Discover the Writer in You

  It was a beautiful necklace. More beautiful, since it was a gift from her husband.  But, Nalini had not put it on even once.  She desired certain changes.  Though everyone who saw the necklace, found it to be exquisite, she was not satisfied.  The necklace consisted of shiny black pearls, the central piece was oval in shape and bigger than the rest. The smaller pearls were octagonal and linked to each other with golden rods. Initially, she got the golden links changed with silver ones. But even that did not look good enough.  Next, she got the central black pearl replaced with a white one but that also did not fit aptly. Finally, she got it back to its original design.  But she pondered continuously on how to get it into an ideal shape. The necklace was presented to her ten years back.  Nalini Mahadevan was a housewife.  And Rupesh was a successful businessman. He had seen her at a family marriage function and it was love at first sight. Bu...

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, t...

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 expr...

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 ...