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How to Write a Novel

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So, you want to write a novel!  Great! Let’s go into the nuts and bolts of it. ·          Remember, it all starts with a good idea. Something with a fresh twist or a new perspective. Once it catches your fancy, mull over it during your long evening walks, daydream about it while you catch that train and roll it over your tongue with a cup of strong coffee till the time it invites you and whispers softly in your ears: Hey, I am ready to be born. ·          Make sure that your idea has sufficient depth. After all, you are going to develop it into a draft of at least 60,000 words. If not, you may consider writing a novella or better still, a short story. ·          Write a detailed outline first and make sure that that your novel is well structured. Apart from the classic beginning-middle-end definition of the structure, there are many other aspects to be to be taken care of. I have written in detail about this particular aspect at:  How Do You

Ashes - A Short Film

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FADE IN: INT.CLINIC.DAY DAVID,40,plump and unshaven, lies on a black couch, eyes closed. He frequently runs his tongue over his lips. MARIA,35,fair and slim, wearing a white coat, sits next to him on a revolving chair. She scribbles something on a notepad, puts it aside and observes her patient with concern.                                 MARIA                     Hello, are you there?                                 DAVID                            (struggling)                     Yes doctor.                                MARIA                     Tell me what's happening.                               DAVID                      I am having the same dream.                               MARIA                     What do you see?                               DAVID                      I see...a soldier. DREAM - DAVID ON THE RUN David rushes along a black top road, PANTING. He stops to catch his breath and glances sideways.

What Are You Waiting For?

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We all are waiting for something. Right? When I finished my schooling, I waited for a good college. My future depended on it. After that, I waited for a good job. I had to prove myself. Then, I waited for a beautiful and mature girl, someone who could handle me. Together, we dreamed of a family. Soon, our young daughter joined a kindergarten school.  And then, a senior school. In turn, she wanted a good college for herself and a well-paying job too. How life keeps repeating itself! I always wonder at it's cyclical nature! How we keep moving from one milestone to the other. And all that is worthwhile happens as we travel from one check-post to the other. But what happens once you reach there? You start looking for something else again. Cars, homes, careers. Status, power, money. You desire everything. And when you reach there, once you get it - your mind starts wandering  again . It starts desiring and dreaming. It again starts waiting. B

The White Napkin

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It was the first thought that struck her as she woke up. He was gone. And soon, this house with all its memories would be gone as well. It was the strangest feeling ever. She glanced at the empty wheel chair.                                                                               His half paralyzed body, sunken eyes, dark lips and an expression that remained suspended between despair and false hope– everything came alive for a moment. She went outside in the garden. The red old hibiscus smiled back at her. The still delicate mango tree swayed gracefully, its soft green leaves rattled by a mild wind. She remembered how she had once planted the young sapling in the brown earth while he managed the watering can. She stared at her house for a long time – a solo, white and blue, hut shaped bungalow in South Goa against the backdrop of Sahyadri Mountains. River Sal flowed at a walkable distance. The next house was around five hundred yards away. In this fa

For the Proud Writer in You

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As a writer, I am proud that I can share my innermost feelings and thoughts with the world at large without any fear or remorse. As a result, I have grown tremendously and overcome all my inhibitions. I have written a collection of short stories which now adorns book shelves, libraries, online stores and countless memories. I am proud that before I die, I have been able to expose the deepest recesses of my soul to those around me which has given me so much of character and integrity. And when I am no more, my stories will still be read. As a writer, I am proud that I have   lived . Ideas for Writing First thing first, Start   having   experiences. Travel - by train, bullock cart or on foot. Go to new and faraway places, do things, meet people and interact. And while all this is happening, do that one thing that is so essential to turn you into a writer: OBSERVE. Remember, your writing is a combination of your observation, imagination and expression. And