Saturday 29 December 2012

What 2012 brought

At the year end, I'm duly taking a retrospective look at the gone by.
Like probably all of you, 2012 has been thick and thin for me too, treacly at times, custard-smooth at others.  
Now it's  near its end - where did the time go? Maybe that feeling is better than having time sit on your hands :)
It brought me a lot of things that I'm thankful for. New friends, surprisingly people I haven't yet met in person, only online, and some of them with whom friendship quickly grew till they entered firm friends list. And like firm footing, my writing group friends, still there to share things with. And (psst) vent your frustration at when you need it :)
Growing closer with my husband, yes, that may sound strange after sixteen years of marriage but is true, along with long morning walks we definitely found new things to learn about each other and appreciate.
Watching kids grow. Every mom and dad rushes through this. But on occasion you sit back and reflect and you get a warm mellow glow.
Then regarding my own personal growth. Learnt to listen (slightly) more. I learnt to take criticism better. At times even admitted my weak spot instead of flying off the handle when anybody pointed out what I had done amiss. But only at times, mind you ;) I'm not wearing a halo yet. (Don't want to be all goodness and sparkles.)
Writingwise, my major leap was winning Mills and Boon Passions III contest. And getting a chance to work with a - whoops - editor! Made my writing make inroads and go into depths I should never have dreamed of otherwise. Take it from me, an ed can really put their finger on what thing in the story niggled you but you didn't know what to do about it or shirked from taking that blind bjt spectacular jump. I learnt to strengthen my characters. Not hang onto scenes which didn't work for the characters however emotionally attached I was to them (the scenes, not characters) :(
*sigh* Still not satisfied with my writing and most of the time feel like throwing it all away or hiding under the blankets BUT for my writing friends' support. Plus my ed is so kind and encouraging enough about the parts that do work that it gives me enough turbo power to go on.
And yes the most important lesson I learnt this year. The lesson of last year's mistakes, now reinforced that family comes first or even writing doesn't give me satisfaction. Last few days, I took time off for my visiting relatives and played with my five-year-old nieces and their smiles and chuckles will stay with me, warming me. Especially, when writing is frustrating and you feel like throwing wip at the wall, you know you did some good. Gave people joy like bro-in-law and his wife relishing the stuffed paranthas I made. So if you're doing something right, maybe you can make this work too.
So like me if you suffer from bad writing days or bad days in general, my advice is to remember and reflect on things you've done well and decide you can tackle this too, the problem you have in hand. 
Most of all, take a minute to dwell on past lessons and learn from those mistakes. But never beat yourself up about them, however tempted you are to.

So with this wish you a very Happy New Year. And hope it won't bring bad days at all for any of you!


Saturday 22 December 2012

Yayyy.....and Merry Christmas

Yayy! We're all still here and very glad to be! Having survived the apocalypse (warning), we, I mean all of us, are looking forward to Christmas and spending holidays with family.
All this doomsday prediction stuff made me think of the times such warning have occurred in the past. I was a kid of maybe seven years, when I had first brush with this sort of mortality warning looming overhead, that was Skylab crashing to earth, the debris of which, thankfully went mostly into the Indian Ocean. Later came nuclear threats. Then these predictions began to become popular. The Nostradamus forecasts for the end of the world, and most recently this Mayan Prophecy. I don't deny I do get murky thoughts when I hear them and when children hear of these predictions...well, I do think nowadays they are suave enough not to take them to heart but somewhere they do stick, don't they? My son did show me a YouTube video of the meteor crashing into and burning the Earth and I had to look up and show him the NASA website where they absolutely denied its threat. Suffice to say, can do without kids feeling insecure because of all the widespread propaganda. Had to reassure him with a lot of counter-arguments and hugs.
Anyway, holiday season is here and time to dwell on these things is...well, can't find it! School break has begun, brother-in-law is coming over today with his family, so kids are pretty excited to meet their cousins. Thankfully whatever fears plagued us are done away and we are free to celebrate.
So I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Have fun in the holidays and even after the hols, infuse every day of your life with fun. I say we can permit ourselves, out of the sheer relief of having survived so many dire prophecies! Am sure you'll agree :)




Friday 16 November 2012

Next Big Thing - Guest post with Jennifer Faye


Hi folks, today I’m hosting Jennifer Faye, a soon-to-be-published Mills and Boon writer. Jennifer writes for the Cherish line and she’s here to talk about her story via Next Big Thing which is a round of ten questions where writers talk about their wip. If you missed mine you can read about it in my October blogs.
Please welcome Jennifer and let’s learn more about her book.
Here she is :)

 Hi everyone. I’m thrilled to be here.

Ruchita, thank you so much for inviting me to stop by your blog.  And I must say that I loved your “Next Big Thing” Q&A. I can’t wait to read the rest of your story. Thank you again for tagging me.

A little about myself. I am Harlequin Mills & Boon’s newest Romance/Cherish author. I’ve had a passion for writing all of my life. When I got “The Call” last month, it was literally a dream come true. I like to write emotionally stirring romances that will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your heart with each happily-ever-after.

