Subhechcha Ganguly 
Rukhsar Shafi is an award winning author based in the port city of Karnataka , Mangalore. She is an aspiring screenwriter and loves doodling. She has curated the beautiful book “The Numinous Personage and its sequel The Devious Trinity.” Let us know more about her in this interview.
Q1) How did you understand your calling as an author ? What was your first writing experience?
Ans: As a kid, I’ve always been a massive fan of the fantasy genre. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings were some movies that inspired me to read books of this genre. The world-building and character developments were mesmerizing that invoked all my creative juices. However, when I read the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, I was floored. I wanted to write too. I had ideas and stories in my mind that needed a way out. During my high school years, I delved into writing short stories for my school yearbook and competed in various writing competitions, which led me to believe in myself and my work. Although I never indulged in more than that until I was in college when I began writing my first novel.
Q2) How did you decide the plot for “The Numinous Personage and its sequel The Devious Trinity?” Give us a short brief about the book.
Ans: Stories based on different mythologies and pantheons were something I loved reading, and I was fascinated by their fables. However, the idea for my book first came to me after reading the Percy Jackson series. I began researching and fell onto the story of Balor and Lugh, which intrigued me. I’ve always loved the sweet amalgamation of the old lore into the new world. I began writing the story on Wattpad first. Over there, I had penned down the first couple of chapters before I took it down and restructured the entire story, which it is today. From setting it in the French overseas island, Reunion, I moved the story to a fictional city in Georgia, USA. I renamed a few characters and changed a whole lot of backstories. I even changed the working title from Out of the Blue to The Numinous Personage.
The Guardian Series has a plethora of new characters and creatures and a world more immersive than how it started. It’s a thrilling tale of uncovering the mysteries of the yore and the continuation of the legacies. It’s a modern twist to the mythos of the Celts. Set in Beaumont Valley, a fictional valley city offset from the shores of Georgia, USA, The Guardian Series is a story of Jenay Lambert and Ace Chevalier and occult lurking in the quaint town that hold enigmas of history that have never been recorded or will ever be known to man.
Q3) Nowadays a majority of the youth is much more focused on social media rather than reading books. What is your view on this topic ?
Ans: The times are changing. People are consuming content in many different ways and forms. As writers and content creators, we have to evolve as well. However, as a hardcore reader, I love the smell of a freshly bought book. Or, in some cases, vintage books. If there are great stories, people will pick up the book and read them. Indeed, people are on social media rather than reading a book, although they’re plenty of people who listen to audiobooks and consume content the same way as a reader does. And it’s an era of trying out things of the past. I’m sure more and more people will head to bookstores and grab a book to go with their hot cup of coffee or cocoa. It brings a warm nostalgia.
Q4) Kindly attach the link of your book so that the readers can get a grasp on these beautiful reads. Also tell us how you manage time for doodling from your busy schedule.
Ans: The Numinous Personage is the first book of The Guardian Series. This is its link https://amzn.eu/d/7MHbcgV.
The Devious Trinity is the sequel which has just been published this January. https://amzn.eu/d/9RX6P5p
I don’t specifically allocate time for doodling in my day. However, whenever I needed a stressbuster, I would resort to picking up a pencil and drawing whatever came to my mind. Sometimes it was simple landscapes, while other times, skylines and anime characters.
Q5) We know that there is a lot of hard work that goes behind the launching of books .From preparing the final manuscript to writing the first draft till publishing. Tell us how your experience was and to whom would you dedicate your success in this entire process?
Ans: Writing the first word to its last takes a lot of outlining and preparation. Writing the first draft isn’t as arduous as editing it. The numerous changes that have to be made and fixing up plot holes take an immense amount of dedication and focus. My sisters, Faraz and Sahreesh, have been the guiding light and my venting space. They’ve read and re-read my drafts and given me the right critiques to better my story. Without them being in my corner and supporting me, this book wouldn’t have been possible. Their limitless faith in me and my work has made me look forward to continuing to write.
