I remember the first piece I wrote that resonated with readers way back in 2000 about ‘ponnu parkal’ aka arranged marriages. For every person who agreed with me, I had an equal number disagree. I remember reading through the comments and thinking ‘they do not get it’. That lit something in me. I went on to write on my PC, saving notes here and there. Then, blogging happened. I copy pasted some of the notes and a whole lot of them got lost. I have seen my writing evolve over the years. From notes targeting people I know to rambling descriptions and playing around with my voice, I experimented and have now stuck to one style of writing. I struggle with tense, first person/third person narratives. I struggle with conversational style writing. Most times, I have a post written in my head that I know is awesome but when I actually sit down to write, it is a ghost of its original self. I berate myself and wonder what it would be like to have the patience to sit and edit. To craft your work for a particular audience. To know what works and what does not.
The pause from working full-time has given me an opportunity to think about it seriously. To that end, I started looking at writing workshops and classes I could take. I read about the The Writer’s Workshop at SFU somewhere and on an impulse checked it out. I liked the format and that it is only one year. The application deadline had passed. I wrote asking if I could still apply and a day later, I applied and got in.
So, this fall, I start on a new venture. A journey that will hopefully hone my writing and if I am sufficiently motivated, get me started on a book. I look forward to blogging about the experience.
Wish me luck on this journey.
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