If you want to read more about me, you can check out my website: www.jenniferfaye.com (soon to be updated)

****
 The following answers pertain to my first sale to Harlequin Romance / M&B Cherish. Squee!!!

 Q. What is the working title of your next book?
 Rancher to the Rescue”
Available July 2013 U.S./U.K.

 Q. From where did the idea come?
 The story was something I developed this summer for the Harlequin Romance Fast Track. It was a wonderful story to write with lots of emotional twists and turns to keep me riveted to my computer.

Q. Under which genre does your book fall?
 I write for Harlequin Romance / Mills & Boon Cherish. I love the emotional depths you are able to explore within the line—from smiles and laughs to the occasional damp eye. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster with a happily-ever-after :)

Q: Which actors would you choose to play the part of your characters for a movie?
 I’d picture Isla Fisher as my heroine Meghan. And Adam Rodriguez from 'CSI Miami' would be just right as her rancher.

 Q. What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?
 When a big, splashy wedding goes awry, the runaway bride is aided by a reluctant rancher, but their adventure has only just begun and as their complications mount, they’ll find out that their future plans are about to be revised in ways neither of them could have ever predicted.

Q. Will you self-publish or be represented by an agent?
 This book will be traditionally published via Harlequin Mills & Boon.

Q. How long did it take to write the first draft?
 Honestly, not long at all. At the time I was working one-on-one with my now-editor and I had deadlines to meet. I've always worked best under pressure. :) If you’d like to see how it unfolded. You can read about “The Call” here:

Q: With which books within your genre would your story compare?
 Oh my, I honestly don’t know. I’m really hoping that it is different and that’s the reason my editor and Harlequin Mills & Boon has brought me onboard.

Q: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
 Boy, these questions don’t get easier, do they? :)
 The inspiration behind this book had absolutely nothing to do with my characters. I was currently working with a fabulous editor at Harlequin Mills & Boon and I wanted to keep working with her. So I had to come up with a great story, something that would make her sit up and take notice. So she inspired me to write a fresh story with a unique twist.

Q: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
 Although the story is set in the American Southwest, it has a contemporary feel with a celebrity cook, who likes to turn up the heat in the kitchen. Things definitely never get boring for these two.

Ruchita, thank you so much for inviting me to your blog. I've really enjoyed my visit.

Thank you, Jennifer. Oooh a runaway bride, a celebrity 
cook. Sounds intriguing! I'm longing to read it already. 

Hope you all enjoyed Jennifer’s visit. July will be here soon and you can read this exciting story of runaway bride and her rescuing rancher for yourself. Love to hear from you, so don’t forget to leave a comment :)



Tuesday 23 October 2012

The Next Big Thing


Today I'm posting in response to Nikki Goodman's tagging me on Facebook to take part in The Next Big Thing. You can read her post here. In  the Next Big Thing, writers answer ten questions about their work in progress and then tag five other writers to do the same the following week.
Here are my answers. Hope you like getting to know about Zaheer and Vishakha, the characters in my WIP.
Q. What is the working title of your next book?
       It's the first book and the running title is Her Dream Date. 

Q. From where did the idea come?
       I entered the Mills and Boon India's Passions III contest with this storyI was one of the three winners in the contest.You can read the story here  It was only 2k words then.  Coincidentally, the idea was that a girl wins a contest. The story really took off when my hero and heroine materialized, and solidified, in my mind. They have great interaction and are absolute fun to write. In fact, it got to be an effort to limit their ongoing conversation in my head!

Q. Under which genre does your book fall?
      Mostly I like to write contemporary romance though I'm 
drawn towards paranormal too. This one is a contemporary, written along the Riva guidelines.

Q: Which actors would you choose to play the part of your characters for a movie?

      Hmm, they'd be from Bollywood. I think Hrithik Roshan because basically I took the idea of Zaheer's colouring from him, those hazel eyes and streaked hair! It could be Ranveer Singh with the careless charismatic manner he had in Ladies vs Ricky Behl. Or Sameer Kocchar because of the height, but he'd have to wear contacts lol!  As for heroine, maybe Deepika or Diana Penty. I like the look Diana had in her debut movie. Vishakha has the same kind of vulnerable look, but with more calories to her :)



Q. What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?
      Fitting it all in one sentence is a bit tough, well here goes : A workaholic jilted doctor with no time for fun, finds herself fighting her attraction for a  flamboyant Bollywood actor. 

Q. Will you self-publish or be represented by an agent?
     Well, I'm cosy where I am now, coming to notice of an editor through the contest. Since my dream publisher is Harlequin Mills and Boon, working with one of their editors has been a realization of my hopes. Fingers crossed for getting published through this.

Q. How long did it take to write the first draft?
     I did a bit of rewriting for the first three chapters. Then I wrote the next three chapters. Wasn't satisfied with them and my editor kindly looked them over and she agreed to what I felt wasn't working. She sent me some suggestions. We talked over them and then I really got to writing it and finished it in around one month. I'm working on the revisions now.

Q: With which books within your genre would your story compare?
    As a story of a girl coming into her own, it has a very faint resemblance to Jessica Hart's the Secret Princess. But quite far off in theme and story. Actually I haven't read a Riva like this one. The background setting is Indian and because of that it's a different dish altogether because I wanted it should carry a flavor of Indian values.

