AuthorsWiki thanks author Mrityunjoy Seal for giving his valuable time for the interview. Let us tell you that recently a book ‘Very Simple Talk’ by Mrityunjay Seal has been published. Author Mrityunjoy Seal also shared with us the experiences of writing his book during the interview to AuthorsWiki. Hope readers will love Mrityunjoy Seal’s interview.
AuthorsWiki: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Once, writing was my pastime in college days, in the form of letters and poems. Subsequently, my focus transformed into penning articles and reports. My profession as Corporate Lawyer essentially involved, writing agreements, opinions, plaints, statements, resolutions, minutes, reports, petitions, conveyance, deeds and plethora of business documents.
By this time, an urge of writing my mind with personal emotion in the form of short stories and poems pressed an inner alarm to continue writing. Meanwhile, I decided to fulfill my early age interest of pursuing study in Psychology and Counselling. After celebrating professional career success of over four decades, I had launched a website and you tube channel on mental health counselling, another you tube channel on Bengali story telling my self-scripted short stories.
Finally, I decided to transform into a writer and publish books and articles on multifarious topics of my interest. It was nonetheless fairly long but self felt accomplished journey indeed.
AuthorsWiki: Would you like to tell about your published books, so that readers can know more about your books?
Mrityunjoy Seal : My first publication was on medico-legal topic, namely “Guide to DENTO LEGAL”. My dentist daughter, Dr Priyadarshini Seal during her intern days in PG final year, co-authored the book with me on some initial technical chapters. The book dealt with the essential legal and ethical aspects that the Dental Medico Practitioners, who ought to get familiar in their professional practice or employment. Foreword of the book was written by a retired judge of the Supreme Court and a very renowned senior scholar dentist. According to them, it was perhaps a pioneering work in this field, as no comparable work or publication was found on search.
My next publication was a book of selected collection of English short stories namely, “Omnipresent”. These stores are based on burning social issues but narrated in the form of ghostly and spooky narrative. The incidents narrated, are true reflection of through research blended with practical knowledge on the incidents. As mysterious but essential deceitful imaginary characters were active and instrumental in each of the stores, the book was named “OMNIPRESENT”.
Must Read : If you are a Writer or Publishing a Book for the First Time
My experience with young students coming from poor, lower middle class, vernacular educational background inspired me to help them with the art of self grooming and personality development. That is how I had published my next book namely, “SELF GROOMING AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT”.
This work is a combination of counselling and practical tools to transform into the world of higher education and competitive examinations. The book foreword was scripted by the head mistress of a Christian Missionary School and Sister of a Church and launched by the Maharaj of Ramkrishna Mission, at a Book Launch public function. By far, this book remains the highest selling published book in my stable.
Once I was a regular contributor to a Bengali Little Magazine, namely “Roddur” (Sunlight). I decided to publish my next book with collection of mostly these Bengali poems and other poems in Bengali and English. This was named “আয়নায় আমরা”/Aynay Amra (Our self image in the mirror) in Bengali. The writings predominantly spanned over denting social issues, presented in an oblique form and narrated in a critical tone, with satirical mood.
My corporate experience of over three decades prompted me to prepare a series of mock board room memoirs in the form of board meeting minutes, portraying practical images of how business is actually managed on ground that is in no way taught in business schools. This true reflection of corporate management practice and undercurrents are elaborately narrated in the book “OFF THE RECORD”, a must read for all those plan to enter into corporate management arena in the time to come.
My latest publication of the book namely, “VERY SIMPLE TALK” is a collection of fifty selected short articles on mental health; those were published earlier in the blog site – https://youarenotalone2021.wordpress.com/. An international version of the paperback namely, “SIMPLE TALK” had earlier been published in KDP platform, after e-publication in kindle e-version.
AuthorsWiki: How did you become inspired to publish the book or someone inspired you?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Generally, I am an avid reader of diverse subject on different platform. Reading inspires me to write. Once I gained confidence in writing and thought that my writings were eligible as readable by and beneficial to readers, I gained self motivation to write and publish. As far as the recently published book in India, “VERY SIMPLE TALK” is concerned, one of my friends, inspired me to assimilate my short articles on mental health, published in the blog site – https://youarenotalone2021.wordpress.com/ and publish in a book. Finally, I believe that the readers are the best motivator of any writer to continue writing and publish.
AuthorsWiki: Would you like to share your experience from writing to publishing process with the readers?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Practically speaking, it is a tedious journey indeed. For those, who write by pad and pencil, their story is different. But for tech savvy writers, those who use laptop or desktop, dicto-system or voice converter, it involves a lot of manual as well as software support to fine tune their writing and editing.
Locating the right publisher, mode and time of publication, cover page illustration, back page contents and introductory part or preface etc occupy a fair degree of writer’s inputs. Approaching someone for writing a foreword is another herculean task, unless approached by an established writer.
Must Read : What is 100% royalty? How is royalty determined?
Finally, launching the book and reaching the right readers is the most challenging part of publication, because high degree of commercial success of a publication depends upon high degree of advertising and promotion. That is undoubtedly very expensive proposition in the current highly competitive scenario.
