About The Author
EENA KAPOOR is an entrepreneur, marketer, and strategy professional who has headed design, brand, and content for India’s leading e-commerce organisations. She is a nomad, traveller, dabbler, and seeker, and has a deep interest in psychology and spirituality. She has lived in fifteen cities across Asia, Europe, and North America; hence, she has a unique perspective on diversity and cultures. She has pursued a degree in business from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, and has a Masters in Global Fashion Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York.
Also Read: A Book to Treasure- The Dis-Becoming by Eena Kapoor – Book Review
Interview
1: Tell us about the idea behind the book. What made you write The Dis- Becoming?
I am a spiritual person seeking answers to the deeper questions in life- always seeking, always learning. My quest often leads me to find answers hidden in eastern philosophies that have been guiding us through the centuries. I am also always trying to understand the human mind by reading works on psychology and am in awe of the human resilience, courage, faith and hope and also the power of our mind to manifest – what the new age spiritual teachers call the Law of attraction. But, all the books I have read so far talk about these concepts in silos. So I wanted to write a book that could intertwine eastern philosophy, the Law of attraction and positive psychology in the form of a story so that the readers can relate to the protagonist as we are looking for answers to questions that life throws at us in our own journey and we all win in our own way through our grit. This led to me writing the book The Dis-becoming.
2: How much time did it take in the process of writing? Your favorite part of the book?
It took me around 3 months to write the first draft of this book. Besides the climax, my favorite part of the book was the chapter on Banaras. When I had visited Banaras over ten years ago, I had felt a spiritual energy that I have felt in no other place, ever. I wanted to bring the feeling and the beautiful complexity of Banaras in its many layers to my readers. I tried to visit Banaras twice in 20-21 while writing this chapter but could’t because of covid travel restrictions. So, the Banaras in the book is the Banaras of my memory mingled with the Banaras of my imagination. I hope it intrigues my readers as much as it has intrigued me.
3: What did the process of writing this book teach you?
For me, the writing of this book was a process that used both my left and right brains. Though I used to think that writing is a purely creative process; developing the structure, editing the book, looking for the right publisher as well as marketing your book is a highly left-brained process and needs critical thinking, evaluation and decision-making. Also, once you know you have a knack and aptitude for writing, just start. The right book will write itself through you.
4: A book that had an impact on you, which helped you in writing this one?
Various books have impacted me as a reader and throughout my book, I have paid an ode to the writers of those great works. But, some of the ones that really impacted me were Man’s search for meaning, The Prophet , The alchemist.
5: How do you plan your story? Do you first go with the plot or sketch the characters?
I definitely start with the outline of the story and decide on the plot first with a rough idea of major characters of the book. As the writing of the book progresses, new characters emerge to fulfill a certain need or play a role in the story and the personalities of the main characters develop as we go deeper and deeper into the story.
6: 3 key takeaways from the book?
- You will almost always find what you are looking for, even if it is a quest of the subconscious.
- Life is about slowing down and savoring each moment and being thankful for all that we have been showered with.
- It is never too late to start with one’s Dis-becoming.
7: Tell us about your plans. Planning a new book?
Well, I’d be happy to come up with a new book which will be very different from my first book. It will either be one that helps the protagonist in her quest for something different like the quest for love or could be a totally different book with a dash of humor narrating the dating woes in the modern era. Either way, the story will derive its inspiration either from my life or from the lives of the co-passengers, the onlookers, the passersby, the observees in my journey of life.
8: According to you what makes a Good Story?
There is no single recipe for a good story. A good story is one that takes you on a ride with the protagonist into his or her story, where you vicariously feel the emotions of the characters, where you live their lives for a bit. Multi- dimensional and complex characters like you and me, a palette of different hues of emotions and a story that stays with you long after it is over is a good story.
9: How did your life change after the book was published?
It is such a blessing and a dream come true. Besides giving me a sense of achievement, it re-kindled old friendships, brought me so much love from the readers and book bloggers and bookstore owners too, and gave me a chance to interact with people who felt inspired after reading my book and wanted to go deeper into some of the ideas discussed in the book. I was humbled when a bookstagrammar said that The Dis-becoming was the second time he had read something as impressive as The monk who sold his ferrari.
10: What is a literary success for you?
Literary success for me is when my work will reach far and wide and deep and be able to impact several lives in a positive way. I will consider myself successful when my work will be able to inspire someone to take the leap or to go deeper within their soul, hopefully finding meaning and answers. Earning the love of readers, friends, book connoisseurs is literary success to me.
11: A message for all the readers.
In today’s hustle culture, we have been so busy running that we have even forgotten what we are running after. My message to my readers is to slow down and listen to the heart because the heart knows. We could intellectualize our decisions and our actions all we want but there is a pure core inside our hearts that holds the answers, the meaning and the purpose for us. All we need to do is to turn off the volume of the outer and inner noise and listen : the answers will present themselves. Also, in the era of FOMO, there is a different joy in missing out- JOMO. Life is meant to be savoured sip by sip, moment by moment; it is not a list where each checkbox is to be marked . Through The Dis-becoming and other works, I wish that my readers find what they are looking for.
