You gotta start somewhere

On a beautiful Saturday evening as I was sitting by my window and enjoying the gentle touch of the fresh cool breezing air on my face and gazing at the people strolling around me, children on their bicycles, and hawkers selling fruits and vegetables in their carts, in parallel, I was thinking about my writing. I usually jot down points and ideas whenever something crops my mind. I let it gestate.Then when I want to write , I pick up one and start. Suddenly a thought crossed my mind – I have written about how I went to start and publish my blog but I haven’t shared how my journey of writing began. Voila !! I knew what I wanted to write about and this is what you will be reading in this post. 

I am not a person who writes a journal daily, but yes I do pen down my thoughts, emotions, and feelings once in a while. Be it happy moments or dull ones. It’s nice to flip through those pages and relive those happy moments again but for the sad ones, I let them remain buried in those pages.

While I was writing and expressing my feelings, I realised that I speak my mind. There were times when I could not communicate certain things directly to someone. I would be lost for words, or what is that person going to think, should I or should I not tell -these were thoughts that would constantly run through my mind. At times, the communication would be directed in a different direction, one thing leading to another and the crust of the matter to be discussed would be left untouched. 

Then came this idea to me, since I know that I express it clearly and crisply while I jot things down, why don’t I follow the same? It did work. Ideas and feelings were conveyed and there was little room for any argument as well. But then, I kept all this to myself. This process continued and I was content.

Back then with a baby, I found it difficult to read books. I wanted to make it a habit unlike earlier to read regularly. I somehow felt that maybe reading on a digital platform would be helpful and handy. I searched for online content and I did find some free reading applications. One evening when I was in the park with my little one and in conversation with my friend, she told me about Pratilipi. She was using the app and vouched for it. The first thing I did after coming home was to download the app.

I read a couple of stories. As I was exploring the site, I noticed a small icon that said: “Write”.It meant we could write and publish on any topic. ( If you are an aspiring writer and looking for a platform to write and publish, do explore it. They also conduct competitions. I have participated and won too. This is not a promotional post but I am thankful that it gave me a platform to start somewhere. Even to this day, I continue writing in the app). I kept thinking about it for a few days. I wasn’t sure if I should go ahead. I discussed this with my friends and they said that I should write and publish. Why not give it a try? When I told my husband about it, he too had the same opinion.

Okay, it was clear to me that I would be writing. Then came the million-dollar question-On what should I write? My mind was boggling. I asked my husband to suggest a few topics which might make things easier for me. One such topic that he suggested and which caught my interest was my motherhood/pregnancy journey. I immediately took a book and a pen and started writing. Edited a couple of times and then the final draft was typed and published – “Miracles Happen”.

I shared the same with my friends and my work was appreciated. This gave me the courage to write on a public platform. Then I wrote a short fiction story titled- “The Love letter-Distance Matters”. This was the topic of the day in the app (each day a topic is mentioned and authors can write about it.That day the topic was “Love letter”). I sat and thought about a romantic storyline and published it. The same friend who told me about this app suggested that the story is so touching and wished I had more to tell about it. Then it struck me that I should write a series. I converted the short story into a series. It was my first attempt at writing a series and yes, I did fairly well. I received good feedback and was happy about my imagery skills.

After this, I continued writing whenever I had the time. I slowly made it a habit to write regularly. Consistency is the key. At times, when I was criticised for my writing ability, initially I was hurt, but then I learned to take what I felt was necessary for my improvement and growth. People will troll for whatever you do but then if you have to move forward, you need to know what and how much to absorb. That is precisely what I am doing. 

Then came the idea of starting a blog. That I had published earlier in my post “ What was I waiting for?”. I slowly started writing and exploring different genres- Fiction (short story/series), Non-fiction, Be candid (open conversation on a generalised topic), and beauty tips . I slowly gained confidence and faith in what I was doing. Unlike on the app where certain topics were specified and I had to write on them (earlier),now I can write on any topic of my interest. When I look back at my articles and what I am writing today, It’s been almost 20 months and I see the difference in my work. I was naive back then and today I have improved a lot as a writer and there is still much more to work on and improvise. I may not be the best but I am glad that I embarked on this journey. It had to start somewhere. It is something that I love doing and every day there is a chance for me to learn, grow, and eventually, I will get there.

Do read my posts on my website. Connect with me on my Instagram page akshatashanbhagblog.

It’s my effort and dedication that you will be reading. 

If you are interested in reading, these are links about the articles mentioned above: 

• Miracles Happen: https://akshatashanbhag.com/pcos/
• The Love Letter- Distance Matters https://akshatashanbhag.com/the-love-letter-distance-matters
• What was I waiting for? :  https://akshatashanbhag.com/waiting/