The ‘Write’ Story
Journey of a novice writer to an author
My self confidence as a writer had taken a severe beating when I had to resign from my full time job as a PR professional way back in May 2009.
15 years ago, when I woke up to the fact that I no longer have to rush through my morning routine to head to office, a sense of gloom engulfed me. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to shake this feeling of ‘nothingness’. With social media at it’s nascent stage, there was no place(virtual) to vent my ire or hunt for a job!
My dad, with a newspaper in hand noticed my fidgety nature and suggested, ‘Why don’t you start writing for this newspaper’. The newspaper in question was Deccan Herald, a leading daily in Karnataka(southern state in India). Initially i dismissed his idea as ridiculous. But after giving much thought, I emailed a letter to the editor. Days rolled by and no reply popped up on my ‘hotmail’ account. Thankfully, my dad managed to befriend a person who worked in the advertisement section of this newspaper.
Soon enough, I met him and submitted an anecdote. He read through the entire piece and said, ‘It’s left to the editor’s discretion to publish your article’. I meekly nodded and headed home. Days rolled into months but there was no intimation from their office.
My second visit to the Deccan Herald office put my fears to rest when the editorial department confirmed that my debut piece would be published in the ‘Classifieds’ section of the newspaper. Though, I failed to understand their logic, I took solace in the fact that my writing would finally see the light of the day, albeit in the most unpopular section!
When my first article got published, the collective joy in my house knew no bounds. After a few days, it was evident that except for my parents and husband nobody had bothered to read this piece, which was incidentally a hilarious take on my encounters with household pests like lizards, rodents etc.
This ‘limited’ views article gave me the much needed self-confidence and motivation to pursue my passion for writing! Since then, I have contributed many articles to various newspapers in India and have also ghost written blogs, speeches, press releases etc for various corporate houses and individuals alike.
Even to this day, my dad’s words of encouragement and the support rendered by my husband, mother, daughter and son continues to inspire me to hone my writing skills!
From writing articles to becoming an editor, the journey has been long, but nevertheless rewarding. As an editor, I feel blessed to have a friend like Dwitiya who offered me the job of editing an Ayurvedic book on wellness called Food Guru. Though the book helped me understand the nuance of editing, the urge to write a book lingered on my mind.
Providence came knocking on my door when my mother’s cousin urged me to write a biography on her famous father, who was a flutist par excellence and a remarkable human being.
It’s been more than 27 years since I started writing. Recently when my first book got published, I quickly jogged through memory lane recounting the fears, apprehensions I have had about my own writing. I don’t claim to be a prolific writer, but my passion for writing continues to grow strong day on day!
In fact, every time, my article sees the light of the day, be it on medium or newspaper, the joy I experience is akin to the one when my debut article was published!
Key Message: Writing is something nobody can snatch from you. If you have the passion, you are bound to excel!
