Author Interview with Lonita A. Nugharayu: 5 Questions to ask an author about Book Writing Process & Mindset
Every event that broke me in the past, is my muse, says Lan
In this author interview series “5 questions to ask an aligned author“, we caught up with the very talented poet on the island Lonita A. Nugharayu (Lan) who shared with us valuable insights about her book writing process for aspiring and emerging authors with tips on writer’s mindset such as focus, benefits and purpose, how to handle audience expectations and how to deal with common traps of lack mindset such as low self-worth.
In her debut book, Words of Sunset and her second book Rain on Desert also a poetry book, Lan indulges the reader into her magical world of words and have them sip from the cup of solace in between brokenness. She invites readers on the journey of discovering unconditional love and turning their losses and lacks into gains and abundance. Lan walks her talk when she picks up her darkness and heartbreaks to turns them into enjoyable reads and books full of light and wisdom. There’s a beauty in darkness upon realization, she says and her broken words sewn one by one into neat and fragrant garlands of poems are indeed evident of this fact.
Lonita A. Nugharayu is an Indonesian poet, author and a blogger living in Bahrain for the past 13 years. She started writing poetry in 2014. In the beginning, it was just a kind of therapeutic experience but the more she wrote, the more she realized that it could be something that could bring her and her readers to life.
Not long after she started writing, she joined Bahrain Writers Circle (BWC). BWC club has a poetry wing called the Second Circle. Since then, she has been performing in their annual Poetry event. This eventually led her to publish her first book which marked her lifelong journey as an author. She’s also a strong advocate of domestic violence as well as an active volunteer for this cause.
Words of Sunset
BLURB
The journey in this book depicts sadness, brokenness, despair and hatred; yet still has the willingness to rise, to keep loving and to devote to a deep soul love, a kind of love that happens once in a lifetime.
This book portrays how being broken can reflect beauty. The strength to love in the middle of an ordeal, that is what this book is about.Fall in love, and rise in love.
5 Author Interview Questions about Book Writing Process Answered
#1 How did publishing your first book change your writing process?
It didn’t change my writing process, but it did change my perception of what poetry readers want in term of expressing their emotion. I noticed that I tend to write long poems that is close to prose, most of the readers don’t want that. They prefer shorter poems yet on point in expression. I had taken it as a challenge as I started writing in that way. However, I still write long poems, just perhaps I might want to put them out in the book.
#2 What genre do you consider your books?
My genre is poetry at the moment, but I’d love to write short stories in the thriller crime genre someday.
#3 Do you believe in the concept of a muse? What is yours like?
Yes, I do.
My past is my muse.
Every event that broke me in the past, is my muse.
#4 Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Neither.
Writing is the only thing that I don’t force. This is the only process I’ve let go of. It comes and go without worry. Sometimes I can write up to 10 poems a day, sometimes it can be zero or nothing.
#5 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I do read reviews. In the beginning, I used to feel bad when I read a review that didn’t sound pleasant. But then I realized that poetry is about emotion. If readers don’t feel connected with the emotion that are flowing from my books, I can’t blame them. But I still appreciate their review because that means they read my books. And to me, as long as someone out there reads them is what I care about most. Anything else doesn’t matter much.
Answer #1 is my personal favorite. Comment below to tell me yours.
Follow Lan
Amazon http://amazon.com/Lonita-A-Nugrahayu/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lonitaauthor/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wordsofsunset