Truth At Heart
by Anju Gattani
A writer’s life is hard. A woman’s life is tough. But a woman-writer’s life is grueling. I’m not saying this because I’m a woman or a writer--in actual fact, I’m both. I’m saying this because I’ve watched my children grow, get better and stronger with age, and have pretty much always been there for them 24/7. I’m saying this because I’ve watched my manuscript grow from one story to a series of books, become better and stronger with age, and have pretty much always been there for it 24/7.
I pack (and still do) my kids’ lunches every morning. I listen to their problems, their issues at school, and wave goodbye with promises of “Today’s a new day!” I listen to my husband’s problems, his issues at work and empathize with the tiring routine (now) of flying out every Mondays, returning on Thursdays and wave goodbye on Monday again with promises that “Today’s a new day!”
For nine long years I waved everyone off with enthusiasm, encouraging them to make the best of the rat-race in life. It didn’t matter if we were living in Australia, Singapore, India or the US, the walls and decor simply changed. The neighbors and friends grew with each move. But the door I’d close, the burden of a lonely manuscript waiting to be completed and the uncertainty if I’d ever become a published author were constants. I’d sit with my characters and wonder… will they ever be real like the family I waved goodbye to every morning? Would they also have stories of their own to share? Would they raise issues that would need thought, analysis and empathy? Would they ever become real or remain cardboard?
The more I rewrote and shared this with women friends, the more I realized DUTY AND DESIRE, the debut in my ‘Winds of Fire’ series, wasn’t just fiction but women’s fiction. But when women, I barely knew, came up to me at random and repeated the dialogues and themes underlying my fiction I realized I wasn’t just writing women’s fiction, but realistic fiction. I waved new friends off with the promise I’d let them know when the manuscript was finally a published book.
The manuscript is now a published book, in hardcover, digital format and available worldwide.
I still pack school lunches. I still listen, empathize and preach “Today’s a new day!” I still have another manuscript – another constant – waiting to be completed. And I have come to realize this is the burden of being a woman. We don’t just carry our stories but the stories of those around us.
Some are able to put the words on paper.
Others choose to keep them inside.
But no matter what the decision,
women are the same world-wide.
* * *
Anju Gattani, fiction author, freelance journalist and former news reporter, has been published for over 2 decades in leading Asian and US publications. DUTY AND DESIRE, her debut novel, is available worldwide in hardcopy and on: Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo and all Apple products. Visit Anju at: www.anjugattani.com, Twitter: @Anju_Gattani, Facebook: Anju Gattani Author ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Anju Gattani
A writer’s life is hard. A woman’s life is tough. But a woman-writer’s life is grueling. I’m not saying this because I’m a woman or a writer--in actual fact, I’m both. I’m saying this because I’ve watched my children grow, get better and stronger with age, and have pretty much always been there for them 24/7. I’m saying this because I’ve watched my manuscript grow from one story to a series of books, become better and stronger with age, and have pretty much always been there for it 24/7.
I pack (and still do) my kids’ lunches every morning. I listen to their problems, their issues at school, and wave goodbye with promises of “Today’s a new day!” I listen to my husband’s problems, his issues at work and empathize with the tiring routine (now) of flying out every Mondays, returning on Thursdays and wave goodbye on Monday again with promises that “Today’s a new day!”
For nine long years I waved everyone off with enthusiasm, encouraging them to make the best of the rat-race in life. It didn’t matter if we were living in Australia, Singapore, India or the US, the walls and decor simply changed. The neighbors and friends grew with each move. But the door I’d close, the burden of a lonely manuscript waiting to be completed and the uncertainty if I’d ever become a published author were constants. I’d sit with my characters and wonder… will they ever be real like the family I waved goodbye to every morning? Would they also have stories of their own to share? Would they raise issues that would need thought, analysis and empathy? Would they ever become real or remain cardboard?
The more I rewrote and shared this with women friends, the more I realized DUTY AND DESIRE, the debut in my ‘Winds of Fire’ series, wasn’t just fiction but women’s fiction. But when women, I barely knew, came up to me at random and repeated the dialogues and themes underlying my fiction I realized I wasn’t just writing women’s fiction, but realistic fiction. I waved new friends off with the promise I’d let them know when the manuscript was finally a published book.
The manuscript is now a published book, in hardcover, digital format and available worldwide.
I still pack school lunches. I still listen, empathize and preach “Today’s a new day!” I still have another manuscript – another constant – waiting to be completed. And I have come to realize this is the burden of being a woman. We don’t just carry our stories but the stories of those around us.
Some are able to put the words on paper.
Others choose to keep them inside.
But no matter what the decision,
women are the same world-wide.
* * *
Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Great post! I know what it's like to have a book in you waiting to come out, when your life is geared towards raising a family. Congratulations on your book launch.
ReplyDeleteFYI, I tried the book link, but it didn't bring up the book...
The book links are working now, so you can check it out! ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Jewel ~ Thank you for letting us know about the link! We fixed it, so it should work now.
ReplyDeleteCheers! :)
Hi Jewel,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing... I hope you enjoy the read of DUTY AND DESIRE... It's been a labor of love and still is.
Regards
Anju
This is great post! And it's so true! I didn't realize Anju was a single mother half the week. That can't be easy, but I love her positive outlook and how she can juggle her family life with her writing life. I'm in the middle of Duty and Desire now and just love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan!
ReplyDeleteThe greatest thrill of technology is FACETIME which connects my husband to all of us even though he's miles away. His absence is little compared to the time when we were living in Singapore and he was away for 2-3 weeks at a stretch in Australia, Shanghai and/or Korea on projects. Keeping fingers crossed that you love DUTY AND DESIRE as much as I loved writing and rewriting it!