The Blogchatter Book of Love (Multiple Authors)

‘New Alert: Blogchatter Anthology on Love’ – My WhatsApp writer’s group buzzes with activity, piquing my interest. My tribe is a group of aspiring writers motivating each other and dreaming of being the next big thing. For every acceptance we receive, we celebrate together, and for every rejection, we remind ourselves that even J.K. Rowling had it tough and our time to shine will come.

I had heard amazing things about last year’s Blogchatter thriller anthology which I had missed submitting to. This time I wanted to board the Blogchatter Express, mainly because of my FOMO, which proved to be a strong motivator. The topic was love which is open-ended with ample possibilities. After all, everyone gushes about love and its myriad hues. I wondered which shade I should explore – conventional love, familial affection, unconventional bonds, second chances, or eternal love?

I remembered watching a film that featured a climax scene where the heroine reunites with her lover on the day of her wedding to someone else, and together they run off into the sunset, ditching the third wheel. You can’t but help feeling sad for the supporting hero (who in my mind, always has actor Jimmy Shergil’s face) who is left with only hurt, embarrassment, and possibly bills to settle. (Since there is no runaway bride discount).

When this trope plays out in serials, there is always someone on standby to step in for the missing bride or groom and take their place on the mandap. The transition into this impromptu marriage of convenience happens seamlessly, sometimes aided by physics-defying sindoor projectiles. On the contrary, in real life, such a situation can be harrowing and stressful. I’ve heard of someone who went through this trauma on his marriage day. The bride ran away on the morning of her wedding without informing anyone. Her parents had disapproved of her boyfriend and forbade her from seeing him, prompting her to take this drastic step. The groom was left scarred and had to undergo years of therapy before he could move on and find love with someone else.

That’s when it struck me. Why not write a ‘happily ever after’ for the supporting hero, the abandoned angle of the triangle? After all, everyone deserves to be happy! That settled, I had to think about the setting. It had to be a library, which is my most favourite place in the world after home. And that’s how my romcom ‘Everything You Seek Is In The Library’ was conceived. My hero, Akshay, is dumped on his wedding day as his bride Simran elopes with her love Raj. (Any resemblance these names may have to an iconic reel couple is not coincidental; yours truly is a nineties kid)

Now came the task of the actual writing. I wanted to capture Akshay’s pain, anger, and gradual healing in a way that holds the reader’s attention without being too preachy. The word limit was 2500 words which was a bit of a challenge. A verbose writer like me needs those many words just to craft the hero’s entry. How does one build a convincing, impactful story in this concise frame? Blogchatter came to my rescue! Their workshops gave me direction to compress the story to pack in a punch, and soon, my first draft was ready.

To mend his broken heart, Akshay seeks respite in a library. But peace and quiet are impossible because the librarian is an obnoxiously cheerful, absurd-joke-cracking young woman who disregards the need to maintain silence in her library. Akshay just can’t understand her need to poke her (cute) nose into everyone’s business. Between dusty aisles, misspelt notes and trust issues, does love stand a second chance? Will Akshay realize that what he seeks is in the library?

After completing my work, I had it beta-read by my friends who loved it! We then got a chance to attend an editing workshop organized by Blogchatter in collaboration with Readomania. The Readomania Managing Editor, Indrani Ganguly had many fabulous insights to offer. We incorporated these suggestions to make our work shine further. When I read my piece again I realized that the part I loved writing the most is when someone says ‘one day we will look back and laugh; what we thought was the worst thing to happen to us, was perhaps not so bad, perhaps it was good, or maybe even the best thing to happen.’

I was thrilled when I got to know from the Blogchatter team that my story was selected for the anthology! What made it even more special was that my friends were selected too, and I can assure you that their stories are amazing and must-reads. In total there are eighteen stories by wonderful writers, each story covering a unique hue of love.  A writer’s greatest joy is when their words take shape and find a home. It’s the moment you hold it up with pride for the world to see and declare: ‘My baby!’ (A very baby Simba presentation moment). Our baby was launched in Kolkata recently in a fun-filled, fantastic event.

The book is out…now what? I’m spreading the word hoping to inspire readers to pick it up. Did I mention that this could be the perfect gift this festive season? Imagine it sitting in your mithai hamper, looking like a burst of sunshine, waiting to brighten someone’s day. (Unlike festive sweets, this anthology is sugar-dairy-gluten-free, but bursting with healthy goodness).

Dear reader, are you convinced, or should I say more?

The book is available for purchase here:

Readomania Website:

https://www.readomania.com/shop/book/the-blogchatter-book-of-romance

Kindle Edition (Free on Kindle Unlimited)

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DJFZPVRX

Happy Reading! If you do enjoy the book, please drop us a review on Amazon and help spread the word!

#TheBlogchatterBookofLove

Image credits: Pixabay, Bing, and photos from book launch at Kolkota.