Discover the Writer in You

She skidded for about twenty meters before smashing into the rear of a stationery truck. Those twenty meters turned out to be the longest stretch I had ever negotiated in my life.  The impact jolted me violently. For a few seconds, my mind drew a blank. I could think, see or hear nothing. Then, everything returned with double the force. It was as if the past got obliterated in one single stroke and the future ceased to exist. I felt acute pain in my knees. I reached for the doorknob and tuned it. It worked. I pushed myself out into the open. I felt as if I emerged out of a dark cave. The deafening sound of passing traffic struck me like a lightning bolt. A crowd was beginning to swell around us. Someone placed his hand on my shoulder gently. ‘What happened brother?’ It was a good question. With some effort, I maneuvered my way around her. Her front was thrown open by the sheer force of the collision. She was disfigured beyond recogni...

Prisoner of War is a collection of twenty six short stories which have matured like a fine wine  over a period of time. The volume has been authored by Manish Sharma whose short stories have appeared regularly in popular magazines, anthologies and blogs. It’s published by Ocean Books, New Delhi.  The collection represents a rainbow of life, exploring its various colors and shades. It highlights the freedom of choice we all have and what we do with it. And how it imparts our ordinary stories their extraordinary edge. The writer has cast his tales in different genres be it literary or experimental, tragedy or fantasy. Due to it's wide range, the book appeals to all age groups be it young adults, elders or children.  The first story of this collection titled A Point of View has been made into a short film and was telecast on National Television. You can watch it at  http://vimeo.com/64458771 Wings of Freedom traces the desir...

Isha is a young and bright painter, struggling to make her mark in Mumbai. She studies painting at JJ School of Arts. Her mother succumbed to asthma when Isha was quite young. Her father, an accountant, wants her to be an engineer and shows no respect for her talent. He looks down at her calling as a waste of time and effort. However, she decides to follow her passion despite opposition at home. Aditya is a fellow student who is jealous of her natural ability and leaves no opportunity to deride her work. In fact, he is a drunkard who has already been rusticated once from the college. Egoist to the core, he finds it difficult to accept Isha as a competitor and a better artist. Even though it results in unpleasant situations for her, Isha does her best to avoid him and focus her energies on her art. However, she finds it quite difficult to succeed in a highly competitive market and feels frustrated at times. One of her fashion designer friends asks her to join her comp...

Everyone including you, has a story to tell. And since it is your story, you are the best person to narrate it. Do you know why? This is because when you write from your own, intense personal experience, your story acquires a ring of authenticity. And subsequently, to a reader, it appears credible. And it is only a credible story which has the potential to touch someone's heart. Does it mean you shouldn't write about the events or circumstances which you have not experienced yourself? Not exactly! There are writers who are endowed with such fertile imagination that they can quite convincingly transcend experience. But since you have just started your journey to discover the writer in you (or so I presume!), it's better to start with your own experience. Now, you may say you hardly know where to start. That's where I'll chip in. And together, We will embark on a journey and bring out the hidden writer in you. And then we will wit...

                                                                                                                                                            I have been listening to wonderful stories since my childhood from very informed narrators like my grandfather and later, my father.         Whether it was the monkey warrior Hanuman or the powerful Bhīma, I found these tales very interesting, full of suspense and topped up by a befitting ending. Not to be left behind, the storyteller played the most important role as he stressed skillfully on the most importan...