Shalini Mullick is a writer with a diverse portfolio spanning fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Her flash fictions, drabbles and stories have been featured on many online platforms. She was selected as Juggernaut Selects author for her e-single “Happily Divorced”.
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As her solo debut book on romance is reaching her readers, we got into a conversation with her.
Readomania: The name of your book is very unique. How did you go about deciding on the name?
Shalini: “Stars from the Borderless Sea” was a phrase I stumbled upon while surfing the internet. It is part of a dialogue from the book “Theatre of the Gods”. The name stuck in my mind as being extremely evocative. It had a dreamy feel to it, and was symbolic of infinity. And that is exactly what love is-immeasurable, infinite, impossible to define. The water in the sea below and the stars in the sky above are eternal and not limited by borders or divisions; in fact, they defy them. Similarly, love does not conform to conventions, definitions, or stereotypes. However hard we try, we cannot limit it to our rules; be they of age, geography, ability, tradition, religion, gender, or any social construct. That is the premise of the book.
Readomania: Tell us something about your journey of writing this book? Do you remember some moments that are special?
Shalini: I had been writing short stories for a while, and wanted to craft a story around the idea of what is now the last story in the book -“Humraaz”. But the canvas of a short story seemed to be inadequate for it. The storyline was also rather unconventional, and I kept it aside for a while. But the story wouldn’t leave me-it kept asking to be told. I went back to it. But this time, instead of starting with a pre-decided format, I allowed the story to find its own flow. Meanwhile, I also began to outline the other two stories where the relationships between the protagonists were different. This was a deliberate act because I wanted to show that while love is the most universal emotion, it’s manifestations can be so different. Most people will confess to looking for love, wanting it even more than money. But when you ask what love means to them, each one will have a different idea or concept, even a different experience or a story. I hoped to bring that out through the protagonists of this book.
Writing a book is a transformative process, and the journey has been full of a variety of emotions and moments. But one part that I really enjoyed was selecting the quotes that have been used in this book; and the titles of the stories. I wanted the titles to represent the flavour and feel of the stories. It took me weeks before I finally zeroed in on “Sayonee”, “Humsafar” and “Humraaz. The meanings echoed the feelings that the stories evoked; and the words were gorgeously beautiful too. Deciding the quotes to be used gave me an excuse to dip into my collection of Rumi’s timeless poetry-something that I always enjoy.
Readomania: It is said that a book for an author has a lot of autobiographical elements. Does this statement stand true in your case?
Shalini: Any writer needs to connect with themselves to be able to write from the heart. Unlike non-fiction, the research that putting together a piece of fiction is more of an internal process-an an author has to look inwards, and draw on our own life journeys, observations, situations, and memorable moments.
All of us are a sum of our experiences, our choices, our circumstances-and our responses to them. Even fantasy or science fiction cannot be written in a vacuum. The characters or situations we create, define, and flesh out can contain little parts of us-or others around us. Then we tinge and colour them with our creativity and figments of imagination. Like a patchwork quilt, the characters take on a persona of themselves from these tidbits. At the same time, the manuscript is not the life story of the author.
So, none of the stories are my story-or the story of anyone I know. Yet, anyone can find flashes of themselves in any of the characters.
Readomania: There are many situations and many characters that you have built for your readers. Tell us something about the writing process for this book and how/why did you select only these characters
Shalini: I trained in medicine from a women’s college (Lady Hardinge Medical College) and then specialised in pathology, which has traditionally been a women-dominated career. These were opportunities that gave me a window into the unique challenges and circumstances that women face. Furthermore, as an avid reader, I would always want to read about relatable, true-to-life characters who have matured through their life experiences. I delved into these experiences when I began writing. I wanted to highlight how women’s journeys and stories are influenced by their lived experiences; and how much of a struggle it can be to forge their own paths. Many of the modern, educated, and apparently independent women we see around us are often confined by the stereotypes that have been established by a patriarchal society; and are not always free enough to live the lives that they want. Even when they do so, it is by breaking the walls of patriarchy and gender stereotyping gradually and slowly. And when they do, they are often judged for their choices and actions.
