I have tried writing in all the above mentioned genres: Non-Fiction | Fiction | Classic Indian Mythology. Before sharing my answer, I wanted to provide a brief background on these three areas in which I have written.
Non-Fiction
When I wrote my first book on Healthcare IT, I didn’t even know I was writing something called Non-Fiction. I even self-edited the book, and you will notice I probably didn’t do much of a great job, as the book has many 😊. I wrote the book without much guidance, but I did have some experience, which came from my engineering days, when I co-authored a book on Electromagnetic Fields and Waves (EMF).
For EMF, I used to write new chapters (mind you, handwritten), solve mathematical problems on paper, and review them once the print copy of the file was available. In some cases, the publisher had lost the editable file, and I would try to see if I could use an online OCR to scan the page, read the detailed mathematical formulas easily, and convert it into an editable document, which could help reduce some typing effort. However, nothing worked, so there was no choice for the publisher but to get them retyped. I was highly enthusiastic because, on a small pamphlet, I noticed my name as co-author printed in bold on the right side, in the fourth row. More than me, my grandfather was elated, and he praised me a lot. However, my happiness was short-lived, as the project initially got delayed. I even suggested that I could create custom software using Scilab, which would enable students to solve complex problems more effectively. But after many years and constant follow-up, the project was shelved due to competition and other constraints. However, there was immense learning from this failure, as I gained a deeper understanding of the editing process and how publishers operate, including how they select projects based on market needs.
Fiction
When I decided to venture into writing Fiction, I wrote one chapter and shared it with one of my students. She read it and said, It looks like a chapter on Risk Management. Even though I decided to write a Novel, I really wasn’t writing Fiction; I was still writing Non-Fiction. It was then that I considered taking a course. I immediately searched the internet, and the first link I saw was that of the British Council Library’s course on Creative Writing. I quickly enrolled in the course, which was starting the same weekend. It was then that I realized the meaning of all these genres and how some of them can be interlinked. After completing a couple of courses and spending nearly six months writing (often with sleepless nights), I finally had the first draft of my novel ready, which was a whopping sixty thousand words. I self-edited the book, as I was told not to fear reading your own content again and again. The best part of this journey was that I understood the method to the madness. How to create and develop characters, describe scenes vividly, use dialogue, and assign names. In the third part of my novel, I even explored adding Romance, as the earlier parts had a very subtle element of this.
Indian Mythology | Retelling Indian Classics
The year was Feb 2021, and it was the first time I heard the Bhagwat Puran. I liked what I heard, so I ordered a Sanskrit/English version from Amazon. I thought I would write stories from the Bhagwat Puran, but life had other plans, as I went on to publish three parts of my novel. In July 2023, I heard the 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏𝒅, but it was being read in Sanskrit, and I didn’t understand the meaning. So, I purchased two English versions of the Valmiki Sundarakanda: one was a pocket-sized, concise, and summarized book, while the other was a Sanskrit-to-English translation by R. Vishwanathan. It took me some time to pick up the second book, but when I read it, I was amazed by the depth, learnings, and vividness showcased in the 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏𝒅.
In May 2024, I wrote a short blog titled “Tales of HH – Calmness before the Storm,” which covered around the initial 40 verses of the 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏𝒅. Little did I know that in July 2025, I would decide to take a Leap of Faith and write 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏𝒅, in my own way, where the reader feels they are part of the journey along with Hanumanji. The First part covers 12 Sargams/Chapters of the 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒊𝒌𝒊 𝑹𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒏.
So, what is easier to write?
Each genre has its own set of requirements, and above all, you need to research any topic to make it realistic. Personally, retelling the Sunderkand was a complex task, as it required extensive research, considerable creativity, and careful word choice, given that people have a strong emotional connection with the Sunderkand. However, if you have a knack for writing and love the process, every genre can become easy and rhythmic.