Inside the Mind - Jasveer Dangi

My father had been in the printing industry all his life, and he was my biggest inspiration for becoming a writer. He instilled in me and my siblings the habit of keeping a daily journal, and two of my earlier books were inspired by chapters I had already written in my journals. What began in 2018 with my first book, which was largely based on my journals, has now grown into a journey of 15 books across a variety of genres.

Camera on His Shoulder is neo-noir detective odyssey set in 1980s India, where perception bleeds into betrayal. As Detective Shah unravels a labyrinth of forgeries, smuggling rings, and false identities trailing a missing woman's cryptic path, the watcher's gaze proves pivotal in piercing the mystery.

My source for stories and characters is everyday life. I am a keen observer of my surroundings, and many of my characters are inspired by real people. My latest character, Detective Pat Shah, in Camera on His Shoulder, was inspired by actor Satish Shah. I loved his portrayal of Commissioner D’Mello in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. While Shah’s character in the film was negative, I adapted some of his mannerisms and personality traits to create Pat Shah, the hero of my story. Pat is a burnt-out detective. Unlike Shah's portrayal, Pat isn’t particularly smart-looking, he is messy and disorganized, yet beneath all of that is a brilliant detective. I wanted to create a character who feels real and imperfect; someone whose appearance and behaviour might make you underestimate him, but whose instincts and intelligence tell a very different story.

I am not a disciplined writer. For me, writing can happen anytime and anywhere. It is all about my brain ticking and an idea taking shape. I don’t need a particular setting or environment to write. Many of my ideas have been born while travelling on public transit. In fact, one of my earlier works, The Metro-Maniac Chronicles, was written entirely while travelling on the Delhi Metro.

I am an entrepreneur by nature, and being an indie author feels much like running my own business. It has given me the opportunity to learn so many things; from designing book covers and editing to marketing and promotion, while wearing multiple hats and taking responsibility for my own decisions. The indie author in me keeps me active all the time. If I am not writing or editing, I am probably working on marketing, promotion, or figuring out the next thing that needs to be done.

One word to describe my challanges as an indie author - Marketing.

Nothing specific, I am very flexible.

Don't wait too long to get your work out. Set a realistic deadline to get your queries accepted by traditional publishers, and beyond that explore self-publishing. Too much delay in getting your book out might make it redundent.

I use multiple approaches, from social media marketing and Google and Amazon ads to physical marketing, such as having my books displayed at book festivals. Networking within the literary community has also helped me tremendously. I actively volunteer with various author and literary communities, which has allowed me to build meaningful connections while also creating opportunities to promote my books. For me, marketing is not limited to paid advertising; being part of the literary community and building genuine relationships has been equally valuable.

I am currently working on multiple books, ranging from a science-fiction story and an action-adventure novel to a short-story anthology and a coming-of-age story about a couple dealing with old age and the complications that come with it. Most of these projects are currently in the querying stage. In 2026, I have already launched Camera on His Shoulder and republished second editions of two of my earlier books. So, I am in no rush with my new stories. I want to give them plenty of time to go through the querying process and, hopefully, find the right publisher for each one.