If my reader is able to feel the same emotion while reading that I put into my writing, it is immensely satisfying. Words are just a medium I use to express a larger thought, strong emotion or feeling. They work best when they create an impact.
I wish….
How I wish I had been regular!
At 21, I got to write for The Statesman and The Deccan Herald. It was not my day job; I wrote on and off.
10 months later, I changed jobs.
In less than a year of starting my career, the decision to switch from being a journalist to a backroom producer’s role was an exciting one. Except that writing would no longer be a part of my day job.
My new workplace did not allow employees to write for other publications. I spoke to the leadership for permission as this meant a lot to me.
When you are starting your career, you don’t get to call the shots. When my boss sensed the passion in me to write, she did not have the heart to say no. But she couldn’t say yes either as the company’s policy did not allow it. She directed me to meet the GM who agreed on one condition: I should not write political stuff.
It wasn’t ideal but I knew I was only one of two employees (the other became my boss in the future) cleared to write.
Once I had the license to write, I didn’t use it much. Except for a couple of pieces for The Pioneer and a weekly quiz for The Asian Age.
When the company I worked in started its news website, I resumed writing sporadically.
In my next job, where I work now, I occasionally write for its website. I continued writing irregularly for 25 years.
Till 2022, when I started my weekly reflection a year ago.
I was aware that I had lost touch. To write every weekend would not be easy. I decided to give it a shot and write about my own life experiences that could help my reader.
You are reading the 50th edition.
For 50 successive weekends, I have written about a nugget from experiences that I have lived.
When I started, I wasn’t sure I could keep it up. Till, it became a habit.
I have hundreds of subscribers now. I know at least a dozen who look forward to every Saturday morning to check out my new post. The nature of their response says it all. Thanks to them, my weekend begins well.
My readers have shared with me that there’s something they take away each week from my writing. It stirs them to think, take action, and learn from my mistakes. On some weeks, it inspires them. But mostly, they like what they read. “It’s not just what you write, how you write it resonates a lot with me,” is perhaps the single-most common response I get to hear from a reader.
I feel blessed. When I started writing, I wrote for my own sake. I liked the process. It helped to reflect. To document. And to share.
It wasn’t about making an impression on readers. I wasn’t even sure if anyone would care to read. That’s the reason I did not invite readers to subscribe. The icon to subscribe was there for those who clicked on the link to read. Those who liked what they read, subscribed.
I feel no pressure because I didn’t push. My readers chose to subscribe. The journey has been a dream.
Now, my weekly reflection gets published on four different platforms, thereby reaching different audiences. I couldn’t have asked for more.
Given that I have lasted this long, and I couldn’t have without your support, I owe much to you. So, my dear readers, you decide:
What would you like me to write more about?
Your input matters much and I will tailor my content to suit your interest. So far, I have done that a few times. Now, I will do it more often.
I know you have the choice of many other things to do. When you take time out to read what I write, I am grateful. Those who react to my writing (and this number has kept rising every month), I can only thank you with my words – which by now you should know, comes from my heart.
Next week, I will be back with another nugget. And this time, your verdict will decide what I write about.
If you haven’t exercised your choice, do click here.
Happy Weekend!
About Me
An international award-winning producer, I have steered over two dozen TV channel launches, rebranding, and refresh projects and produced thousands of hours of content for news and current affairs.