Interview with writer Noor Tabassum

The name of the author is Noor Tabassum. Writing is her passion. She has participated in numerous anthologies and has also written solo books called Sensibles and Twisted Firsts. She is a nature lover and loves to lead a simple life. She expresses all her feelings in her writings as she thinks it is the most powerful medium to communicate. She has won many writing competitions, and her articles have been published in many magazines too. She enjoys writing poems and short stories. Her stories have been published in the Times of India newspaper too. Her Instagram id is @noortabassumali123.

Here is the interview:

Name the last book that you read?

The last book I read was Pride and Prejudice. I am a great fan of the romantic genre. I love to read love stories, and the one I love, I read it repeatedly. I have read this book many times; still, I love to read. I have read Shakespeare’s romantic stories even numerous times.

Your favorite author

I love Shakespeare. At times I wonder at his marvelous brain. He wrote on various emotions and could think so massive. I have great respect for him. I love reading Wordsworth’s poems as he wrote on nature. As a nature lover, it inspires me a lot.

Who is your inspiration?

I am into writing poems since my childhood. I inherited it from my dad. He was a renowned regional language poet. I stopped writing when I grew up, and the accountabilities of studies piled up, and family obligations grew. But in 2020, when I lost my mom, I grew depressed. I was drowned in depression. It was then; my sister told me that getting depressed is not the solution. I need to work towards coming out of it and fulfilling mom’s dreams. She dreamed that I stepped into writing again. Her aspirations acted as my inspiration to start writing again.

What does literary success look like to you?

Success is the perception of the mind. If our work is appreciated, it certainly makes us proud, but it increases our responsibility. We become more moral and socially responsible for changing society with our thoughts and ideas towards happiness and unity.

What is the best way to market your books?

Good work speaks for itself. In today’s modern world, social media plays a significant role in marketing anything. It has become relatively easy and easily accessible. Social media is, of course, the best way to market.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Writing a book is presenting the ideas and thoughts filled up in our minds on paper. It is the outburst of thoughts. It does not need research. Whatever is written from the heart reaches the heart of the reader and impresses them. I write what I feel like writing and then spend time refining it.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Write up cooks in my brain for few days, and I  finish writing it within a week. I concentrate on writing my ideas and then work on refining them. It hardly takes a month to finish it.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Right now, I am thinking of publishing my poems in a solo book. I have a collection of nearly 250 poems. I have few stories also scripted. But it may take time to get published in a solo book.

Tell us something about your book.

I have published two books to date, Sensibles, and Twisted Firsts. As I told you, my second innings as an author started after the death of my mom. When she died, I thought of writing something in dedication to my parents. When I discussed it with my sister, she suggested I write about our childhood. It was then I wrote Sensibles dedicated to our parents.

It is our childhood, our mischief, and how we got tuned as fine ladies.

After the success of Sensibles, I thought of continuing the journey and wrote Twisted Firsts, which deals with the first experiences of my life. My marriage, my experience in my in-laws, and so on.

What is the most challenging part of your artistic process?

I have bibliophobia. So, reading the write-up, again and again, is exceedingly difficult for me. It is here my sister plays a role. She reads for me as I tell her to read it many times and helps me in writing further.

When did you start writing?

I started writing when I was in 5th grade. I wrote poems, and my poems were continuously published in the school magazine. When I reached 8th, my poem collection was sent for assessment to the London school by my convent (St Micheal’s Convent). But then my dad got transferred to Bengaluru. When we moved there, I ignored my writing and concentrated on my studies. It was like I completely forgot it. I started writing again in 2020 after my mom’s death, as she desired to write my thoughts again.

What is your favorite genre?

I like to write romantic poems and about nature too. I love writing short stories too.

What do you like to do other than writing?

I love gardening. Nature is incredible. It gives me immense pleasure to be drowned in nature. I love traveling and visiting new places, mainly mountainous.

Who supports you the most when you are busy writing?

My hubby supports me a lot. He always encourages me to write. But the driving force for me is my sister because she is the one who reads what I write numerous times tirelessly. She pushes me to the limit to write and move ahead. She is my backbone.

One secret about you.

I suffer from bibliophobia. I cannot read more. Even in my school and college days, my sister would read my course books during my exams. I would listen to her and write my exams. I cannot even read what I write. It is my sister who reads and tells me things.