Name: Shikha Kaul 

Birthdate: 10 October 1981

Academics: PGDBA in HR

Hobbies: Writing, reading, dancing. Spending time with my baby

1. When did u find yourself lost in the world of words? 
 
It wasn’t a long ago. In fact, after my daughter was born three years back. I was never a regular reader or writer all my life and had never thought of taking it so seriously. It just happened that I had an interesting story to share which is inspired by some true incidents. The best way forward was to pen it down, and then there was no looking back. I already have two books to my credit – ‘Hidden Husband’ and ‘DNA- Dad’s Not Adopted’, and I hope to release three more books by next year.
 
 
2. Do you believe that self-experience is important to keep your pen flowing? What motivates you to write and just keep writing?
 
Fortunately, since I wrote the first word of my first book, I haven’t faced writer’s block even once. There is no dearth of ideas and I have ready plots for my next ten books too. Yes, self-experience is important along with the passion to write. I get my motivation from the love and appreciation from the readers who expect me to write more and more.
 
3. For a writer, how important it is to be a good reader?
 
Very important. You can’t expect to be a good writer if you are not a good reader. One can enhance the creativity through both- reading and writing. But writing needs serious dedication and knowing your potential.
 
4. Your views on online readership. 

Online readership can’t be ignored any longer. This medium is expanding much faster than ever. Mobile phones and laptops have taken over the traditional ways of learning and living lives. Print media may see a major fall in coming years, though it may sound tragic to the literary world we have known.
 
 
5. Do you believe that writing is a therapy? What is writing for you?
 
Till I wasn’t a passionate writer, I may have never understood the significance of this question. But yes, now I can definitely say that writing takes you to a completely different world of your own that you would like to see, free of materialistic pleasures and worries. So calling writing a therapy is an appropriate word. Writing for me is a mode that gives the much-needed relaxation and happiness, beyond the perishable world.
 
6. What is social media for you? How do you see social media? 
 
For a writer, work doesn’t finish just by writing a book. In fact, it takes you to the next stage of taking your work to the readers. For that, social media plays an extremely vital role. That’s the easiest and the cheapest mode of promoting your work. I believe that it gives a platform to connect with readers, writers, bloggers and people who could contribute to your eventual success. The world has become much smaller and approachable only through social media.
 
7. Why do we need to sensationalise the topic of feminism? What is feminism for you? 
 
I don’t think that we need to sensationalise the topic of feminism. One doesn’t need to sensationalise a birth right. Fortunately, people with time have started valuing the importance of both sexes in the society. We, as women, have much say in today’s world than we could think of a few years ago and things are only changing for good. But yes, there will always remain some orthodox mindsets, which we can just hope will accept the reality someday.
 
8. A message for young literature enthusiasts... 
 
Keep reading books. Take up writing if you want to, but make sure you are ready for it. Don’t follow the masses, instead, follow your heart.