Writing the climax of your book

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We are characters and life is our stage. We live life every day, every hour and every second. If we claim that the situations we are surrounded with are pretty surprising then we are not being true to ourselves.

We know exactly ‘why’ we do the things we do and the probable outcomes of these actions. We are only reluctant about being proactive because we like having control over situations and deciding the outcome of the story.

‘The Story of Life’

A few days ago I read that everything can be slated by a person’s willpower including his birth and death. I wasn’t surprised by this interpretation of life. My lack of disbelief comes from the stories I heard as a child – stories about Indian mythology, supernatural powers, and about God and how he would grant us wishes. My belief or disbelief in the creator aside, there are many examples of human greatness. People with strong willpower have created history and become Gods of the Era.

I live my life with the belief that while I carve the climax of my life, I should occasionally stop to remember the fun times that occurred as I walked the path. So, it is important that I live life to the fullest; for if the journey is not fun would I visit those times again and again.

As I near the climax of my next Novel, I felt the desire to revisit my journey from a single idea to the climax. The power of thinking, the power of believing can help you create anything, work miracles.

When I write, I have the power to create not just the climax but also the complete story. With life the power rests with me and the Almighty. He gives me the wisdom to make the right decision but he probably does not retain the power to edit my life story or the climax of it. There is a tussle between the creator and the created. This tussle exists only because he gave us the power to think and act. All he has given himself the charge of is the incentives and fines. We receive incentives for all the right that we do and are fined for all the wrong we do. He could just grant us our desires but he controls or tempers our actions by tying us to the karma of time. I ask him to give me the wisdom to make the right decision while I live my life story and write a story, so that the climax is worthwhile.

As a writer, I have decided the climax of my novel. Whether it is correct or not, I do not know. I will share my story with you soon and then you will be able to decide if my story and climax lives up to expectations.

Happiness is infectious and in my happy mood pleased with the fruit of my labor, I wish you a happy life.

God bless!

 

Book Review – Gently falls the Bakula

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Shrimati and Shrikant were once classmates and neighbours but they were brought up in completely different family environments. Never realizing that one day they would become a couple. ‘Gently falls the Bakula’ is a story of love, friendship, marriage and the meaning of life.

Author Sutha Narayan Murti has weaved this story so beautifully that it leaves the reader with no option but to read. The first half of the story is set in Hubli, a small town and the pace of life. She slowly and beautifully graduates the story to the hardships and the luxuries of living in Mumbai. The characters are so well crafted thatthey come to life. You watch and lament as ambition begins to dominate life dominate life and the essence of relationships fades.

Shrimati and Shrikant, young couple begin their marriage with great love and passion. Yet as modern life gets a grip on their life, this intelligent couple cannot hold together. The intelligent Shrimati struggles to save her marriage as she loses her individual identity while the ambitious Shrikant loses himself in a career unable to see or grasp the sacrifices she makes for him.

Bakula symbolizes the love for the couple. It plays a very significantrole in the story. It says that despite of all the hardships, love standsstrong and rooted as long as they make an effort but the momentambitions replace love the symbol of love loses its meaning.

A short and sweet story scores 7 on 10 for its concept and simplicity. Author Sudha Murti has written many more short stories, since this was the first one I read so I felt it deserved to be one of the first books I reviewed.

For any couple who feels that they are missing something in life, I recommend this book. It will help you rekindle the good times andfind reasons to get back together. Nothing should replace love, especially not material things which do not last forever.

Stay together, stay happy…wait for my next review…!!

 

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Book review – The Zoya Factor

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There are many good books out there but often we don’t know which book to buy or to read. So, over the next few months, I will be reviewing different books from Indian and International authors. I will rate them based on story line, language and author.

The first book on the list is Zoya Factor.

Zoya Factor was released in 2008 and is one of the first Indian books with the print run of 20,000. It is written by Anuja Chauhan, one of my favorite Indian fiction authors. I found this book when I was looking for something light to read.

Zoya Factor revolves around the glamour of celebrities like Shahrukh Khan, the pulse of our nation – Indian cricket team, the hardships of advertising agencies and Zoya, an average girl hailing from Delhi Karol Bagh.

The author impressively uses a combination of English and Hinglish to weave a Cinderella love story in Karol Bagh Delhi. She ingeniously combines the sweetness of love with the harshness of advertising, politics, superstition and cricket. She effortlessly embroils you in the painfully drama of match fixing which nearly ruined our love of cricket and the reputation of our country. It is an emotional rollercoaster of cricket, politics and love. The only drawback was the repetition when meeting the Indian cricket team, which made the storyline a bit obvious at times.

All in all, it is a good read with a great ending. It’s a solid 8 out of 10. I definitely recommend reading the book.

