From being branded as useless as the ‘l’ ‘in ‘tortilla’ to climbing the same ‘l’ in the ladder. This is my work story on how I progressed from a novice writer to an editor.
Scene 1
‘Waiiiit…Stoooopppp!!’ I pounced on the production manager before she could press the enter button on the computer. All of this was to stop her from sending the final pages of our magazine to the press. After all, there was an error in the page number. And, a mistake in page number in a published magazine meant trouble. My awkward jump served the purpose. But then there were casualties too. Some coffee spilt on the floor, a pile of paper flew away and countless heads stared at me. But my job was done, so there was reason to complain, right?
Scene 2
‘The article needs to be rewritten. Please change the highlighted portions and give me a fresh copy,’ I said in a haughty tone. After dismissing my team, I made a spin on my swivel chair and gave wicked laughter. Wasn’t that what editors are supposed to do?
Being a boss lady is not easy. You have to be mean, crude, ‘call a spade a spade and often smirk! After all, that’s what we see in movies. And trust me, I was good at this!
Well, I know all of you who are reading this doubt my sanity. I agree I can be a bit (ok fine, quite a bit) dramatic at times. But then describing your journey from being a trainee journalist to an editor could be wry, dry and dull.
Call it the impact of Indian movies dramatics as something that is rooted in all Indians! But be assured nothing of the above scenes happened in real life; however that does not mean my journey was any less exciting. So let’s begin!
How It All Started
It was 2008. I had just given my final examination for a Master’s Degree. I was clueless about what I wanted to do next. Suddenly I came across an advertisement in the newspaper. It was about the recruitment of trainee journalists for one of the leading media houses in India.
I had been a scribbler all through my life. From meaningless poems to nonsensical stories, I had done it all. I knew that did not mean I had an aptitude to be a writer, yet I went ahead with the application. I made a mess of the written test. I was cocky in the interview. I was ready to be rejected but received an offer letter instead. I had made it! And that’s how the happily ever after started, right?
The Nightmare Begins
The first day at work is always special. Isn’t it interesting to sign piles of paper one after the other, read the company policies for the tenth time, apply for a salary account and spend half the day just like that?
My first day was exactly like this, picture-perfect! Additionally, I got a pile of magazines (that I had joined) to understand its tone. The next few days were equally uneventful. I would spend half of the day reading and the other half practising typing. And you think the life of a journalist is exciting!
In reality, you need to have the patience of a saint sitting in a small cubicle with utmost composure! By next week I had mugged up all the articles and, my typing speed was as good as Usain Bolt’s winning record. But still, I was busy counting the panels in the ceiling, stands in the railings and square tiles on the floor. I was growing impatient.
And then, suddenly, all my collective willpower gained momentum, there was lightning, and out of the smoke, my editor appeared with my first writing assignment. Well, you can cut out the drama if you want! But finally, it was my time to shine.
I had to write about gynaecological issues in women post 40 years. I wrote the article and submitted it the next day, waiting for applause. But what I got was a pause! My editor stared at me with a blank face. The article was so bad that she didn’t know how to react. I rewrote it (several times) only to make it messier. My editor finally lost her patience. She blasted and told me I could not even write to save my life. I questioned myself, should I continue to write or not?
The Survival
A senior team member took the reigns and completed the article. I was back to square one. I was reading and typing. The next few weeks felt like a sad song. I wrote minuscule articles which neither required creativity nor thinking. But I was determined to reclaim the lost glory. I persisted; I insisted my editor to give me a second chance. Finally, I guess, irritated with my behaviour, she agreed.
This time I was ready with all the knowledge I had gathered over the days. I poured my heart, my brain, and possibly all other body parts into writing the article! And it worked! No, there was no fanfare but, my editor gave me a nod. I didn’t say much but did a few somersaults in my mind!
Work Mode On
Finally began the great adventure. It was like being in an amusement park filled with roller coaster rides. Every day was a new challenge. From waking up at 4 am for fashion photoshoots to waiting for 5 hours for celebrity interviews, staying till 2 am at the office to finish a copy, to travelling alone to unknown places for travel stories, work kept changing.
I put in a lot of effort, and that reflected in my output. Appreciations started pouring in and with it came new responsibilities. One step at a time, I moved from sub-editor to chief sub-editor to senior editor. I was not just writing now but also overseeing the work of junior team members and designers. Days were long, tiring, yet fulfilling. I didn’t even realize that it had been a decade of my journey!
New Role, New Goal
Ten years is a long time to know your work in and out. Work started to get monotonous. Challenges were drying up. Also, home turf needed more attention than ever. My toddler was growing up, and I needed to be around. So I decided to hang my boots and move on. It was a different experience staying at home and meeting the deadlines set by my daughter! Though it was enjoyable, at times, I missed the morning madness, the rush at the office, coffee breaks with teammates.
After a month, I got a golden opportunity—to be the editor of a new children’s e-magazine. It was a remote job and for four days a week. Suddenly, I was on the other side of the table. I was giving out instructions, planning daily activities and goals, preparing the content calendar, managing crises, and so much more. In addition, I was collaborating with the sales and marketing team to increase the product’s brand value.
These all were new but exciting tasks to me. It was exhausting but also stimulating. Climbing the ladder was satisfying indeed! I brought in all my experiences of the last ten years. The most enriching part was preparing new writers by allowing them to make mistakes. I had understood early in my career that the main point of editing was to kill a story and then bring it back to life again. That is what I taught my team, and it worked wonders.
The e-magazine was getting accepted in schools, and readership was increasing steadily. The management was happy, and so were the employees. I enjoyed the work thoroughly for a year. Only regret is I could not become a ‘bossy’ boss as I had always dreamt of (pun intended)!
So this was my story. From a novice journalist to an editor, it had been an incredible journey. Life did take a 360-degree turn for me! And today I can say it’s always ‘write’ for me!
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