The bio note in one of my articles would read something like this: 

"Hasmita Chander is a professional writer with more than 200 pieces of her writing published in national and regional publications in seven countries. She runs a Web-based list called Writing in India for writers at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/writingindia/."

But if you're on this page to know more about me as a writer, read on below; if you want to know about me as a person, visit the Personal section of this site or read my blogs.
 

Why I do what I do:

I'm a writer. It took me a while to start being able to say this because I didn't know early enough that writing is what I wanted to do all my life. I didn't take up journalism or creative writing in college. Even though my English essays were read out in class. Even though I was writing and being published since high-school. The usual counsel was given when I said I wanted to write: there's no future in it, you can't always be inspired and what will you do then? I had no answer to the latter argument, and wasn't sure myself, so I reluctantly chose a different path.

I chose software engineering because I was good at Computer Science in school, and it was predicted to be the most in demand by the time I graduated. The prediction was true. I worked with computer graphics, multimedia and game development for a few years.

I was good at my job and I liked the work but it didn't excite me or fill me up the way reading and writing did. I began to find it hard to concentrate on the screen in front of me when my mind was buzzing with ideas to write about, pondering the subtleties of the English language, and generally distracting me from what I was supposed to be doing.

I felt guilty for letting my mind wander during company time. Yet, I wasn't sure writing would continue to excite me once I gave up my lucrative software career for it.

I made the decision to give it up anyway, after thinking over the pros and cons about 592 times. And I have been content doing what I want to, rather than what I had to, since I made that choice six years back--much lighter in the pocket, but lighter in the heart, too. 

So I am a writer after all. And to think I knew my mind and heart better when I was sixteen.
 

My writing style:

I love languages and grammar and vocabulary, but I prefer to communicate rather than to indulge in grandiose verbiage so everybody has a good time with the text, instead of just me.

My writing style has been described by readers as 'warm and friendly'. I like using simple, clear language. I enjoy the nuances of punctuation, so I try my best to use commas and semi-colons correctly. I divide what I have to say into paragraphs so that the reader feels like reading on instead of skipping parts.

Ethics are important to me and I don't care for plugging promotional material into my writing--even if it is for myself. For the same reason I try to weigh my articles so that they're not saying one-sided things or being judgmental.

I'm a stickler for deadlines. When I commit to a date for submitting something I'll do it no matter what, and on the rare, rare occasion that I can't, I explain in advance.
 

Hire me:

Do have a look at the types of writing I do, and contact me with your writing requirements. Even if your requirement is different from what is listed, where's the harm enquiring?