An Interview With Tanushree Chowdhury - the Author of "For The Love of a Daughter"

With only little more than 100 days left to go, and WRIPE - 6 english version rapidly going viral in the internet world, while its Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Hindi and Korean versions closely following behind, the Chief Organizer of the project this time meets one of his inseparable companions, the Senior Coordinator of WRIPE 5 and WRIPE - 6 / Hindi & Korean Translations, Ms. Tanushree Chowdhury from Kolkata, India. She is also a Brand Ambassador and a Keeper of Sweek. 







Q - Hello, hello … Tanu! So so … long time no see! How are you? I hope I find you all well and okay? How is life my dear? (Pours steaming black coffee and offers her a cup followed by a large plate of cookies) 


A - I'm great, Chinthaka. Thank you for asking and yes, I'm fit as a fiddle. The coffee and cookies look delicious though!



Q -  Ha ha thanks! … So .. the famous Tanushree Chowdhury … a lot has changed after you came to Sweek, huh? Hey, now come to think of it … since when did you exactly start to use Sweek? I made my appearance only in 2017 … I think. 


A - Ha ha, nice joke. Well, I can't remember the date exactly but I'm confident that it was the month of January, with the year being 2018. Also if I’m not wrong, that was the time you were working on the very first WRIPE on Holocaust and you used to be a Brand Ambassador of Sweek at that time!



Q - Ha ha Yeah! And oh the happy old times! I remember WRIPE - 1 and the fond memories. It was a really hectic time as a Brand Ambassador in Sweek, with Veronika Kartovenko, Sabine Van der Plas and Marta Palczewska issuing us directions and guidance from Amsterdam! And you were also busy, I remember! Publishing stories and entering into Sweek’s micro competitions all the time! How many stories have you published in Sweek so far Tanu? What’s your most successful release, in your opinion?


A- Sweek's micro competitions are something which I miss a lot nowadays! And yes, since I was new at the platform, I wanted to try out everything the site had to offer, and the micro competitions were something that really piqued my interest that time. 


Till now, it is 14 stories with 14 translations for WRIPE-6. So the total story count would be 28 for now. My most successful release till now is 'For the love of a Daughter' which has currently 117 likes on Sweek. Apart from that, my WRIPE-4 entry (also organized by you), 'Poisoning of Cerbus' bags 77 likes. Coincidentally, it was an entry for Asteroid day too. 



Q - “For the Love of a Daughter” oh yes! I remember it very well! That heartbreaking letter written by a daughter for the sake of his father, right? Not only 117 Likes … it earned 120 comments as well! Hey, what inspired you to write that story?


A - Oh yeah! It was the 9/11 attacks and the death of innocents that spurred my imagination to create this micro fiction. The fact that many innocent people get entangled into something for which they aren't even guilty disturbs me a lot, especially in situations like war or such sudden attacks like 9/11. The real culpables mostly escape, putting the blame on someone who is either weak or someone who can't fight back. I tried my best to write it from a child's point of view, and how they feel when they are indirectly linked to such incidents. An adult is mature enough to understand conspiracies and its depth, but can we expect that understanding from a child? Moreover, a 7 year old child has no author or a profound sense of vocabulary. They can't move people with words and have that impact which an adult would have in his letter. I wanted to give a voice to them!



Q - Hmmm … I can see there is a great deal of depth behind this story! But we were talking about your most successful story in Sweek … Well, to go back in history, what was your first literary work dear? I am not talking about Sweek … What was your very first work that earned the attention of readers? It was in your mother language?


A -  My first literary work was 'Halfway Right', which I wrote 3-4 years back but I never published it on any online site till date since I thought that it can be transfigured into a full-fledged novel if I want. I still work on it sometimes when I'm idle. For now, it can be embellished with plot twists and cliffhangers, that's why I'm not proceeding to publish it now. And no, it was in English.


And the very first work that earned the attention of readers, I'm afraid that I can't remember. Since our school never organizes writing competitions or anything like that, I never found a decent readership. The only people who read my works were my cousins, who encouraged me to continue with it. Thanks to Sweek, I eventually found a site where I can publish my works and reach out to a broader audience. 



Q - Okay! Tell us a bit about this 'Halfway Right' story you are so passionate about! Your fans would be really curious to know! 


A- Sure I would love to! I will share a short plot summary. ‘Halfway Right’ is mainly a mystery & Sci-Fi along with a psychological thriller. I would read out a short plot summary making sure that I don’t give enough spoilers!


“A single mistake made by a top secret anonymous organization became capable of endangering the whole human race. The Cladotius are a new species which are born by human mutation, possessing awesome psychokinetic abilities and are driven by a natural instinct to destroy humanity and replace them as the dominant sapient race on Earth. With their leader murdered, they now want new brains to take over the research laboratory for finding an antidote … Bryan, once being the most brilliant student at his university goes into a state of depression when Shirley is killed...even with the reasons being unknown. Determined to avenge her death, Bryan gets entangled in this secret organization since one of its people claimed to know who killed Shirley but after discovering something he wasn't supposed to make him rethink his decision of continuing with them, but it was too late to turn back now. If they knew that it had already come into his hands, he would share Shirley’s fate … Would a mystery linked back to 200 years be able to change their lives, or will 2025 be the approximate last year of the human race?


What do you think, Chinthaka?



Q - Hmmm … I can see that you are into Sci Fi and thrillers … What are other genres you write, Tanu?


