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I want to make sure that my writing grips the reader from the word 'go.'
Ashwin Sanghi -
It's foolish to call Chanakya an Indian Machiavelli. Rather, Machiavelli was possibly an Italian Chanakya.
Ashwin Sanghi
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I don't want to be remembered as a writer. I would rather be remembered as a storyteller.
Ashwin Sanghi -
A book and a movie are different animals. You need a cinematic perspective to be involved in the motion pictures. And this is something I lack.
Ashwin Sanghi -
In the Sanghi family, there is no one who has undertaken intellectual pursuits.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I remember how a man once got in touch with me to tell me that he was so engrossed in my book that he had to take a day off from work just so that he could finish reading it. Such kind of responses from my readers is extremely endearing, and it keeps me going.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Though it is very easy to do valuations, eyeballs and brand prominence surveys, you should never allow any of them to influence the balance sheet.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Till the time I found a creative outlet, I was trying to be extra creative at business, which would always put me in a situation of conflict with other stakeholders. The moment I started writing, my creative impulses were finally channelised.
Ashwin Sanghi
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Mythology works... because Indians have been bred on myths.
Ashwin Sanghi -
There are three things I look for in a story - it has to be a thriller; I cannot see myself writing literary fiction or a saga! There has to be a historical connection; otherwise, the adrenalin will not flow. And I will try to bridge the gap between 'Rozabal' and 'Chanakya'.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I would imagine that anyone picking up a book written by me would expect a fast-paced story that requires minimal effort to turn the pages. The reader would also be looking for some out-of-the-ordinary revelations along the way. At the end of the day, I'm a writer who simply loves revealing stuff that is out-of-the-ordinary.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I feel luck plays a vey crucial role in determining the success of the book. Marketing a book is also very important. You need to try all tricks in the trade.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Writing is incidental to my primary objective, which is spinning a good yarn. I view myself as a storyteller more than a writer. The story - and hence the extensive research that goes into each one of my books - is much more important than the words that I use to narrate it.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I like to joke that I probably hold the world record for rejection letters. Yes, the truth is that I was fed up of being rejected repeatedly, and self-publication was an act of defiance at traditional publishing. But life works in strange ways.
Ashwin Sanghi
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I believe that every writer evolves with every successive novel. I view myself as work-in-progress.
Ashwin Sanghi -
The relationship between critic and writer is similar to the one between the pigeon and the statue.
Ashwin Sanghi -
At thirty-five, having spent over twenty years running varied businesses for my family, I decided to sit down and write my first novel. I had never written anything longer than a couple of pages till then and was foolishly attempting to write a hundred-thousand words.
Ashwin Sanghi -
The publishing scene in India is evolving rapidly, and the key challenge is to keep reinventing oneself so that one does not become formulaic. Sometimes it is safer to deal with the consequences of failure than the fruits of success. Remaining on one's toes is critical, and often one finds that success makes one complacent.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Writing is a intensely personal activity. I can pen down my best thoughts when I'm alone. But when one is elevated into the stature of an author, you have to think about your books in terms of their business angle.
Ashwin Sanghi -
It is easy to club people together, but there are bound to be influences of authors you've read. I grew up reading fast paced authors such as Sidney Sheldon and Jeffrey Archer, but to say I'm one of them isn't true; my style is intrinsically my own.
Ashwin Sanghi
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Would the fish have ever been caught if it had kept its mouth shut?
Ashwin Sanghi -
I am a businessman at the end of the day. I have grown up with Excel sheets. I start out writing my novel with spreadsheets and the milestones in each chapter highlighted.
Ashwin Sanghi -
The Egyptians saw the sun and called him Ra, the Sun God. He rode across the sky in his chariot until it was time to sleep. Copernicus and Galileo proved otherwise, and poor Ra lost his divinity.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Writing was my route to creative expression, and I needed to write about the things that interested me.
Ashwin Sanghi