Can you tell us a
little about yourself? Your profession and your hobbies!!
Faraaz Kazi is a two time
national award-winning writer of four books. His latest book, More Than Just
Friends has been one of the most downloaded books on the Juggernaut reading
app. He lives in Mumbai with his family and heads Kwebmaker Digital. To be a
good writer, you must be a great reader. No wonder then that I try and stick to
a reading schedule as much as possible across a wide array of genres and
authors. When I’m not reading and provided I have some leisure time at hand
(which is as rare as a blue moon), I like to sing, play the Guitar, grab a game
of cricket or carom or binge watch Game of Thrones.To be a
good writer, you must be a great reader. No wonder then that I try and stick to
a reading schedule as much as possible across a wide array of genres and
authors. When I’m not reading and provided I have some leisure time at hand
(which is as rare as a blue moon), I like to sing, play the Guitar, grab a game
of cricket or carom or binge watch Game of Thrones.
moved to GuruNanak Khalsa College of Science to complete my plus two.
He went on to complete my undergraduate degree in management and eventually
obtained an MBA in marketing. I am a triple post-graduate with a Masters in
psychology and counseling and another one
in Human Resources. I have also done a diploma in Freelance Journalism from The
British Institutes and a certificate in Creative Writing from Xavier's
Institute of Communication. To be a good writer, you must be a great reader. No
wonder then that I try and stick to a reading schedule as much as possible
across a wide array of genres and authors. When I’m not reading and provided I
have some leisure time at hand (which is as rare as a blue moon), I like to
sing, play the Guitar, grab a game of cricket or carom or binge watch Game of
Thrones.
Questionnaire with author "Faraaz Kazi"
1. How did you first get involved in with writing, are you an
imaginative person?
Yes, you can’t be a writer
without being imaginative. I grew up an ardent reader. It didn’t take me a long
time to graduate from a Tinkle Digest to an Enid Blyton adventure. By seven, I
picked up the pen in hand to write fan fiction on my favorite tales and eventually started creating my own stories.
2. What do you find most challenging about your writing?
As writing isn’t something that
I do full-time, finding the time to pen
down what’s on your mind or continuing where you left off is quite a challenge.
I try and manage it over weekends somehow.
3. What do you do when you are not writing?
Make some money, of course. In
India, writing isn’t financially as rewarding as other conventional careers.
One such conventional hat, I happen to wear during the day time disguised as a
corporate slave whenever I’m not wearing the writer’s cape.
4. Where do you see yourself in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the
road?
I live in the present and only
the present. The future is uncertain and is determined by our present, the
course of actions that we take now shape our tomorrow. But the positive being
that I am I would say, wherever I am, I see myself happy J
5. How do you keep coming up with material/content
for your story?
Research and observation are
the two most important instruments. I use them as applicable to come up with
trains of thought from where I can lead the proceedings through skill.
6. Any specific tips you have for new writers who want to make it big
in the world of published books?
Write for yourself, neither for
money nor for fame and most of all, never
for the market. Just write, leave the rest of the thinking for later. Remember
publishing is a bonus and shouldn’t be the outcome.
Till date, I have eleven works written but I have published only three
so far. It’s a learning curve, you will know what to do when once your writing
instinct takes over. For now, just write!
7.
What’s the best thing a writer can give to his readers?
The ability to see the world
through his eyes. It’s a very simple yet profound thing to do and very few
writers are capable of achieving it as writing is a communication process and
all kinds of communication have challenges of interpretation and analysis
attached to them.
8. A lot of people are interested in writing for the money earning
potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from
writing? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?
I could write a whole book on
this but to cut a long story short, I quote myself from the past, “Don’t expect
to make money out of your writing in a market like India unless you happen to
be drawing five points on someone while spending a night in a call centre and
making three mistakes of your life in two different states while hoping for a
revolution by the year 2020 along with
half a girlfriend who happens to be one Indian girl.”
9. What motivates you most in life?
In a general sense, it would be
real life inspiration from people around me. When it comes to writing, it would
be the love of my readers that keeps me going.
10. The majority of the readers tend to take sides due to religion and such other considerations.
For me, writing or for that
matter any other cultural art form is unbiased and without any prejudice to
anyone’s caste or for that matter, their political views. A true Faraaz Kazi
reader will always stick to the overall appeal of a work without being
prejudiced to any such elements that cause friction in the society.
11. What are your views on increasing plagiarism?
It’s unavoidable. Thanks to the
technology available on demand. To curb it, one must have stricter laws and a
level of automated tracking that can detect patterns as soon as a work is
submitted. This can be either at the agent’s end or the publisher’s end and if
anything remotely resembling something is flagged off then the matter should be
investigated and the person submitting it should be questioned. We need a
broader governing council for this and that would take a long time because the
Indian publishing industry is yet to be taken seriously by any ruling
government.
.jpg "BOOK REVIEW - “IT HAPPENS FOR A REASON” BY PREETI SHENOY")