A- Probably Mystery and sometimes Young Adult. Fantasy has interested me since childhood as well. It’s always hard for me to stick to one genre, so I keep fluctuating between different categories to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. 



Q - Try something new! Aha! That’s why you were instantly attracted to my writing projects, right? 


A- Absolutely! WRIPES offer great potential to raise awareness and understanding about the present day issues which need more limelight. From highlighting the dark history of Holocaust, bringing out the importance of Mother-tongue, raising awareness about Water Day...WRIPES have everything which would attract a reader at the very first instance and myself, being a curious girl was one of them. I wanted to try something new and have a remarkable experience as an amateur writer, so WRIPES were a great opportunity for me to push my boundaries and come up with something new.



Q - Ah! Thanks for the sweet appreciation, Tanu :) What was the first WRIPE you participated dear? My memory eludes me … 


A- Always a pleasure! :) The first WRIPE I participated in would date back to 2018, WRIPE-4 to be precise. Coincidentally, WRIPE-4 was also based on Asteroid Day and many writers showed their enthusiasm to be a part of it.



Q - Yes! I remember! The Poisoning of Cerbus! Silly me! Oh yes! Oh yes! Tell us a bit about your experience in writing the book! I remember editing it slightly ha ha! And hey you were shortlisted, I remember!

 

A- My experience as a writer for this project was indeed a memorable one. I used to devote an hour or two for 3-4 days consequently in order to finish my first draft, including the constant ideas and instances that would come into my mind and how I would take notes and pen them down later. Since asteroids were something with which I was not very much involved, I used to research on a frequent basis and update my knowledge regarding its properties and all. And yeah, your edits even enhanced the version to be better, I would be ever grateful for that!


Oh, I guess you're talking about the #SweekSpace contest! Yes, I was shortlisted in that one. Co-incidentally, Sweek also released a competition regarding asteroids as well and I decided to go with this one as an official entry. Never in my dreams I would've imagined that a story which I wrote for a project would be shortlisted!



Q - I was instantly attracted to your draft. Super, super. So … after #SweekSpace contest,  you became a Brand Ambassador too. Also you became a coordinator in WRIPE-4 and now you are a Senior Coordinator in WRIPE-6 for both Hindi and English translations. Rapid rise in the ranks! What’s the secret behind your success dear?  … er … Like to have more coffee? 


A- Hm...I won't really call this success since I have a long way to go yet, but maybe you can say that the rapid increase in ranks was somehow due to my activeness and regularity. I used to be a really active Sweeker and I published at least once every month along with searching for new opportunities which would help me to become a better writer. Being a Brand Ambassador was a surprise for me, since it wasn't even a year for me joining the site when the Sweek Ambassador Official Form was released. I felt that I had a very slim chance even if I filled the form but still I decided to go with it and the surprise which came eventually was enough for me to squeal with delight, ha ha! Likewise, being a coordinator too was a shock since I never expected that you would rank me a position in your project. My joy knew no bounds that day when you first said you're making me a coordinator! And sure, coffee is always a yes for me.



Q - (Pours steaming hot coffee) Ha ha! I saw your potential at the very beginning. What’s your advice to newcomers to Sweek? Would you recommend WRIPES to beginners to writing? What’ s the uniqueness you see in WRIPES, Tanu? 


A- An advice which I would like to give the newcomers of Sweek is to have patience. Being a Sweek Keeper for over a year, I have always received messages like how to get more followers and Likes on their stories or how to increase Follower count. Infact, most of the messages and queries are regarding popularity increments from newcomers. As an answer to all these questions, I can only say that you need to have patience if you want an audience. Everyone of us starts from zero, with nobody being an exception yet. A writer’s engagement with the platform is very important along with regular posting and updating your stories. Moreover, Sweekers need to read and appreciate others' work as well if you want the same response.


And it's always a big YES! from my side when it comes to recommending WRIPES! Personally, I feel WRIPES provide you a whole new experience as a writer, and allow you to explore your own boundaries. Since the themes are not something which are discussed on a regular basis or are not in the limelight, you have to dive into the topic more, making yourself more familiar with it and then imagine a whole new concept on which the story is going to be based on. This literally makes you feel like the protagonist of the story you're writing. You have to put yourself in your character's shoes to proceed the story. This has to be the most unique thing regarding WRIPES I have experienced till date.



Q - Wow! So … it was a lengthy interview! And it was a wonderful evening I spent with you! Finally, before we close the interview what’s your advice to young, aspiring writers around the world?


A- Indeed! It was really great to be a part of your interview. To all the aspiring writers... keep writing, as well as reading. You may be good at imagination and may have splendid ideas, but it is difficult to give them life through words. That's why, the art of storytelling plays a great role in your writing career. If you want to be a writer, you have to be a good storyteller. Also, no matter how cringy your first draft is...just write it down. You will have enough time later to enhance it the way you want. Writing is something which shouldn't be forced, but has to be enjoyed. Therefore, never take writing as a responsibility to improve your words and don't let improvement get in the way of enjoying the art of writing.



Q - Sound bit of advice! Very down to earth! … One final thing. Our writers may like to contact you about their own issues. You live in India, right? In Kolkata? Any email or social media handles, Tanu? 


A- Yes, I do. And no, it's Jamshedpur where I'm staying currently. :)


For now, I have a limited social usage but you can find me on writing sites like Sweek and Wattpad. Also, I'm available on instagram as @psychedelic_mystics247 and on Twitter as @Cynthia24703.









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