Author's Interview with Ankit Kumar.
1. Could you please introduce yourself to us?
I was born in Patna. I first authored the collection of short stories, “On A Drive With Life!!", released by Governor of Bihar Dr. D.Y. Patil. “On A Drive With Life!!” received praises from esteemed newspapers, including Hindustan Times, Sahara, and Prabhat Khabar. I also received the Youth Achiever mention in Dainik Jagran. I tend to intrigue readers with wild imaginations where the bold heroes have endearing flaws.
I pursue writing while working, but I am also a guitarist, traveller, and most importantly, a loving husband.
2. Congratulations on your book! What inspired you to write it?
Often, inspiration comes from a need to explore certain themes, such as personal growth, loss, or the search for meaning, and transform them into a narrative. I always felt more connected to Fictional Worlds with wide set of characters that also had a flavour of mythology. Such works often took me on a ride with my own imagination. Lord of Rings, ancient myths from our own history, and many more such instances played a bigger part in shaping this book.
3. What is your book about?
ILLUME is Almighty’s greatest creation and the ancient name of Earth(Not in its current form). Though witnessing the illustrious reign of the Manus(Surya and Indra) and the Agasthyas, Illume remains in anarchy. The Pragyas of Pragyasth, Sahasyas of Sahasyasth, and Aikyas of Aikyasth were created by the Almighty's children(Ancient Gods). But their inter-race rivalries wreak havoc. Things become grim when Danav, the God of all evils, emerges from Almighty’s wrath before the Gods abandon Illume. For thousands of years, his army remained trapped in the evil land of Pathala and surrounded by their mother Danu. But all was going to change!
Aryan Manu, the chosen bearer of The Golden Sword and the rightful heir to the Pragyam throne, escapes slavery from the Sahasyas, who rule Illume through ruthless domination. Mentored by the wise Ved Vidhyesh, he must accept his despised ancestry and travel a turbulent journey of betrayals, wars and hate to liberate the ancient cities and find unexpected friends. On the other hand, the young Avik Agasthya Aikyam, an Aikyam with equally lustrous ancestry, journeys through a mystifying forest to claim the legendary armour from the Vanars. But his revolution to change Aikyasth spirals out of control with blind determination shrouding his conviction. Illume is a world ready to reward and punish them for the smallest of mistakes, and it is a world that forces all their relationships to shatter.
Aryan and Avik endeavour parallelly for unique but distinctive causes. How would history take their unique encounter? And can the legendary armour and sword, mysterious tribes, ancient creatures, and mythical books save Illume? Especially when in desperation, the ruthless Sahasyas have unleashed a dark power. The dangers were never greater as Danav has risen again!
4. Why did you choose this genre for your book?
A genre of a book usually reflects one's interests and storytelling style, as well as the kinds of experiences or emotions you hope to evoke in readers. It resonated with the story I wanted to tell. Personally, I was always a fan of fictional worlds that could induce imagination, and that was not specifically focused only on a fictional theme. You name them, The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, Harry Potter etc.
5. How long did it take you to complete the book?
There is no perfect answer to this. I grasped the concept back in 2012. It took a long break until I restarted back in 2017. It took its time. Initially, the concept was still vague. But redoing a lots of things a lot many times, along with finding validation from readers close by, the book was ready by 2023.
6. What makes your book special?
Well, that is a tough one! Here's the most suitable one! One designed to be copied and pasted before sent crossed publishers and agents. Just Kidding!
I believe everyone has an imagination. Someone's a painter, other's are musicians, and many like me, struggle to impress through writing. Well, not exactly, as I love to write, as to impress others with your work is a compliment like none other!
When an artist interacts and discusses his/her imagination, you get an idea of whether you can connect with your audience or not. You get that feeler if what you think is readable or just another paragraph that needs attention. And then comes the most difficult part - YOU WRITE! To express is not so easy. To articulate is even more difficult. But victory is when the reader can imagine what the writer wants to convey.
Illume was any idea that clicked my mind after getting reviews of my sample chapters from my first readers. Like any author, I wanted to see if Illume had the light to enchant the readers. I agree, I struggled a bit, but that gave me two options - To better myself, or force an undeserving content down the readers' throat!
I am glad I was not one of those egoistic maniacs (Though becoming one is so easy). I chose the hard way and kept on perfecting this beautiful new world, and the concept of Illume. Slowly, I began to find results that I had been craving for. Readers started returning with requests of further queries.
7. When can we expect your next book?
I hopeful that it will be out by next year. I have already started working on it, and believe me, it is going to be even more exciting!
8. Did you experience writer’s block while writing? What advice would you give to others who face it?
Well, it is not like that I had a smooth journey. There are bottlenecks and creative blocks. My suggestion to all the writers would be to give yourself a break, chill out, and give a moment of diversion. An idea is not like an event that happens all the time. It will click when you least expect it. I am confident you will come around.
9. Besides being a talented author, what are your other hobbies?
Well, I do play guitar sometimes. Playing badminton and cricket are other activities you can add to the list.
10. Last but not least, how did you feel during this interview?
It feels awesome! Interacting with a voracious reader like you. It gives me an opportunity to share my knowledge and get that validated by an ardent reviewer like you. I am hopeful that through you, "Illume, Ashes and The Wind" will reach out to a wider audience.
Book Review | Book Link
Book Review | Book Link
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