Sujata Parashar - My First Novel, ‘In Pursuit Of Infidelity’ Did Extremely Well & Catapulted Me Into The World of Writing (Novelist & Founder, India)

 

I write to express as well as to entertain my readers. It has been an amazing journey of self-discovery. Writing has helped me evolve as a person. It has also made me more compassionate and accepting of others or so I would like to think.

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I started as a chance writer. Often I think that the medium found me (instead of the other way around) to help me express myself better through stories. I have always been a curious reader but it was not until I was in my early thirties (and working on a social development project) that the seed idea for my debut novel came to me in the form of a question. 

I decided to explore the question and that’s how I started writing. My first novel, ‘In Pursuit of Infidelity’ did extremely well and catapulted me into the world of writing. After eleven years (and eleven books, across genres), I can no longer call myself an accidental writer. I write to express as well as to entertain my readers. It has been an amazing journey of self-discovery. Writing has helped me evolve as a person. It has also made me more compassionate and accepting of others or so I would like to think.

Apart from my writing profile, I’m also a talk-therapist and run a consulting firm, Talk- it- Out-Express. This platform aims to enhance emotional wellbeing through talk therapy. 

2. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

As I mentioned above, I had no plans to be a writer. It just happened to me but I’m happy and proud of what I’ve achieved as a writer. Also, I derive an immense sense of satisfaction and joy from the knowledge that readers not only enjoy reading my books but also find them relatable. 

3. Is it a financially stable career?

Fiction writing can gain you a lot of things in life but earning a stable income is rarely one of them. However, what it does is, opens up several other avenues for you which can fetch you a decent earning. But again it takes years of concerted efforts in that direction before you can demand your worth. If you’re passionate about writing it is best to have an alternate source of income. 

4.Who is your favourite writer and why?

There’s no one particular writer. I’ve read and enjoyed reading many different writers (and poets). Female writers like, Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, Margaret Atwood, Kamala Das, Manju Kapur, Meena Kandasamy are just to name a few. My favorite genre when it comes to reading or writing is love and relationships. Moreover, I like to read books that have a simple, clear and concise style of writing. 

5. Where does your inspiration lie?

I’m a curious person by nature. So my writing inspiration could be anything from an unanswered question to an experience, an emotion or even a book I read that may trigger a thought and which eventually may turn into a full-fledged story. 

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring writers?

To be a successful writer you must have three basic qualities –

1. Passion – is the fuel that will keep you enthused about writing and learning its finer nuances. 
2. Compassion – is not only helping others but also understanding different points of view and also accept them. It makes one sensitive and helps bind people.
3. And Curiosity – having a strong desire to know things will ensure you’ll never be out of ideas. Besides, curiosity and imagination work hand in hand. If you’re curious, you’ll be able to write beautiful and unique stories. 

7. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that? 

The most difficult part about writing is writing. You have to be consistent and self – motivated and because you’re writing for others, you have to be responsible too. As a pantser (a writer who writes without an outline or a framework) it can be mighty difficult to remain consistent. However, I’m a hard taskmaster and push through my mental block to write out whatever target I’ve set for a particular day. However, I leave editing the same for another day. 

8.Which is your favourite book and why?

There are several. However, on top of the list is the book, The Story of My Experiments with Truth by M. K Gandhi. The well-noted autobiography covering Gandhi ji’s life from his childhood till 1921 is a compelling read in many ways and gives the readers a glimpse into the mind and heart of the great soul. However, what appealed to me most about the book was the simple language he used while conveying profound ideas and thoughts. 

- Sujata Parashar (Novelist & Founder)

Bestselling novelist, short-story writer and poet, Sujata Parashar became widely popular with her ‘Pursuit’ series and has so far written ten books across genres. This postgraduate in human rights, however, has rich and diverse work experience. Apart from authoring bestsellers, Sujata is also the founder of a talk-therapy based platform, The Talk-It-Out-Express; a platform to enhance emotional wellbeing.  

She was the recipient of the 100 Women Faces 2018 award, instituted by Womennovator and COWE (the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs of India) for her contribution to Indian literature. She was also presented the prestigious Karamaveer Chakra Award (in 2016 and 2019) instituted by iCongo (the Indian Confederation of NGOs) and the UN. In March 2021 she was also recognised as one of the Women Achievers of 2021 by Apeksha Sandesh News. You can find out more about her on her website, Sujata Parashar

- Interviewed By Pratibha Sahani