The 300-word hello!
Here's an intro post from members of LFWc3 about what they saw in the first session!
Hi!
So here is a post where members from LFWc3 did a small writing assignment. These are in their words without ANY editing whatsoever.
Please ignore the Eskimo-like clothes on Shruti and Deepak.
And with that, let’s go (in no order)…
Nikash Pandey writes…
The Intro Call
Usually Saturday mornings for me are reserved for the act of procrastination. Pushing off getting out of bed. It is a time to indulge in the fantasy that I have control over my time. Today was different, the first day of the rest of my life kind of day, or so I hope. Adequately motivated, I woke up at once, made my morning tea & joined the link.
As the intros began, it dawned upon me that this bunch was diverse in as many ways as 20 people could be. In age, in profession, in temperament and in their expectation from this exercise. In hindsight, this zoom call should have been a Sunday brunch. It was refreshing to peep out of my window of daily routine & e-meet people who had published their first book, people who had finished the first draft of their book, people with blogs, essays and poems & some like me, with an idea & a hope to see it through. United by a passion for writing. And also somewhat by sharing the same sources of exasperation & fears when it came to writing (& publishing). The struggle to write, daily, to write consistently well, to bring in structure & lace a narrative with facts, to write when you’re not in a mental state to, insecurities about drafts & pieces, insecurities about sharing too much, adoring your work too much or too little and everything else under the god-almighty sun.
For someone of a rusty pen & wilted paper, it was an hour (or two) of inspiration & solace. Solace, not in seeing others fail but in seeing them struggle & get back up again. Because failure to keep at it, I had experienced already. It was time to get back up again & rage.
Arti says…
LFWc3 officially kickstarted today with its first session. 15+ enthusiastic souls (yes, we showed up on a Saturday morning!) from across the globe country met, with the resolve to make 2023 our year by giving our writing projects a much required kick in the rear.
Flashback. Last night, around midnight, our boring professor (as he likes to call himself) aka Saurabh aka dear friend aka #100Rab (#SGShatnaam - my secret project. Shhh!), tasked us with an assignment to come prepared for the session with an intro. While he confessed he had jitters before the session, he ensured we felt those too. Boring professor? Certainly not!
Present day, 10am. Most of us were on time and looking our best (yes, cameras on please!). The introductions were structured in three questions. Viz: One line bio, what your friends do not know about you and what do you expect to achieve through #LFWc3. Although sharing your age wasn’t one of them, 87% of the junta ended up sharing theirs. Why? Guess we all followed our boring professor’s lead. LOL. Interestingly, not resonating with your actual age seemed to be common across the board. (Amateur insights!)
I learnt so many new things about writing (special call out to Aditya (Sir) for sharing the Google Keyboard hack). Didn’t know that things like ‘Writers block, cringe, number of words etc.’ play such a big role in a writer’s life! (Confession. I just checked my word count! Guess I am on the right track. Phew!)
All in all, I am grateful to be a part of this cohort and to be able to interact with fellow members from diverse backgrounds and talents. After a much needed nap and some steaming hot pasta, penning this down was fun!
Kaushik wrote…
When asked to introduce myself, I always use 3 words: “The Insatiable Goat”.
The Goat for a few reasons:
- I am a Capricorn & identify very strongly with the zodiac (goat).
- I hate to say this - but despite my small stature, I still have a “bulging belly”
- Once I make up mind to do something, I am unbelievably focussed. So, I take my time, based on whether I can possibly achieve it - but as Salman says “Ek Baar commitment kar di, toh main apni bhi nahin sunta”. (P.S. Salman & me share the same birthday)
Why the adjective “Insatiable” - I love to take on new challenges in diverse fields. I prefer jumping into things before they become mainstream - was in Business Intelligence & Analytics from 2007, Cryptos from 2012, podcasting from 2021 etc.