Though the overarching theme of the book is love, I wanted to move away from cliched portrayals. I didn’t want the protagonists to be weak damsels in distress. These were strong women with the mettle to rise above their circumstances. I want to show that our stories of love and relationships-both successful or failed- influence decisions we make in every sphere of our lives. They are inextricably linked with our life journeys. Finding compatible, loving, understanding partners, connecting with a soulmate, experiencing a love that is deep, pure, and untouched by anything else can be a very powerful transforming force. A force that connects us to ourselves and makes us the best possible version of ourselves. Because that is what true love does. It gives us the strength to deal with whatever life has in store for us; emboldens us even as it makes us go weak in our knees.
In this book, I also wanted to create protagonists who could offer a window into the inner world of complexities of women’s lives and feelings. The reader will see reflections of themselves in Geetika, Rachna, and Mahima, who are strong and mature women. Their struggle with roles that society has defined for them will resonate with many. So will their pain at having their voices stifled. Finally, their consistent courage and finding their true selves are a reminder that all women have the power to script their own stories and live their authentic lives.
Readomania: The stories also reflect the lives of an emancipated woman. What makes your protagonist truly emancipated?
Shalini: That is an extremely relevant question. The love stories of these women are integral to their life journeys. Their relationships have played a huge role in making them strong, and empowering them to deal with unexpected obstacles, uncertainties, and setbacks. All of them have faced adversity in their personal or professional lives, and have overcome their challenges with fortitude and grace. Rather than succumbing to the choices that fate makes for them, they have gathered the courage to take bold, unconventional decisions and live life on their own terms. Instead of surrendering to the expectations of those around them, they have carved out their own identities, and created the lives they wanted to for themselves. Both in love and in life, the women have not been passive witnesses to their lives, but have had agency over their lives; and owned the paths they have taken.
Readomania: The romance in your book is special. What makes it so?
Shalini: Traditionally romance books have ended with the happily ever after (HEA) and more recently, the happily for now (HFN). But in ‘Stars from the Borderless Sea’, the theme transcends both these. The book explores the idea of different kinds of soulmates. Of finding a connection that is deeper than that can be contained by our concepts of love. Is togetherness always essential for love? Can true love be unrequited? Is love always about the grand gestures, or can we find it in the spaces of our daily life? These are some of the questions that are presented to the reader in this book.
Love is often described as riding off happily into the sunset. But it can also be finding shades of yourself, and each other, in all the colours and reflections of the sunset.
Readomania: Let us understand a bit about how you write. Do you have a specific way of writing books? What is your method in writing? Are there any writing quirks that you follow?
Shalini: I feel that getting the words in when doing your first draft is very important. The draft will go through so many revisions that your final manuscript may resemble it very little, but the first draft is crucial. Once the words and the ideas are out there, on paper, you can work with them, edit them, refine them.
I feel that many of us are on the spectrum between being plotters and pantsers- I certainly am. Some amount of structure is necessary for a coherent manuscript. At the same time, allowing your characters to evolve and respond to the situation is an illuminating process in itself. Both are ingredients of a good story, and I explore both methods as the book progresses. I start with the plot and storyline, which I outline using a storyboard. I also write down the timeline of major characters and events, so that there is no plot hole or inconsistency. Situations and specific events that move the story forward crop up in my mind while writing-some of these will be written, only to be deleted; but they remain important parts of the manuscript. Those situations are where I let the characters respond as I write. How would a particular character behave in a particular situation is something that I attend to while writing the scene or the chapter.
I write in the mornings and generally try to plan for this the night before. This planning is both physical and mental. Laying out the laptop, jotting down points, clearing my workspace are the physical homework. Mentally, I try and decide what I will be writing about- even stick a post it as a reminder, so that I can begin work without getting lost in my thoughts. This saves me time. Over the day, when I am busy with other work, if some ideas strike me, I enter them in the keep app on my phone, or on little pieces of paper in my handbag!
