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The left wing indulgence of & #39;Savitri shaming& #39; is deeper than we all think. Let me recollect a conversation from past when I was struggling to get my early draft of Abhaya published.
I approached a certain literary agent who tried to influence my book towards & #39;left& #39;.+
I approached a certain literary agent who tried to influence my book towards & #39;left& #39;.+
How his left leaning attitude made me dump the plan to traditionally publish it and instead opt for self publishing is a long story.
There is a Savitri episode in this long story
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I had realised that this guy was trying to game my lack of access to publishing world and+
There is a Savitri episode in this long story
I had realised that this guy was trying to game my lack of access to publishing world and+
+ use the opportunity to push my story left. So for a few of our sessions, I fought him passively.
In one scene he asked me to think of an & #39;inspiring& #39; (read rebellious) female character to influence my heroine Abhaya.
I made the father of my heroine tell her story of Savitri+
In one scene he asked me to think of an & #39;inspiring& #39; (read rebellious) female character to influence my heroine Abhaya.
I made the father of my heroine tell her story of Savitri+
+ He was shocked. I could tell he was shocked. Then he slowly asked me how on earth I thought of Savitri as an inspiring character.
Pretending innocence, I told him see, Savitri faced Yama Dharma Raja for love. Hers is the only story where the & #39;hero& #39; is the lad in distress+
Pretending innocence, I told him see, Savitri faced Yama Dharma Raja for love. Hers is the only story where the & #39;hero& #39; is the lad in distress+
+and she is his knight in intellectual armour.
He did not have an answer. He then said your heroine is more of a warrior, so probably some warriorly woman. Such women might not have existed in Mahabharata times. (Seriously dude?) So create one such character and kill her+
He did not have an answer. He then said your heroine is more of a warrior, so probably some warriorly woman. Such women might not have existed in Mahabharata times. (Seriously dude?) So create one such character and kill her+
I researched rigorously and stumbled upon Vishpala ( She would become the subject if my second novel).
He did not like it.
I pushed it saying the way Shivaji Maharaj was influenced by Mahabharata, my heroine is inspired by Vedic women warriors.
Deal breakerhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="đ" title="Smiling face with horns" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with horns">
He did not like it.
I pushed it saying the way Shivaji Maharaj was influenced by Mahabharata, my heroine is inspired by Vedic women warriors.
Deal breaker
Of course, he then told me crap like & #39;if strong women are the norm, then it would challenge the intelligence of the reader and publishers eould not like to publish such a book.
And some more flop advice before I stopped interacting with him.
So there it was+
And some more flop advice before I stopped interacting with him.
So there it was+
My tryst with a world that was allergic to publishing any content that showed India& #39;s past in a positive light.
This happenned in 2013.
Took me till end of 2015 to shake off the experience, rewrite everything and go-kindle.
This happenned in 2013.
Took me till end of 2015 to shake off the experience, rewrite everything and go-kindle.
There are times when reviews dont come in or sales dont happen like expected when I feel I was probably a fool to have simply battled this.
But then those are passing issues and I could not be happier doing anything else. So write on. Fight onhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="đ" title="Smiling face with smiling eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with smiling eyes">. The battle is a long one.
But then those are passing issues and I could not be happier doing anything else. So write on. Fight on