Ashwin Sanghi Quotes
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Mythology is like a game of Chinese Whispers. What goes in at one end of the human circle is rarely what emerges at the other end.
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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.
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While I can't walk on water, I can certainly wobble on whisky.
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We don't need to dumb down our stuff. And it's important to know how far we can push readers.
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When I wrote 'The Rozabal Line,' I had no preconceived notions of what a commercial bestseller should be. I have always viewed 'The Rozabal Line' as my first love and probably my best work. The fact, however, is that it is my least read work.
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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.
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I was learning book-keeping at the age of 12, but it never stopped me from pursuing literature. Over the years, I grew to love the written word.
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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.
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The cleanest book on a dusty bookshelf is usually a dirty one.
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Admiration from my readers inspire me, and the only 'formula' I believe in towards making a good writer is: 'to thine own self be true!'
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My attention span is very limited, and I watch just one or two movies a year.
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Initial work is on period research where the historical markers are absolutely non-negotiable. Once that is established, a writer can take creative liberties in terms of chronology to suit the story.
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It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels And Demons' are, by far, Brown's best works.
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Of all the writers I have read, Vladimir Nabokov has made the biggest impression on me because he, despite living through the 1917 February Revolution, forced exile amidst the anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, the two World Wars and quite a lot of controversy, was an author who never gave up.
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There has to be a protagonist who has to overcome challenges, and there will be a race to finish.
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There is one person who can help solve 'writer's block'. His name is Mr. Johnnie Walker.
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Oral storytelling goes back so long ago, and those stories that were told orally were always layered and changed with time.
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My wife is troubled by the things I forget. I am troubled by the things she recollects.
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Humankind would improve if we concentrated less on being human and more on being kind.
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I don't care if my books don't sell abroad; we have a large enough market in our country. I write for Indian readers.