Discover the Writer in You

So what kind of a person is Lord Rama in the grand epic Ramayana? He is an epitome of goodness and human ideals. No one can fault him for any vice. He is an astonishing example of virtue and up-righteousness. He is the quintessential Hero. And who is Karna in another equally magnificent epic, Mahabharata? He is an exceptional warrior who is abandoned by his mother at the time of his birth. Even though he belongs originally to a noble family, he is brought up by a charioteer and bears the tag of a Suta (a low caste) throughout his life. And though good at heart, he joins the wrong side in the mother of all battles. You understand him still you don’t. He is the quintessential Anti Hero. I am sure that by now, you have been able to see the difference between the two types of characters discussed above. And the fact that the later appears to be a more logical product of our age than the former. This is the right soil for the birth of an experimental sto...

Once upon a time, there was a young and gorgeous bird. She had candy red eyes that contrasted so strikingly with her snow-white feathers. Her tiny, bifurcated feet were gracefully in line with her blonde beak which was curved at the tip. Inexplicably, she had a golden ring thrown around her neck which shined intensely throughout the day.  And at night, from a distance, one could see it glimmer like a star-studded necklace. She lived inside a massive iron cage. It was so huge that at times, it created an illusion of space and in her ecstasy, she would flutter her wings and take a leap, only to get smashed against the thick, hard bars and crash on the floor. This bird had a unique and amazing trait which set her apart from the rest of her breed. She survived on gold. Every morning, her master would push apart the heavy gates of her cage and throw a handful of glittering gold coins inside. She would hurry and start nibbling at them hungrily. The speed with which she de...

A Great Opening Well begun is half done. This age old adage is as relevant today as it was centuries ago. A good story invariably has a good opening. And what purpose does it serve? Firstly, it arrests your attention. The first few lines excite your interest and draw you into the narrative. You get glued and feel like reading more. In this context, let’s examine Too Dear , a short story adapted by Leo Tolstoy, that master storyteller of all times. The title itself is so endearing and arouses the reader’s curiosity instantly. In fact, it’s a good idea to decide on the title first as that contains the gist of your story and creates the initial impression. However, in your exuberance to devise a catchy title, don’t leave it disconnected from the main story-line. At times, you may come to the right title only after finishing the complete story and on other occasions, you may actually experiment with a number of titles before finalizing the one that clicks ...

A strong bridge requires a robust structure to gain strength. Similarly, a good story needs to be structured well in order to have a strong appeal.  The most famous and apt definition of structure has been offered by none other than Aristotle who famously remarked that every story should have ‘a beginning, a middle and an end.’ And most of us feel that it is true about any piece of writing. But that may not always be the case. Simply put, the beginning of a story seeks to provide a brief introduction where you may like us to meet the principal characters and hint at the basic theme or idea. The middle carries the conflict or complication and develops it to a point of highest tension. And the ending offers a finding or resolution. A good beginning always leads to the logical center and thereafter, to an appropriate end. These three parts seamlessly flow into each other and combine to present a larger picture. Now, someone may ask: Can’t ...