Considering the fact that I still don't consider myself a writer even after 9 publications, this will be very difficult to answer. A big reason for this is because I don't read many books so when I started writing I had no idea what a book should look like and neither was I educated in literature so I write the way I visualise stories using very simple language. Saying that, while my books might not be book-like but they sure are captivating stories and that I believe is the whole axiom of being a writer. You can call yourself a writer when you start writing stuff; it could be a personal journal, reviews, blogs or it could be short articles (Fiction or non-fiction), or it could be essays in your school. You don't need to have a full fledged book to your name to be a writer. I mean, journalists, bloggers, ghost-writers etc. who write for newspapers and websites are also writers (And this is just me talking). Whether or not your work has been published, if you have written something then you are a writer.

Author is the next level of being a writer. Author is someone whose writing has been published. If the written work is original, then you will be considered an author of that material. Self-publishing is the best way to become a published author.

Simply put; writer's block is a situation when the ideas stop pouring in and you simply can't write. I have kept writer's block at bay by using everyday situations for my stories. I am a keen observer of my surroundings and that have given me many ideas. There is so much happening right around us that can help overcome writer's block.

When you decide to publish something or write something on a social platform, you need to be ready for negative reviews because not everyone will read your story or article with the same mindset. Everyone will have their opinion about your work and some of them could be nasty. Being a training & development professional, I am used to giving and receiving feedback so negative reviews don't bother me. I look at them constructively and incorporate them in my writing, if I can.

Getting through to traditional publishers

I have been a writer for a longtime as I write regularly in my personal journal. Publishing started in 2018 when I published a part of my journal as my first book, Version One and a Half (Version 1 1/2).

Don't worry about the reviews to begin with, work on your manuscript and create a story that you love. Also, don't sweat too much if the traditional publishers don't respond to you, go for self-publishing.

I usually start with an idea or a theme and then I create the plot and characters as I go along. But for my latest book from the The Hunter series I did something different. In this case, I started with a character first and then developed the plot and other characters later.

I have authored 9 books and co-authored 2 books for far: The Hunter Genesis - Whatever it is, wherever it is, he will find it (Book 1 of the Hunter series), The Essence of Ganga – The Story of Mandakini, Ensemble – A collection of short stories and essays, The Incredible Mr Sweets – A coming-of-age story of an ex-con who finds his calling in life through music, Shahenshah – The story of Shrenik Shah, the cancer conqueror, The Metro-Maniac Chronicles - Through the eyes of an Obsessive-Compulsive Metro-Maniac, Double One Zero (110) – Out of the Shadows, Diary from Heaven - Confessions of an Eternal Junkie, Version One and a Half (Version 1 ½) - A glimpse of India in the ‘80s, Concealed Words (Co-Author), and Life – A culmination of stories (Co-Author). My favourite will always remain Double One Zero (110) - Out of the shadows, my homage to the spy and action/thriller genre. I love the protagonist and hope to write sequels or prequels soon.

Writing 'Diary from Heaven', my 2nd book, was really difficult as it involved a lot of intimate and romantic scenes. Since then I have never written anything that involved intimacy. Anytime there is scope for an intimate scene, I avoid it by changing the story completely. When I write, I write stories with a child's mind, probably that's why I love writing action, sci-fi and adventure stories so much.

The Hunter Genesis is a product of my fetish with the action/adventure genre. Since childhood I had been fascinated with action and adventure movies, party because I had grown up listening to stories of bravery and adventure related to Sikh religion from my parents and grandparents. My first attempt at creating an action character was received with great admiration in the form of Double One Zero (110), with the Hunter Genesis I am taking it to the next level by a creating a series. It is every authors dream to create a series and with this book and the next part I have already completed two books in the Hunter series. With an Indian treasure hunter as the protagonist, and Indian mythology as the backdrop, this book has a mass appeal with something for readers of all ages. I have amalgamated Indian mythology, real historical characters and places with fictionalised characters and story thereby creating a potent mix of never ending excitement.

Combining mythology with fiction is always difficult as some of the topics can be touchy for a certain group of people. While I wanted to use real names and situations, I had to be very careful as to not to write something that might offend someone.

I can practically write anytime, anywhere, so there isn't anything particular that I need to be able to write.

Mark Manson

I am very active on all major social media platforms plus I also have a website, https://www.jasveersinghdangi.com/, so finding myself on Google is not very difficult.