Prologue

My first book, The Eleventh Indian, inspired by a true piracy incident off the shores of Africa, was published in 2019. Its electrifying sequel, Diamonds of Hope, followed in 2021. Even as I enjoyed the literary acclaim and embarked on the endless journey of a ‘crazy writer’, my sister pricked my conscience one day.

‘Before you forget the struggles you went through, why not pen it down so that others do not need to learn the hard way?’

I had no answer, but her words had struck a chord. I knew what I had to do.

The lingering doubts in the minds of aspiring writers when no publisher shows interest in their manuscript flashed by.

What should one do? How do you take it forward?

Confronted with such a dilemma, the options are rather obvious.

Resign to your fate or take the multiple rejections in your stride and work towards improving the script?

Accepting defeat is not part of my dictionary, as every manuscript is like a baby waiting to be born, and this book hopes to help you achieve your dream.

To make your journey simpler, I have interlaced the lessons learnt into a story, drawing from the initial pages of my first novel, The Eleventh Indian. These are examples of mistakes I made and often repeated in my quest to achieve literary success.

As the author in me says. . .

‘I can promise you a story within a story. . .and if you get it right,

you will have your own story.’