Jessica
Faleiro is a known name in the world of literature. Her poems, stories and non-fiction have appeared in
several noted publications all over the world and she also enjoys imparting
knowledge on the writing craft to motivate more writers to take their own
writing seriously. Jessica’s parents were born and brought up in Goa, but she
was raised in Kuwait and spent her professional life mostly in England.
Before settling down to pen her first
novel, ‘Afterlife: Ghost stories from Goa’, she had visited several countries
while working in the field of research and policy, as a environmental lobbyist.
“Moving to Goa was pure convenience. I had just completed my MA in Creative
Writing and wanted some time to adapt my thesis into a publishable manuscript
and to hunt for a publisher. I decided not to renew my last work contract and
instead packed up sixteen years of a life lived in England and moved everything
and myself to Goa. Goa was my choice, because it was an infinitely cheaper
lifestyle and had the support network of my family here. All this enabled me to
focus on writing full-time. “
Her first novel, ‘Afterlife: Ghost stories from Goa’ is also
based on Goa and Goan tales. “I had an inexplicable experience when I was ten
years old, in the backyard of my grandmother’s house while visiting her one
holiday in Goa. At the time, I was convinced it was an experience of the supernatural
kind. I have been collecting stories and anecdotes of ghostly hauntings from
others ever since. It got to the point where I was ready to write about my own
experience. Then, I found myself following that story, with others. Thus, my
novel came into being.”
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Her travels have also influenced her writings which can be seen
in ‘Afterlife: Ghost stories from Goa’. “The fact that I am a third culture
kid, raised in a host country outside the country of my parent’s birth heritage
and culture, influences all my writing in conscious and sub-conscious ways. In
fact, two of the main characters in my novel: Joanna and Carol, are a part of
the Goan diaspora, just as I am. Also, my novel is situated not only in Goa but
moves into Mumbai, Martha’s Vineyard (USA) and Venice (Italy). These are all
places I’ve visited and have a special fondness for.”
Moving from a career in Environmental policyto writing, Jessica
had to take time out to polish her writing skills through creative writing
workshops, which she believes is important for every writer. “Some people
believe that Creative Writing can’t be taught, but that’s like saying Dali and
Picasso wasted their time on being trainedin art. All artists, including
writers, can benefit greatly from learning the rules, so that after they master
them, they can break them. Writing is a craft that can be studied, consisting
of elements like plot, characterisation, point of view, voice etc. Knowing how
this works can really help improve a writer’s writing. During my workshops and
MA, I also learned how to give and take constructive criticism, as well as
trust my own instincts in my writing process.The training and exposure to
published writers was invaluable and helped me appreciate another way of being
in the world, as an artist. I found that the joy of creating my own body of
work without anyone else’s agenda having to be negotiated suited my own
personality better and fed me more. So, I moved forward and didn’t look back.”
Jessica has conducted talks and creative writing workshops at
various venues including colleges across Goa. Her next workshop will be at
Museum of Goa, Pilerne where she will be holding a travel writing workshop on
March 10, 2018 from 10am to 2pm.Explaining the key points behind a travel
writing workshop, she says, “My travel writing workshop covers different forms
and styles. I combine teaching with writing exercises and reading, to give
people exposure to different types of travel writing and hopefully provide them
with the inspiration to pen down their own travel tales whether in blog form or
as a travel memoir. I also talk about pitching for travel publications.”
Goans are always travelling for holidays to different
destinations. Their travels too can be documented through travel writing.
Jessica advises, “My top tip would be for them to set the clear intention that
they want to capture their story and then spend ten minutes at the end of every
travel day, jotting down their key impressions and notes for the day before
these start to disappear. As soon as they’re back from their trip, they can
write up a first rough draft and always edit it later as needed.”
To
conclude, Jessica informs us that she is still working on a second novel. “I am
hoping to release it later this year. But, unlike the last, this one won’t be
about hauntings!”
