Animal Instinct

“I love playing with words and listening to sounds,which tell me so many stories. So,sit down to look around and listen before you put pen to paper,” he said in response to a question by Debesh Mukherjee,a first-year student of English and a poet in making.

“So how did you become an author,” quipped 14-year-old Shikha Sharma from Carmel Convent. “I always wanted to be a primary school teacher. After I graduated,I worked for a year at Taronga Zoo where I was asked to conceptualise their new programme — Zoomobile — a travelling zoo,the first in Australia. There,I stayed with many animal companions for nearly eight years,” chuckled Cheng. That is where he wrote his first published book,Night Creatures.

“That’s when I realised writing was so much fun. I’ve been writing for 20 years now,” said Cheng,adding that he finds ideas everywhere — in people,places,sounds and happenings. “I give my hundred percent to my manuscript so that it does not require editing. You,as young writers,should strive for that. Revisit your draft again and again till it’s perfect,” he added.

Cheng said picture books were the toughest to write,for one could use only a few words. “And if you want to be a writer,write everyday and read everyday,” said Cheng.

He has a personal library of 5,000 books. “I hope you too start building a library of your own. Books give wings to your imagination. A good book should make you laugh,cry and think,” he said.