Subhechcha Ganguly 
Prateesh Dhar is an author hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is currently working in an investment bank in Gurugram and holds an MBA degree. Let us know more about him in this interview.
Q1) When did you understand your calling as an author? What is your first writing instance?
It started pretty early during my childhood but I never took it seriously. I would write 4 liners or sometimes a poem and later on forget about it. Never made a note of what I wrote. After I completed my 12th then, I began to understand that writing is something which brings peace to me and I really feel good about it. It was then, I started to explore more about writing poetry and expressing myself via words. The more I explored it, the more I fell in love with it and the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write. So my first writing instance I would say was during my 12th standard when I wrote my first poem. When I started to write it was all poetry, I never thought at that time I would write a novel ever. This feels like a dream to me that my first Novel or Novella is published.
Q2) You have also been featured in Asia Book of Records .Tell us about your experience.
I love writing poems. I write in English language and I really love writing dark poetry. So when I came to know through Instagram that Tacenda Publications is making an Anthology which can get featured in Asia Book of Records. They were also raising money for Covid Relief through this Anthology. Three of my poems got selected in it “Demon of Death”, “Sand on the Beach” and “Hope”. It felt really great when I came to know that we actually made it to the Asia Book of Records, when I received my certificate. This was one of best moments for me.
Q3) How did you decide the plot for the book “The Heart that Never Felt”. Also attach the link of the book for buyers to purchase the book.
Frankly speaking, you wouldn’t believe that it actually began with a poem. What I mean is when I initially began writing it; I didn’t write it like I was writing a book. I wrote it like a poem. But while I was writing and thoughts started pouring into my mind, I thought, Man! I can’t write it as a poem, it has to be in the form of a story because there were so many things which were impossible to put in a poem. So then I thought I would write a story but there was a problem, I had never read any novel, nor did I have any idea about how to write one. The plot wasn’t an issue for me in the beginning; the real issue for me was how to write a novel. So I took it step by step, thought about the plot in my mind, side by side working on how to write a novel because writing a poem is far easier than writing a novel. I have written, rewritten and then again written and rewritten this novel, I don’t know how many times. But the plot grew as I kept on going. Initially I thought about making it a Love story, that’s why the title “The Heart That Never Felt” but then when I thought about it, Love story wasn’t going to work. So I left the title as it is and the plot changed a lot from what I initially had thought.
Q4) You are also working in an MNC .Tell us how you manage time for writing and how difficult is it to balance your work life with writing.
It is a bit difficult because writing needs time and when you’re working 9 hours a day with 2-3 hours travelling, it does take a toll on your body and mind. But when you love doing something, you need to figure out a way. I take some time out; not daily but regularly. I am currently working on my next novel, which is based on a Superhero. I am currently researching on one of the things associated with it. There are days, sometimes months when I am unable to write anything, but that’s how life is. You have to be able to manage and never lose focus. Write down the points which you think you might forget. There will never be balance between life and what we want to do. We got to live with that and move ahead, making time for people we love and things we love.
Q5) Nowadays there are a lot of youngsters who wants to work on their solo books, what is your advice to them?
I am not a reader, not that I don’t want to read but when I read something. It stays in my mind for a long time and when I begin to write, I happen to write the same thing that I’ve read someday or somewhere. But I’ve always felt reading someone’s work helps you to fine tune your work. My advice would be to read before you write and have patience.
Good things will happen soon.
Q6) Do you think writing is a good habit? Tell us more about it to the readers.
For me personally, I do feel writing is a virtue. It’s like I have my own world where I can make whatever I want. For me it’s not only a medium to express my thoughts but a way to rejuvenate myself. I can switch myself off anytime from outside world whenever I want, I can write in a bus, train, traffic be it noisy place or whatever. For the readers, I would say, you should have a hobby atleast, be it reading, writing, travelling, dancing, singing. But you should have one hobby atleast. It really helps a lot; life is too stressful these days. A medium to rejuvenate yourself is a must-have.
