New Delhi: Novoneel Chakraborty is renowned for the dark romance and thriller genre of books/novels. His first book, 'A Thing Beyond Forever', was published in 2009, and in 2019, he began writing for digital storytelling platform Wattpad using the pen name Elizabeth Eli. Talking about his other works, his thriller series 'The Stranger Trilogy' was translated into six Indian languages and has been adapted into a web series titled 'Hello Mini'. Additionally, his thriller novel 'Black Suits You' has also been adapted into web series 'Bekaboo'.
In a candid conversation with ABP Live, Novoneel spoke about his passion for writing and also discussed how he manages to strike a chord with such a diverse audience.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Can you tell us about your journey as a writer? How did you get started, and what inspired you to pursue writing as a career?
The writing bug bit me when I was in my third year of college. So much so that I dropped out of college to become a full-time writer. Thankfully my parents supported me by showing their faith in my decision. I realized early on that this was something that I would love to pursue all my life. Characters, plots, stories…were something I used to (still do) revel in.
Your books often delve into themes of love, relationships, and psychological suspense. What draws you to these subjects, and how do you approach writing about them in your novels?
Human psychology fascinates me. Not only action but what goes on someone's mind which makes one commit a certain act is something that gives my creative mind a kick. Thus, my stories often talk about twisted characters, unpredictable plots, and deep relationship fabric. I keep observing all kinds of human behaviour around me to take sub-conscious notes and keep asking myself 'why are things the way they are' which leads to most of my plotting. Above all, I believe all our truths lay deep inside the trappings of our mind and thus revealing them using fictional characters in a way also allows me to dissect my own personal truth.
Your novels have a strong following and are loved by readers across various age groups. How do you manage to strike a chord with such a diverse audience?
It’s a difficult thing to do and as such there are no specific dos and don’ts. My target readership ranges from 16 to 40 years. Thus, I do choose such stories, mostly, which allows me, as a storyteller, to talk about emotions and situations in a way that takes care of the whole gamut of my target readership. Having said that, I also know it’s not possible to do so all the time. Thus, I prefer to focus on telling the story to the best of my ability without feeling the pressure of trying to impress a lot of people.
Among all the books you've written, do you have a personal favorite?
'Roses Are Blood Red' is a personal favourite of mine because somewhere it altered my own persona and perspectives as well while I was penning it.
You have also created a few audiobooks recently, What kind of an experience do you expect your listeners to have?
I hope my audiobook ‘You Die Alone’ by Audible also ends up doing what my paperbacks are known for – giving the readers/listeners an engaging and immersive experience.
According to you, which one is better- reading a book or listening to an audiobook and why?
I think consumption of books is important, whether one reads or hears them- it's a personal choice.
Your thriller novel 'Black Suits You' has been adapted into a series titled 'Bekaboo'. Can you share something about that?
So, the novel has been adapted into a series that came out in the year 2019. It was well received by the audience leading to a sequel based on an original idea of mine.