About the Author:
Soumya Tiwari hails from the holy city of Varanasi. She is currently pursuing B.Tech in CSE (specialization in cyber security and digital forensics) from VIT Bhopal University. She has a published article in the Issue-II of a US-based magazine: Harness. She has held the positions of columnist and editor of three issues of Cyberzine – a CSDF (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics) division magazine.
She found her passion for writing in her teenage years, and there was no going back for her from then. Reading, writing, and music have loads to offer – in her opinion – therefore, she keeps shuffling between different genres, not wanting to limit herself to a single genre. She promotes the concept of consent profusely; because she has witnessed breaches of consent very casually in real-life scenarios.
Interview:
How did you come up with this idea of writing from a serial killer’s perspective?
I’ve always wanted to read something from the villain’s perspective. This want then reflected in one of my earlier pieces where I ended up writing something from a serial killer’s perspective. It was the poem – ‘wonder’ in the book. That eventually led me down the rabbit hole of writing this entire book, a brilliant rabbit hole, in my opinion.
How much time did it take for writing?
I spent around four to five months writing this book and a good three to four months compiling the art pieces. Fun fact, all the art pieces were hand-drawn by my friends.
What did writing this book teach you?
I’ll be honest I’m a very impatient person in my daily life. Writing and publishing this book taught me a lot of patience. Some days, it was excruciating; other days, it was fun. It taught me how to handle both these feelings in a measured way.
What inspired you to write this book?
People usually hesitate or don’t want to talk about the dark times, especially depression and mental health issues. It has always struck a chord with me. I’m the type of person who likes to talk about everything and nothing. So, this was my effort to start a conversation around the dark aspects of life and maybe disregard the hush-hush around it.
If you have to choose another theme to write the poems on, which would that be?
For me, writing is a way to explore things. In that context, I’d have liked to explore the theme of nature and self-love.
Which are your favorite poems from the book?
Well, I like them all equally, but if I have to choose favorites, then Wonder, My kind of thrill, and Scream would be my favorites for respective reasons. Wonder was the first-ever poem I wrote in the collection. My kind of thrill is a favorite because she asserts her dominance in the poem blatantly and unapologetically. ‘Scream’ is a favorite because it reflects her pain and the pain she causes ultimately.
A book that impacted you, which helped you in writing this one?
All the books I’ve read have been an immense help in writing this, but thrillers like the perfect stranger and the final girls affected me in a certain way, which ultimately helped me write this one.
Tell us about your plans. Plans for a new book?
Yes, I’m planning a new book but in a completely different genre. I’ve always wanted to write a novel, so that’s the next goal.
How did your life change after the book was published?
My life is still the same. Same college life and other stuff, but now there’s a sense of accomplishment in me after getting this book published. I can now call myself a published author. Personally, it’s a significant achievement as I’ve always wanted to publish a book of my own, and now one thing is off my bucket list.
What is a literary success for you?
Well, literary success for me is that a book makes you think. It forces you to think and question. I hope to achieve that with this as well as my future books.
A message for all the readers.
I’ve tried to make this book a unique reading experience for the readers by starting it from the last entry and writing it from a serial killer’s perspective. Along with that, I’ve also tried to make the readers think and question some things. I hope this book accomplishes these things and the readers have a good experience while reading this book.
