IBB 09: Interview with a Bhutanese author+blogger, Monu Tamang

Monu Tamang is one of the active bloggers from Bhutan who blogs at The Abyss of Freedom. He has also authored two books and the recent one being Chronicle of a Love Foretold. Monu admits of being an active reader since his primary school days. This has groomed him in becoming an author. His recent book became the fastest selling book from Bhutan that has indeed brought many Bhutanese authors before him by surprise.      

   

What more we can expect than Monu Tamang's stories for an inspiration? I think, especially our youths can have so much to learn from him. 

Therefore, in this episode, I have requested him to share about his life, blogging journey and then more importantly how he has developed overtime to becoming a writer. Let us go through what he has got to share with us. 

1. Welcome to my Blogger Interview Series. Thank you for accepting my request and caring to give your responses.

First of all, thank you very much for inviting me to be part of your IBB series. I always read your interviews with popular and great Bhutanese bloggers and honesty I was waiting for you to invite me. Nonetheless, I am very happy that you invited me, finally. 

2. Can you please tell us how you first came to know about blogging? Did anyone help you in opening your blog?  

It was back in 2011 that I first created my Facebook account. At the same time I had just launched my first book when I was in Mr Pema Namgay’s (the then BBS reporter from Tsirang) office and he introduced me to blogging. He told I can publish my work for free and let million readers read it. That idea fascinated me. He created a blog for me. Then, after posting few posts, I got to know Mr Passang Passu Tshering (the most popular Bhutanese blogger) and he instantly introduced me to Blogyul. I started sharing my blog post in that group and it amazed me when so many people started reading and following my blog.

3. Does anyone from your family know that you’re a blogger? How they support you?

I don’t think anyone of them knows about it except my younger brother who is currently in Delhi. I am not sure whether he reads it because he never talks about it. 

4. Can you give three secrets of your life that you have never shared with your blog readers?

• I published my first book The Joy of Beautiful Dreams out of my ego – to prove that one can publish a book without support of a publishing house – when three Bhutanese publishing houses rejected my manuscript without even reading a page. 
• I wrote a play inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice when I was in class seven and  short novel (may be a long short story) when I was in class eight. 
• I finished writing Chronicle of a Love Foretold in just three months when I was in third year. 

5. When you first started your blog what was the main problem? How you could overcome it? 

It was to familiarize myself with the different widgets of blog. As I kept using those widgets, I found them familiar and understood their importance.

6. What kinds of comment in your blog really annoy you? 

I am very passionate blogger and any constructive criticism doesn’t offend me. I would rather look up to them as the inspiration to improve further. I am open to any kind of comments. But I hate the hoax and spam that appears in my comment box. 

7. If you were given a chance to go back to the time you created your blog, what would be the one thing that you’ll do with your blog that is different from what you have done when you started it?

I don’t think I regret for what I did when I started blogging. My blog is as much as documentation of my own progress of writing. When I read what I wrote almost five years ago, I find it mediocre which means I improved a lot compare to what I was then. And I just wish to keep growing. 

8. We can also share stories and writings in Facebook. Still then you’re active in blogging. Do you think opening a blog is really important?  

Yes, it is important to have blog, especially for me. Though we can share stories and writings in Facebook but there is that different charm of blogging. It is something indecipherable, something special. May be it has something to do with exclusiveness.

9. You have also written few books. Does your presence in internet as a blogger help you in being an author?

Blogging definitely helped me grow into an author. As I write blog post, it keeps my passion for writing alive and every time I write, I hone my writing skill. I become little better than what I was yesterday.  

While writing my books, I do most of the research works through internet. We get answer for almost everything from internet making my research works less tiresome and immediate. 

Recently, my book Chronicle of a Love Foretold became the first crowd published book in Bhutan. When almost all of the investors were bloggers, I reassured myself that it could be because they knew my passion for writing. So I attribute my heartfelt gratitude to all the bloggers who played vital role in advertising and selling my book. 

10. When your passions of writing books and blogging are considered, how you see yourself in 5 years from now? 

I wish that my blog be read by more young people and get inspired to read and write more. And I can see myself publishing at least another two novels within 5 years. Hope I didn’t speak up too fast. 

My Words

Thank you Monu Tamang for your time. And my dear readers, if you want to remain connected with him, you can subscribe his blog, follow him in Facebook and more importantly grape a copy of his recent novel-Chroncile of a Love Foretold. I am sure he won't fail you in remaining inspired.