Anurag Shourie, a poet at heart, an author by choice and an anesthesiologist by profession. He is the author of India’s first Medical Thriller- ‘Half a Shadow’. He has degrees in medicine and hospital management in his kit, but love for the written word in his soul. An ardent Ruskin Bond fan, his short stories and poems have been published in national and international anthologies.

His poetic wares are on display at his blog- The Voiceless Soliloquy (dranuragshourie.blogspot.in). He can be reached at sdranurag9@gmail.com. You can follow him at @dranuragshourie (Twitter) and shourieanurag (Instagram).

What is the story behind your book? Where did you get your idea for the book?

The seeds of my story were sown on a stormy December night when I was called on to administer anesthesia to a patient of road traffic accident who was to undergo a potentially lifesaving surgery. We were a team of three anesthesiologists who had just returned to the hospital campus after attending a cocktail party. To my horror, I realized that my fellow doctors were pretty much under the influence of liquor. I was a first-year resident at that time and had a harrowing time during the course of the surgery. Fortunately, all went well but the thought that any anything could have gone wrong that tumultuous night kept on nagging me for months to follow.

This “episode” formed the basis of my book- “HALF A SHADOW”. The question- “What if a doctor commits a medical blunder while under the influence of alcohol” is the central theme of my book.

To know more about the story, well, you need to buy the book and read it.

Challenges you faced while writing this book and in your life as an author?

When I started writing my debut novel, there was no timeline that I had set for myself. I was not even sure whether I would be able to finish penning down my maiden venture. The story underwent a lot of changes as the years passed by. At one juncture, a close friend of mine commented that my story resembled the movie “Madhumati”. I had never watched this timeless classic but acting upon my buddy’s feedback, I made drastic changes to the storyline; only the premise remained the same.

Once, the writing process was done with, the hardest part stared at me. Getting published is not easy for debutante authors, especially if you are against vanity publishing. But that’s another story.

What is your life mantra?

“Live and let live”.

What is your writing process like?

I am an instinctive writer. There are days when I go about without writing even a single word. And then there are some days when my creativity as a writer lets itself loose on barren sheets of paper. But I have realized that in order to be more productive as a writer, I need to be in control of my urges to some extent at least.

Anything special about your book that you want to share?

“Half A Shadow” is India’s first Medical Thriller with elements of supernatural in it. There is also a dash of Mythology in this cocktail . It is a haunting saga of unbridled lust, unrequited love, unprecedented mayhem and unfinished lives…

According to you, what are the three qualities an author must have to achieve success?

To be honest, I cannot highlight any quality in particular. Moreover, I am only one book old. So, to sermonize on what goes into the making of a successful author would be sacrilegious.

What are your plans for next book?

I am already working on my next book- a thriller. The chapter outline is ready and a couple of chapters have been scripted. I intend to finish the first draft by the end of next month.

What advice do you have for young writers?

The 3 Ps- patience, persistence and PAIN…If you are endowed with these three, you can create art. Everything else will follow suit.

Share a quote or line that has been your inspiration.

“From out of pain, beauty.”