When I had to write that first column, I had so much to say, it came out really quickly and easily. If then, I had to follow the process I do today, or put in the time and effort it takes, I would have given up. People say it gets easier, but I think if you try to up your game, it gets more difficult. And I'm trying to do that constantly. Once the column got popular and one piece went viral, I had a sudden fear — what if I never write anything that good again? It took me months to get over it. But soon, I realised that I was still managing well.
Another fear was related to losing my laptop. My lucky one was a big 17-inch screen that had been with me for seven years and nothing was working on it. But I didn't want to part with it because I had done really well using it.
One day, when I tried to upgrade Word, it crashed and I had no choice but to get a new one. My column still did absolutely fine and I realised that it's not about the laptop. I had been finding every reason for why the column worked, except attributing it to myself.
But when it comes to writing, like with my last book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, I plot everything out. I am really particular about the commas and a few other things. After I am done writing, I'll go over the copy 20 times – top to bottom, top to bottom, top to bottom... But unlike some people, who write very meticulously, one para at a time, I finish writing the entire copy first. Even if I am stuck somewhere, I immediately move on to the next thing and get back to it later. That's the reason I generally don't face a block in the narrative.
As told to Pooja Bhula
