Every story has a writer and every writer has a story that needs to be shared. Writing is an art that requires skills – like good command over language, imagination, an understanding about what readers want and more. Once a writer pens down a story, to reach the readers, it requires the help of publication companies who can print and handle distribution of the books.
In today’s age of technology, apart from traditional publishing houses, writers also have the option to self-publish their books using a myriad of different platforms available. This story is about a self-published author and an artist, who uses her art skills to communicate and reach out to her audience.
Meet Archita Kumar, an author, a painter, a dancer and most importantly, a dreamer who owns her dreams and goes all-out to transform them into reality.
Archita’s writing journey began after being inspired by the screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s Half Girlfriend. The movie touched her heart and made her look at love and love stories in a new light. She could feel and understand what love is and how a love story can become an ideal for the people who are in love and can go to any extent to overcome all odds. She wanted to kick-start her career as an author of an unforgettable love story but couldn’t conceive a concept at that time.
On a friend’s advise, she wrote a short poem called ‘Waiting’ which she published online on poemhunters.com. Her first publication came out in the form of a poetry book, ‘MY POETRIES’ which she published through kindle. Encouraged by the readers’ comments and wishes, she then wrote her book, ‘A ROAD TO THE DARKNESS OF RED LIGHT’.
Since then, Archita has published 5 books – two on Kindle and two through Notion Press. She aptly utilizes these do-it-yourself platforms to transform her ideas into stories and then to paperbacks.
Here’s her story through a series of questions and her interesting answers.
How do you keep yourself motivated? Please tell us about your idols and inspiration.
Motivation has an immense effect on my writing career as well as on my personal life. I like to keep myself always motivated by meditation, yoga and a cup of good coffee or green tea. Reading good books is another way of keeping myself motivated while I am travelling.
I don’t believe in one but I believe in many when I think of discussing my idols and inspirations. I am inspired by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Sir William Shakespeare. I also love Chetan Bhagat’s writing and I am a fan of his writing style which I have tried to copy down when I am writing a romance novel.
These writers inspire me as their concept of seeing love and transforming them into lovely and unimaginable stories have supremely attracted me and my mind to see and think like them. Many times I have thought about how they become great writers. I read their life stories and try to walk on their paths and try to follow their concepts of writing a love story.
Share with us the most memorable and remarkable moment of your life, professionally. Also, the lowest phase of your life.
When I first got approached by a social website for an interview I was on cloud seven. They wanted to know my story and about my books, and we agreed on an interview. Later they called me to congratulate me for publication of the interview. When I heard it was like a dream coming true. I ran out of words and handing over the phone to my Mom, rushed to my room to dance crazily. I felt so grateful to God because what I am now is because of his grace.
The toughest time or the most depressing time in my life was when I get the first thought of writing a book. Writing a book is itself a tiring and hard work. Right from thinking about the concept, the story, plot, a character and dialogues, to thinking where to approach for getting the books to publishing. Like all other writers I also had to face such depressing and tough situations but later on, when I read a blog on self-publishing on Google I thought that I should publish my first book. I searched for self-publishing websites, got the perfect self-publishing websites, chose one and got my book published.
Tell us about your passions, aims and goals.
I am an author but my passion isn’t confined to writing. I am a painter and a passionate dancer too. I aim to become a bestseller author and a creative painter. But above all, I want to become a good human and a respectable and honest citizen of India. For my goals, I would like to add apart from becoming a bestseller author and a good painter is that to achieve the maximum amount of readers which any Indian and international author ever thought of achieving it.
Kindly tell us about the challenges you faced to withstand the complexities of your industry. Brief us about the industry scenario from your perspective.
When I first stepped into the world of publishing I had to face many discouragements and withdrawal forces which intended to break my pillar of hope and strength but still, I continued. Nowadays everything is hard-earned so I had to work hard to earn success. After facing rejections due to a myriad of reasons, I thought of self-publishing my book and got it published after a lot of searching.
I believe many industries don’t aim only to earn profits but are rather concerned on arranging quality services to their customers and provide them with good products at affordable prices. Elsewhere some industries only aim to earn high profits and don’t care about their customers to provide quality products to them. I think and believe that all industries should take care of their customers as well as maintaining the aim to earn good profits.
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout and would like to share?
First I have learned upon stepping into the industry is self-help. People who rely on other people will never achieve anything in their life, particularly in present. They should believe in themselves to achieve something.
Secondly, they have to decide what their aim is so they don’t have to run everywhere to determine what they want to do.
Thirdly they should work hard irrespective of what they are going through, or in future what they have to go through. I would suggest that they should build strength in themselves so they can overcome their fear and hesitations. They have to face any tough situation professionally as well as personally. I have also faced many worse situations but didn’t ever give up the hope and dream of becoming an author. So my mantra of life is ‘Never give up, always face and ultimately you will win’.
Where do you see yourself in the near future? Tell us about your future goals.
I achieved what I dreamt of and I have a dream of becoming a best selling author and I know that I can achieve it. I want to achieve a big appreciation internationally and nationally for becoming and giving a new addition to the literature. I want to be a proud Indian author and proud daughter of my parents
Lastly, I want to say that I became an author because I love writing. Not because I want to prove anything, or to anyone. Any person who loves writing can become an author. The novels I write comes out of my heart.