On to today’s introductions - one particularly caught my attention - a young girl’s by the name of Akankshya (nope, not a typo)
She came straight out of the gate saying that she’s been unwell for a while & wants to write a book on how she coped. This was especially pertinent because I am currently into Season 10 of my podcast “Brain Box” where I’ll be discussing mental wellness with some of my guests.
What sent me on this route of Wellness (instead of Leadership) happened when a CEO on my show revealed something no one other than his parents knew - he tried committing suicide when he was in college! (Episode yet to be aired) .. but that got me thinking - it’s high time we start having these discussions - more openly & often! More people should talk (or write) about such things which are worthwhile & would help others.
Oh.. her getting up at 10 am was a herculean task - This also surprised me, since I sleep off at 10 pm! (Perhaps, perils of getting older :P)
PS: If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this post. The button below…
Deepak says…
Writing about oneself can be really boring !! Aaargh..!!
It’s 12:00 AM now which can be a good time for introspection to write a lot about oneself. No, the words are still not flowing but I think I should start from the beginning, from my childhood right?
Yeah, I know, who cares !! Nobody gives a damn about the childhood of a random guy you met on a group video call but I think the time has come for me to write this stuff.
So, who am I?, I’m the deputy prime minister of India at my previous birth. LOL !! That might catch someone’s attention. Sorry, I had to start from the beginning, even before childhood, and wanted to make this page an interesting read.
Anyways, my parents had to work really hard, almost 9 years to invite me again after their marriage. Yeah, I mean, being the first next-gen child of their big Punjabi/Baloch family, I knew I was going to be pampered. I had to come here, in this silly joint family, for my mother.
I started reading newspapers quite early, and always liked to be only a few students who’ll complete the stories book even before attending the first school session. I always liked stories, their message, and sometimes the characters as well but most importantly, it started developing a new world for me. A world, which existed somewhere other than this family and mundane school life.
Now, after growing big, I still believe in the stories of another world. I like to see from someone else eyes. No, I’m not the three-eyed raven from GOT. I’m talking about perspectives.
P.S.: Have you heard about Past Life Regression? No? Okay then, Please take the 1st line of the third Para a bit seriously. (Using this line to complete 300 words)
Chriselle says…
It’s Saturday morning, how many times have I been out this week? Once, to visit the doctor I suppose. My body is aching and I want something fun to do. Looking forward to the writing group but also wondering how I can keep at it. On Friday, I realize I have to introduce myself the next day.
It’s been awhile since I have had to introduce myself. There is a question on what friends don’t know about me. I say something to this question but my first thought was while a few do know, all of them don’t know about my anxiety. It has reared its head right now. Not an ugly head, but like an old friend just saying Hi. It has a small little question as well ‘Hey, will I, boring old mom, make an impression.”
I can’t concentrate because there is so much going on in the background. But I do want to write and don’t want to lose parts of myself. Writing even if in spurts like this, is a constant. Reading and writing something I’ve always come back to.
Today is the 7th , 5 months since my dad died. He was a published author of over 20 books. That’s probably why I read and write. I take solace in these things. It’s been tough and there are many things that I won’t be able to stick to or have control over. I will however always have reading and writing.
Akankshya wrote…
The beginning of LFWc3 was marked by the introductions of all participants. The most common terms used were curious, passionate and young at heart. It was interesting because the participants ranged from people in their early 20s to mid-40s. Yet, I couldn't help but think, aren't these clichés? What is the range of one's curiosity? What exactly are they passionate about? Is there a certain age when we get old enough to describe ourselves as young at heart?
There I was, a 28yo cis woman who often claims to be old in her bones, tired in her flesh, and sleepy in her head. The terms curious and passionate induced nostalgia. There was a time when I was crazy, I questioned everything — an aftermath of studying English literature. I was curious.
Passionate? Definitely, if it means losing sleep till I am done with a project, till my heart's content.
Being here, in the writing cohort, made me reflect, perhaps I have gotten too used to living in sickness. It will always be a part of my identity but not whole of it. I couldn't help but add that I am beginning to find my ground again, a purpose in life (hopefully).
