Let’s welcome Sharmishtha Basu
Sharmishtha Basu is creator editor of twin ezines Agnishatdal and Agnijaat. She is also a self-published author in Amazon, an avid blogger, digital artist, bookworm. She lives in Kolkata, and dreams of building her home by ocean, preferably in her own island!
She spends most of her time writing these days, honestly, this year she is rewriting her five storybooks (two has already been rewritten and published- five left), so she is spending long hours writing! Ha! Her other hobby takes more time, digital paintings, they take hours often. So you can see both her hands are full and ears too are filled with music mostly, she loves to play music when she is painting, when writing music is turned off.
Her social media nitty gritty for you:
Blog:
https://Sharmishthabasu.wordpress.com
Amazon
Goodreads
http:/goodreads.com/sharmishthabasu
http://goodreads.com/group/show/200142-sharmishtha-basu-s-indie-adda
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sharmishthabasu
linkedin:
Skype
Hangouts
Email id
Ezines:
Diva Dev: Tell us about your books.
Sharmishtha Basu: Well, there is quite a set of books I have self-published in Amazon, poetry, story both mostly fully illustrated by my own digital paintings.
Diva Dev: The day you decided you will be a writer?
Sharmishtha Basu: I am an accidental writer! Ever since I remember I was a bookworm, I needed books like people need food, I can’t recollect a single day till I joined my first job which I passed without reading anything, excluding Saraswatipuja, on that day many Bengali families ban reading, I don’t know why but they do, and being a devoted worshipper of Goddess Saraswati I obeyed! But not after graduation! These days I read blogs mostly, and quite a bit. But before 2007 I did not even dreamt I will be writing! Ha!
The office in which I worked back then was in a factory, surrounded by factories, and my bosses – well, they were never around, they mostly were out in their Kolkata central office while I sat there in their factory office doing nothing. So one fine day I noticed that MSN allows readers to share their words in its website and I mustered up my courage and started babbling! My first try was accepted and after that they pampered me silly! I got addicted to writing. Next level of encouragement came from my readers of wordpress and they are still very much with me. So I will say one fine day MSN made me a writer by accepting my first attempt on writing (outside school/college notes). I have never even tried writing anything other than answers to questions or essays in school curriculum. I will say I am quite grateful to my readers for giving me a wonderful passion and full time occupation (of my time not livelihood yet)!
Diva Dev: Who helped you with your dream? Your support?
Sharmishtha Basu: My readers… my friends… MSN, Wordpress and Amazon.
Diva Dev: Do you think the process of writing (Typing/Handwriting) is tiring? How do you deal with it?
Sharmishtha Basu: Not at all! I get tired with editing though, especially the second edit which I earlier skipped but these days do, quite seriously sometimes. But to be honest I very often am too bored to do it. It is a habit I will have to change! Ask me to write and I will go on and on, ask me to edit and it gives me heebie jeebies! Honestly! That is why you will see my earlier works are full of silly typos, especially in blogs because wordpress often edits on its own, repeatedly!
Diva Dev: What profession you’d choose if not an author?
Sharmishtha Basu: At first I will sheepishly say I don’t earn anything from my writings, not yet, very few of my books have been sold till date. So I am still trying to make it my profession. Hopefully I will some day! When I was a child I wanted to become a doctor or pilot. Unfortunately when I was growing up women could rarely join airways as pilots, then I don’t have perfect eyesight… as for becoming a doctor well that is a raw nerve, let us say I tried my best sometimes best is not enough. After that I became quite docile and started trying to make my own living in any honest, dignified way. Writing stirred up my dreams after quite long time and they are not going to die ever, even if my books don’t sell ha ha! I am smug with the attention I am getting through them.
Diva Dev: Why did you choose this particular genre/s?
Sharmishtha Basu: You will see apart from “The charons” almost all my book are fantasy or paranormal/chillers- I love these two genres, “The charons” is a chapter of my own life, the book that made me a writer I will say. Apart from that I love to imagine and love to scare myself too! Ha ha… so you will read chillers and fairytales again and again. Just can’t have enough of them! Reading or writing. I still love fairytale stories and movies! As for horror/chillers they are almost my daily diets!
Diva Dev: Have you ever met a fan/reader?
Sharmishtha Basu: Never came across anyone who has read my works or knows who I am in cyberspace! I never tell anyone about my online life. Till date only one pried out about it and after that some bad changes happened. Unwelcome changes in my wordpress circle! That clearly hinted that she orchestrated that. So… I keep my writerdom hidden! And I will be very tongue-tied to anyone in real life… so can’t say I will love to meet my readers, fans? Ha! Do I have one? Oh boy! Won’t that be cool!!!!!! Yum yum!
Diva Dev: Would you ever go for traditional publishing? (If you’re a self published author)
Sharmishtha Basu: I will absolutely love it! You know it is sort of very ego satiating! Someone else thinks your work is worth a try! I will also love if “The charons” is turned into a movie with Jodie Foster as lead actress, playing Urna (me).
Diva Dev: Do you interact with other authors? Do you think it’s important?
Sharmishtha Basu: I firmly believe that we should regularly interact with other authors unselfishly, without being jealous, trying them to help them in any rational way we can. Even if we don’t understand or deny, we LEARN A LOT from others, their styles, their works, their ways of tackling things! Will I say we develop each other knowingly or unknowingly? But don’t be nasty, don’t steal works of others. I have met these characters again and again in wordpress they are disgrace to humanity! Act dignified and you will only benefit!
Diva Dev: Your favorite food/dish/cuisine?
Sharmishtha Basu: You may laugh but I just love south Indian dishes- four in specific- dosa, idli, vada and sambhar. Just love them. Apart from that I love simple rice and any curry to go with it, not very spicy though! But tasty must!
Diva Dev: Your favorite place on earth? Why?
Sharmishtha Basu: Any place on beach! I will so love to live right by the ocean! I have never lived in one but I love ocean. Period!
Diva Dev: Your hobbies other than writing? Do you find time for it?
Sharmishtha Basu: I love to paint digitally, apart from that listening to music of all types, watching movies and reading (mostly blogs these days) and I being unemployed can manage my time to do these things. If not everyday then frequent enough to keep me happy.
Diva Dev: Your thoughts on life? What helps you to deal with ups and downs of life?
Sharmishtha Basu: Life to me is unpredictable, and never think that world is ultimately good to good people- that is a lie fed by crooks mostly I think. So when things are good enjoy them to the best and when they are bad remember one thing they will pass, all you have to do is keep yourself as intact as you can, if possible use that bad thing to make a better of yourself! Tough but not totally impossible, that is a very good way of settling score too!
Diva Dev: Your favorite quote?
Sharmishtha Basu: “There is no use worrying, it was never worth-while, so pack your worries in your old gummy bag and smile, smile, smile.” This quote has always made me smile!
Diva Dev: If you become a billionaire overnight, what would be your reaction? What will you do with the money?
Sharmishtha Basu: I will buy an island, preferably with an old house in it as my home, castle will be best! I will buy a fort/castle too, in case I get tired of island life. I will save enough for a decent life and enjoy the rest! But a dream home will certainly be my first step! The rest will depend on how much money will be left after buying my dream home and keeping aside money for rest of my life! Sorry I won’t be spending money on world peace!
Thank You So much Sharmishtha!
Books By Sharmishtha Basu
