Technically, I shouldn’t even be here.
Where?
Here, among a sea of writers filled with talent who always knew they wanted to write. Call me a fluke, silly or lucky, but here I am wanting to tell my story.
BY MASOOMA BAIG
I’ve always loved the written word. It’s enchanted me since I can remember. Books are my constant companions and I suppose along the way, the pen tagged along too.
Brief stints with school newspapers and journalism classes, a fondness for writing papers, the pen found me before I knew I needed it. The words that couldn’t be said became written. Slowly at first and then like a gust of wind. There was no stopping me, no detours and no looking back.
So, in this crazy unconventional story of my passion finding me, what was the best advice I ever received? I suppose it’s a combination of rejection and no response at all.
Is that crazy? Absolutely.
Effective? Completely.
At a crossroads in life, I entered a writing contest. Quickly, I passed their initial round with a letter to prove I was in the running. Only to not hear from them again until a year later. The ‘no response’ led to some confidence, opened some new doors, and took me to places I never knew existed. Effectiveness complete.
With an overwhelming amount of material in hand, I knocked on some more doors. Some didn’t open, others laughed at my face and surprisingly some wanted me as long as I paid a hefty price tag. For the same material that had previously been rejected.
I took my material, retained the rights and what little money I had and formed a whole new plan. Effectiveness complete, again.
Today, I am a self-published author of a poetry book. I may be small but my work is my own, my dignity is earned and my work is respected. The reason? I learned that value is what you give your work and how hard you are willing to fight to get it out there.
Oddly enough, I learned this powerful lesson from people who didn’t respond, to companies where my work didn’t fit. But guess what? My work does fit; I just had to build my own home for my writing.
I was graciously told that this is what matters most and I’ll never forget that. The book sale numbers haven’t grown much but they exist. My heart, however, has exceeded its bounds of happiness.
About the Author
Masooma Baig is a dreamer, believer and a minority in almost every category imaginable. Her diverse worldviews and immigrant experiences shape her writing as she tries to connect us all by showcasing our oneness and need to entertain the notion of humanity. Leading a life filled with overcoming obstacles and unwavering support, she aspires to allow people to give her words their meaning, uniquely showing just how connected we can be in hopes of it benefiting the greater good. Her first book, Debut, is available worldwide on Amazon and she is eager to connect with readers, thinkers, writers and anyone with a passion to help make our world a better place.
Reach her at https://masoomabaig.wixsite.com/website
Photo credit: Pexels.com