I say so because I am determined, even if not passionate, to begin writing again, to add a form to all the ideas in my head.
And, to peel those upper layers of clichés and learn the nuances and vulnerabilities of people within.
Aditya wrote…
Often at the start of a workshop, I use a challenge as a tool or a device to jumpstart the focus of the participants. Secondly, I am neither ambitious nor competitive, at least not in the traditional sense of those words. My pov in most situations is that of an observer or a researcher, someone who doesn’t want to interrupt the flow and is always keen to understand why something is happening the way it is.
So, when #LFWc3 kicked off with Saurabh asking everyone for a one-line intro, I wasn’t really surprised by the use of the device. But it still pulled me into the session, as I tried to focus on what each person was saying. One-line intros are really cool devices. You can understand a lot about someone by what they choose to leave out, as much as by what they say about themselves. So going by what I heard from everyone, it seems like we are in for an interesting six months with an eclectic bunch of participants. It was also interesting to see a bunch of really smart people debate and discuss ways of keeping themselves on track, that too for something that they signed up for, on their own!
But obviously, this was a biased sample. The ones who introduced themselves that day were the ones who actually showed up. More than half the people who enrolled for the course, did not even make it to that first session. That shows you how easy it is to make a commitment to something vis-à-vis taking actions to fulfil it. The cohort aims to help people write better and I know from personal experience that even writing badly takes a lot of effort. In fact, more than writing well, I am increasingly getting fascinated by the way we see hurdles in our path to become better writers. I just hope I survive this journey and have something to show for it in writing, rather than my usual dose of ‘better understanding of the human condition’.
I am really hoping that I can shut down my curiosity scanner for some time and get some writing work done, as part of this cohort. Wish me luck!
In Chandni’s words…
It’s 8:34 p.m., and I’ve come back to my desk after a nice dinner. There’s a Jordan Peterson video waiting for me, but I shall get to it after I complete my homework (a piece inspired by the intros) for the Long-form Writing Cohort that I’m helping Saurabh run.
I may not remember every detail or ambition shared by 12+ people, but one thing stuck with me: a lack of belonging in people my age. A lot of intros talked about how these people have felt like outsiders in friend groups, in college, or in most rooms they’ve been a part of. Now, I’m 21 and I get this. I don't think I found decently good people until I was 19. All my school life, I felt out of place. In some cases, it was due to appearance. In some, due to interests we shared. And in some cases, simply different lifestyles.
Until a few months ago, I didn’t realise that no one was to blame for this. I was a teenager who didn’t know anything about choosing the right people. I didn’t have many preferences and ended up wanting to please everyone anyway.
The reason I’m indulging in this detailed context is because I want to talk about how this need for belongingness continues into adulthood, and even the lack of it. After spending a lot of time around people who’ve lived longer than I have, people who understand teenagers more than I do, and people who see how young adults live from the outside, I’ve understood that a lot of our actions are a result of wanting to belong.
Hopping onto trends you see on Instagram, pretending to like sports because the whole world is coming together to celebrate it, telling yourself you truly want to travel when it may be a result of all the solo travel content you’ve been consuming, and oscillating between hustle culture and work-life balance based on what’s trending on LinkedIn that month are all examples of this.
It’s that. We all want to feel like we belong.
P.S. I don’t intend to talk about the negatives or positives. That will have to wait for another day.
I merely want to mention how this is the reason why things like LFWc3 work. Regardless of how badly you want to be a writer, publish a book, grow in your career as a technical writer, or make a dent in the universe, you need more than just yourself to drive you.
What better way than a like-minded, yet heterogeneous community of writers?
P.S. Sometimes, I fail at finding a smooth ending for my pieces. So, I shall stop here and hope that this made sense, or even resonated with you.
Oh, also, I have more to say (may even better articulate it another day), so that.
Thanks SG, bye bye! Bonne nuit.
