I love being a writer. Period! It’s something that makes me jump out of bed every morning. It speeds up my heartbeat and transports me to a whole new world. A world full of challenges and possibilities, of guts and glory and of happy endings. Ever since I was a child I loved happy endings. I think we all do. I remember sitting in a corner of my room engrossed in a good novel (Mostly Hardy Boys while growing up) and waiting for the climax to get over. As I grew older I started writing my own stories and every time I created some sort of tension in my stories I wouldn’t find peace until I had it resolved. But, the beauty of a story lies in the tension. There are many difficulties I have faced and continue to face as a writer, but there’s one in particular I still haven’t found a decent solution too.
Difficulties I faced (and still face)
- Time- I live in an extended joint family and am a mom to a very naughty four year old boy. He’s the apple of my eye but at times it does get difficult to juggle different roles at the same time. As a fiction writer, I need to think like my lead character and playing house does get in the way of me creating a different world for my characters. This pandemic brought the families closer and there’s no denying to that but, writing is a profession for introverts and it can get messy while you’re penning down a thriller while also playing positive roles in real life.
- Space- As Virginia Woolf rightfully stated in her essay, A room of one’s own, women don’t have the luxuries of having their own office/writing space. I overcame this difficulty last year (thanks to my father in law) who generously transformed the living room into my office! Very few women are blessed even in today’s modern times and I happen to be one. But I too faced this issue where I didn’t have a dedicated space to my writing. I happened to write on my smartphone so I would end up writing in my bedroom or the dining area or at times even while commuting to my school (where I was a teacher).
Why is having a space important?
- It automatically wires you up for the task i.e. writing.
- You don’t have to worry about cleaning it up for eating or sleeping in after completing your work.
- You stay focused and alert and not hungry or lazy.
These were just some of the reasons why space matters. There can be more and I’d love for you to share them.
- Mindset- A writer’s job is to write. True! But that’s not all. A writer spends a lot of time reading, researching, observing and interviewing people who are relevant to the story line. I know it because I do so. When I first started writing I didn’t know that as a story teller I’d have to do a lot of research as well. So the first time I got stuck with my story I realized it’s not going to be cake walk for me. I had to interview at least two people per novel that I’ve written so far and have gobbled up relevant articles on the internet related to my plot. It took me an entire novel to change my mindset but honestly, it still freaks me out a little.
The hardest thing-
The hardest thing I faced as a writer was making people read my stories. It’s still difficult. When you take writing as a profession you want people to at least read your work, and that happened with me too. I would be lying if I say that I don’t care if people read my books or not. I do care! And the expectation is the hardest thing I ever faced and still continue to face as a writer. What’s the hardest thing you ever faced while writing a book? Share your thoughts down below.
Hey, did you read my latest short story on Kindle? It’s a paranormal thriller by the name of House Number 27. It’s the prequel to Forever Yours which you can read here for FREE! I do hope you read my stories and share your feedback with me. See! I still can’t overcome expectations J
Love,
Ritiqa Pachauri.
