Author’s Background: Tulika is a thoroughbred succesful corporate employee for last almost 20 years. Always a bookworm and having a way with words, it was her dream to get her work published to the world. During the 1st phase of Covid lockdown finally a lot of old work came together to form her 1st book “Saat Kando” with Asian Press Books, since then books of different genre namely “Digantarekha” & “Machranga” is already published. Currently she has 6 published titles in her kitty, each having a significant dash of imagination, romance and thrills, the latest to the league of her Bengali books being a compilation of horror stories called “Choturbhoy”. A professional and a mother of a 16 year old son, she is all set to make a mark in the minds of readers as a Bilingual Author. Her recent work in English is a full length binge novella titled “The Web of Lies- A Regency Mystery” and it was published by Asian Press Books at the prestigious Press Club of Kolkata on 4th Aug amid eminent writing personalities! She is all set to write a series of such novellas to make the tra time for readers and interesting one! Watch out for her next title in English with Ukiyoto Publishing House.
Questionnaires:
Q. 01. What inspired you to compile an anthology collection of short stories for your book “Petrichor”?
Tulika : I had always been fond of fantasy and as a prolific book reader I found the lovecraftian genre of horror most fascinating. All these prompted me to try these stories which are not the typical horror stories but would leave you with a sense of unease.
Q. 02. Could you share with us the significance of the title “Petrichor” and how it relates to the themes explored in your anthology?
Tulika : The smell of damp earth after rains invokes in human mind a myriad of emotions, the singular term for this is “Petrichor”. I expect my stories to stir emotions in the readers that they otherwise would not have felt
Q. 03. How did you approach the selection process for the short stories included in this anthology? What criteria did you consider?
Tulika : I wanted to capture different facets of “Dark” hence each story deals with completely independent and different subject.
Q. 04. Each story in your anthology covers a different genre and explores diverse human experiences. How did you ensure a cohesive flow and connection between the stories?
Tulika : As an author I tend to observe and feel human emotions and the layers of human reactions a little more than ordinary. Once I start capturing the impressions I gathers throughout my experiences, I never find the requirement of taking a pause in binding the flow cohesivly.
Q. 05. Can you tell us about one particular short story in “Petrichor” that holds special meaning for you, and why it resonates with you?
Tulika : “The Transition” is a special story and so is “The Prison”. Both are inately descriptive of human emotions, sufferings and outcomes.
Q. 06. As an author, what challenges did you face while crafting short stories for this anthology? How did you overcome them?
Tulika : Well, I would not term it as a challenge but I really put a lot of mind share to decide the individual subjects I would deal with in each story.
Q. 07. The scent of rain on dry earth, petrichor, serves as a metaphor in your book. How does this metaphor enhance the reading experience and contribute to the overall themes?
Tulika : As I said, like the scent of damp earth unearthes myriad feelings in human beings, I want my stories to stir a whole lot of emotions in my readers which otherwise they would not have conciously experience.
Q. 08. How do you balance the elements of surprise and unpredictability in your short stories while still maintaining a sense of coherence?
Tulika : The stories proceed towards the ending in layers, each merging guilelessly into the next, hence readers will also be smoothly enlightened as the stories would progress.
Q. 09. In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of a short story? How did you ensure that each story in the anthology fulfilled this aspect?
Tulika : The story should keep you thinking and wondering what happened next or if it could have been any different … this is the most critical aspect of a short story.
Q. 10. Were there any particular authors or literary works that influenced your writing style or the themes explored in “Petrichor”? If so, how did they inspire you?
Tulika : Yes ofcourse, I am greatly influenced by Sh Satyajit Ray, Smt Suchitra Bhattacharya, Sh Sharadindu Bandopadhyay and last but not the least, H.P. Lovecraft
Q. 11. How do you approach character development in short stories? Did you find it challenging to create fully fleshed-out characters within the limited word count?
Tulika : I try to put myself into the characters and then start building up on their images, it helps me to decipher the thought processes each would have.
Q. 12. What do you hope readers will take away from “Petrichor” after reading the collection? Are there any specific messages or emotions you aimed to convey?
Tulika : The different crevices if human mind that remains enshrouded in darkness – is what the this book actually explores. As I said earlier it would leave them with reflections which otherwise they would not have delved in.
Q. 13. Can you share any behind-the-scenes anecdotes or interesting experiences you had while writing or compiling the short stories for this anthology?
Tulika : I lived each story as I wrote so I got my fair share of sleepless nights, chills and creeps 🙂
Q. 14. As an anthology, “Petrichor” offers readers a variety of stories to choose from. Which story surprised you the most during the writing process, and why?
Tulika : Of Course “The Soul Snatcher”, I was surprised at the outcome myself as I thought it effortlessly blended different spheres of the world smoothly through common beliefs of paranormal.
Q. 15. What advice would you give to aspiring writers who wish to delve into the world of short story writing and compile their own anthology?
Tulika: Envisage the story, live through it and pen it when you are overwhelmed at the outcome.
