Saturday, February 3, 2018

Interviewing the author of The Jasmine Bloom – Mr. Rajat Narula


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:  


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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 

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