My Unplanned Journey Into Writing
Writing is a hobby I developed by accident.
It all started in 2012 when I was in college pursuing Computer Engineering. Some students from a different college came to our campus and informed us about an intercollege short filmmaking competition they were hosting. Excited, I paid the entry fee without thinking twice, even though I didn’t have a team or know anyone interested in this kind of event. Somehow, I managed to form a team, but we procrastinated until the day before the competition. We believed engineers could pull anything off in one night, but I was wrong—the movie we made was horrible.
Within a month, I learned about another short filmmaking competition, this time hosted by the National Media Fest. I was serious and had learned my lesson. I took ownership by writing the screenplay and dialogue, and gradually formed a committed team. The movie wasn’t exceptional in my opinion, but I was surprised that the audience loved it—not only in my college but among everyone attending the competition. Our film won second prize. That was beginner’s luck (and for those who’ve read The Alchemist, you know it’s no accident).
Later, I started blogging in 2015 after accidentally hearing about it on the internet. At that time I was working as a software engineer in an IT firm. I thought it was cool that I could share my thoughts and publish them instantly. Plus, I could share my writing instantly with both friends and strangers alike—with just a click of a button. It was a unique advantage I hadn’t experienced before. I shared my blogs with colleagues and friends, and from then on, people began calling me a coder who can write.
Gradually, I wrote a lot online, including a short crime investigation series and starting my own publication on Medium to address pressing questions about ancient Indian traditions and practices. In addition, I self-published two of my works on Amazon Kindle and Google Play Books.
After writing for several years, I’ve realized it’s not just a love for writing that keeps me going, but also my inability to leave stories unfinished—if I don’t complete them, it drives me crazy (even through dull days and writer’s block). In the end, I strive to craft stories that keep readers hooked, so they stay engaged and eager to see where the journey leads.
How I Fell in Love with Reading
I started enjoying reading after 2020. (You’ll understand why in a moment.)
Before 2020, I wasn’t seriously committed to a reading habit. In fact, as a child, I consistently held the record for not finishing a single book—I always abandoned them midway. It wasn’t until my engineering studies that I finally broke that streak by completing 2 States by Chetan Bhagat. From then on, I began reading more regularly.
In 2018, I started my MBA journey at the University of Manitoba. For the next two years, I didn’t write anything beyond my MBA assignments and only read materials related to my coursework. Outwardly, I completed assignments on time, but inside, I was frustrated because I couldn’t read a book of my choice.
Visiting libraries during this time was both rewarding and challenging. It was rewarding because I discovered many books—classics and new arrivals in various genres nearby. It was challenging because I couldn’t buy any of them, and even if I had, I wouldn’t have had time to read them. However, after graduation, I read thirteen books in the next six months—a joy that’s hard to put into words after two years of drought.
Now, I have no doubt in saying that I LOVE READING!
I read at my own pace and don’t rush to finish 50 books a year. As long as I can make time for reading, I’m content with the number of books I complete. To stay consistent, I track my progress on Goodreads and set a reasonable goal of reading at least five books annually.
Books that have influenced me?
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Origin by Dan Brown
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
- Deep Work and Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
My Writing Journey
In 2012, while pursuing my engineering, I wrote the script for a short film that won second prize at the National Level Media Fest in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
In 2015, I self-published my first short story, It’s 7:33 P.M., on Amazon.
In 2016, I wrote a short crime investigation series on my blog. While my writing was still raw, readers loved the plot and suspense. This affirmed my belief that I have the ability to write.
In 2018, I moved to Canada to pursue higher education in Marketing at the University of Manitoba.
In 2019, I launched The Logical Hindu on Medium, a publication dedicated to answering widely discussed questions about ancient Indian practices, aiming to raise awareness.
In 2020, before graduating, I self-published a motivational post titled Why Accepting Failure Is Not An Option on Google Play Books.
In 2021, I began working on my first commercial fiction manuscript, which I completed in 2024.