BENGALURU : Besides being an author, journalist and columnist, Sudha Menon has many other feathers in her cap: Namely, being a creative writing coach, motivational speaker and manuscript consultant. She is the author of Leading Ladies: Women Who Inspire India, Legacy: Letters from eminent parents to their daughters, Gifted: Inspiring Stories of People with Disabilities, and Devi, Diva or She-Devil: The Smart Career Woman’s Survival Guide. She recently authored
Fiesty at Fifty. Excerpts from her interaction with CE:
What was your trigger for writing the book Feisty at Fifty?
Two years since I hit the Big Five-Oh, I am having the time of my life. I have rediscovered long lost friends, I am bonding with my amma, my sisters, my daughter and my husband, and cooking up plans for the rest of my life. I feel a sense of liberation because I no longer care to fit into any boxes of societal norms, nor do I care what judgements are passed on labels fixed on me. I want to tell everyone that the fifties and the rest of our lives can be fabulous!
Have any of your books been inspired by vernacular books?
No. In fact, I now plan to learn at least one regional language. My dad used to tell me that we should all read and write in our mother tongue but I never did it. Now I know what great literature I have deprived myself of by not learning to read Malayalam.
How does it feel to re-read what you had written years back?
I often go back and read from my books Legacy and Gifted because those books have the wisdom of a lot of people I respect. When I look back at the books I have written I feel a sense of awe that those ideas came into my mind just at the right time, when I myself needed inspiration and motivation.
Have you always seen yourself as a writer? What has been your inspiration as a writer?
I was a painfully shy child who took refuge in between the pages of books. Somewhere, I found myself dreaming of seeing my name in print. That dream was fulfilled when I studied journalism and, at 21, started working for a newspaper. My first byline had me floating on air for days together. Eight years ago I decided that I wanted to put to use all the learning from my years in journalism to write books that could positively impact people.
What is the process you undergo while writing?
I have found that I write best when I wake up in the wee hours – 3 am or 4 am, since there are no distractions. But that happens only when I am in the final stretch of completing my book. Most days I am at my desk by 10 am and write straight till 4 pm, with a short break for a quick lunch. These days I find myself often squandering away time on social media. I have now taken to keeping my phone on silent so that I am not tempted.
I am not sure about writer’s block. I think it is just laziness that we writers have taken and romanticised. Writing is all about dragging your butt to the worktable everyday and making sure your writing for the day has been met. But sometimes, when the senses feel jaded and your soul is yearning for time away from the rigours of your writing life, go out, meet friends, have fun and just wander around, allowing your senses to take in all the magnificence of the world outside. Works wonders.
Who’s your first reader? And who are your biggest critics?
I try and keep away from getting people, especially friends and family to read my books. For Feisty at Fifty, however, my younger sister, Sangeeta Menon, a former journalist and keen editor, read every chapter because I had a case of jitters about stepping away from my comfort zone and stepping out of my genre to write this.
Do you think marketing has played an integral role in the success of your books?
I cannot tell you enough about the importance of promoting your own book. You have to actively make sure people notice your book and buy it. And, when they have done that, I request them to post reviews too!
I believe that authors have to go out to meet readers and tell them about their journey writing their books. Readers look forward to meeting their favourite author in flesh and blood. I immensely enjoy the book tour phase and the random meetings with my readers.
During the first reader interaction for Feisty at Fifty, at the Pune International Literary Festival, I was talking about how I re-disovered myself after I crossed the Big Five-Oh, and it was such a joy to have a lady in the audience tell me that she was glad I wrote this book because she was now determined, at 70, to shrug off the burden of societal norms and pick up on her passions. Writers live for interactions like these.