P.S. I was so impressed with Anuja’s style of writing that I borrowed her concept of giving my novel DARK WHITE a local essence with typical young Bhopali to connect to the readers and add a local flavor.

Thanks Anuja! I hope we meet one day so I can talk to you and memorialize the occasion with your Autograph on my copy of ‘Zoya Factor’.

How to publish a book

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Becoming a published author is a dream many strive for but not everyone achieves.
In the past month, I have written about the different steps involved in crafting a spellbinding book.
Today, I will introduce you to the next step to becoming a published author ‘Publishing’.

Once the last word is written and edited, you cannot just sit at home and wait for a publisher to approach you. You need to start approaching publishing houses to get your book published.
The first step to publishing your book is research. You need to gain a good understanding of these three areas – good publication houses, the genre they focus on and how to approach them will increase your chances of getting published.
Good Publishing Houses
Go online and find the names of Publishing Houses. List them out, I created an excel sheet to make comparing them easier. This will help you decide to which Publishing Houses to send your book.
Also, find out the strength of their distribution network. A Publishing House with a strong network will ensure a wider audience which can bring more sales. This research will also help you understand how book stores work from where your book will be displayed to how it will be promoted.
Genre’s and Publishing Houses
Find out which authors reside under the Publishing House brand.You can learn author names from the company’s website or by spending time at book stores. This will give you a fair idea of which genres the house usually publishes.
Approaching a Publishing House
A good time to approach Publishing Houses is after you complete the First Draft. Send your list of shortlisted publishers –
1. Synopsis of the Book
2. First two chapters
3. A short Author introduction
Once you have sent the email, you have to have patience. Publishers take time to revert on your work. This period varies from publication house to publication house. Typically, they take one to six month. Check their website to verify the duration.
If a Publishing House shortlists your book, they contact you to view the entire book. Do not worry, good publishers respect your work as much as you do, the information is kept extremely confidential.
If they like the entire story, they will revert with a positive response and a soft copy of contract with terms and conditions.You can choose to contact or negotiate with other publishers. Or you can get the work started by signing the contract. The ball is now in your court.
So, if the draft of your first book is complete, then what are you waiting for?
Wish you all the Best!

How to Write a Book

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There is a writer in everyone. If you are a buddy writer, my next three blogs are dedicated to you. I will take you through the process from how to write a book to how to publish the book.

The process of writing a book begins with an idea but this process is often clouded by uncertainties – will I be able to write a good book, will people like my book, will I be able to publish the book, etc.

Stop!

Repeat this mantra to give yourself confidence

I want to write a book

I can write a book

I will write and publish a book

Now get started!

When you begin writing, don’t bind yourself to logic or logistics, writing is a creative process.Free think and free write until your book or screen is full and you can’t write anymore.

If after writing a few pages, you get stuck and begin to struggle, don’t panic. Take a break, relax, observe the world around you for new ideas, pamper yourself until thoughts flow freely once more and begin writing again.

This free write forms your first draft. This draft may not be very long, it will not be very good, it will have grammar and structural issues but it will form the concept of your book. So don’t be upset if it does not live up to expectations. Instead, celebrate achieving the first milestone of writing a book.

Now the real work begins.

The second draft is longer process. You have to read through the first draft to understand your vision. It might be upsetting because the initial draft may not live up to your expectations. Don’t be discouraged. The second draft is a fine tuning process. You need to connect the dots, define the plot, build the characters, smoothen the story flow and break down your long free write into smaller, more palette-able chapters.

Once this process is complete, your confidence level will shoot up and fill you with pride.However, you will be plagued by uncertainties in the back of your mind that is still something missing. This is normal. Don’t worry. Relax and celebrate. Take a break before entering the next round of editing.

During this round, you get rid of uncertainties created by the previous round of editing. You will need to spend time bring your characters to life.Transform them into real people with personalities rather than stick figures with names. Use your own life as inspiration. After all, our lives are a story, full of emotion, drama, adventure and suspense. Also, look and fill plot holes that can detail your storyline.

After this you have two to three rounds of editing left before you can send it to a publishing house. During these rounds,  you will have to be more practical. You will have to start thinking and writing with your mind not your heart. You will have to focus on taking your story to the next level based on the following prescribed steps that publishing houses will demand:

Define a plot

Define the genre

Define the characters

Define the flow of the story, including chapters

This editing may be more tedious but it polishes your writing from scribbles on a paper to a book. This stage may not be as enjoyable as the previous rounds but take pride in it as it is a sign of maturing as a first time Author.

Once this editing is complete, comes the hardest part, sharing your book with others. You need to share your book with a few close people to gain feedback.  Listen to opinions. Observe their reactions. Use this information to do a final edit.

Once you are satisfied, shortlist and prepare a synopsis and send it to the chosen Publication Houses.

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