Drifting Into the Unknown

What I'm supposed to write about the past decade? The question haunted me long enough after I signed up for the event. Not being the kind to bare my soul, writing about me wasn't appealing. A story sounded great if only my brain could churn something before the deadline. Struggling with a half-written story is bad enough (got less than two days to hope for a miracle). Yikes! 

But I already joined the team, and no way I was going to step back after the event started. At least I had the sense to pick a day halfway through the event.

And... Here we go into the past...

2010 started with yet another canceled exam session (for the third time). It was the year we ended up giving exams for three semesters, organized a college fest, a farewell event for the seniors and a freshers event for the juniors, had an eye-opening experience in the corporate that lasted less than a week and worked on the HR project. Phew! 

The next year gave me an MBA degree and a broken leg. Spending a quarter of a year confined to bed with a cast on the leg was no fun. Ugh! 

The less we talk about 2012, the better. I read loads of books and idled, dabbling in writing, drawing, and did nothing productive. 

From 2013 to 2015, I found a sense of purpose by getting an MA in English Literature via distance mode. Loved studying on my own without attending any classes. The freedom! 

Yet again, the question of what next haunted me. Should I write? What should I write? Can I continue my long-forgotten blog (the same one you're reading now. I revamped it)? Should I do something else? Of course, I continued to read like a maniac and played Criminal Case on Facebook. That's an addictive game, I tell you. 

Let's fast forward again to mid-2016. A chance comment by a neighbor gave me an idea for a blog series. One day, I hope it'll become a book. 

2017 was when things began to come together (or so it seemed back then :/ ). Finding a Writer's group gave me the chance to step into the writing field with determination. The feedback I received on my writing ensured my feet were firmly on the ground. I had a looong way to go. NaNoWriMo was another experience that told me I could indeed complete a novel no matter how horrible the draft reads now. It was my first ever full-length novel! (I'm a short story person). 

Grammarly came into my life that year-end and stated with me ever since. The best thing about free versions is that we've got to use our brains to figure out where the errors are and how to clear them. That's when I realized I don't like too many adverbs in the stories. Now, I'm hovering on the edge of becoming an editing freak. Agh! 

2018 and 2019 made me a part of quite a few anthologies. I even published two ebooks- Violets in Hand and The House of Justice on Amazon. Selling them is no small task. Sigh! My minor marketing degree isn't helping (or maybe I'm not putting enough effort). 

I've made new friends, stayed in touch with some of the old ones, drifted away from others, and tried my best to keep away from negative people (not easy, as I find them in plenty). 

In between those 'What Should I Do With Life' moments...

Did I mention my cookery YouTube channel in between? Yeah, mom and I cooked, and I made videos and wrote recipes (here). It's pretty dormant now, but I love to cook and bake. Chocolate cake is always welcome (if I don't have to clean up afterward). 

Do you know learning Russian isn't easy? Spanish is interesting and has some words similar to Sanskrit and Telugu. 

Making bookmarks is so much fun! I've loved creating and gifting them to friends. DIYs are a great way to relax.

This year of 2020...

Having a paperback exclusively to my name is the biggest aim. Can I do it before the year ends? That is a question I'd rather answer with some action instead of words. 

After boring you enough with my story, I'd like to thank you for reading this (not so planned) long post. Before you leave, tell me about that one thing you've always wanted to do in 2020.

*****

“This post is a part of ‘DECADE Blog Hop’ #DecadeHop organised by #RRxMM Rashi Roy and Manas Mukul. The Event is sponsored by Glo and co-sponsored by Beyond The Box, Wedding Clap, The Colaba Store and Sanity Daily in association with authors Piyusha Vir and Richa S Mukherjee”