"If Writing Gives You Happiness, Do It "- Shina Kalra

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1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I am from a nuclear but big family of five. Being the eldest, I always felt responsible for my younger siblings. Today, I am very proud of how far they came into their life. My mom and dad always loved me the most and me being the only girl in my family. With their love, I am the only one with whom everyone fights.

Initially, I wasn’t sure about how I want to go about things in my life and I was working with BPO’s for quite some time. While working with BPO’s I started writing blogs and poems about my experiences and social behavior. 

Like I still remember my first blog was on child abuse, I got a lot of appreciation and motivation to write more after that. As of now, I have written my own book and assisted in a few more. Hoping to be a known name in the near future.


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

From my early childhood, I have experienced social darkness in and around the world. I did have faced challenges to express myself to anyone even to my family. Always had the fear that nobody will take a child’s words seriously. 

When I came to age, I learned to express myself through words in my diary. Today I feel quite liberated when I can express my feelings through easily through my words.


3. Is it a financially stable career?

I never thought about writing as financial support. I always wanted my readers to understand the harsh realities of the world we live in, talk, support and understand. Also, writing has always been a way to show my emotions and vent out about the exhausting things around in society.


4. Who is your favorite writer and why?

Being a literature student, I have read multiple texts and works of writers from the 13th century to the 21st century so giving out the name of a writer is not possible. 

But I was always more inclined towards poetry and my favorite poets include Geoffrey Chaucer, TS Eliot, and John Milton. I would say the reason behind my inclination would be the metaphors they describe to beautify things.


5. Where does your inspiration lie?

For inspiration, I would say, I just look into the world around. Mostly, I love to put myself in other’s shoes to understand how someone is feeling in a certain situation and how that can explain it better to my audience.


6. What does your typical day look like?

Typically, I like to wake up early in the morning. I love to write something before starting my day. Then after the morning routine, I start my day with daily office meeting and discuss our ongoing projects.

I sometimes do take up some freelance work to keep myself on my feet. Along with all these, I do like to help my mom in the kitchen and other household stuff. I always try to keep myself in touch with my friends and help them psychologically. 

My friends love to share their problems with me and I try to be supportive and understanding. They always say that they feel very good after talking to me


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

For future aspirants, I would just say follow your heart. If writing gives you happiness, do it. Sometimes even after a lot of writing courses, you cannot write a good piece but sometimes without any training, you can write something amazing.


8. Which is your favorite book and why?

This is a tricky one. I like a lot of books and cannot say any particular to be my favorite. But if I have to take the name of one then that would be Amitav Ghosh’s Shadow Lines. 

It was one book that really gave me a hard time understanding because it moves from one time to another time real quick and makes it difficult to understand the story. Also, I love to read mythological books and “The Palace of Illusion” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

- Shina Kalra, Writer

- Interviewed by Shilpy Sharan