05 Jul An Exciting Update

I have some exciting news to share with you today.

And because it’s Camp NaNoWriMo month again, this news is even more special as I work towards completing my novel.

Before I give the big news, let me share with you a small update about my novel.

When I had first attempted Camp NaNoWriMo in April, I had no idea how to write a novel. And because it was my first attempt at writing in such a challenge, I had kept my sights low. My initial target was 10,000 words, which I revised to 20,000 in the first week itself. I ended the month and won the challenge at 28,000 words.

I am pleased to say that I have a word count of almost 50,000 words and this is only my second draft. I do realise that it would go through ruthless chopping in the editing phase, making the word count come down again, so my attempt is to write scenes or dialogues that are critical to the plot and take the story further. That way, they may survive the brutal round of editing.

The July edition of Camp NaNoWriMo is here. Unfortunately, things have been a bit delayed this month but I hope to get back on track soon. And while that is but a minor setback, there is this big development that keeps my spirits buoyed.

Because a picture is equivalent to a thousand words, I shan’t tell you but instead will show you what the big news is.

The news of this victory had come as a gigantically, gargantuanically, colossally monumental surprise at the end of a particularly depressing and difficult day. (Sorry, I just wanted to break the tautology rule!)

What makes it every more special is that the contest was for satire/humour, hence, the title ‘MockTales’. Now anyone who has written humour would know how difficult it can be to write humour. There are various pitfalls and fears, like a joke that may fall flat or be taken the wrong way.

Humour is one of the best forms of allievating the stress that’s there in our lives. It is also a wonderful tool to use while raising difficult issues like the purpose of our existence. (I know I exist for the sole purpose of proving the existence of aliens on Earth!)

Offending people or hurting their sentiments unintentionally is something we are constantly trying to avoid. And on top of all that, there is nothing worse than a joke badly narrated so that it loses it essence.

I am so thrilled to be a part of something like this. It feels as good as being a published author as my work is actually getting published in a book, and that too by a traditional publisher – Readomania. (For some reason, I was really keen that a traditional publisher pick up my work.) It feels really special because now  not only has that desire come true, but also on the platform or scale it has come true on. Some of my co-authors are published authors, one is an award-winning screenwriter, and most are well-known names in the Indian publishing/writing industry with multiple books and anthologies to their credit. It is a heady feeling, and I am struggling to keep myself from fainting out of excitement.

The results for the submission for Times of India’s Write India campaign are still awaited. I shall surely share them with you when they are out.

Meanwhile, the other big news that I had promised to you long back is still under works and shall be revealed soon. I promise! The wait’s been longer than expected , I know. Work got delayed on my novel as well as on this ‘news’ as I was out of town for a family emergency. But now that I am back, I am rushing to get things back on track.

The victory in the anthology contest by Readomania is working wonders in keeping me motivated. 😀 😀