A writer
will remain a writer all his life. No matter how many obstacles come in their
life but the writer’s story sooner or later come out of a dream to become a
reality. The US based author Rajat Narula’s story is somehow very similar. 25
years later when his picks up his writing skills, he knows he is ready to bloom
as a writer. Today, I got a chance to interview with The Jasmine Bloom’s author
Rajat and here are the excerpts from the interview:
Tell our readers about your
background & how did you get into writing?
I wrote my
first poem, as well as my short story, at the age of 13. My poems started getting published, when I
was about 18. Around that time, I
started writing a fortnightly column for a local newspaper, and wrote for about
six months. The appreciation I received
for it gave me confidence that I could write well. It was at that point, I knew I wanted to
write a full-length novel.
However,
life intervened. I was studying to be a
chartered accountant, it demanded all my time, and I gave up the writing.
Over 25
years later, after reconnecting with an old friend over Facebook, the talk
turned to writing. I wrote a chapter,
showed it to family and a couple of friends.
They liked it. And I decided to
pursue my childhood dream, in whatever dregs of time I could find. That’s how ‘The Jasmine Bloom’ was born.
I continue
to work full time (I work for World Bank, based out of Washington DC), and
write in my spare time.
Which writers inspire you for
writing?
My list of
favorite writers is long. It includes
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh, Khaled Hussaini, Emma
Donoghue, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Kazuo Ishiguro However, one writer, whose
style I really admire, and would love to write like her, is Jhumpa Lahiri. Her
uniqueness is that she evokes emotions without being melodramatic.
Where do you get ideas or
inspiration for your writing?
The
inspirations are all around you. People you meet, news you read, movies you
watch, books you read, random conversations you overhear, sights you see,
places you visit - all these things remain within you. Sometimes they percolate
for years, enmeshing with other ideas and thoughts and a story begins to take
shape.
What genre you enjoy the most while
writing novels?
I like
everyday stories about everyday people.
No fantasies, paranormal or space journeys for me. I love exploring the inherent grayness of
people. Human beings have in this innate
capacity of being good and bad both. I like working with life-like, flawed
characters, and see what they can be like in different situations.
I also like
exploring relationships: lovers, spouses, siblings, parents-kids, and so
on. The intricacies of relationships and
how they change with passage of life is also a subject of my enormous
interest.
What was the inspiration behind your
recent book?
Many years
ago, I watched a Harrison Ford movie called 'Random Hearts'. In the movie,
Ford's wife dies in a car crash, along with the Senator for whom she worked.
After her death, Ford finds out she and the Senator were lovers - and she was
thinking of leaving Ford. Senator's wife finds out too and the movie was about
their coming to terms with that truth. Ford and the Senator's wife also have an
affair and so on. The concept of finding out about your partner's infidelity
after he/she is gone fascinated me. I thought what if the situation was
reversed. If the husband was the one who having an affair and the wife (who
died) knew about it, but didn't confront him, while she was alive. After her
death, when the husband finds out that she knew, how hard it would be to deal
with that guilt. When the person you want to apologize is gone. That was the
kernel of the story of 'The Jasmine Bloom'. Of course, it needed a lot of
development, fleshing out the characters, introducing children in the mix, a
potential corporate fraud and so on to make it an engaging story.
What does your family think of your
writing?
My wife and
daughters have been very supportive.
They are my first readers, and give me candid feedback on my writing. My
mom (78 years old) and hasn’t read a book for the past thirty years, is
currently reading my book, and is also giving me an interesting feedback.
Can we expect your
next writing stint & if yes, what & when?
I am
currently working on my second novel, tentatively titled, ‘Azalea Heights’,
which is based in United States. The central theme of the book is the
inter-ethnic tensions and clash of cultures in US, particularly in the
post-Trump world. Instead of one protagonist, the book has five! I am currently
on my fourth draft and expect to complete the book this year. Of course, there is a big gestation between
completing the book and seeing it in print. If I am lucky, that process may get
finished in one year, so that would mean 2019.
If not, it can be longer.
Lastly, what writing tips you’d like
to give to budding writers?
First: Persist. I see several people
starting, but then losing steam midway. It doesn't matter how good or bad your
first draft is, but it is important you finish what you start. There is plenty
of time, after the first draft is completed, to further improve the book. But
the most important thing is to finish it.
Second: Write the best book you can. I
finished the first draft of 'The Jasmine Bloom' in 18 months but it took me
another 42 months to ‘complete’ it. I understand there are shortcuts available
(self-publishing, editors) and the quality of writing of some of the
bestsellers in India isn't quite the best, but you still want to give it your
best shot. The book may be a hit or a flop, but you won't want your name to be
associated with a shoddy, half-baked product.
Three: Don't write what you think can
sell in the market. Write what you want to write. The story you think you can
tell the best. For example, if college romance is what selling in India
currently, doesn't mean you must write one too. If that's the story that you
have in you, then of course! But if you have another story to tell, go ahead
and tell your story. That way your truth will make the writing stronger and the
readers will relate with the book.
To buy The Jasmine Bloom, visit: Amazon
