“Start writing for yourself before you do for readers”: Bhavin Shastri, Author of “Lock Down-21, Me to Messiah”

At what age did you start writing?

Writing is not an incident that occurs all of a sudden. It is a journey, a process that takes a complete churning of soul. A writer grows over a period of time within an individual, however, it starts as an observer. For me it is an ongoing progression, although penning down happens after a lot of planning. Lockdown-21-Me to Messiah is my first book, however, I have been collating my thoughts in form of quotes and brief speeches for quite long.

Name a few authors/ books that you personally admire the most (Fiction/Non-Fiction). If you’d ever get to meet these authors, what is the one question that you’d ask them?

Every book has its own reader. I would not make any recommendation on this. There are so many books that are life changers for many, however one very important thing I have understood is that may be one song that reliefs one, to the other person, that brings pain. A family sits together to watch a movie, by the end they all discuss about their favourite characters, which are not necessarily same. Yet, I would say the most beautiful pedagogies can be found in Bhagwat Gita and Osho’s interpretation on Bhagvad Gita, Upnishad, the Prophet by Khalil Gibran, Ek Onkar Satnam should be read once in a lifetime. The most controversial from Sex to Super consciousness by Osho Rajneesh may help many to change their conventional ideology. I may prefer not to ask any question to any one as I believe that all the answers can be found within oneself. That’s what actually my book talks about.

One Superpower you wish you had?

Man is born with all the extreme possibilities and to achieve them what actually is required is determination and faith in self. Maybe this self-confidence would work as super power. Yes, if I still have to think of a superpower, I would wish I had something that could make me help people to love themselves.

What would be your one advice to aspiring writers?

To the aspiring writers, my only message is, “start writing for yourself before you do for readers”.

Do you have a writing ritual?

Writing is an act of pleasure and preference. If we make it a ritual, we may lose on the essence. Let’s not set boundaries for writing. I write consecutively, and suddenly I stop for days together.

How did “Lock Down-21 Me to Messiah” come to life? What/Who was your muse behind writing this book?

On this, the credit goes to our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. I must say that if those days, we would not have been put in a situation under lockdown, this book might not have happened. Suddenly everything was at a halt. Whatever priorities we all had, suddenly changed. I was in a habit of lots of travelling as my profile’s requirement, but I was put into a limited proximity. Although this was forced, however, the most required action to be taken. The lockdown started from a day long Janta curfew and the purpose behind was breaking the chain of spread. Truly nCOVID challenged the whole pattern worldwide. Or maybe it is an answer by nature to all the challenges that we as human started throwing over. So the idea of book comes from here, when I could see that the nature was wisely re-installing the balance, reminding a man his capabilities and possibilities. One of those possibilities for me was this book, however the real possibility for everyone was Buddhahood, I can consider this being muse behind writing this book.

If there’s one thing that most of the self-published authors vouch for, it’s the mere fact that self- publishing teaches you all aspects of publishing? Is it true? What are your thoughts about the same?

Yes, before this book Lockdown-21-Me to Messiah, I did not know that self publishing could be interesting. I have got to see few important aspects of book publishing which may be more helpful when I come up with new project. It gives us freedom to decide how and what our book should look like.

What was your journey of writing your first book like? How did you feel when your book was released?

Writing itself is an enriching experience, does not make much difference you are writing your first or last, a book or a feature. Every piece that one writes, is a new experience, new thought and freshness. Cannot express how I felt on release, yes I was glad to see ready to reach people.

If you look back now, how has the whole experience of self-publishing been?

Overall good, A learning experience.

Your epitaph would read?

Me to Messiah.