It is needless to say, luck factor plays the most crucial determinant to script your success story.
AuthorsWiki: What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Once a stray reader, after leafing through a complimentary copy of “আয়নায় আমরা”/Aynay Amra (Our self image in the mirror) in Bengali, commented in writing that it would be ideal for me to read more number of modern poems before trying my hand on penning poems and publication further. I took the criticism in right spirit.
On the contrary, the Maharaj of Ramkrishna Mission, at the book launch programme, read out summarising the contents of the book with praise to the full audience. He had gone through the whole of the book, “SELF GROOMING AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT”, the previous night. I was truly applauded.
AuthorsWiki: What have you found to be most challenging about writing?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Unless, someone is a whole time writer and commercially successful in terms of revenue and recognition, the most challenging task for an armature writer is to handle her/his profession or service to earn livelihood in one hand and make use of the spare time to write and publish as well on the other hand. It becomes far more difficult, if the family is fully dependent on her/him.
Furthermore, if the writer is commercially and otherwise unsuccessful to draw readers and recognition, it is extremely difficult to maintain the tempo of writing by continuous self motivation by spending hard earned resources and time.
AuthorsWiki: Who among your friends or family or others gave you the most support during the writing of the book?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Undoubtedly, my family was my greatest strength and support. Some of my friends and readers are also my inspiration to write and publish. At times I feel, a critique and commenter may play havoc, even with negative motivation. Finally the society you live in is the best motivator, by sourcing and providing the right materials for writing in right time.
AuthorsWiki: What’s the most surprising thing you learned while writing your books?
Mrityunjoy Seal : In brief, holding a paperback copy and leafing through my published book gives me the best surprise that I could do it honestly and myself! Oh, it is incredible! I look at it as the most precious gift of God to help blossom my mental faculty, leaving a mark of self identity, even after my life.
AuthorsWiki: In which genre do you do the most writing? And is it easy to write in this genre?
Mrityunjoy Seal : I believe that the society and social beings ought to be the most contentious subject of my writing. Naturally, they appear in my writings in different roles and behaviours. I also find the current affairs involving the society and social beings as an apt source of my writing and presenting them with a pinch of humour and fun. At times, one may read them as a critique to social and political system. So my genre of writing is social epilogue in satirical tone, extracting an invariable lesson for the readers at the end of the book. Another genre of my writing is self-help, self-motivation and aiding the needy, lonely souls and helpless members of the society those I cannot reach out personally.
AuthorsWiki: What is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Determination of the span and spread of writing, and where to end are the most difficult aspects, so that it could create an indelible impression in the readers.
AuthorsWiki: How long does it take you to write a book?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Generally it takes longer to edit than writing a book. Honestly, after handling my regular professional assignments, I may take more than a year or so to complete writing a book depending on the volume. A compilation may take lesser time.
AuthorsWiki: What is a special achievement or memorable event in your life that you would like to share with our readers?
Mrityunjoy Seal : I was delighted when my books found a place in the display in a bookseller’s stall in the Kolkata International Book Fair in the Central Park, Salt Lake in January 2023 for the first time. Publisher’s support cannot be denied.
AuthorsWiki: Every writer has his own ideal; do you also have an ideal writer? And your favorite books that you always love to read?
Mrityunjoy Seal : I do not believe in one single ideal writer to follow. On different subjects, I would love to read different writers to extracts my lesson from the story. Given a choice, the great epic Mahabharata is my best read. I would like to read it as many times as I may get a chance to read.
यह भी पढ़ें – लेखकों के बीच पुस्तक प्रकाशन को लेकर कुछ गलत धारणाएं और अन्य महत्वपूर्ण जानकारियाँ
AuthorsWiki: Apart from being a writer, what other hobbies do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Mrityunjoy Seal : I love, nature photography, travelling at diverse location surrounded by natural beauty, watching plays and movies, particularly short movies, running you tube audio story channels and driving long distance in a congestion free road with great company.
AuthorsWiki: Are you planning to write or publish any book in future? If yes! So would you like to tell on which topic or genre the next book will be based?
Mrityunjoy Seal : My next publication is going to be a selected collection of forty Bengali short stories, in the genre of society and social being on contemporary burning issues.
AuthorsWiki: What important advice would you give a first-time author?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Start with writing short articles or stories or poems. Think about the target readers. Read as a reader and not as a writer. Ask yourself, what is the message you want to give them in your writing? Set an object of writing and do not make it a source of social disruption and communal disturbance. Do not copy (unless you need to quote) or never take help of AI or Chat GPT for writing your book.
AuthorsWiki: Would you like to continue in the world of writing in the future?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Given a choice, as of now I do not intend quitting the world of writing in the immediate future.
AuthorsWiki: This is the last question. What message do you want to give to your dear well wishers, readers and fans?
Mrityunjoy Seal : Please read my writings and keep on sending feedback. Your comments are my steps to improve upon my writing. Be critical and add value in your comments. Always keep in touch in course of reading my books. Enjoy reading.
In general, read more and more books, as a step to elevate your mind and soul to upper echelon of wisdom.
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