A ‘MIDDLE’CLASS WRITER’S TALE.

 A ‘MIDDLE’CLASS WRITER’S TALE. 8th Jan 2010

When my debut ‘Letter to the Editor’ was chosen as the star letter, I was deeply moved and motivated to write some more. I sent in my first middle ‘A Mother’s Musings’, which was the beginning of an exciting journey into the world of page 8. I have always loved writing but except for rare insertions in the monthly church bulletin, I never got a chance to improve my skills. Writing, for me, is like speaking aloud, which I do all the time, even to myself, and reading is a passion I cannot deny. A good novel and a huge bar of chocolate go well together and buffer me against the strain of daily family life and being a devoted and obedient wife.
I naturally now know the names of most of my fellow and filly ‘middle’ writers and admire each of their characteristic styles. For example, I would love to meet the seasoned Saturday veteran Adelmo Fernandes and see for myself if his tongue is really in his cheek or not. The militant ‘Accidental Activist’ Venita Coelho on Tuesdays is one lady I feel a little intimidated with but envy a lot. Is the well-travelled philosopher of ‘Those were the days’ Marc de Souza really as old and wise as he sounds? I must meet him one Thursday and find out for myself.
Sajla Chawla’s poignant tales transcend boundaries of community and nation every other Monday, Vanessa Lobo regales her readers with ‘Little Matters’ on alternate Fridays. The occasional treat by Ganesh Subramaniam , S. Kashyap (what does ‘S’ stand for anyway?), Jagmohan Chopra, among others, keeps me begging for more. A rare once-in-a-full moon treat by Pedro Naik is worth its weight in gold as was the sparkling guest appearance of Salil Chaturvedi with ‘Through a Child’s Eyes’.
My editor has finally assigned a regular fortnightly Friday slot for my middles. I take that as a compliment and a promotion in a way. If freelancing is my calling, who am I to deny it? It definitely is a step up from being just a stay-at-home Mom. Now I’ll be known as the stay-at-home Mom who writes! I can blush self-consciously when a passing neighbour congratulates me or my child’s teacher expresses hopes of me joining the PTA. Working from home sure beats going to the office. How my husband will envy me the luxury of sitting on my plump bottom and earning some small bucks in the bargain!
Writers all over the world go by the creed “The pen is mightier than the sword” and their contributions mean a lot to them personally. A simple acknowledgment by way of a thank-you letter appreciating their worth and showing them how it has impacted your lives would make a big difference. I recall a letter I received when my first middle was published. I had sent it a couple of months earlier and almost chewed my fingernails off waiting for it to ‘come out’. A latter offering was printed first and I resigned myself to the fact that the article had been canned. Imagine my surprise when it finally saw the light of day, and then a ‘fan’ letter that followed. I may never receive another letter like that but that small gesture made my day and may perhaps be the making of me as a serious writer, who knows?
There may be many like me out there with a genuine gift for writing, just wondering how to go about it. Its really easy. All you do is write that ‘middle’ and then send it to the editor at the Herald. Choose a topic that you believe in, because your heart must be reflected in your writing. Intersperse the points you wish to get across with personal anecdotes and well-phrased quotes. Be sure that you only preach what you practice. Write as the thoughts flow and edit later. Put in more substance than the article requires- your editor will most certainly cut you down to the right size. When you are satisfied with your results, take that long-awaited cup of coffee or nicotine fix and promptly send it off in the mail before you get cold feet.
Well, I hope to see more names in the future. And perhaps one day, we budding freelancers can all jam up together for a night out and I can finally satisfy my curiosity that I wasn’t off the mark in my mental images of the stalwarts in the field of ‘middle’ class writers.