And it was great speaking with Author Jyoti Arora.
Check book review of You came like a hope here.
You can get your copy here.
About the Author
Jyoti Arora is a novelist and blogger from Ghaziabad, India. She is a Post Graduate in English Literature and Applied Psychology. Besides her novels, Jyoti’s writing achievements include several wins in blogging competitions, over five years of freelance writing experience, developing books for kids and abridging 24 famous English novels like Jane Eyre, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn etc.
Books have always been Jyoti’s best friends. In fact, books so fascinated her from early childhood that she learnt reading, by herself, even before she started going to school. And she considers herself most fortunate that she is able to pursue her dream of being a novelist and work at what she loves best.
However, if books are Jyoti’s first love, and she’s still very devoted to them, the thrilling and steadily advancing world of technology also fascinates her. As a result, one of Jyoti’s blog is a technological blog called TechnoTreats. One of her posts in this blog even won her the title of Samsung Mobiler in 2011.
Jyoti Arora is a patient of Thalassemia Major. Because of this, she had to quit school after class 8th. But she did not let this stop or discourage her. She continued her education on her own through correspondence courses and is a successful career woman now.
For her determination and achievements, Jyoti has received appreciation from several eminent dignitaries and her life story has been covered in various local and national TV shows, radio programs, newspapers, magazines and websites. In the year 2016, Jyoti was chosen as one of the 100 women achievers of India that were invited to witness India’s Republic Day parade as special guests.
Besides reading and writing novels, Jyoti also enjoys blogging and has won several blogging competitions. She loves checking out latest technological innovations, watching movies, and listening to old Bollywood songs. Reach her at jyotiarora.com
Interview
1: What other genres do you enjoy reading?
I don’t enjoy reading non-fiction books. And I don’t enjoy reading anything that is too political, or business related. Other than these, I think, I enjoy reading everything. I love the love stories best, but I don’t mind reading tragedies, or horror or crime fiction either. As long as the writing is good, and the story is gripping.
I grew up reading books of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. As a freelance writer, I abridged about 30 English classics. So, the big tomes don’t scare me. I love losing myself in a classic and find them most satisfying to the reader in me.
2: Which of your novels best describes you as a person?
That will have to be Dream’s Sake. As it was my first novel, I poured a lot of myself in that book. Almost every character in it, even the bad ones, have a shade of my likes and dislikes. The hero of Dream’s Sake loves watching the sky, as I do. And the heroine feels stifled by her environs and dreams of a better world. My heart throbs with the same restlessness.
3: Have you ever written a character based on the real you in some part?
Of all my characters, I think the heroine of my first novel is closest to me. But then, Aashi is the kind of person that would feel familiar to many women. In fact, when my cousin read the book, she asked me whether I had fashioned Aashi’s character after her. But I hadn’t. She bore a resemblance to my own heart, aspirations, restlessness, and deficiencies. Aashi dreams of success and splendor, and is not afraid of working hard to achieve it. She is a fiction addict and mourns that the real world falls so short of the world in her beloved books. While Aashi bears many of my traits, she is a different person, of course, and has her own identity that is far removed from me.
4: Can you tell us about your current projects?
I haven’t started on any book yet. But I feel I want to write something lighter and happier now. All my three novels so far have borne the burden of serious themes. But now, for a change, I might write a pure romance!
5: When can the readers expect your next book in print?
I am very slow in writing and editing. I hope to complete my new book soon, but I haven’t even started it yet. So, it will probably be two years before my new book comes out.
However, I have several short stories scattered around in old files and blog posts. I might collect them in a book and release that, while I work on a new book. That could be in a year’s time.
6: One character from your books, that you like the most.
I have to go back to my first novel Dream’s Sake again. The heroes of Lemon Girl and You Came Like Hope are real people. They are lovable, but they both have their faults. Whereas Abhi, the hero of Dream’s Sake, is a dream man. He is perfect in his imperfection. And I must confess that I’m still in love with him.
Although, Adih, the hero of You Came Like Hope, is a close competitor. I love him too ?
7: What is that dream goal you want to achieve before you die?
I want to be a shining star in the galaxy of great writers whose words have made them immortal.
8: What does literary success look like to you?
When I win the love of readers all over the world, I’d call that my literary success.
9: Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you
I always have the ending in sight before I start writing. Based on where I want my characters to go, I set up a loose plot. I don’t form any very rigid plan in the beginning. I just plan out two or three chapters and write them, before planning out the next chapters.
10: Do you recall the first ever book/novel you read?
Moving up from the comics, the first book that I remember reading is ‘Bhalaai Kar, Burai Se Dar.’ It was a collection of Russian stories translated into Hindi. I still have that book with me, a cherished possession of my library.
11: Message for all aspiring authors
Read a lot. Read all kinds of books. A good reading goes a long way in inspiring good writing.
Also, if you want to be an author, you have chosen a very hard road for yourself. Be prepared for a lot of hard work, frustrations and disappointments.
