Q.1 Tell us something about yourself not many
people know?
A. While writing Observational Spirituality, I and my wife were expecting our first child. Since it was
just me and my wife, most of the writing happened late at night after all the
household chores are completed.
Q.2 When should we expect your next book? What
will it be about?
A. I am working on the
second book of Observational Spirituality. The second book will delve deeper
into the realms of spirituality. The first book was meant for beginners, to get
them initiated in the processes of self-evaluation and learning through
observation. In the second book, we will try to explore further avenues through
which we can learn and try to mitigate the daily struggles of our life.
Q.3 When did you decide to write Observational
Spirituality?
A. I have been reading
a lot of spiritual books lately. I realized that many books have an
underpinning of religion and hence, many readers confuse religion with
spirituality. I was working with many other ideas since the start of this year,
but when the thought of Observational Spirituality came up, it just happened.
It did not take much time to write the book as I wanted it to be simple and not
very hardcore.
Q.4 What
do you want readers to take away from your book?
A. If you want to
learn, you just have to observe patiently, learn the lessons and internalize.
You can find a guru to teach you a lesson in almost everything under the sun.
Q.5 What
were your feelings when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
A. Well, I designed the
cover of the book, so a fleeting feeling of euphoria did strike me. I wanted
the cover to depict the content of the book. I was lucky to find a relevant
template in the self-cover creation section of the publishers.
Q.6 What makes your book stand out from the
crowd?
A. Simplicity is a
virtue. I wanted to write a book that can resonate with anybody irrespective
of their inclination towards spirituality. My book is written in a simple, easy
to grasp, and concise format. The idea is to put forth as much a possible
without being verbose.
Q.7 What was one of the most surprising things
you learned while writing this book?
A. I realized how
thoughts flow into your mind. You have no control over it. You do have control
over how long you want to spend time on a particular thought, but the initial
spark just comes on its own.
Q.8 Is there a difference between being
religious and being spiritual?
A. In my opinion,
religion deals with rituals and dogmas created to you by the outside world,
whereas Spirituality is the journey towards your inner self. You can be
spiritual without being religious and vice versa.
Q.9 What was one of the most surprising things
you learned in creating your book?
A. Ideas come to you.
You are just a medium through which those ideas are spread to a larger
audience. Nobody should take credit for the artifact that they helped manifest.
Q.10 What is the best piece of advice anyone
has ever given you?
A. Don’t limit
yourself, keep challenging your limits, and explore new horizons.
Q.11 Who
would you most like to thank for their involvement in your writing career?
A. I would like to
thank my family and other spiritual authors, without whose blessings and good
wishes, Observational Spirituality wouldn’t have been a reality.
Q.12 When
was your last memorable learning curve?
A. When I learned video
editing through self-tutoring. I was fascinated by the outcome and how quickly
I could grasp the technicalities.
Q.13 In what ways does your faith impact how
you approach writing?
A. I try to keep my
writing bias-proof, but I feel subconsciously my writing does get affected by
my thought process which in turn is affected by my set of beliefs and
principles.
Q.14 Do you
have any unique and quirky writing habits?
A. Not sure if it is
unique, but whenever I get the writer’s block, I just keep scribbling whatever
comes to my mind, revisit what has been written, and subsequently edit it to
make some sense. The idea is to pass over the block and keep trying until the creative bell rings again.
Q.15 How
does your family/friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. In general, they are
supportive. But most of them are surprised that even I can write. Now they are
also toying with the idea of becoming an author. Lots of book reviews/author
interviews coming your way.
Q.16 Do you read your book reviews? How do you
deal with good and bad ones?
A. I read book reviews
very diligently. Good ones keep the morale high and the bad ones keep you on
track. Having said that, I do understand that one cannot write to please all,
so I am also selective towards constructive criticism only.
Q.17 What would you share with folks who are
skeptical of reading Non-Fiction?
A. Give it a try. If
nothing more, there are a couple of life lessons which can uplift your mood.
Q.18 Which
famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
A. Ramakrishna
Paramhansa. I want to feel his aura and get his guidance in person.
Q.19 What books
have most influenced your life?
A. God Talks with Arjuna
by Paramhansa Yogananda.
Q.20 Share
the experience of your journey so far?
A. It has been a very
enriching experience so far. Sometimes I surprise myself with what I write -
‘where did that come from?’ sort of feeling.
Share your social account links -
Instagram - @anilson_writes
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