Author Interview | Joyeeta Chandra | The Told Secrets

The Told Secrets by Joyeeta Chandra is a collection of poems focusing on a woman. The book is divided into four segments, namely – Finding Peace/ Courage/ Strength/ Love. According to the book, a woman essentially needs to attain her peace, summon her courage, gather her strength, and receive an abundance of love.

In a candid interview with Bookish Fame, Joyeeta Chandra talked about her book, her journey as a writer, women empowerment, and gave some tips for the budding writers too. Read on!

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello word lovers! I am Joyeeta Chandra, a lawyer, and a philosophical soul. I love writing poetry and express myself through words. Because I feel that the words hold so much magic in them!

When did it dawn upon you that you wanted to be a writer?

To be honest, I have been writing since I was eight years old. While at that stage I could only think of it as my hobby and nothing more but this hobby took a different turn when I faced a failure in my life and the emotions of it all made me put into words, and then I found that maybe this was my calling, though I still haven’t pursued it as my full- time career.

What inspires you to write books? What are the things which catch your attention?

As I mentioned, at first I only thought of writing as a hobby but soon it became an emotional outlet, which I feel that a lot can relate to. My thoughts and emotions play a big role in the kind of book I write, and nevertheless, the magic of words got me bound to express them more. And this magic and power that the words hold draw my attention to it.

Tell something in brief about your book The Told Secrets?

The Told Secrets, Joyeeta Chandra, Book Review, Books — The Told Secrets

Well…when I thought about this book, I was skeptical but at the same time, I wanted to pen emotions, instances, and things that exist no matter what we claim of. This book is mainly about women empowerment and has four parts in it which in total defines a life, be it a man or a woman.

You have written about women empowerment. How much of the change has come in the world around you, in recent years?

Actually despite what we perceive as the change and work for it, it is the exact thing that isn’t helping us or changing. Because we are rather indifferent to the main idea of subjugation and this is something that a woman feels ever since her birth and the question remains that can we challenge the norm that even most women themselves feel as necessary or comfortable with? These are the question that runs in my mind whenever I write something about this topic. And that is the central idea of every of such of my writings, why do we still need to reiterate it? I guess that is exactly the change I don’t see!

Do you see books as a carrier of an important message or a medium of entertainment?

Both actually! Books are essential carriers of important messages and necessarily a medium of entertainment!

How do you organize yourself, as a writer, to keep track of the world you’re writing about?

I am a firm believer in patience with practice. I generally follow this whenever I moving to a new project. And whenever I create the universe of my book, I want to appeal to the common life of people, not something very drastic. Because that is exactly where the world of my book and the life we live collide.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or a full-time profession?

As I mentioned earlier that it never crossed my mind to even publish books a few years back. In December 2018, I wrote my first self-help book which was self-published, and despite the response, I never thought of making it a full-time profession. Though I do aspire that in the future I could just brew some black tea, sit by the laptop, and spend time leisurely creating a different universe every time I write a book.

How did you approach the writing process this time around? Do you have a set routine or does it vary? And how do you manage it with your full-time work?

Actually, it is rather very hard for me to set a routine with my full-time work, but I don’t believe that I need one because whenever something inspires me or words come flowing I just write them no matter where I am. I believe that the exact moment when you feel inspiration is where your routine lies.

How would you describe the contemporary scenario of writing and reading around the world?

Actually, it’s changing and evolving all the time. Earlier book lovers wouldn’t engage with the author or their rationale behind the book the readers love, but now this has changed. We find more people musing into how the author came about and this is taking reading to a whole new level where we aren’t just flipping pages but actually living every word of it!

How crucial are marketing and promotions when it comes to selling a book?

Both are equally important. Without either of them, you can’t let the word out about your book. Not only it attracts potential readers to your work but also allows you to establish yourself as an author if you seek to make a name for it.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? Poetry / Story?

Hmm. This is difficult because I love poetries and I am a diehard fan of Rupi Kaur because I feel that her writings resonate with me. But on a general level, I am more of a non-fiction reader because I love reading about psychology and business stuff and I am particularly a fan of Dale Carnegie, Brian Tracy, Peter Thiel. As for fiction, I like them as well; it’s just that I don’t read them often.

Any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers?

My only advice is to believe in your work if you don’t, the readers won’t and so comes my second point. Don’t strive to be perfect in the first attempt, live the process, evolve your writing, and learn to be better every day. Trust me this is where the battle lies!

Are we going to hear more from you in the future?

Definitely! Though not anytime soon but surely. I love this path and ever since the day I walked on it, I promised that I would continue doing so, even if I have to be slow in it.