Exclusive Interview With Mariya Mushtaq a writer and an entrepreneur.
Mariya Mushtaq: I’m Mariya Mushtaq, a writer and an entrepreneur by profession.
Mariya Mushtaq: It’s been 13 years since I first held a pen and scribbled my mind out but I have felt I started doing it properly after I graduated. Through out my childhood I have found myself drawn towards poetry & literature, my parents were the ones who introduced poets like Dr Sir Mohammad Iqbal, Akbar Allahbadi and Ghalib to me. My father would maintain a dairy & I guess that’s where my inspiration came from. He has inspired me towards reading, writing & of course oration.
Mariya Mushtaq: I think poets can never be unjust towards their feelings, what ever they feel is what moves them towards writing. It’s like an ocean ebbing down in their veins . Poetry cannot be fabricated, it has to evolve like dew in them . I am of the opinion most of the poets are intense in their expression, they don’t leave a stone unturned.
Mariya Mushtaq: To me a writer is someone who doesn’t fake his emotions, doesn’t manipulate his feelings by fitting them into jargons. He/ She is as raw as it can get, blunt & totally ready to be read & criticised upon.
Mariya Mushtaq: I write when ever I get a chance, at odd times, in odd places . A poem comes to me like a revelation and I am very glad that it’s not just a sad event that leaves me bleeding on paper , I am moved by happiness too. Moreover, I don’t write the moment I experience any of the two, I let it settle down, feel it more and then pen it down. I am always for writing, I scribble , scribble and scribble .
Mariya Mushtaq: Reading is the spine of writing well, exposing your neurons to vast experiences of different writers expands your cranium literally. you can actually find yourself swimming in diction, narration, in an undeniable reality. Your language & vocabulary gets better. It’s valuable to have a knowledge of both because you can have a better communication with the heart of your reader.
Mariya Mushtaq: I want to mention that I love Kashmiri literature. it’s intense, very rich in emotions & thought. Even when it’s translated in another language, the grasp remains. That’s what I think budding writers in Kashmir need to maintain – The attention of the reader . I think budding writers need to focus, they need to maintain consistency of thought and work well on their style of narration. Rest talent is in the gene of every kashmiri, with little effort diamond shine brighter, isn’t it ?
Mariya Mushtaq: Literary criticism is a must . It should be there and should be chewed upon well because growth demands moving out of ones comfort zones. A human mind can think in a thousand different ways so difference of opinions is inevitable thus should be expected and wisdom / experience should always be given a preference since we can always learn even if we ace a skill, there is always a scope of learning.
Mariya Mushtaq: A suggestion : Be your own critic , your own judge & proofread your work before sending it out in the universe. It doesn’t matter what quantity your palms hold, the quality of your pen would always strike the right chord .
