Becoming An Author – A Glimpse Of My Journey |Shefali Arora

I started writing when I was in school. I was a Potterhead and my first poem was on my favourite character – Harry Potter! This was followed by more poems and short stories. I read books of various authors and this drove me further ahead in my passion. I knew I always wanted to be a
writer!

EXPLORING THE POET WITHIN

Hailing from a small town, I did not have any contacts in the publishing domain. Yet my dreams were my wings, and I aspired to touch the sky. I remember how I used to pitch my posts to top publishing houses and feel sad about opening the rejection mails! I did not lose hope, and my
mother continued to encourage me. I kept working to fulfil my endeavours. It was then I compiled a few of my short poems (called haiku) and self-published them with the support of Whitefalcon Publishing. ‘A Paradise of Thoughts’ was the first realization of my dream. I also started freelancing for a number of blogs and websites.

A LITTLE ABOUT ‘THE INFINITE ROAD’

The journey of writing and publishing my recent work ‘The Infinite Road’ has been a memorable one. I had a plot in mind and so I decided to take up my quill and unfold its potential. I wanted to go for traditional publishing this time. Now, finding a publisher was a bit taxing. That’s when I
came across The Book Bakers literary agency, and I bagged a deal with Locksley Hall Publishing. It took nearly two years for my book to see the light of the dawn. It is a story about the emotions and relationships we craft in our daily lives. Alunkrita, the protagonist of the story, decides to help Anokhi, a little disabled girl, who has been abandoned by her parents. On the course of this journey, Alunkrita gets intrigued by the complicated emotions-her ambition to build a start-up, her growing fondness towards her new neighbour, and the re-entry of Parth in her life.
Parth, who left her years ago, decides to give wings to her start-up ideas. In the midst of everything, would Anokhi get to see the bright light of dawn? What would be her final destination on this infinite road of life?

WHY IS IT CLOSE TO MY HEART?

As much as I am connected to my characters, I feel the readers would strike a chord with them too. The book is different because it conveys a strong social message. We often shy away from helping less privileged people like Anokhi. It could be majorly because of the stereotypes of society. This is a simple story with a soul that deals with the tide of emotions Alunkrita sail
through, to assure a bright future for Anokhi. The book recently won in the category of ‘Best Debutante Fiction in the Indian Literary Awards 2020. This has motivated me to write more. With the overwhelming response I received from the readers, I feel at the top of the world

WHAT NEXT?

I am working on a non-fiction book, which is a compilation of various true stories. I hope readers would shower the same amount of love on it!
I also have a travel blog, and I edit books for a publishing house named Flipping Pages. That’s how I plan to keep my passion alive in the future.

MESSAGE FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS
I would urge all the readers and aspiring writers to keep exploring their favourite genres. For books make you richer in terms of knowledge and creativity. Read a book, have discussions, share ideas and jot down what you feel! Never limit yourself. Push your boundaries and explore various domains as an author. In the end, it is your writing style and the story that would resonate with the readers.

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