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
There is a method to the madness of James Patterson’s success. Co-writing with him is a terrific learning experience, particularly in the art of crafting a perfect thriller. The collaboration also gives me an opportunity to access a wider global audience. – 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
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
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
My greatest qualification for writing fiction was my ability to lie with a straight face as a child. – 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
There is one person who can help solve ‘writer’s block’. His name is Mr. Johnnie Walker. – Ashwin Sanghi
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. – Ashwin Sanghi
My life is ruled by four W’s: my writing, my work, my wife, and my whisky. Not necessarily in that order. – Ashwin Sanghi
In India, we never distinguished between history and myth. Our Puranas as well as Itihasas contain fantastical tales. They are lies that convey deeper truths. – Ashwin Sanghi
I am a part of the old school where I feel that purity of the language should be retained. But English is a constantly evolving language where new words are being added to the dictionary, so I don’t see any harm in experimenting with the language. Only poor editing standards need to be improved. – Ashwin Sanghi
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. – 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
I want my writing to reach people. I don’t write for a market. I write from my heart, something that appeals to me. The marketing, segmenting etc., can be done by your publisher, not you. – 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
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. – Ashwin Sanghi
What is divine? Simply that which man has not yet been able to understand. Once understood, it ceases to be divine. – Ashwin Sanghi
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
The first thriller ever? It was probably one from 1697. It was called ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’ – Ashwin Sanghi
We can’t deny that films have a bigger reach. After the popularity of the ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ a lot of people started reading Vikas Swarup’s ‘Q & A’. From a business sense, films are a good tool to increase the number of readers. – Ashwin Sanghi
Oral storytelling goes back so long ago, and those stories that were told orally were always layered and changed with time. – Ashwin Sanghi
If I use the word ‘khichdi’ in my novel, I don’t have to get into the trouble of explaining that it is a dish of rice and lentils. My Indian readers know it. – Ashwin Sanghi
Mythology is a set of primitive lies that people rarely believe. This is rather different from history, which is a set of lies that people actually believe. – Ashwin Sanghi
Unlike a typical professional, I can’t quit my job to become a full-time author; I don’t have that luxury. For me, writing is therapy; if I choose to write full-time, it might start feeling like work. – Ashwin Sanghi
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