Ramya Mishra – My Story
I was born and brought up in Bareilly, a creative child in a family of scientists, engineers, and scholars. The two siblings of mine were like mini scientists, and I was frequently like Alice in Wonderland. I believe this whole setup fuelled my creativity right from the start. Trust me, the kind of naughty ideas I implemented during my childhood, for that one needed to be a sheer follower of Dennis the Menace.
Finally, to my family’s great relief, unknowingly, my school came to my rescue. All my creative energies were channelized by the intense reading I did. The school library was my haven. It was like stumbling upon a never-ending treasure. Soon I was reading Enid Blyton, graduating to Nancy’s, Hardy’s, and by the time I was 11, I had the taste of my first Sidney Sheldon book. I believe the literary seeds were planted during those reading sessions. In hindsight, I would say I was blessed to get this kind of exposure at an impressionable age.
Soon Newton, Einstein, Archimedes were replaced by Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Elliot in my world. My first story was published in my school magazine during the same time. I can positively say school honed my reading and writing skills.
After my 12th I graduated with a Bachelor of Business Management, away from home, on my own, I started exploring the world. In my holidays I was traveling a lot, this is where I got practical exposure in living and dealing with different kinds of human beings. To date, many of my characters are based on someone I met in the past. I wanted to get into the creative field by post-graduation, and theaters enticed me, but God had other quirky plans for me.
I was offered a job with one of the big media houses of India, and corporate life started. It was here that I met my first gay friend, and I got a glimpse into the other world. She was bold, unapologetic, and was ready to accept her identity in front of everyone. And I realized there is more to life than we are told about while sitting in our cozy homes. It was also the time when my restlessness hit a new high. I frequently asked this question to myself, is this it? Now, I need to climb the corporate ladder, get promotions, buy a big car, then the house, and all the fancy things.
My soul revolted, and at times I hated myself for it. Why can’t I be normal like other colleagues of mine? But then, life taught me acceptance and made me understand a different kind of personality. It dawned on me I am a gypsy at heart, and life for me will not be all about material achievement. This revelation made me see myself in a new light. Around this time, I started penning down my first novel, “We Will BE Around Honey,” a story of four girls showcasing their trials and tribulations.
It addressed a few key issues like parental abandonment, the pressure of unrealistic expectations, and many more. Divyansh Publishers published the book, and it did well. It was written targeting young adults, and it was well-received by them.
Two years after publishing my first book, I wrote Love Lasts Forever, an exciting story about two different individuals. They enter into an institution to arrange marriage and work out things, even after all the inherent differences between them. The book was published by Vitasta Publication and distributed by Times Group.
After this, I got a bit disillusioned by the publishing industry of India, now when I look back, I can say probably if I had got good mentor things would be different. I gave up on writing, and many of the young talents in India do that.
After the book is out in the market, the author and publisher often blame each other for its non-performance. In my opinion, it is teamwork, where the publisher needs to sit with the author and design a marketing plan together. The book’s success is not the sole responsibility of the publisher and not of the author. It is the mutual synergies created by them, which help in the success of the book. But sadly, this clarity is often missing.
Finally, after six years, a fantastic book around a same-sex love story written by an American author prompted me to pick up my laptop again. As a result came my third novel Love across Oceans- written around same-sex, and again touches many heavy topics on a lighter note. The story talks about how culture influences our definition of love. Yet, somewhere the basic definition of love remains the same.
The story is about two women from different cultures who meet each other but figure out life. They are attracted to each other. But the previous conditioning and the incidents from the past make them vary towards each other. The readers can easily connect with the story and look at the two central characters as humans fighting their demons rather than anything else.
I posted the beta version of the book on Watt pad, which became a success. This time, all equipped and experiencing the traditional publishing industry, I decided to opt for self-publishing.
This book also connected me with the gay community, and I started witnessing the community members’ problems firsthand. A team was quickly formed, and we started an online campaign, generating awareness around the ill effects of bullying on community members.
This campaign was a big success and paved the way for many more to come. Life started making sense. Finally, I got my call. I wanted to do something for the community members, spreading hope amongst them and addressing a few of their issues. I started collaborating with different people across the globe, and my understanding of the subject increased immensely.
The journey has just started, and through my fourth nonfiction-Gay Icons in the Contemporary World, I want to spread a message, you are more than your sexuality, develop the required skillset, study, and be more than your sexual orientation.
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