Shruti says…
It was the first Saturday of the New Year. I snuggled under my blankets like a butterfly wrapped in a cocoon. Weekends meant catching up on the extra sleep, my favorite thing in the whole world. I checked the clock, it was seven in the morning. I was ready to lie under wraps for some more time, when suddenly I was reminded, it was D-Day for the #LFWC3 to officially begin. Within seconds I was outside my room, quickly finishing the household chores like a warrior on display.
I rushed into my workspace, it was about to be ten. From experience, I knew, it was the beginning of new friendships and the newness of it all excited me. And that’s how #lfwc3 began, but not without a bang. I saw few familiar faces, Saurabh with his zeal thus, setting the tone of the cohort. Chandni with her smile and positivity. And Dr. Aditya with his sage-like feel. Ah! I try to rhyme everything now. That’s the after-effect of #lfwc2. Let’s see what I will do, when I am free from #lfwc3.
The meeting's first agenda was introduction. We all listened intently to each other’s stories. There were bloggers, content writers, students, bankers, investors, and corporate honchos. I was amused, this time we have a bigger and much more diverse batch which means far more stories. For who are we but walking, talking stories that breathe. Post introductions, we were run through the ground rules of the cohort followed by free-flowing discussions.
I smiled, for this was my space. A safe zone where dreamers, readers, writers, and poets meet. Next six months, we will write, we will laugh, and we will pull each other through any bland drafts. We will push, we will motivate, and will be happy if one of us outsmarts.
Ankita wrote a poem! Here it is…
A bunch of us
So different from one another
Having seemingly nothing in common
Other than the common thread of words
Tying us together
Words – that each of want to
Write
Share
Feel
Smell
Touch
Yes, touch – as if almost alive
Them words bringing us to life
While coming alive themselves
Words – written individually
Breathed life into collectively
As we assemble for our first gathering
Trying to share the essence of our being
In one line
Words – that some struggled to find
To describe themselves with
Words – that some danced along synchronously
Almost painting a picture of who they were with
Some words – almost like fingers tickling us
As they illustrated someone’s humorous personality
Some words – like a warm fireplace on a cold night
As they brought out the warmth in another
Some words – moving our fingers to our chin
As they made us curious witnessing another’s infectious curiosity
Words – such magical little things
Aren't they?
Made up of the same twenty six alphabets
The same twenty six letters that each of us have
To begin playing with
That each of us creates completely different games with
Words – creating a portal
Into parts of ourselves
That we haven’t shared yet with any
As safety and acceptance we found here plenty
Words – that contained each of our dreams and aspirations
With our writing
Words – something we use daily
Something that seems so plain
But also wondrous at the same time
I can’t help but be completely awestruck
With the power of words
Being arranged next to each other
Giving form to each of our dreams
That form holding hopes of them dreams coming true
Words – fueling our actions each passing day
To help us make that dream a reality
We type them words
And them words tie us
All together in this cohort
Like a thread
Slowly sewing up
Each of us showing up
Forming the fabric
Of our writing goals accomplished
Akshat says…
Instead of writing on any one of the particular intro, I want to write on some of the things that I observed in the group as a whole and how I relate to that :
Most of the people were quite comfortable with giving themselves some kind of epithet that define themself. I always struggle to do this as anything that I say for myself would feel like something that I want to be rather then what I really am. I think it's amazing that people can do this and I hope to learn to accurately define myself someday
One thing that really interested me was the variety of different background and personality that were in the group. But everyone seems like they were passionate about reading and writing. Hope that I will be able to positively contribute to the group and also gain something out of it
Last thing was the fact that everyone has different and some overlapping ideas on how the group should function. Multiple people in their intros gave some sort of idea about how they think what direction the group should take. Either some sort of a hardcore writing improvement sessions or a more casual sessions where ideas are discussed on different aspects of writings & related skills.
