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Writing a mystery is like drawing a picture and then cutting it into little pieces that you offer to your readers one piece at a time, thus allowing them the chance to put the jigsaw puzzle together by the end of the book.
Ashwin Sanghi -
My attention span is very limited, and I watch just one or two movies a year.
Ashwin Sanghi
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The decision to use a pen name was nothing more than a desire to compartmentalise my life. However, I had not thought about an appropriate pseudonym, and since there's an abundance of anagrams in the novel, the idea struck me: why not use an anagram of my name? Hence, Shawn Haigins.
Ashwin Sanghi -
After preliminary research, I zero in on an idea, and then I spend at least four months exploring the topic and in plot-building. I jot down every single detail of the plot as bullet points per chapter, and only when the skeleton is complete do I start writing.
Ashwin Sanghi -
It may sound very strange, but I love the freedom that writing a novel gives me. It is an unhindered experience. If I come after a bad day, I can decide that my protagonist will die on page 100 of my novel in a 350-page story.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I believe that the day one stops being spiritual, one ends up being religious. I live by the adage that the only certainty in life is death. We should, therefore, learn to live for the day and be content.
Ashwin Sanghi -
An author entices the readers with their words, and it is painful for them to even lose a sentence. But films and books are two different mediums and should be dealt differently. What works in a book might not work for a film. When I saw 'Anna Karenina' on screen, I didn't like it at all, whereas 'The Godfather' was legendary.
Ashwin Sanghi -
My self-publishing adventure led to my work being picked up by a traditional publisher and eventually hitting the bestseller lists. That led to two more bestselling novels.
Ashwin Sanghi
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While I can't walk on water, I can certainly wobble on whisky.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Our country has the oldest tradition of storytelling, and this was much before writing stories even became a norm.
Ashwin Sanghi -
J. K. Rowling's first 'Harry Potter' manuscript was rejected 12 times. Stephen King's 'Carrie' was rejected 30 times. 'Gone With The Wind' was rejected 38 times. I was immensely proud to have beaten them all.
Ashwin Sanghi -
What I have found is that, in a family business structure, sometimes what is needed is a sense of discipline rather than creativity. You have to take everyone's ideas and make it work. When you are dealing with money, there is a limitation on how creative you can be.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Take the first A out of Abraham and put it at the end. You get Brahama. There's the ancient connection right there.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I have always been a bit of an introvert. In fact, my dad used to force me to meet people so that my interpersonal skills improve. As an individual, I was happiest when left alone.
Ashwin Sanghi
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Thrills are much more about anticipation than action. An unfired bullet is more dangerous than one that has already met its target.
Ashwin Sanghi -
We don't need to dumb down our stuff. And it's important to know how far we can push readers.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Everyone talks about moderation. How about some moderation in moderation?
Ashwin Sanghi -
The first paragraph of my book must get me my reader. The last paragraph of a chapter must compel my reader to turn the page. The last paragraph of my book must ensure that my reader looks out for my next book.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I work in a business environment forty hours a week, and writing is what I do to unwind. It allows me to transport myself to a happy place where I can indulge my hopes, beliefs, aspirations and fantasies. It also allows me to live and breathe a topic for eighteen months while I'm researching and writing.
Ashwin Sanghi -
What I would not like is to be ignored. I write from the heart. I don't write for me. I write for my readers.
Ashwin Sanghi
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The reality of the writer's world is that you set yourself up for future disappointment with every success that you deliver because you end up raising your audience's expectations.
Ashwin Sanghi -
When working on a period, it is the finer details that evoke imagery that helps in cinematic adaptations.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Mythology does not interest me. Nor does history. But the possible overlap between history and mythology excites me immensely.
Ashwin Sanghi -
There is one person who can help solve 'writer's block'. His name is Mr. Johnnie Walker.
Ashwin Sanghi