[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Welcome to who’s on fourth where we interview one member of the yeah write community and the interview will publish the fourth Monday of each month. Next in the series features Arden of Arden Ruth Writes interviewing Shailaja of The Moving Quill & Diary of a Doting Mom.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

yeah write on yeah write: Arden interviews Shailaja

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]We here at yeah write love when a great writer stumbles upon us, grows with us and sticks by us for years, all in an effort to better their craft and build a community of writers. Shailaja is one of those writers. She first came to yeah write in November 2013 when she committed to NaBloPoMo and then submitted her first piece to a grid that next month. However, like myself and many other writers who first joined yeah write, it took a bit to snag that first, coveted badge.

It took me a whole year to get an editor’s pick or even come close to the top row on the grid, but I didn’t give up. What makes me come back each week is three fold: the camaraderie and accessibilty of the editors, the genuine and relevant comments that people leave on the posts and the quality of the writing which keeps motivating me to push myself harder each time.

You can find Shailaja on all three grids at any given week and, she does well on all of them (as you can see from this awesome page):

I love all three but I am particularly fond of the microstory grid since it allows me to explore how far I can stretch my creativity within the space of 42 words. I’ve also taken a huge liking to the nonfiction grid of late since I’m constantly working on my technique and trying to learn from the others on the grid.

Shailaja is a yeah write veteran, sticking with us for two whole years. If anyone knows what to say to any yeah write virgins out there, it’s her.

It can be frustrating for writers to find that they don’t seem to do well on the votes, week after week. And I get it. Rejection is hard to take, even if it means it comes from faceless people on the internet. But this place is a great way to prep yourself for the real world. It’s hard out there, trying to get your writing accepted by well-known publications or get featured in writing magazines. The thing we need to take away is that the editors give the best feedback when your piece is rejected from the grid. You don’t get that anywhere else, even if you were to pay someone to do it.

It also helps to keep in mind that writing is an evolutionary process. We must be willing to believe that our best work is yet to be written and that the perfect story or brilliant post is still out there, embedded in the mind. Get ready to tease it out of slumber and present it with love to the world. Put your soul, every inch of it, into your writing. You’ll see the difference.

Shailaja started blogging in 2007, but it took a while for her to really begin to take her craft seriously. She realized writing was something that not only kept her happy, but sane. She has two blogs, one dedicated to her journey as a parent and all that entails, and the other where she publishes her fiction and creative nonfiction. Not only does she blog, she’s working on her first novel. As you can expect, all of this keeps Shailaja quite busy:

My Parenting blog has always been a diary, as the name suggests. It began as a way for me to document snippets of my life as a parent and now I use it more and more as a way to talk to my daughter through letters and life lessons. It’s my comfortable space where I go to say what’s in my heart. There is a plan to convert parts of it into an e-book at some point in the future.

The Moving Quill is for the experimental writer in me. I only launched it last May and ever since I have watched myself grow as a writer who breaks out of my comfort zone. I have written pieces which touch upon depression, suicide, the creative process, romance, horror, humour and even free verse. I am hoping that this blog will be the stepping stone to a longer, sustained career in my writing journey.

Currently I am working on my first-ever book, a memoir, which will outline my personal battle and life lessons on depression and bipolar disorder. It’s simultaneously terrifying and invigorating. Here’s hoping that it will touch the lives of many.

Like many writers, when Shailaja isn’t writing, you can find her reading. That’s not all though. She also has a few hobbies tucked up her sleeve, one of which many of us can relate to.

I read a lot. True, a lot of it seems to be online these days and articles on writing keep me hooked for longer than they should, but I just love to read! I also love to swim. I learnt it pretty late (32!) but took to it happily after the first week of unholy terror! Finally, I facebook  (Is that a verb?) so I have a lot of friends online so a good chunk of each day is spent there.

Ahh Facebook. You’ve hooked us all!

Shailaja is lucky enough to have the support of her wonderful family. I asked her to sell them in 140 characters or less. She didn’t disappoint.

Supportive as the banyan tree, in his love I thrive- My husband

Love, wisdom, grace and innocence, she always makes me smile- My daughter

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Thank you Shailaja for letting us get to know you a little better here at yeah write. We are so happy to have you in our community! Make sure you follow Shailaja’s blogs, The Moving Quill & Diary of a Doting Mom. You can also follow her on Facebook (The Moving Quill & Diary of a Doting Mom) and Twitter.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”27489″ alignment=”right”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Oh, you want more? Well here are five things you never knew about Shailaja:

1. She dislikes coffee. She just cannot stand the taste of it, except perhaps in ice-cream. Kind of ironic that it’s called the coffeehouse at yeah write.
2. She trained students to take competitive exams such as the GRE and the GMAT between 2001 and 2005.
3. She can stay up until 3am to finish/re-read a book, especially if it was written by Enid Blyton or P.G. Wodehouse!
4. She takes cold showers every single day, even in the chilliest of winters. It’s a habit she developed after she learned to swim.
5. Contrary to the gregarious person you see on social media, Shailaja is an introvert. So if you ever meet her, she would be the quiet one, listening to you speak.

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Are you ready for the yeah write #241 weekly writing challenges opening this week? We hope so! Your badges await in the sidebar. Grab the code, paste into the text or HTML view of your post, then submit your post to the grids for a little friendly competition. We’re glad you’re here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]