...I'm Alice in wonderland

1  The funny thing is, I kind of tripped into this amazing world of authors. I was watching the “Oscars”. It airs over here at some unearthly hour, like four in the morning, a Monday morning that too, and after that the week more or less becomes a non- week. But it’s a kind of ritual at home, and I was rooting for Leo di Caprio this year, although I knew he wouldn’t win it. (He will be awarded a posthumous Oscar- I hope I’m wrong- it’ll break my heart!) We also tweet furiously these days. (We were one of the millions who broke Twitter this year. J)

While I was tweeting, I got a message from an author, asking me to like his Facebook page. Being the pleasant person that I am, I did so and forgot all about it. I wasn’t very active on my Fb account those days, and it was a couple of days later that I logged on again. And I had about ten requests from authors. One of them told me that there was a Facebook event going on and invited me. That’s how my journey into this fantastical writing world began. I published Circle of Five on Amazon, and thought, you know, maybe people will read it, maybe they won’t. I had no idea that I had to market it. (Oh! I just realized that many of those books that you glance over in bookstores, called “Marketing Strategies 101”, “Ten steps to marketing success”, they could apply to me now. Huh! How about that?) I did message that author who sent me that message on Twitter, thanking him, and also telling him about the event I was going to, but I never heard from him after that. If you know who you are, thank you.

...it wasn't that brilliant

1.     The funny thing is I thought I was being brilliant, and may have even said so in my previous blog. But apparently I wasn’t. Most of the authors I approached gave me vague answers. I don’t think most of us know where the idea germinated. It just happened one day. We don’t record that day as momentous, because it’s only months or maybe years later when you’re finishing the book that you look back and wonder, ‘How did this shit start?’ But by then you’re too far in, you’re an author. You can’t go back. You’ve been bitten.


I did say most authors. The other authors vividly remember the moment that they got the idea. And to be honest, they were very earnest and it was rather boring. I won’t foist that on you. I actually remember getting the idea for one story when I was out jogging. I’ve learnt that I don’t have a very good memory and after years of, ‘Darn, what was that idea that I had this morning?’ I have started doing what the experts always tell budding authors-if you get an idea for a story, write it down. I quickly pulled my phone out and hurriedly tapped the outline into a mail to myself and ran into a tree. I still have the bruise. If anyone ever asks me how that story got started, boy, do I have a story for you. I even have a scar.

...it was a boring day

1.     Well, the funny thing is that I don't think I would have actually started my book if it hadn’t been for my kids. One boring day, we decided to make our lives a bit more interesting. The deal was that we start writing a chapter each, of a story, and mail it to each other every week. That’s how Circle of Five got started. As a chapter, that I sent to my kids. I must dig out that mail and reread the chapters they sent me. Maybe if I mail it back to them it would be an incentive for them to start writing. One can always dream! So as I’m writing this, right now, this minute, I’ve just thought of an idea. I won’t call it brilliant, me being modest and all. But there must have been a seed that started off a story in the head of an author. So, maybe it’ll make for an interesting discussion. A thought to ponder! How about I go through my journey to publishing my book and after (I promise not to go into details and bore you) , and as I come across decisions I made, why not pose those same questions to authors and see why they did what they did?