One Grain Amongst the Storm

A Mélange of memoirs, fiction, short stories, verses, book reviews and uncorked angst.

Déjà vu

on by 40 Comments

pills“A déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix. It happens when they change something.” –Trinity in Matrix

Yes, something changed in the Matrix here and it can’t quite be called a glitch.

You are not a good writer if you are not liked on Facebook.

Why, I can’t even get arrested if I am not liked on Facebook!

Even if I am a heinous delinquent.

Don’t ask me who put the cart before the horse, or is it the turtle?

And then there is Indiblogger where I must be liked ere my scribbling is acknowledged.

Maybe one day we will have a team of cricketers all liked out at Facebook (or Indiblogger). A team of hockey players all liked out at Facebook (or Indiblogger). A team of musicians all liked out at Facebook (or Indiblogger). A team of scientists all liked out at Facebook (or Indiblogger). And a bunch of writers all liked out at Facebook (or Indiblogger).

I know you hate me enough by now to slip a ten-foot python in my underpants. But hey, haven’t you liked my post, The Lance in My Heart, before? Why am I here then, asking you, nay, begging you, to like me at the link below, once more, so that Harper Collins selects my entry for their short story contest?

http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/108/

Help me choose the pill!

PS: Thank you, Harper Collins, for leaving that ashen taste in my mouth.

40 comments

  2. I “get” the bitterness, and we’ve already discussed our mutual frustration with the current need to self-promote for any and every reason. I’m not totally sure, however, that the resentful tone is going to get you TONS of likes from people who don’t already like you. Just sayin’.

    1. True, Jenn. It is a futile post and maybe I am not a good writer after all. At least, I cannot blame myself for not trying, even if my heart is not in it.

      Thanks for stopping by.

  3. Blog-o-sphere is indeed like a matrix. I keep wanting to take the blue pill and get out of it but still get tempted to stay back. I am increasingly beginning to see the merits of the stand taken by Charles Strickland of ‘Moon and the Six Pence’ Begging people for votes and to read our posts feels like groveling in front of swines to take our pearls.

    1. TF, it’s the red pill that is supposed to get us out.

      The pills haunt my dreams. And the pills haunt my nightmares. Strickland apparently took the red one. I share your delusionment to the last ounce.

      1. Seem Matrix years back. So forgot which pill is which. The muse cries tears of blood seeing the kind of things we need to do to get our works read.

  4. Your story will stand on its own merit USP don’t worry …but as TF sand J say with everyone promoting their own stuff..we cannot be left behind in the marketing race …frankly speaking now even I feel like donning my thinking cap and coming out with a story 🙂 I wonder if I am late 🙂

    1. Sri, I do not know if you can submit now although I’d want you to go ahead and do it just the same. Thank you for your confidence in me. As for merit, apparently, you are as good as Internet likes.

  6. Liked your entry before I read this. i too don’t approve of this method of selection. But, if you are playing, you have to stick to the rules that are set. For lazy me, this is the perfect excuse to not play. 😉

    1. Many thanks to you, Shankari. For the moment, I do have the illusion of being part of the game. But I am afraid, Harper Collins themselves are not sure of the rules -their prescriptions have undergone changes in the past. Thank you for stopping by! 🙂

  7. Oops, I left the comment in the end, but it seems to have jumped up and is sitting in between your reply to a previous comment. Can you set it right?

  10. well, we all know that’s crap but do we have any option? may the best man/woman win. and for me things remain constant. it’s the person who writes stories, who writes poetry, may be a few book reviews, few humor posts once in a while and who also clicks photographs. all the best dude :D!

  16. Hi Umashankar

    I feel like a complete idiot – it took me a while to get the drift.

    I find this method of selection utterly ludicrous. Without taking anything away from the skills of the bloggers on Indiblogger and without meaning any disrespect to them I have to say that a story needs to be reviewed by someone who is wise enough to do such things. This is akin to choosing the winners in a Reality Show – send in your votes to XYZ number.

    Commiserations, my friend.

    We have enjoyed your stories and we know that they are worth publishing. I have said so in the past. You time will come … Let Harper Collins play their number games.

    I had not even checked the message regarding this contest. Its lying unopened in my Inbox. I guess it saved me a lot of trouble.

    Your publisher is yet to arrive … hang in there and keep giving us your wondrous stories.

    P.S: Have cast a Vote … Just in case!

    1. Ha ha ha! Precisely the reaction of sanity, Jayadev. I truly don’t know how to thank you for that resounding boost to my confidence -may God bless you and keep inspiring me to write!

      Yes, my publisher is yet to come.

  17. Your stories are excellent, and people will like your stories, whether or not they “like” it on Facebook. The problem with self-promotion is that it’s very exhausting and frustrating to get people to like you (or “like” you 🙂 ). That’s why I generally try to avoid falling into that trap.

  18. I voted already but came by to catch up on your posts. One of the reasons I’ve opted out of the competitions is that I just don’t get them – and I’m not talking only about the prizes – but the way they’re conducted. So I write for me – and although I do share a lot on FB and occasionally on IB too – I’m essentially writing for me.

    1. Many thanks to you, Corinne! The problem with competitions, or any measure for that matter, is that no yardstick can be applied universally; you cannot measure potatoes in liters. Again the matters of sorting and judging call for high degree of professionalism and neutrality both of which are rare commodities.

      You writing is delightful, howsoever you are doing it. 🙂

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