We recently interviewed Dr. Jas Kohli, a renowned plastic and cosmetic surgeon and now an author. Read on to find out what Dr. Kohli had to say about his background, how he got into writing and about his book entitled Anything to Look Hot.
Hello Dr. Kohli and welcome to e-Books India! It’s great to have you with us for this interview. Please tell us about you. Where are you from? What is your professional background and how did you become an author?
In the early eighties, if one had doctors as parents, the career path was pretty predictable, to follow in their footsteps. But, even during my MBBS course, I devoured books of all genres. For my training in plastic surgery, I spent a few years in Safdarjang Hospital Delhi and subsequently wandered, though not aimlessly, in Chandigarh and US. After my wife reminded me that settlement was her birthright, I set up my plastic and cosmetic surgery practice in Ludhiana in 2001. I had no idea that I would become a writer till about seven years back when my accumulated experiences and observations desperately sought an outlet.
You’re the author of the book entitled Anything To Look Hot. Can you please tell us a bit about this book?
As the title suggests, the book is all about looks, the hotter the better! The protagonist, Dr Dhruv, a plastic and cosmetic surgeon, gives a no holds barred account of his personal and professional journey, where twists and turns occur on an almost daily basis. Humour, action and drama give the reader a good company throughout. Since the book is for the general reader, technical descriptions and jargon are conspicuously absent. However, the celebrities are not likely to take kindly to the book since it gives away many of their secrets!
Are you working on any other books(s)? If so, can you please tell us what we can expect to see from you in the future?
I am working on my second book which is as yet untitled. It is also a medical fiction with humour as the main theme. I feel that there is tremendous scope in India for medical fiction targeted at the general reader. However, in future I may experiment with a different genre. Let us see where my grey matter takes me.
What things inspire your writing?
The process of writing by itself gives me a high. I am also inspired by the thought of creating a better understanding between the patients and doctors, which is very essential because both of them can’t do without each other. Of course, the boost provided by the love and affection of the readers is the real secret of my creative energy.
Can you please tell us about your approach to writing? For example, do you follow structures and writing rules? Or do you write in a free flow way? Do you have any particular time of the day you like to write? Or any specific environment you prefer to sit down and write?
For my debut novel, I started without any pre-formed plot and the story kept on developing as I progressed. I guess every writer has unique skills and that leads to a variety of writing styles. Mostly I write past midnight. This is the time when there is least chance of the precious creative thoughts getting nipped in the bud by distractions. However, writer’s block often comes unannounced, even in the most conducive environment and goes away only at its own sweet will.
From your experiences, could you please share 2-3 top tips to help beginner authors who want to publish a novel?
The first emphasis should be on the content. A unique concept would make the manuscript stand out amongst the myriads which are vying with each other to attract the attention of editors. Do put your ego in cold storage and get a general critique of the plot, as well as line editing before sending proposals. I learnt this fact the hard way. A debut writer who already has readers is always favoured by the publishers, which means that columnists, bloggers and content writers have a head-start. Links in the publishing industry do matter but are only a facilitator. Content is still the king.
How can people find out more about you?
You can know more about me or my book on the website: www.jaskohli.com, catch me on Facebook or write to me at drjaskohli@gmail.com.
Getting a hold of Anything to Look Hot
We would like to say a big thank you to Dr. Kohli for answering our questions. If you would like to get a copy of his book Anything to Look Hot, you can do so from stores such as Amazon.
[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]