“One of the best lessons I’ve taken away is not to be afraid to experiment with different forms of writing.” - Anuja Varghese, SCS Learner
Losing a job can be an incredibly stressful and dejecting experience. Luckily, for Anuja Varghese, being let go from a mentally draining job turned out to be an opportunity to rediscover her passion for writing. Her first published short story collection, Chrysalis, hit bookshelves in March.
While she had always felt connected to writing, Varghese had never really considered it as a career option. “I majored in English Lit and thought I might go into journalism, but wandered into the non-profit sector instead (where I still use my writing and storytelling skills every day as a grants consultant),” she explains.
Her “a-ha!” moment came a few years ago when she was let go from a job in non-profit management. “It was a great job on paper, but it was leaving me mentally exhausted and creatively dry,” she says. “After that, I rediscovered a passion for writing and decided to pursue it more seriously, enrolling in writing workshops and classes.”
After trying out a few workshops and one-off classes, Varghese was looking for something more structured. She also wanted the opportunity to learn from more established writers with Canadian publishing experience.
“As someone trying to balance a full-time job, parenting, a social life and a creative writing practice, I needed a program that offered online delivery options and flexibility in terms of timeline,” she says.
“The Creative Writing Program at SCS checked all those boxes for me!”
An encouraging community of fellow writers with diverse backgrounds and writing experiences, along with expert instructors helped Varghese to begin to bring the stories of Chrysalis to life.
“All my instructors at SCS have been incredibly supportive and provided generous, insightful feedback on my work. At least half the stories in Chrysalis were either started or finished in an SCS creative writing class,” she explains.
“The opportunity to workshop other students’ work in class has sharpened my editorial skills and strengthened my own writing.”
Varghese says that understanding what her classmates were hoping to get out of their SCS experience, as well as what she was hoping for, helped her to make meaningful connections with classmates, and adds that remaining in touch with some of her instructors as she pursues publishing professionally has been very helpful.
In addition, Varghese found the requirements of the Creative Writing certificate pushed her to expand her skill set by exploring genres she was less familiar with.
“One of the things I really enjoyed about my SCS experience was that as part of the Creative Writing Certificate Program, you must take courses in both an area of specialty (I chose short fiction) as well as courses in other areas. I was able to try my hand at screenwriting and started drafting a novel,” she says. “
“One of the best lessons I’ve taken away is not to be afraid to experiment with different forms of writing.”
Still, Varghese has a particular fondness for the short story genre. “I love short stories (or for the fanfic enthusiasts – a good oneshot!) and am always inspired by the economy of language that well-written short stories present. At the same time, I wanted to get my feet wet submitting work and learning how to use editorial feedback I received, and short stories were the perfect way to do that,” she says.
“There was also something satisfying about being able to draft, edit, revise and submit a complete piece in the span of a few weeks or months. For a while, I was doing a writing prompt every day, both as a creative outlet and as a generative exercise, and many of the stories and characters in this first collection grew from those seeds.”
Varghese describes Chrysalis as a collection of 15 genre-blending short stories that centre women and girls of colour, and explore community, sexuality, cultural expectations, and moments of transformation through a feminist lens.
“When I think about what inspired me to write these stories – two things come to mind. The first is that I wanted to write brown girl characters who break free of the roles they are often ascribed in media (typically immigrants, nerds, victims, and sidekicks), and who reflect the intersections of identity that I experience as a second generation queer woman of colour,: she explains.
“The second is that I was writing both literary fiction and genre fiction and I wanted to create a collection that made space for both. Ultimately, I think I ended up writing what I am most excited to read!”
Varghese says she could never choose a favourite story from the collection, but she does know what she would like people to take away from reading the collection.
“Chrysalis’ dedication page reads: ‘This book is for all the girls and women who don’t see themselves in most stories. You are worthy of reflection, despite what you have been told.’ Reflection in this context can mean two things: a throwing back or mirroring of; and worthy of serious consideration.” She says.
“My hope is that readers find a mirror somewhere in this book, and also, that like the characters in these stories who demand to be seen and heard and desired and understood, they claim some of this power for themselves.”
Varghese recommends that aspiring writers who are considering trying their first creative writing class throw caution to the wind and go for it. “Just jump in,” she says.
“SCS creative writing classes are welcoming for people at all stages of the writing journey and you’ll find a supportive environment to focus your creativity, get feedback on your work, and, just maybe, tell the stories you’ve always wanted to tell.”
Varghese’s short story collection Chrysalis is now available in bookstores everywhere and will soon be available as an audiobook.
To learn more about the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Creative Writing Program, or to register for Summer Writing School, where Varghese will be featured in a special panel discussion about publishing, visit the Creative Writing Program page.