Sohini Roy is a nineteen-year-old, college student, living in Kolkata, West Bengal. She graduated from South Point High School in the year 2019, and now, aspires to be a successful author and an artist. She has always dreamt of enwrapping cold and dark minds in the warmth of the colours of her imagination. She started writing as an escape from the monotony and stress, but gradually it built into something stronger where the words were not only to comfort her, but also those around her. Roy hopes someone in some unnoticed corner of this huge world, can find a friend, a solace through her words.
We asked Sohini a few questions to get to know her better. Here’s what she had to say:
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I have been writing since…
Since 2018, when I used to be a school student. I did write before that, too, but they were too stupid or childish(Well, I was actually a child back then. So it’s normal.)
My favorite author(s) and book(s)?
Just can’t do without Ruskin Bond(“ANY” book), but I’d also like to mention two of my favorite poets who inspired me and motivated me to find myself, who I truly am: Jibananda Das (Rupashi Bangla) and BTS(the boyband)(well, almost all of their song lyrics, but maybe Forever Rain, Magic Shop, Spring Day, The Truth Untold,….. honestly, I can go on and on).
My journey as a writer:
Well, I started by writing poems as a coping mechanism for the general (and sometimes self-created) problems, students face in their late teen ages(in 2018, I was in my eleventh grade) . I decided if I have to suffer my overthinking, I better get something useful out of it. So I drew(yes, actually I am an artist) and wrote poems, carefully putting those emotions into meaningful words and befitting brushstrokes. Surprisingly, it never failed to heal me! But when my personal experiences failed to inspire some good content, I also tried to mold myself into someone else’s mind(imaginary or not), feel things in their way, just to get things going. With time it was easier to adapt as and when needed.
Why should we read you?
I think one thing that I initially did subconsciously and now it’s become my style, is, I have a crude way of saying things. Not polished just to look good to someone else’s eyes. Also, I do speak from personal experiences yet I always try to draw that fine line so it doesn’t become too personal and hence readers can find it relatable. I write in a way so it resonates with everyone’s emotions in some way. You don’t have to get every little detail of how I felt. I want you to interpret it in your own way.
My favorite genre to read / write
lifestyle/slice of life( I don’t know what they’re exactly called) …….actually anything(any conventional genre) that has the power to create a whirlpool of emotions.
What advice would you give young and aspiring writers?
First and foremost, make sure your work speaks to you. If you can’t value it, probably some random stranger won’t either. Remember you can’t be Ruskin Bond overnight. It took *him* four years or so to get published for the first time. So be patient and CONSISTENT. If you’re running out of inspiration, try Namjoon’s 3B Method! (Bus, Bath, Bed). I’ve tried them and damn, do they work!
Here’s an excerpt from Sohini’s winning story A little blob of reminiscence that’s now published in Wafting Earthy:
January 7, 2021
Dear Diary,
I was wondering if you ever feel tired of me, imposing my meaningless thoughts on you, in black, bold letters. If you do, I’m sorry. As days are passing, I am understanding how it must feel. I try to spend each day at least a notch better than the previous, but somehow, I always go blank whenever I open you. Is it just me? …. I’m still trying to figure out why I live perpetually spaced out like this. So, will you bear with me? Just in case a good incident/thought comes out someday? We can cherish it together! With every passing day, I’m growing more and more impatient. The world around me is in a big whirlpool, one I didn’t want to be a part of (as you might’ve already figured out). With each sunrise, my inner sun sets a little more. My spirits are tired of swimming upstream. I want to stop for a moment and go back. To the days when I could feel happiness without knowing it’s meaning. When the flow of life was friendlier…. I remember, how these gusts of chilly winds, were once an opportunity to run around the park, feel the small sun within me, burn brighter than the galaxy.
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