Samiksha Tulika Ransom

What was your favorite book as a child?

I had so many favorite books as a kid that it’s now hard to pick a single one! But I guess, the Nancy Drew series ghostwritten by the pseudonymous Carolyn Keene was definitely my all-time favorite as an adolescent and teenager. Nancy being the smart, intelligent girl that she was, I was very inspired by her.

Do you remember the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I was always fond of reading and that spurred me to try my hand at writing stories and novels, even as a kid. After finishing school, I started writing poetry casually, just to express myself and find a safe place. But I guess, the water-shed in my writing journey happened about 7 months back, when I started to explore and hone the craft. Today, writing is that place where I do not have to be anybody else other than my rawest self, whether good, bad or ugly. When I’m writing, I’m just a writer. I don’t have to answer to anybody or prove anything. I can have fun, make mistakes as well as explore whatever is in my head consciously or subconsciously. I can make discoveries, play with words, form stories; basically, do anything.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

I get my adrenaline rush from writing because it is an act of creation. The art of using words skillfully and the impact that they can have, fascinates me. Oh and, getting published at Tint Journal was also pretty thrilling!

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

Listening to music while I’m reading or writing is not an absolute necessity for me because music does not really impact my writing or inspire it. But yes, I have a playlist that I listen to sometimes. I mostly go for instrumental music (violin or piano, specifically) because I find it relaxing and there aren’t any words, which helps me think and focus on my writing or reading better.