The blog and Hide-out of a humour writer, mom, IT professional, not necessarily in that order.
I have a piece of flash published in Zizzle Lit’s second issue. Just got my contributor copy yesterday and it’s beautiful!!
I would encourage everyone to submit here. They offer professional payment, and
ask for a childhood photo as well as notes on your story.
Check out their submissions guidelines here!
On the fabulous occasion of World Book Day I thought I’d share the names of the books I’m reading which is coincidentally the post I was working on next anyway!
I usually read 2 or 3 books at a time, two on Kindle and one print book. Usually I go for a mix of fiction and nonfiction. I try not to read fiction in the same genre that I’m writing, but anything by the master is always welcome.
The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty by Kavita Kane
I recently finished reading this book, my first by this author. Though I knew a lot of the story beforehand I enjoyed reading it and I plan to add more books of hers to my ever-burgeoning TBR pile.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Several readers in the readers group I’m a part of recommend this book. I picked it up and though I’m only a quarter of the way through, so far I find it a fascinating look at how our species came about.
The Four-hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
I had been curious about this one for some time and finally ordered the print version. I am not a great fan of self-help books in my adulthood, having consumed tons of them during adolescence. I’ve made good progress on this one and I’m halfway through now. It has thrown up some good ideas which I intend to try out in the near future.
Men without Women by Haruki Murukami
I needed a break from all the nonfiction I was reading so I chose this and of course I don’t regret it. His stories are inexplicably simple and well-written and thought-provoking at the same time.
What have you been reading lately?
If you’re wondering why everything’s looking different, it’s because I changed the theme again! I hope it’s not too jarring a change but the theme really caught my eye and I changed it without even really meaning to. The last such transformation happened more than a year back so it was long overdue.
Do drop me a line with your thoughts on the new theme!
Last week I wrote a post listing out all the things I hate about writing.
This time let’s look at the flip side. Here’s some of the things I love about it:
I’m sure you could come up with a few more reasons why you love writing, but while this is my list, feel free to add your own in the comments!
Since my childhood it’s been a tradition for me to wake up early and watch the Oscars ceremony. When I was small, I found the entire thing spectacular – full of song and dance and comedy. I’m dating myself here but I remember recording the episodes on my little VHS tapes and then watching them over and over again later on.
As the viewership ratings show, the Oscars has declined in popularity these last few years. Even up until a few years back I’d stay riveted, glued to the screen from the moment the red carpet rolled out until the best picture was declared.
This year I had it on for background viewing while I got my daughter ready for school. Both the program and the eventual list of winners did not disappoint!
My favourite moments from the show:
Here are some of the stalwarts whose wins I was happy to witness:
Mahershala Ali for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Though I haven’t seen any of his Oscar-winning or Oscar-nominated performances, I’ve been a huge fan of his since his House of Cards days. It struck even from that time that he was star material. I discovered only later about controversy surrounding the movie Green Book.
Olivia Colman for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Though she was one of the frontrunners too, I feel like her win over Glenn Close was a big upset. I love Glenn Close too – who can forget her performance in Fatal Attraction – but this one was very well-deserved.
Rami Malek for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Despite stellar performances by all the other nominees, this one was almost ‘in the bag’ from the day the nominations were announced. I finally caught Bohemian Rhapsody on Tata Sky Showcase the other day, and it lived up to the expectations.
I did not make any predictions, but this piece of satire accurately reflects what I would have said.
Did you watch the Oscars this year? What were your favourite parts of the show?
Don’t get me wrong – I love writing, especially now, despite all the gazillion rejections streaming in on a daily basis. I am finally enjoying the process, rather than indulging in the thrills of “having written.”
However there are quite a few things I don’t like about being a writer:
This is not the fault of writing of course, but it does demand intense concentration and time. The creative gene inspires ideas but the world doesn’t grant us the time to write all of them. It also takes away time from socializing in the real word – I’ve skipped many a weekend party in favour of writing.
After stealing all that time, when I sit down to write, the words that bombard my brain at all the wrong times retreat into a shell and need immense coaxing to draw them out.
The first draft of everything is crap. It may improve with practice but sometimes it’s so bad it’s better to scrap it all and start again.
In more than five years of writing and submitting, I can count only a handful of times that a piece I sent out was accepted by the first place I sent it to. My story that won 2nd place in the On The Premises contest last year is a good example of this.
The fear of rejection and submitting makes us hold on to our creative efforts, but without sending it out we’re not really taking ourselves to the next level
Writers need supreme confidence in themselves and their work so they can pitch agents and publishers and plough through despite all the rejections
Writers also need to turn a critical eye on themselves so they can humbly accept feedback and revise their work to near-perfection
The final draft is never final and even after time and distance away from it when I see it next I feel its way below par.
The struggle to find the word that exactly matches what you’re thinking of is perpetual. A thesaurus makes it easier but not always.
This is the biggest problem with writing – the easiest writing that looks the most effortless is actually the hardest to do.
How do you feel about writing these days? Anything you can add to the above list? W
The last few weeks have seen have quite some excitement in the world of books and publishing. Each of the news pieces I’ve mentioned below are fascinating to read about.
A Suspense Novelist’s Trail of Deceptions
AJ Finn’s novel Woman in the Window became a huge bestseller last year. It followed the trend of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. But how much do you know about the author? This article on the New Yorker tells a long and absorbing tale of a writer whose personal life offers more drama than his books. Don’t miss this – worth a read despite the length.
YA author pulls debut novel due to accusations of racism
Author Amélie Wen Zhao had to pull her YA Fantasy novel after early reviewers dismissed the book as racist. This and other instances has created the need for sensitivity readers, though their impact on books and publishing is something we’ll observe in the years to come.
Jeff Bezos exposes Dan Pecker before he exposes him
I think everyone must have read about this one by now. The news was hardly out when McSweeney’s had a riposte ready. Check out I Am Jeff Bezos: Man Of Principle, Champion of the Exploited
Using Literary Techniques in Narrative Journalism
Not a news-related piece, but an excellent one nevertheless on livening up your nonfiction using storytelling techniques.
If all that wasn’t enough, here’s something to tickle your funny bone:
Eat Your Feelings at These New Restaurants for Writers – “From the Memoir Bistro to the Rejection Café, we’ve invented 8 dining establishments for the literary”
All these articles gave me more than enough food for thought over the last few days. Anything else that caught your eye but missed mine? Let me know in the comments! ac
