/⁠ Producer and Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri 

How'd You Create That? is a podcast about the creative process. __ For this episode, we have Rishi Amatya, a writer, researcher, and heritage interpreter. Rishi is the author of the fantasy novel ‘Radha: Wrath of the Maeju’ published by Safu, a publishing imprint of Quixote’s Cove. Set in the city of Patan, the book explores the life of the protagonist Radha after an earthquake unleashes forces from beyond this world. In this episode, we discuss: - inspirations behind the novel - the process of writing - interest in fantasy fiction.... and much more. __ How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute/⁠ Producer and Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri

How'd You Create That? is a podcast about the creative process. __ For episode four, we have Yukta Bajracharya, a spoken word poet, writer, editor, educator, and the co-founder of Word Warriors, the slam poetry movement in Nepal. We talk about the history of Word Warriors, Yukta’s process for writing poetry, ‘letting the word lead the poem,’ how her poem differs on paper vs on stage, and much more… __ How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute/⁠ Producer and Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri

How'd You Create That? is a podcast about the creative process. — Ubahang Nembang is an illustrator and graphic designer. He is the author and illustrator of the picture book The Visitors (Laibary Publication). In this episode, we uncover the process behind his picture book and also get to know why and how he chose visual arts as his medium of expression. — How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute/⁠ Producer and Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri

How'd You Create That? is a podcast about the creative process. — Samip Dhungel is a spoken word poet. In this episode, he talks about the process of creating his chapbook No Songs Intended and his journey with the Word Warriors. We take a deep dive behind one of his poems from the chapbook - Patthar. Also includes how to find poetry inspiration inside buses. — How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute/⁠ Producer and Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri

How'd You Create That? is a podcast about the creative process. __ Pooja Poudel is the winner of Writing Nepal 2021. In the first ever episode of the podcast, she joins to talk about the creative process behind her winning short story The Man on the Bus. Read the story here: https://lalitmag.com/the-man-on-the-bus-writing-nepal-1st-place-winner/ Writing Nepal is a short story writing contest in English organized by La.Lit Magazine in partnership with writer Samrat Upadhyay and Indiana University, Bloomington. __ How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science ⁠https://theopen.institute/⁠ Producer and Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshatri

An idea that began during a research process is coming to life. This is where it begins. How'd You Create That? is supported by The Open Institute for Social Science https://theopen.institute/ Producer and Host - Alfa M. Shakya Sound Editing - Sunny Rajkarnikar Music - Shaurya Kshetri Special thank you to Tsering Tsomo Gurung.