WriterStory Interviews of Writers
Ashutosh Garg completed his MBA and has worked in the corporate sector for 25 years. He is currently and entrepreneur and serves on the board of Windlass Biotech Pvt Ltd, a major pharmaceutical company in India. In January 1995, he was recognised as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum, Switzerland. He also teaches and leads a 30 hour programme on “Entrepreneurship” for the 1st and 2nd year PGP at the Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak and mentors several young entrepreneurs.
What inspired you to start writing?
I started writing letters to the Editor I Times of India and a magazine called Junior Statesman when I was 13 / 14 years old. Since then, I have always written for magazines and newspapers. However, it was only in 2011 when I published my first book.
The reason I write on diverse subjects is because I believe I am addressing some of the questions that society is facing. My latest book “An Eye for an Eye” is a work of fiction but takes the reader through 7 decades of progress in India.
What did you like to read when you were a boy?
As a boy I read a lot of Enid Blyton and Hardy Boys after which is graduated to spy novels like Perry Mason and of course all the books of Ian Fleming.
What is the greatest challenge in writing a book?
The biggest challenge is to keep writing and to keep motivating oneself as an author to complete one’s book and not give up halfway. Once a book is abandoned due to procrastination from the author, re-starting it is like recommencing a stalled project.
How much research do you do before writing the book?
Once I have decided on what I want to write about, I prepare my outline and the chapters that I want to cover. I put down what I know and what I would like to know in the outline after which I do a lot of research to understand facts, characters, points in history, locations and specific events that I wish to cover.
Once I have got my facts right, I take some “journalistic licence” in my fictional stories!
What motivated you to write the book “An Eye for an Eye”?
My latest book, titled “An Eye for an Eye” is a work of fiction that spans 7 decades and is set in Delhi, a city I have grown up and lived in.
The world of business and politics has fascinated most people and I have attempted to bring out what I have seen and observed in both these worlds in Delhi.
How did you come up with the idea of writing fiction genre book?
After writing my first non-fiction book titled “The Buck Stops Here – my Journey from a Manager to an Entrepreneur” which was published by Penguin, I wrote my first fiction book titled “The Corner Office” published by Rupa. Thereafter I re-wrote my first book as a business book for Startups, titled “The Buck Stops Here – Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur” also published by Rupa. These books were followed by a self-help book titled “Reinvent, Reboot, Rewire – managing Retirement in the Twenty First Century” published by Harper Collins.
So I have been experimenting with several genres in my writing.
Who are your favourite authors?
I enjoy reading a diverse range of authors like Jeffery Archer, Wilbur Smith, Robert Ludlum, John Grisham etc. in addition I also enjoy historical and corporate biographies. I am currently reading Mao, Arthashastra and Mein Kampf.
How much time do you dedicate to writing on a daily basis?
There is no pattern that I follow when I write. When I am in the mood to write, then I wake up at 2 am and write! I have written on an average of 2500 words per day for several weeks at a time and then there are periods when I don’t write at all for several months!
What words of wisdom would you like to give to aspiring writers?
Everyone has at least one story waiting to be told. The challenge is always to take the first step. Once you have decided to write, don’t give up. You will face challenges but when you see your work published, that will be your greatest reward.
You can buy his book now:
