I am endlessly creating myself, chasing my dreams, and working on it like never before!
Abishek C B
Abishek C B is the living example of the phrase, ‘Never Judge a Book by its Cover.’ Having faced criticisms and inappropriate statements from people at the age of 23, he is confident and determined to excel in the field of writing and make a mark of his own.
Tell us about yourself. How did you manage to get into the field of writing, being a businessman and the co-owner of CVR Greengrocer?
Born and brought up in Chengalpattu, Chennai, almost 2 decades of my life were spent living there. For me, writing started during my days of schooling. I had an English teacher, Sathyanayaki. I used to feel so light on her teachings, that I could put my thoughts into words. A few incidents made me write my own ‘Memoir’ and this was also done to typically break the stereotype that a Memoir is always written at the age of 55 and above. ‘Hasn’t a 23-year-old faced anything in life?’ or ‘Haven’t they achieved enough to write their memoir?’ The book, ‘He Shrugged Unapologetically,’ was written in such a way that all age groups can read and feel on whatever I feel, ‘Chronicles of my life from a child to the age of 23.’
When it comes to business, my dad is running the ‘CVR Greengrocer,’ and I used to give my full potential to learn how business works, apart from an 8-9 hour job as a content writer in an IT firm. I’m passionate about both and so the balance is quite tied up. But, if you enjoy doing both, then time is not the constrain. The curve always goes up.
Was writing your passion from the very beginning or an interest that developed overtime?
In one chapter of my life, I thought pursuing a passion would be difficult at times. Writing was always a part of me, from school days. Hosting events, writing scripts for dramas, preparing agendas at that age, was the biggest responsibility I ever felt. Soon I was getting involved and realized that ‘infinite and endless motivation is all needed to drive you for who you are today.’ That is the reason I’m standing here to give an interview to the most renowned media platform, ‘Chennai Insider.’
A lot of times, being a writer isn’t encouraged and supported by family members. Were you exposed to such a situation?
I wasn’t exposed to such a situation. I received utmost support from my family, especially my sister. She encouraged me to write and collected a few memories which I forgot to write, but I wasn’t welcomed, encouraged, or supported by my friends. I was questioned and they declared statements for writing my memoir-like, ‘Are you the most known personality for people to buy your memoir?’ ‘You aren’t a celebrity,’ ‘Writing your memoir, seriously?’ & ‘What have you done?’ I took all those questions and statements as an obstacle and cleared it. Later, I featured under the ‘Top young Indian Authors on National Media by Newstracklive.’ Now, almost 500+ copies of my memoir are sold globally.
What are some of the challenges that you have faced while getting a hold of the industry and getting your book published?
There are so many aspects. Finding the right publisher took almost a month after completing my Memoir. At first, when I started to browse on Google, few publishing houses were on my search list. I trusted them blindly and approached them, shared and spoke about the process of publishing. A week later, I realized that I hadn’t checked the reviews, which backfired. Being a writer, I created a pony story and got everything back from them. Later, I found ‘Damick Publications,’ and they were really helpful and supportive. I was in a hurry to get my work done, mainly because I wanted to publish the Memoir on my parents’ anniversary. Fortunately, it was published. My memoir, ‘He shrugged unapologetically,’ was put across on Nov 7, 2019.
Give us an insight into your upcoming book, ‘Children’s Book.’
Sure! I’m working on a Children’s book and also doing the illustrations for the same. The book will sum up the lives of Indian children and they can envision themselves in it. Issues like bullying or complexion-related harassments will be a part of the book.
What are the different types of genres that you find comfortable writing on?
This pandemic made me work on a distinctive variety of genres. My first book is based on the genre of Non-Fiction. Owing to the Children’s book, I’m really excited on the overlay of art and writing. I would love to try different genres, specifically the one incorporating romance. This is because we all need love and to be loved.
Having been published on newspapers like Tamil Spot and Daily Hunt and been nominated for awards, what are your takeaways and lessons that you have learnt over a period of time?
I feel so honored to get featured in newspapers and articles, and so happy that my work is being recognized and getting nominated for awards is quite special. In the past decades, people never judged authors on the number of copies sold, or recognitions received. But now, people are searching for bestsellers rather than good content. A reader texted me and said, “I love your book” and started to say, “I purchased a bestseller, thought it would be rich in content, but it wasn’t that good. A few authors with money, pay people to buy their work and make it a bestseller. Only now did I realize.” So no matter what, good content will reach more people. The awards, article features and feedbacks, either online or offline is the biggest reward an Author can receive.
If you had to sum up your life as a writer at the age of 23, what and how would it be?
I am the deep blue sea, an author is the sum of his experiences. Normally, by the age of 23, an average person has had enough experiences to last them a lifetime. The only motto, ‘Write, Rewrite & Rewrite,’ is what I follow.
