‘And what, you ask does writing teach us?
First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right.’ -Ray Bradbury
It was 2013 when I decided to chuck my corporate publishing career and buckle down to write and only write. For a long time, stories had been chattering in my head but I was always short on time and occasion. Finally, I was able to clear my mind of the irrelevancies and the tales came tumbling in. There were premises, back stories, characters, climaxes and conflicts vying for space and attention. But I was looking for something else…something that overwhelmed me so much that words would gush out spontaneously. And then TOI announced the WriteIndia Contest.
With wary fingers I tapped into the first prompt. It was Amish’s passage and as he happened to be one of my favourite authors, I wanted to know what he had come up with. The moment I read the prompt, I thought, ‘Well, that’s not very tough.’ Afterwards, I read his rules for the contest and was totally hooked. Almost at once I began research… to delve into the historical period and the region related to his passage. Of course, it helped that I am a great fan of the Paithani sari. To know about its origins and chronology was fascinating. I must admit that the story emerged quite easily as ideas dovetailed my findings. I think I took just a day to key it in, my fingers unable to keep pace because the words poured out so fast. Instead of my usual several drafts, this one hardly needed a couple of them, mainly to pinch in the word limit.
And I never expected to win.
Truly, I did not believe it when WriteIndia tweeted the name of the winner. ‘It must be some other Sutapa Basu,’ I told my friends. Even after WriteIndia called me, it took quite a while to sink in. But when approbations, first from Amish himself and now from readers, began coming my way, I am convinced. It was attestation that my passion was in the right place…that my writing had the requisites to reach hearts. This validation has given me immense satisfaction and was my greatest takeaway from WriteIndia.
For the next ten months I followed the contest very closely and read all the prompts. There were three more passages that made my heart beat faster and I sent off submissions for at least two of them. They didn’t make the mark. Now when I read the winning stories, I realize why. The winners are brilliant, out-of-this-world stories!
My journey with WriteIndia was also momentous because at each step, I was aware of witnessing history being made. Never before in the realm of Indian writing in English has such a unique platform been provided to aspiring writers. It was an undreamt-of opportunity to write for and be vetted by best-selling authors. It is like a fairytale come true to win a seat on a stage that the entire nation is focused on.
As one of my co-winners has so succinctly put it, there will be numerous WriteIndia seasons but nobody can take away from us the honour of being winners of the very first season of this prestigious event. It has been a privilege to be mentored by the some of the greats in the field. However, what has given me enormous pleasure has been meeting and interacting with the other talented and skilled writers. It has been a lesson in humility to meet writer prodigies such as Prapti and Shachee…I cannot imagine what galaxies they will walk by the time they are out of their teens. I’m so proud to be part of such an esteemed group and hope we will remain in touch even after all the writers become successful best-selling authors, as they very certainly will. More power to their pens!
Another impressive learning came from the WriteIndia team led by our gracious Vinita Nangia. Throughout the contest, they remained steadfast and on course despite many a criticism. The glittering seven-star book launch ceremony at Mumbai was unprecedented. Hardly any in the publishing world has seen a gathering of so many star authors on one platform pursuing one endeavor. It was no mean feat and consequence of tremendous behind-the-scene efforts. Whether it was Gunjan, Surabhi or Kalpana, each one’s smiling patience sans meals or rest is to be lauded. Not only has the WriteIndia team accomplished a brilliant triomphe but I was touched by the kind of effort they put in to make all of us, winners, feel so very special. I cannot say enough to express my appreciation.
My promenade with WriteIndia has been a gift of expediential learning and I would recommend it to everyone. While we wait eagerly for WriteIndia Season 2 to begin the thrill again, let me remind you of what Amy Tan says,
‘Writing is an extreme privilege but it’s also a gift. It’s a gift to yourself and it’s a gift of giving a story to someone’
I urge each one of you who believes there might be a dormant writer inside you to give it an honest try. WriteIndia is a journey like no other. Get on the bus as fast as you can. No excuses; let nothing make you miss the trip.
All rights reserved. Copyright@Sutapa Basu 2016
