How it all began- My journey as a FF writer

How it all began

(No this is not another fanfic. It is a narration of my personal experience as a FF writer.)

Today I finally finished something I started exactly three months back. Yes, I finished my mammoth FF. What is pending is only the epilogue. Somehow I got all nostalgic as to how it all began. Believe me, I was extremely jittery when I started it. JC and I exchanged several PMs before I started the fic. If it had not been for her I would not have embarked on this journey. Thank you JC for encouraging me to explore my creative writing skills.

Here are the transcripts of the PMs we exchanged (Hope JC does not mind me posting her PMs here).

Opti: Since I am constantly pestered for a FF, I thought I'll give it a try. I just wrote the first part. I want you to take a look. This is something I wrote a long time ago. The story will go into flashback mode after this, tracing how they got here. I have still no clue how I'll take the story but let me know what do you think of this part. Right now this is a nameless story.

I sent her the first part of my fic about the birth of Michi triplets on Novemeber 18, 2008. As soon as I hit the send button, I panicked and shot off another PM titled "Scrap my last mail".

Opti (developing cold feet): I really don't know what got into me. I am not good at writing any FF. I have no story so what will I write? Don't bother to give your expert advice. I am no good at this craft.

JC: Hey didn't read your FF yet. Just got back from work...and now going out. Will come back and read before I sleep. And WILL tell you what I think.

Opti (scared by now): Please don't ruin your sleep. Don't read.

JC : Well why did you want to scrap the idea? Its obviously well written as I guessed it would be when I kept asking you to start one. But since Ii don't know what the flashback will be...all I can say is please do continue. Michi and triplets.

Opti: Well I did have a vague story which has still not crystallised. Here is the gist of it.

Prachi is Inder's only daughter. He has a wastrel of a son in Alaap. Prachi is the apple of her father's eye. Alaap has an affair with Suki whose father is an accountant with Inder (here the story will mimic the show). Inder wants Prachi to marry his partner Pranay's son Neev who is studying abroad. Prachi and Neev are childhood friends and Prachi thinks she is in love with Neev although she has never let her feelings known to him. P and N's wedding is fixed. Pranay writes to Neev about the date. The letter gets lost so Neev is not aware of the arrangements being made. He lands up on the day of the wedding with a foreigner in his arm whom he introduces as his wife. Everyone is shocked and Inder dies of heart attack. The will is later read. Inder, after providing for his wife, has divided his property between Alaap and Prachi's would be husband (the guy is an MCP who thinks men need to run the business and women are more ornamental). Since Alaap wants the whole empire, he is not too keen to get Prachi married. It is during this time that Suki's affair comes to light and her father has a stroke. He is admitted in hospital. Milind, the self respecting, independant minded brother of Suki demands that Alaap marry Suki. Alaap refuses and ridicules him and even gets him thrown in prison when he gives him a thrashing. Milind realises Suki is preg and on coming out of prison is willing to beg Alaap to accept her. In the meantime, Alaap is facing pressure from PL to get Prachi settled. Alaap comes up with a plan. He agrees to marry Suki under the condition that Milsi marries Prachi and on the day of the wedding writes off his share of property to him. Milsi is not interested in money and considers a slur to marry for money. He would never dream of touching Inder's wealth but he is reluctant to marry because he is in love with Ayesha his childhood friend. In the end he does agree to the marriage for he wants his sister's happiness. So MP marry under compulsion, the same day that Alaap marries Suki. After marriage P comes to reside in the chawl. The rest of the story is how the initial hate on the part of Milsi turns into love, how Prachi adjusts to the life in the chawl, how Michi come up in life, their family ties etc etc. So how is this?

JC: So why did you say you have no story???

Opti: Ok, maybe I will hang myself to dry or whipped. Guess the updates may not be frequent. Right now I just have that bit I PMed you. So do you think the next part should be the FB from Michi marriage?

JC: Here is what I think....start the flashback from the day of Prachi and Neev's wedding. Maybe Prachi will remember her wedding day how much she "loves" Neev and that he is her childhood friend and you can show Inder-Prachi bond and in between you can show Alaap-Suki affair....and say end the first flashback on Neev coming home and being surprised....or maybe if you want to go even slower you'll establish that Prachi is in love with Neev and they are getting married and waiting for Neev.

Next update...Neev comes home with his g-friend and hell breaks loose...you can kill Inder at this point???....

Next update everyone blames Neev and Neev reveals he never got any which letter but Prachi at this point doesn't care is too heartbroken and sorrowful about her father...while Alaap takes the opportunity to self-proclaim himself the head of the household.

Then maybe you can leap a few months ??? and show that ALaap is not really cared to find Prachi a groom and has been detering her from marriage....and this is when Alaap-Suki affair comes to Milind's attention and the drama continues.

My opinion was to be taken as a suggestion. Because I've seen how crazy ppl get to get to the Michi parts fast. No one has patience around here...which is really sad cause i'd rather tell a good story than write a whole bunch of Michi scns in the name of "entertainment". So if that's you plan do go ahead with it.

I for one would definitely read cause I think its gonna come out brilliant. If you want you can show a parallel Milind and his family track while Prachi is going thru her wedding and father's death and all.

Maybe that Milind-Baba tension with him not having a job and all can be written about meanwhile he failing to notice the changes in his sister because of the tension between Father and son.

And so began the three-month journey of my "Destiny's children." I posted my first part on November 20, 2008. Although many started the journey with me, many also gave up mid-way. I wouldn't blame them since I was updating at rapid frequency as fast as my thoughts were moving. Being the proverbial impatient person I could not hold my thoughts for long. So if someone does not come online for a couple of days, they missed out in more than a couple of updates. Not everyone had the time or the tenacity to go back and catch up on all the missed updates. The story too may not have been captivating enough for the extra effort required to do so. But I could not slow down.

My advice to all those who want to write but are too scared to do so like me. Give it a chance, I am sure you will not regret it.

P.S. I guess this post has become a mini FF by itself!