I don’t have too many quirks, (my family might answer this differently though!!) except that I love organisers, planners, and stationery items!! And I use the dining table for my work!!
Readomania: How long did you take to write this book? What challenges did you face while writing this book?
Shalini: I started this book in June 2020, as a short story. But it stayed at around 2000 words until November of that year, when I finally decided to work on it seriously. By the time we entered 2021, I had a first draft which I had revised 2 or 3 times and was ready for feedback and beta reading. But the plans were completely derailed by the second wave of the pandemic, when I simply couldn’t get any words in. A few months later, I returned to the manuscript. More rounds of edits and revisions continued. By August 2021, I was ready with the final manuscript.
The challenges were similar to what so many of us writers face – establishing a writing routine, finding time to write while managing home and work commitments, making writing (and myself) a priority. These were compounded by the chaos and uncertainties of the pandemic which touched everyone.
Readomania: As you look back at your journey of publishing your first book, what are the do’s and don’ts that you want to tell to the other aspiring authors?
Shalini: Read: Read a lot. Whatever you like, whatever interests you. That is the most important thing.
Engage: There are so many writing platforms and communities. Find one that works for you. Writer friends and writing buddies can make a huge difference to the loneliness that writers often face, or when you find yourself stuck with any aspect of your writing. This also helps you grow and refine your writing process better.
Have a writing routine. Try and have a consistent routine when you sit down and write each day. This will be different for all of us. Whatever works for you, and you can follow consistently is good for you. But it is essential to be sincere to yourself about following it. Finding this time will be very difficult initially because our lives are so packed, but it is possible.
Don’t get carried away by what you see on social media. Writing is incredibly hard, for everyone. Behind every acceptance and achievement, there are hours of typing, deleting, typing again. Even a 400-word piece can take days or weeks to get right. This is true not just for you, but for everyone out there. Be patient, and keep writing.
Readomania: As we end this interview, tell us who are your favourite authors? What books did you grow up with? And what were the main influences that made you a writer?
Shalini: I grew up surrounded by books. In our family, books were borrowed, lent, exchanged, gifted and cherished. As a child, I enjoyed books by Enid Blyton, Russian paperbacks, and books from the Children’s Book Trust. We were fortunate to have an excellent library near our home which also exposed us to many encyclopaedias and quiz books.
Favourite authors change with time and stages of our life journeys, and it is not possible to select a few. But I have always enjoyed reading non-fiction and memoirs, in addition to general fiction.
Some books that have left an indelible mark on me are “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi, “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E Frankl, and “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande. Gawande and Oliver Sacks are authors whose words I have devoured for many years. “Love Story” and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” are two books that I can return to any number of times. I enjoyed books like “Where'd You Go, Bernadette” and “The Bookish Life of Nina Hill” as much as Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”. Books by Balli Kaur Jaiswal, Marian Keys, Sophie Kinsella are as enjoyable as those of Shashi Deshpande, Manju Kapoor, and Nayantara Sehgal. For the last few years now, I have been making a conscious effort to read more and more contemporary Indian writers, and it is a pleasure to discover the wonderful body of literature they are creating, especially the brigade of women writers!
In spite of being such a voracious reader, I never really imagined being a writer. My writing journey started as late as 2019 with some poems on Facebook. A few friends encouraged me to write more and I tried writing some short stories. As I wrote more, I began to enjoy it more and more, and I became more serious about writing. But when I look back, I feel that it also was a natural progression. We do have some writers in our family- my grandmother was a teacher of the Hindi language and wrote textbooks. My father, an eye surgeon, has written academic books. I too have contributed chapters for textbooks of Pathology in my professional capacity.
Readomania: Thank you Shalini, for this wonderful conversation. Let there be a little more romance and love around us.
Shalini's latest book, Stars from the Borderless Sea is available as mentioned below.
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