When Indie met the establishment!

Cut to twelve months ago—as a just born Indie, I listened to Kate Mosse (author Labyrinth) talk about how she was not on Facebook, Twitter or any of those necessary evils, which help Indie authors like myself build a platform. On a panel discussion she made it very clear that she preferred not to have her peace of mind destroyed by social media chatter, in order to really focus inwards and write. Then, a fellow author confessed how she was beyond the point of being a social media junkie—she stayed connected even when she took her dog for a walk.
 It dawned on me then, that as a writer and a marketer I needed to find the sweet spot somewhere between the two. I needed to become a spider—a black widow?— An arachnid who sat square in the centre of a 720 degree social network web, and controlled everything that went around me, not the other way around. It was about choice. I absolutely had the right to decide when I wanted to dip in and went I wanted to unplug. After-all wasn't that what being an Indie author was all about. Exercising your right to be read, to be seen and heard unadulterated by veils?

 Just one of the many insights I gained from attending the writing in a digital age conference, held by TLC. I will be back at the 2013 installment of the same, as part of the audience storytime sessions, talking about where I am twelve months on—wiser, more confident, and in the throes of completing Return to 7 Islands (#2 Bombay Chronicles.)
If you are wondering whether to go Indie or if you are Indie and pondering what next, then this is where you want to be. You will get the chance to meet fellow Indie’s as well as published authors, publishers, and agents too (some of them are really nice too I promise.)

Writing in a Digital Age, tickets on sale till June 6^th. 

Laxmi Hariharan is a content branding strategist and award winning author of epic fantasy. Find her at LAXMIwrites

The muse is a fickle mistress

So there is a muse. That much has become clear to me. She is a fussy lady, a temperamental one too, of no fixed address, who changes her mind at the last minute.

She visits me at the turns of the season only, during the liminal time.

I first heard about the concept of liminality from Becky Walsh and then everything fell into place.

As a writer, I create better when there is a feeling of suspension of formlessness all around me. ie. when it is neither day nor night, when I am neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at home or in office.

I've done some of my best writing waiting for trains & planes and when I have nodded off into the twilight zone in the back of cars, taxis, even autorickshaws bouncing around the streets of Bombay.

And so as winter bursts into full blown spring in London here I am up in the morning with the sun at 5am and it feels glorious as the words gush out like a thawn out stream after an epic winter.

So next time, when you feel really creative be aware of the what, when and where of the moment. Be completely present as you take in your surroundings outside and how you feel inside?

That tickle in your throat, the adrenaline pumping through your veins, your heart beating in excitement for she is here finally and you can feel yourself submerge into the loving lustfullness of the moment (Ha!  whoever said writing was a sedentary business was obviously no writer themself!)

Make the most of it though for the muse is a wicked mistress, she graces you with her presence for just a few times in the year, how long will you be able to tie her down this time?

For more go to LAXMIwrites