Why AM I Writing A Novel

Tara is an embodiment of our search for the key to open the door — until we realise that the door was open all along.

Juggling my time between writing a novel and working a day job besides all, there comes moments when I ask myself why am I writing a novel? Unlike the shorter posts and articles such as these, doing a full book of about 80,000 words, set in another time and another place, spells the long game and takes a whole different level of commitment.

It’s not just a case of word count. For someone obsessed with writing, that would be too easy. But this is different. Different because it’s not just a case of telling life as I see it here and now. This one’s about creating believable characters and telling a story through their eyes. That’s the real hard part — going from being Vinita in one moment to being Tara in another. I’ll come to who she is but before that, the key question. Why does it even matter and if so, then to whom?

I’m certainly not counting on this book to pay my bills, so then what’s the greater purpose that keeps me going page after page to create several moments of hard-hitting entertainment?

What’s the book about?

First, we need to see what the book is about. My book is about a girl called Tara and her quest to finding her voice.

Raised in the traditional Indian set up and entrusted to uphold family values regardless of circumstances and making an amazing bride some day, Tara lives through her role until a point when she no longer recognises the person she is. It’s then that she sets out to find this voice.

This book is about Tara’s journey.

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Covering tender moments such as familial pressures to the excitement of romance, lust, sex, betrayal, parenting, careers and much more, I promise to keep it raw, real and entertaining as I peel the layers of a seemingly perfect and well put together society.

Who’s story is it?

On the face of it, this book is Tara’s story. But who’s Tara? Many people ask, ‘is it your story, are you Tara?’

No. I’m not Tara. I can’t be Tara because Tara is not a person, but an embodiment.

She’s an embodiment of the subtle societal pressures inflicted upon many of us, an embodiment of the internal conflict that we often battle with and of the inner strength that each of us posses yet seldom use.

Tara is an embodiment of our search for the key to open the door — until we realise that the door was open all along.

Why does it matter?

Going back to where we began. Why does it matter?

Her story matters because we matter — and our quest for truth matters.

On the face of it, Tara’s story is set in the Indian society and speaks to the life of being an Indian woman in today’s day and age.

Getting into the stats, there are about 1.3 billion people in India over 48% of whom are women. Yes, there’s about 50 million less women than men in the country so clearly the problem begins even before birth as many aren’t even given the chance to be born.

And for those who are, several of these women battle issues that form part of Tara’s day to day life. Yet, I’m mindful that there aren’t limited to Indians or women and are much more pervasive than we care to acknowledge or admit.

And even if we do, we shy from sharing lest we get shamed. And for those who share, we might often be told that it’s only just us which leaves us even more confused than where we first began.

Conclusion

So therefore, in my resolve to make a dent to what appear to me as subtle and sensitive issues of seemingly successful societies, I must bring Tara to as many people as I can. And to do so, I must write and do full justice to this embodiment of the society that we live in.

If my story can bring to life these tiny yet important matters in a truthful yet entertaining way, then I’ll consider this a success.

Image source: Darina Belonogova on pexels

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