Interview With Zarin Ali, Author Of 'The Story Of Dots'

Zarin Ali, is an author of Indian origin born in Ahmedabad. After having an illustrious academic career in KV Ballyganje, Kolkata, she pursued a Masters in Applied Geology from Jadavpur University, Kolkata in 2017.

Ever since, she has been an active geologist in exploration with a passion for writing, acting in monologues, short films & modeling.

Can you share a little about your recent book ‘The Story of Dots’

Yes. My recent book, “The Story Of Dots..” revolves around the science of mind and body and how one simple punctuation like ‘.’ (a dot) made me feel. The book takes you through the different time zones and how all of them was involved in the creation of a dot or a void deep inside my mind.

It takes into account the richness of the English language in the world of social media and the use of ‘….’ in our day-to-day writings.

There was a time when it made me feel like a code being thrown at me from multiple directions. There even came a time when I was feeling mental for not being able to differentiate between the real & the reel world.

On consulting with my sister, I felt relieved but I was still not able to explain my thoughts clearly. Then, I decided to write for I had no other option.

The book has a total of 9 chapters and contains all the spices of love, joy & pain together with the air of science, placed as a memoir in the non-fiction genre. You’ll love the journey.

Why do you write?

Simply put; I love to and so I write.

Where do you get your ideas?

I observe people but I don’t stare at them. I look up to the sky and try predicting the weather for the next few days without checking Google! I watch a lot of news (keeping covid aside for sometimes) and it generates a sense of story-building attitude.

Besides, my regular work as a geologist exposes me to different environments and it keeps exciting the creative side too.

What is one piece of advice that you have never forgotten?

Life is not complicated. It is beautiful. Live life to the fullest without any regrets.

As you are currently in a job, how do you maintain a work-life balance?

Actually, it depends on the piece of work that I am dealing with. If it is a regular routine job, the time limits are predictable and when a new challenge is thrown at me, I prioritize my work commitments. Writing to me is a relief but writing books has never been easy.

It comes naturally and when I am in the best moods, I just push myself a little to get out of the regular comfort zone to explore my creative potentials in writing or part-time acting/modeling.

If you could change one thing you did in the beginning of your career what would it be?

I would definitely be more expressive to the like-minded set of people at the right platform & at the right time.

What has been the hardest obstacle you’ve overcome?

So far, at the age of 26, to me, the hardest obstacle that I have overcome is all about the acceptance of facts even if it is not in your favor; much of which I have discussed in my book as well. I have realized that love might come & go as it’s a matter of chance but holding onto it is what makes sense and of course, life matters a lot.

There’s no harm in daydreaming for achieving heights provided that, one must burn the midnight oil to make it happen. Hey, actually I am kind of a night owl striving to be a good morning cuckoo.

What does success look like for you?

Thank you for this question. It means a lot. To me, being successful is all about being happy within and reaching out to people with all the good vibes as positivity is important to live.

What was the craziest, weirdest, wildest experience you’ve had as a bestselling author?

Well, honestly, I never knew that I would be chosen by you for this title of ‘bestselling author’. When I got to know about it, I was overjoyed. It came as a surprise. Now you’ve motivated me more to keep going. Thank you so much