Q1. What was the first spark that led you to write And You No More Wake to Walls?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: The novel began from a moment of quiet reflection on loss and the silence it leaves behind. I was drawn to explore how grief reshapes one’s identity and perception of the world when everything familiar falls away.
Rajan’s story grew from this need to give voice to that internal, often unspoken experience.
Q2. The novel feels deeply personal, how much of it comes from your own experiences?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: While the story itself is fictional, many of the emotions and themes come from my personal journey with loss and transformation. It is an exploration of emotional truths I have lived-those moments of stillness, vulnerability, and resilience that mark profound change.
Q3. Why did you choose to tell Rajan’s story through such quiet, lyrical prose?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: The quiet, lyrical style mirrors Rajan’s internal world-a landscape shaped by grief and reflection. This prose allows readers to inhabit the subtle, often unspoken layers of his experience. It was important that the form itself embody the emotional tone of the story.
Q4. What was the most challenging scene for you to write emotionally?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: The scene where Rajan fully confronts his loss was the most difficult. It required balancing raw, unfiltered grief with restraint-avoiding melodrama while maintaining emotional honesty. Writing it demanded vulnerability and patience.
Q5. How did your journey from Colonel in the Army to life coach influence your writing of this novel?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: My military experience instilled discipline and exposed me to human vulnerability, while my work as a life coach deepened my understanding of healing and transformation. Both have shaped Rajan’s journey-from external rigor to internal awakening-and informed the novel’s exploration of resilience.
Q6. The novel explores parental grief, what do you hope grieving parents take away from it?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: I hope grieving parents find in the novel a reflection of their pain and a validation of their silence. The story acknowledges the complex, uneven process of grief, reminding readers that it is okay to move slowly, to feel broken, and still find moments of peace and hope.
Q7. How did you decide on the title And You No More Wake to Walls?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: The title reflects the experience of waking to emptiness-the absence of something deeply vital. It captures the sense of loss that transforms one’s world into quiet, solitary spaces. It is both haunting and open to the possibility of new awakening.
Q8. Which books or authors influenced your writing style the most?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: Authors such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Haruki Murakami, and Virginia Woolf have deeply influenced my style with their subtle, introspective prose. I also draw inspiration from spiritual writers who explore inner landscapes with nuance and depth.
Q9. If you could sum up the novel’s message in one sentence, what would it be?
Colonel Prashant Rawal: Grief is a silent journey through emptiness that ultimately leads us back to life and deeper understanding of ourselves.
About the author
Colonel Prashant Rawal (Veteran) is a writer drawn to the quiet spaces between loss and understanding. A former soldier turned life coach, he works at the intersection of memory, silence, and emotional healing—both on the page and in life. His writing explores what remains unspoken: the weight of love, the cost of control, and the fragile legacies passed down through families.
He is the founder of Life Happens Coaching, where he helps people rediscover clarity and courage when the world no longer makes sense. He also curates essays on grief, growth, and inner leadership at www.gumshum.com.
And You No More Wake to Walls is his debut novel—a lyrical meditation on a father’s reckoning with grief, guilt, and the quiet unraveling of ego.
Book Order Links:
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/934916860X
Kindle: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0FLW9Y1WK
Flipkart: https://www.flipkart.com/product/p/itme?pid=9789349168602
