Coffee on the Couch @Positive News for You: Episode Forty-two: Anurag Batham (2024)

Relative quoted excerpts from this podcast interview
Chris: "As a writer and journalist, you have a unique platform to explore diverse narratives. Can you share how your creative process unfolds when crafting stories that captivate audiences and evoke emotions?"

Anurag: "For most of my writings, I focus on unique concepts that I've developed. I see a writer as either a soldier or a general. A general lays out a strategy before executing anything, while a soldier improvises on the battlefield. Similarly, a writer can either create a detailed outline or just dive in and write. Personally, I'm more like a soldier—I don't usually make detailed strategies. For example, if I'm writing about a topic like Warzone Mobile, I might start with a single line and let ideas flow from there."

Chris: "I can relate to that. In addition to podcasting, I work as a freelance writer for a digital newspaper. I often find myself without a strict strategy, just bullet points and a general idea of what I want to include."

Anurag: "Many writers struggle with where to start. I always tell them to just put whatever comes to mind on paper. Ideas will come automatically once you start. This approach is often called free writing. I open a Google Doc and start typing, even if it doesn't make sense at first. Eventually, good ideas start to flow."

Chris: "Exactly. I heard a podcast discussing this. They said people are taught to write in a structured academic way, but to truly engage audiences, you need to just write and let the ideas come naturally."

Anurag: "Yes, just write. Whatever comes to mind, put it down. Readers want to read your thoughts, so let them flow freely. Even if you start with 'I don't know what to write,' it can lead to great ideas."

Chris: "It's surprising how effective that can be. Once you get over the initial hurdle, the ideas start flowing, and you can build on that momentum.
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Chris: "So you like to write and report on things within your niche. How about reading? Is that a passion of yours?"

Anurag: "Actually, if you're a writer, reading should be a priority. Without being a reader, you cannot be a writer."

Chris: "I agree, but nowadays, it's odd. Some people love writing but don't like reading at all."

Anurag: "That's not good. They must read. Reading should come next. My first book was Harry Potter, but I read it in Hindi, my native language. The imagination from J.K. Rowling's mind was amazing. I later read the English version, and it had the same effect."

Chris: "Sometimes reading books in different translations can lose some meaning or tone. Did you notice that?"

Anurag: "Yes, and to overcome this, people should read slowly, focusing on quality over quantity. As non-native English speakers, we can miss the author's point if we rush. Go sentence by sentence to truly understand. There was a writer, mentioned by Salman Rushdie, who took 850 days to write a 220-230 page book, exploring each sentence deeply. Quality over quantity is important. In today's fast-paced world, people often gather information without understanding it. Even if I read just 10-15 books in my lifetime, I'd prefer to understand them deeply. It's like climbing one mountain a thousand times rather than climbing a thousand mountains once."

Chris: "You mentioned reading Harry Potter. What's your favorite genre to read?"

Anurag: "I read everything, but not much into romantic novels, even though I'm a hopeless romantic. I prefer action genres, like Tom Clancy, and fiction like 'Snow Crash.' Currently, I'm reading 'The Forever War' by Dexter Filkins. I enjoy war documentaries, commentaries, and exploring important topics like wars, climate, and art. People often misunderstand art, thinking those in creative fields don't know what to do in life. That's a common mentality.

Links:

https://anuragwrites.medium.com/

https://www.facebook.com/anurag.batham.1

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anurag-batham-012053227/

https://x.com/onelogophile

My personal links:

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lafreniere

Email:cl71088@gmail.com

Calendly: https://calendly.com/cl71088

Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/baileyville-me/coffee-on-the-couch-podcast

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