Not many people can say they have bestselling works of fiction and nonfiction to their name. One person can though. His name is Abhijit Bhaduri who also happens to work for one of the biggest companies in the world, is a columnist for publications such as the Times of India, and runs a very popular blog too. We interviewed Abhijit to find out about his passion for writing, and about what motivated him to write fiction stories. Abhijit also shares some tips for writing fiction, and gives insights into how his professional experiences helped to inform his nonfiction work.
1. Could you please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into writing?
I work as the Chief Learning Officer for Wipro. I am a Human Resources professional – that’s my day job. But I enjoy writing. So I keep experimenting.
I started writing in school and then just continued doing it right through college. I wrote short stories, essays and reviewed music for my college magazine and eventually for the newspapers and magazines. When I started working I thought I would experiment with writing a novel. That was very addictive. Then came blogs and I took to blogging. So I have tried my hand at writing for all kinds of formats and genres.
2. You’ve written two bestselling novels entitled Mediocre But Arrogant and Married But Available, which make up the MBA Series. What inspired you to write these two stories?
There was no novel that was set in an Indian B School. It was a canvas I was familiar with. So it was easy to build a story in that setting. College campus life is so special in India. It is probably one of the best time of our lives. All of it made for a great setting for a story.
3. From your experiences as a novelist, could you please share three tips to help budding writers of fiction?
I am no expert novelist. But I like to spend a lot of time detailing the story in my mind. Getting the plot line right is a good starting point. It takes time to create characters that are unique but believable. That can be done through their behaviour and the dialogue. No character should sound like the author. That really kills it. Finally, I do a lot of drafts and rewriting. The first draft is always a good starting point. With each draft one gets a chance to polish the story. So get comfortable with rewriting.
4. You also have a bestselling nonfiction title to your name entitled Don’t Hire The Best. As an established expert in Human Resources, what was it like to be able to share your professional knowledge and work experience through this particular book?
I had some experience writing fiction. So I wanted to learn to write nonfiction. I have seen so many people who look great on a resume but are miserable failures when it comes to the real world. Hiring is still a hit and miss scenario for most people. Everybody starts off thinking lets hire the best person. If everyone is hiring only the best people why is every one not equally successful? The best resume does not guarantee that the person will be successful. Similarly the best employer in the world may not be right for you. This book was an attempt to see what makes people succeed at work. The secret lies in self awareness and personality factors. “Don’t Hire The Best” was all about finding the secret sauce of hiring right.
5. What are the best ways for people to connect with you?
I am easy to find. My Twitter handle @abhijitbhaduri is the quickest way to connect. Or leave a message on my website www.abhijitbhaduri.com or email me at abhijitbhaduri@live.com.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hv1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of eBooks India. He is also a prolific eBook writer with over 25 titles to his name.[/author_info] [/author]