While I prefer the latter, what matters is, eventually, everyone should be able to achieve what they sought out to do
Aastha wrote…
I can hear the clock constantly ticking. Time is slipping away from my hands and every second of the day brings me closer to my grave. My dreams are bigger than the sky and I am scared that they are going to crash down at any moment of time.I am often plagued by nightmares of living a mediocre life and never being able to fulfill my dreams.
The way I am talking, anyone will think that I am a 50 year old lady but the fact of the matter is that I am just a 21 year old, who has been convinced by the world and social media that I am too old now. I should buckle up and run towards my goals or else I will turn into a failure. And maybe this is why I have been scared of getting old because. Moreover, all the books and movies have told me that exciting things can only happen to you while you are young.
Whenever I have joined any writing group, I have always met people who are much younger than me but are still doing much better in life. So when I joined the intro call for LFWc3, I was pleasantly surprised to see people from such diverse age groups and backgrounds. There were people who were in their 30s and 40s but during their intros, they made sure to remind everyone that they were still young at heart.
Seeing all these people I couldn’t help but smile. Their energy was infectious and despite getting old they had not lost enthusiasm for life. And they were still passionately pursuing their dreams. So, once the meeting ended I questioned myself - why am I so scared of getting old and why do I feel like there is an expiration date attached to my dreams?
I felt liberated from my fear as I consciously realized what I always knew deep within. Social media and all the movies of the world have been lying to me. 20 year olds don’t necessarily have more fun than 30 year olds. In fact they are the most confused people on the entire planet. And most importantly, you can never be too old to walk down the path towards your dreams.
Madhu wrote…
It’s been forever. And it’s not like I was at it constantly before. It was a few pieces of biased rants here and there on a poor excuse for a blog, roughly at a rate of a couple every leap year. So it makes it all the more difficult to get the old rusted machinery to start labouring again. Anyway, here I am making another attempt at sharing a piece of my mind in the vast swathes of the web, which would likely be read more times by self than all the others put together. After all, there is no way of this getting discovered in my non-existent social media presence by more than a few unfortunate souls.
And those unfortunate souls would rather flick & swipe the more attractive / funny / entertaining content than bore themselves by scrolling through this.
Now that I have got that out of way, let me get to the point. Wait a minute! Was there a point to this? Maybe not in the overall objective of this self-fulfilling exercise. But there might be in this piece. Or at least I am hoping there is as I scramble for words and thoughts.
Being unable to attend the session and not being privy to the introductions made by people, it makes writing about them a tad bit difficult. However I am making the relatively safe assumption
that everyone is trying to get into a writing habit. All of us want to bang out long form articles on a frequent basis and get the mental self-satisfaction or the dopamine hits through public acknowledgement. But wonder how many of us have the aptitude and discipline to do so on a consistent basis. I guess we will get to know over the coming weeks.
Sakhi wrote…
For this submission, I have written about two intros that I was able to particularly resonate with and also something I had observed about the senior members of the cohort.
The first one was Akankshya's intro. She talked about how her illness has affected her for a long period of her life. Like her, I've also been dealing with a health condition for a major chunk of my life. It's not as serious as hers, but I could understand how diseases impact everything in your life and at least in my case, provide you with a different perspective towards looking at things.
The other intro I could relate to was Aastha's. Similar to her, I don't really fit in with the people of my generation and find my comfort in reading and writing.
Coming to the senior members of the cohort, it's rare to see people in their forties or fifties be enthusiastic about something they love. Most people I've observed from that age category have either given up on their creative pursuits because they think they're too old to continue it or they think it's not worth it at their age. But in the cohort, the senior members seem quite young at heart. They are excited to work on something they love and something that matters to them. It was inspiring to witness their commitment. As a young person, you can't give any excuses not to write when people older than you are willing to put in the effort.
And that’s a wrap!
Keep watching this space for more. Hope to have more pieces for you to read over the next few days.
Signing Off!
SG and all the LFWc3 participants.
More about us on this FAQ document.
Yaaay! I smell exciting times 🤟