Page 43 - PN142

latest storytelling elements. He keeps his readers on the edge of their seats through his vivid and riveting descriptions of scary elements. However, Anuar never fails to advise his reader to do good in life in every novel. Anuar is grateful for the continued overwhelming reception of his readers to his horror stories all these years. Inspiration & Support The inspirations for Anuar’s stories come from everything in life. When ideas pop up in his mind, he notes them down in his smartphone immediately. Some of these ideas have led to his bestselling novels. To further develop storylines, Anuar typically looks for information from various sources, and heads out to different locations to conduct his research on site. The support from Anuar’s readers has been the main force driving behind him to continue writing, while his parents are his pillar of strength. Anuar has had his fair share of struggles in life, but he has been able to pick himself up through the interactions with his fans, many of whom are like part of his own family. Social Media & Bookstores Social media is one of the best ways to stay in touch with younger readers, and Anuar has been active on various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Besides connecting with the readers, social media has become an important avenue for Anuar to promote his work. Social media has the power to make a trend or idea go viral, which has indirectly helped boost book sales and allowed authors to gain exposure in new ways. For Anuar, bookstores still play a huge role in book sales and the survival of writers like himself as he believes that the physical books still command a large following. He shares that POPULAR has played a significant role in his writing career as Popular Malaysia has continued to market his novels in our outlets and our online bookstore, as well as on our social media platforms. Latest Developments & Hopes Anuar is currently working on a story about djinns that he has started in 2018. This story is special to him, and he is determined to make it a lengthy novel to satisfy fans of his horror stories. Anuar hopes that the local writing industry will move beyond Malaysia and into neighbouring countries, just as Indonesian books have found a place in the hearts of Malaysian readers. He also hopes that local novels, especially from the horror genre, will one day be sought after by readers from abroad. His advice to young writers is simply to read more. By reading, we can expand our horizons and hopefully produce more mature and thoughtful writing. (Translated by Priscilla Darshini A/P Sundaran) By Normaizatulaima Binti Mohammad (Malaysia) 文:诺迈扎图莱玛·宾蒂·莫哈末(马来西亚) 142 popularnews - 43