A Journey To Savour! How I wrote 'Shadow In The Mirror' - Post 3: #MyFriendAlexa

October 2016: How the Journey began:

Journeys are exciting as they lead across winding paths to a destination that beckons across the horizon. My journey as a writer has been no less exciting. Over twelve years, I have traversed over blank sheets, filling them with higgledy-piggledy words that pranced across my mind. 

‘Shadow in the Mirror’ was a vague idea nestling within, an itch that refused to let me rest in peace. This was a story that had strong autobiographical elements in it, even though it was meant to be a thriller. When I wrote my first line, I realized how much more lay ahead of me. I sat up, burning the midnight oil, as characters, themes and narratives came to life. My protagonists were strong women, with nuances that made them different from one another. The tale had to be engaging; the twists had to grip. I felt myself falling in love with my characters, living their lives along with them.

Sometimes I would wrestle with a particularly tough portion, trying to juggle words. There were nights when I would write and rewrite, my eyelids getting heavier as the midnight hour struck, but I would plod on, determined to finish yet another section of my saga, as I yearned to have my readers relate to the characters within, and their little joys and sorrows, a few of whom were taken from real life. Often my daughter and my sisters would put in their pennyworth, even as my mother gave me heart-warming little snippets that made their way in as well. Thus, there was much of myself, and my family, that went into the final version.

When the words THE END were finally written, I felt a sense of profound happiness, as a bright new literary alleyway opened up. Twelve long years had gone by, when I had let my manuscript moulder in a dusty corner because life came in the way. On occasion, I would feel blue when a certain scene did not end up the way I wanted it to, but suddenly, a light bulb would flicker in my mind and lead me back on to the track.    

Team Readomania read my manuscript in the twelfth year and gave me a heads up. The style of writing and the story passed muster, but I had to cut out the unnecessary bits and prune the story in such a way that it shone.  “All those characters jostling around will confuse the readers,” I was advised.

                                                                              Ruth Hadfield

Heartbroken at having to cut down a few beloved characters, I used the pruning scissors sparingly at first, but as I went along, with the timely help of my editor, I began sensing a hazy outline which stood out, a story that would be powerful in its telling. With fresh impetus, I hacked away mercilessly at my beloved manuscript. This time, there were no tears because the road ahead was crystal clear. I had a story that had to be told, and I had a whole chunk of story that could be made into another standalone story, killing two birds with one stone, as it were.

Once the final narrative was approved, the edits began, as the manuscript went to and fro, like a harried shuttlecock over the nets. The blurb evolved, the endorsements waltzed in, and the acknowledgments and dedications added lustre to the book. There was one last element, probably one of the most significant ones left in the end. ‘Shadow in the Mirror’ needed the perfect cover to complete it, one that would grab the eyeballs and symbolize what the book was all about.

And voila, one fine morning, with myriad inputs, personal and professional, blended together, we had the perfect image before us. It took me time to understand the nuances that made it perfect, but once I got it, I could think of no better cover. It was as though a bright ray of sunshine had left a bit of warmth behind.

Today, as I wait to hold my precious book in my hands, I know that it will be a whole new experience, even though I am familiar with every segment that went into its making. I fervently hope that those words that I have given birth to will find a home within the hearts of my readers, for it is they that can give my book life, or strike it dead.

And as I wait in anticipation, Thomas Mann’s words resonate within my soul.

 “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”

This was a blog post written for Readomania.

Postscript: September 2018

In the year  2016, my book 'Shadow in the Mirror' was published by Readomania. Both Dipankar Mukherjee, head honcho (Readomania) and my editor, Vaijyanti Ghosh, put their hearts into making it the best they could.

There were two book launches, one in Chennai and one in Thrissur. The erudite writer and poet,  Mr. Sreekumar Varma, was gracious enough to launch my book at Cream Centre, Chennai along with a wonderful audience that consisted of my family members and my good friends.

Mr. Sreekumar Varma at the Chennai launch

Mr. Sreevalsan J. Menon handing over a  copy of the book to Mrs. Jaya Nagarajan as Prof. Jalaja looks on

The book at launch at Thrissur was held at the Hari Sri Vidya Nidhi School and well attended. The renowned musician, Sreevalsan J Menon, was kind enough to be the Chief Guest. He handed the book over to the Principal, Mrs. Jaya Nagarajan. I was honoured to have three of my old lecturers, Prof. Komala Kumari, Prof. Jalaja and Prof. Lakshman to do the honours.

Today, as I continue to write short stories, humorous articles, my latest being  (https://deepties.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-cornucopia-of-auto-drivers.html), articles on women and children, and blog posts on everything under the sun, I know that I am blessed to be part of a family that has always celebrated my writing. They have held my hand, read all my pieces, given suggestions and done everything they can to encourage me further.

                                       

My Family - My Universe!

What more validation does a writer need, after all?

Author's Note: I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter. Do go through my posts and do feel free to let me know how you feel. Thank you. #DeepTiesWrites

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