I have no particular reader in mind, but a passionate desire to tell an honest, moving story.
— Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
I had friends who died in the 9/11 tragedy; some of my friends lost family members in the aftermath of Godhra.
I grew up in Kolkata in a traditional family. We had friends who lived in mansions just like the one in 'Oleander Girl.' Growing up, I was fascinated by the old house and the old Bengal lifestyle.
I type everything on my computer. I carry a writer's notebook everywhere, in case I am struck by an idea. I forget things unless I write them down. I'm planning to learn how to dictate into my cellphone; I think that will be very helpful, too.
India lends itself well to fictionalization, but ultimately, it all depends on the writer's imagination.
I'm too careful with money - comes out of being poor for several years while growing up.
As I lived on in America, I got to truly know the people of this country - so many kind and wonderful people, people of so many races - who helped me in so many ways. Who became my friends. I realized that underneath our different accents, habits, foods, religions, ways of thinking, we shared a common humanity.
By the time we're adults, our ideas have solidified. So I wanted to write for a younger audience, who would perhaps love heroes from other cultures.
After September 11, 2001, I was feeling like I really wanted more understanding between cultures. It seemed to me that so much of what happened on September 11 was because people didn't understand each other and were suspicious of each other.
My grandfather was a very strong personality. He certainly ruled his household with an iron fist, even though it was often gloved in velvet!
I feel I can express the nuances of the Bengali lifestyle and ways of thinking better than other cultures.
I have been watching how Indian women are forced to do certain things, as the stories of sacrifice and devotion in mythology demand from them. And then there are inspiring stories about women like the Rani of Jhansi that offer women refreshing role models.
I work very hard at creating complex characters, a mix of positives and negatives. They are all flawed. I believe flaws are almost universal, and they help us understand, sympathise and, paradoxically, feel closer to such characters.
I write in my study, where I also have my prayer altar. I believe that keeps me focused and gives me positive energy and reminds me that I'm merely the instrument of greater creative forces.
I write best late at night, when everyone in the house has gone to bed. There's something magical about that late night silence that appeals to me.
I hate it when people throw away food - I've seen too many hungry people.
To make money for college, I worked in our college dining room.
I came into Chicago in winter - I'd never been so cold in my life! I was very homesick, and a poor student at that time. America seemed so different and so filled with amazing things - and almost all of them were out of my reach.
To achieve important things, we have to sacrifice what's important to us. That's an idea that's very central to Indian thinking.
I love visual art. I painted for many years when I was younger. I have studied modern/contemporary Indian art a bit and am very impressed with the talent in India.
Perhaps what distinguishes my characters is their courage and spirit and a certain stubbornness which enables them to keep going even when facing a setback. I think this developed organically as I wrote, but also it came out of a desire to portray women as powerful and intelligent forces in the world.
I came from a traditional family, and it was an exciting but challenging transition to move to America and live on my own. The world around me was suddenly so different.
I came to the plain fields of Ohio with pictures painted by Hollywood movies and the works of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. None of them had much to say, if at all, about Dayton, Ohio.
To me, characters are at the heart of great literature.
Often, writer's block will occur when I don't understand a character or his/her motivations. So I will make notes analysing characters.
To some extent, I draw on what I see around me; in other places, I imagine what I write.
I like being myself. Maybe just slimmer, with a few less wrinkles.
Two great and terrible truths of war are these: War is easy to enter into, but difficult to end. And ultimately, in war there are no winners.
I think writers from both East and West have long been fascinated by the ancient tales and the opportunity to reinterpret them.
I'm a very senses-oriented person, and I want to bring readers in on the level of the senses, so they can experience another culture and another place.
I find that it's really important for me to imagine characters and situations. That allows me a lot of freedom.
Strong women, when respected, make the whole society stronger. One must be careful with such rapid changes, though, and make an effort to preserve, at the same time, the positive traditions of Indian culture.
I started writing after the death of my grandfather - memories, poems, etc. It was very personal; for years I did not share my writing with anyone.
