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I am an Antecedent River Not a Quitter | Novelist Silisti Karuriya

I am an Antecedent River Not a Quitter | Novelist Silisti Karuriya

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She is a microbiologist, but her passion drives her towards storytelling. Her last Hindi novel, “Chamde Ka Lutera” has been conferred with numerous awards. Her innocence and sweetness in the thought process are vividly visible in her tales, which struck the chord of the readers. Currently working on another romantic book (soon to be published) “Samahi- Forever in Love”, Silisti Karuriya is a Ph.D. scholar in Biotechnology and Bioscience at the reputed Banasthali University, Rajasthan. Silisti has attempted to convey the fictional world of a small child through the story 'The Broken Ship'. In this interview, she has talked about her journey and challenges with FailWise.

FailWiseTell us about your background and journey as a writer?

Silisti: I was born and brought up in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan. I started writing in my teenage. After high school, I appeared for pre-medical exams but unfortunately couldn’t crack it and this created a bad impact on my mental health. I even thought of burning all my writings. But my other creative habits helped me to cope up with it. Soon after B.Sc. I entered in M.Sc (Bioscience) at Banasthali Vidyapith. As I was a meritorious student, I thought of trying civil services but couldn’t peruse due to family pressure. Therefore, I got myself registered for a Ph.D. degree in microbiology. It was the time when I restarted my writings, allowed myself to follow my heart, and finished my first book “Chamde ka Lutera”. That was the first step me becoming a writer. It encouraged me more and helped me to get confidence from the family side too.

FailWiseTell us about your different books. From where do you get the inspiration?

Silisti: Inspirations are all around us. For me, it was mainly from some great books such as The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, Who Will Cry When You Die? By Robin Sharma, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

FailWiseWhen was your eureka moment when you thought of becoming a writer?

Silisti: I started writing when I was fourteen years old. My father used to bring storybooks for me. It gave me deep inspiration and wings to my thoughts. My mind is always on fire, specially when I am alone, and at that time my heart and soul develop ideas in my mind and that turns into my writings. This helped to explore different genera mainly fiction stories.

FailWiseWhat were your fears and challenges of the journey so far and how did you conquer them?

Silisti: I belong to a middle-class family. It is very hard to stay focused on your dream in such situations. Their main focus is to study hard enough to get a government job and settle down. Dreams and passions are not in their dictionaries. It is discouraging and very hard to convince them. So when I started, no one was there in my support. According to them, it’s a distraction and will not help me to get a good job. But I was determined. I stopped taking their opinion at heart and continued my writings. It was self-motivation that resonated in my mind and helped me a lot during the process.

FailWiseWhat is the best lesson you have learned from your journey as a writer? And what advice would like to give to someone just starting their writer journey?

Silisti: My only advice to them is, do not stop at any cost. Be a good reader, so that you can understand the quality of good writing and you can pen down accordingly. Give yourself permission to fail and fire up your thoughts. Explore it in your own style, be unique and original. Learn to explain in short and simple words in a story format. Do not copy the idea.

FailWiseTell us about those attempts that were not successful, but you learned a lot from them?

Silisti: Failures are part and parcel of our life. I have also failed many times, broken dreams and incomplete scripts. But that’s not the end. I tried very hard for the pre-medical examination but couldn’t crack it. Again after my postgraduation, I tried for civil services, and once again I couldn’t complete it due to my family pressure. Lessons that I learned was perseverance. Do not allow your circumstance to shatter your dream and confidence. Stop listening nonproductive sounds from your surroundings and start focusing on your inner voice. I learned to make positive and encouraging self-talk. And that helped me a lot to come out from any difficult life situations and failures.

FailWiseWhat are those motivational words and quotations resonate within you when you feel low or distracted?

Silisti: When I feel down in my life, I always keep 3 things in my mind: (a) Daily Routine (b) Interest and (c) Dedication. My most favorite quote is from Albert Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”.

In my own words, “you may see my struggle but you never see me quitting because I am like an antecedent river and a fighter, not a quitter.

FailWise: If time travel is possible and you can meet your younger version, what advice do you want to give to your younger self.

Silisti: I want to advise my younger version that do not expect anything from anyone, be yourself, we live in the real world, and focus on yourself.

FailWiseAwards, accolades, or any recognition that you and your book received?

Silisti: Chamde ka Lutera” novel has been nominated for a web series “story to screen 2020” and it is getting featured on one of the oldest media houses of the county “The Pioneer”. It has also been nominated for the “Best Fiction Author” in the AAGHAAZ 2020 Awards by AIY officials, The Literature Fest 2020, E-Lit Festival by KharidoBecho team Pune, Sharing Stories Book Awards 2020, Cherry Book Award, the 2020 Readers Choice awards Contest by TCK Publishing, and The Miracle Stories Literature Fest 2020. It was featured for the NE8X word Lit Fest 2020 and received Lit memento and certificate.

Apart from the novel, I have written many short stories among which one story ‘Broken ship’ got selected in the golden book of the world record. My thoughtful romantic creation was also nominated for Best Fiction Award in ICMDR 2020 Mumbai along with Konark Lit Fest in 2019. My work has been featured in “The Literary Mirror E-magazine” in May 2020 edition. Another poem “Tiraye ka tamasha” was recognized at the conference of “Rajbhasha E-Literacy Centre, Manipur, Uttarpradesh. Another poem “I am not your cigarette but your cigarette’s smoke” has been selected in the National Record in Zion of Earth by OMG Books of Records.

FailWise: Links or URLs or your website, social media profile, a website of your books, etc.

Silisti: Instagram:- @author_silistikaruriya    Facebook:- @authorsilistikaruriya

You may see my struggle but you never see me quitting because I am like an antecedent river and a fighter, not a quitter.

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