Happy New Year! You have three rejections!
About fresh rejections and updates about my creative life
Most of a writer’s journey relies on self-motivation. Very rarely do writers get commissioned to write books. Few lucky ones do. I had to remind myself that rejection is the norm and that one could never really predict how a work is received.
I recently received three major rejections for my writing. I had expected atleast one of them to click. I usually set out goals for my writing every year and when I don’t meet these goals, I tend to be hard on myself. Depending on external validation can be a big trap. It never ends. I was low, wondering why the year had to begin this way.
What are they really looking for?
Is it the writing?
Is it my idea?
Is it my profile?
Are all the years of writing and publications for nothing?
Why am I so crazy about writing? It’s like shooting in the dark. One never knows what will work. So much effort and time goes into it. The time one spends on writing is time spent away from other lucrative things. Let’s face it, there’s little or no money in writing. One prays to get lucky.
Apna time kab aayega?
I asked myself many questions like these that didn’t exactly help.
These questions won’t go away, they come back with every fresh rejection. I’m trying to get over it by taking control and writing anyway. I keep looking at these small posters I made for myself. They are beside my writing desk to help me on bad writing days.
Hoping that the rest of the year proves to be a little better.
Here are some other updates from my creative life-
Word games: I’m playing Wordle just like every other literary game nerd out there. I like that you can only play it once a day. It’s easy to get addicted to these games and spend more time on the phone than needed.
Podcast: Books and Beyond with Bound is back! Season 4 is out. Three episodes are waiting for you. You might become a little more aware of climate change once you listen to our episode with Amitav Ghosh.
Films: I recently watched The Lost Daughter and Winter’s Bone, both are adaptations of novels. Please watch them if you’re looking for stories featuring leads who struggle to keep their families afloat. Women are often expected to sacrifice a lot to keep things running at home. I would love to know your thoughts on these!
Session on writers’ lesser known works: I recently conducted a session on lesser known works with The Quarantine Train. The discussion explored the works of writers who shot to fame with one particular work and whose other works stay obscure. For example- Anthony Burgess is known for A Clockwork Orange, JD Salinger is known for A Catcher in the Rye, Hanya Yanagihara is known for A Little Life. Why were their other works not as popular? As a writer, I don’t think anyone can predict how their writing will turn out. What makes a writer’s work stand out then? The plot? The writing? The fact that it has been adapted or has own an award? Or all of the above? If you have any inputs on this, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Mid-Day Review: My debut chapbook Gulf that came out last year was recently reviewed by Jane Borges (Author of Bombay Balchao) for Mid-Day. Chuffed that I’m sharing page space with the dynamic Kamal Haasan sir. Admire his talent and hardwork! Chachi 420 was one of my favourite films as a child.
A brief interview: Writer to Writer
I read Prateek Nigam’s story The Right Man Is Just Around The Corner in Out of Print recently, I couldn’t help but ask him these questions to which he so kindly obliged. Read the story and then read our chat below-
M: What inspired the story?
P: The story started as a response to a prompt at a workshop. The prompt was to describe a third date where the man cooks. I figured, perhaps the third date is too late to be inviting anyone over to their place. Instead of a date, it was going to be a hookup, and hookups are all about efficiency and function. And wouldn’t it make so much more kind if the host offered you a meal. But did the host really go through all the trouble to make it for you? The story developed around the cooking scenes and the ones based in the kitchen.
M: How did you go about creating the dynamic?
P: I wanted to capture a sense of unattainability. Aniket is drawn to everything he is not, and everything Nishant is - straight passing, partnered, a man of taste, a man of means. So I knew that Aniket is going to be pining for something he desires or someone he desires to become. And he may. But he is young. He is new to the city, new to this game. At the same time, I did not want Nishant to be cruel, or unkind, or rude. So I had to work and re-work their exchange to soften the edge to get the tone right. The fact that Nishant is so within reach one moment, and so distant the next is the kind of thing that causes most heartache, anguish, and growth.
M: Favourite queer stories
P:"A Small Sacrifice For An Enormous Happiness" - Jai Chakrabarti
"Here is What you Do " - Chris Dennis
"Maly Maly Maly" - Anthony Veasna So
Anything by Allan Gurganus.
Hope you liked hearing about how Jan 2022 has been for me.
Please do share what you’ve been upto! I’m looking for recommendations and inspiration from your journey.