Q: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
    My love for Bollywood, I guess, that was what made me give the hero his profession.
    Actually it was an observation that struck me about the difference in the way of the life of different social circles within the society. I had the occasion to attend a get together among professionals, mainly doctors. And then shortly afterwards, I was in a social function of mainly upper class housewives. I couldn't help comparing that the style of dressing for the women was so totally different. The doctors wore more muted shades and less bulky jewelry.  Their hair style and make up was understated. While in the other event, make up, jewelry, the apparels, everything was louder.  That was when I started to carve out the heroine Vishakha's character. She is a busy doc with no time for fashion dressing. But due to circumstances she starts questioning her total absorption in her work. Which leads her to a journey deeper in her own psyche.

Q: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
    Well, maybe the setting. Part of it is in Lucknow and I've tried to capture the old world charm of the city. As well as aroma of the delectable Lucknavi cuisine. Then a part is set in Mumbai with, hopefully, a flavor of Bollywood coming through.

Thanks for going through this with me, hope you liked hearing about my (hoping-to-be) book. And now I tag the next five who are:

Really enjoyed this and looking forward to 'hearing' about others soon. :)


Wednesday 10 October 2012

What's important - weather or season?


Follow the season not the weather. Why? Because weather temporary and the season is lasting. Though with the changing climate scenario the above statement is less and less applicable. More properly, what's more important - the mood or the nature of a person? A bit of wind in summer doesn't make you take out your thick woolens. What about the minor irritations which crop up in our day? Maybe the two have nothing in common. But something made me think of this analogy as a part of everyday circumstance. 
We were on a holiday and my son refused to do as he was told, pulling a frown and acting mutinous. While I felt reactionary anger, my daughter cautioned me, mama let it be. So I dropped trying to get him to do what I wanted. The next moment I realized he was probably tired from the journey to high altitude as well as the sightseeing walk we took. So no wonder he was acting up. Normally a sunny kid, the change in him was just on that occasion. Sure enough next day he was back so I could lay my momentary fear of having a rebellious tween on my hands to rest. *happy smile*
This did make me think. There are times like these when our loved ones have a falling out with us. If we exercise a bit of patience and lot of love, the cloud passes away. But sometimes (read often for me) we are too rushed and lacking the time to think it through and we have quite a storm on our hands before things cool down. Heaven forbid, they not do any lasting negativity.
So next time anyone in my family gets a frown, I'm going to think it's weather, not a season. At least I'm going to try to. Would you like to? Love to know what you think of my little analogy.

Ciao! :)

Saturday 8 September 2012

Before you hit send


No writing advice this in case the title misleads you. Just sharing what happened before I got to the stage of hitting 'send'. 

Anyone who's written a full manuscript would have faced some amount of headache. When you sit down to write, it seems like a mountain. The good thing is you discover it can be broken up in small daily portions and munched comfortably. So you plan. If you set yourself goals, the stress increases. Well, some of it is good stress because it keeps you on the track. But some... suffice to say, it can really give you hypertension with the adrenaline racing through your body in case you don't 'make' it. Take my advice, don't make realistic goals. Make verrryyyy comfortable goals. This is from one who's been there.

So here's how it has minced along.

First, the upsets in the daily routine. Not that they are meant to be there. I have it planned I won't let writing interfere with anyone's time of me - if you know what I mean. No takeaways will be needed. Food will be cooked and ready at meal times. Laundry tended. But somehow characters begin to occupy more time than  I have allotted them. I'm getting complaints of you don't listen, mom. And angry retorts like yes, I did tell you about my test tomorrow. Weren't you listening? I can neither confirm nor deny. Have I been talking in my head to my H/h? Or more correctly hearing them talk? And missed hearing kids? *groan*


Then come more moments of the Inconvenient Muse. Staring at the boiling water till you suddenly realise you're supposed to be putting noodles in there, not stand planning out the dialogue you left unfinished when you couldn't get your brain cells to work at the keyboard.

Hubby's patience wearing thin because of kids' constant grumbles and the H/h black moment nearly becoming your own. Everyone getting sick of no outings, which I'm too stuffed with my story to think of organizing. Also I'm missing shared jokes and things because although physically present, I'm sometimes catching up on FB and twitter during family time. *hangs head in shame.*

Forgetting that I'm busy for myself and flying off the handle a few times. *oops* 

Then at last, the moment of light. Dun dun n dun. The lifting of dark cloud. End is in sight.


Everyone gets to see a more cheerful me. I even make kids favorite cheese dish to relax myself and appease them.

Finally, finally the much awaited day, when I hit 'send'. *crazy dance*. I make kids banana shake to celebrate and send out for chocolate. Hubby heaves a sigh of relief.

Whew! *mops forehead*

So how was your ride before you hit send? Smooth sailing or something like I went through? What about the multi-published authors? Do you still get butterflies in tummy before you hit send or is it just another day?

Would love to hear from you! :)

Thursday 26 July 2012

We went to see Punjabi movie 'Jatt and Juliet' yesterday. I don't go for Punjabi films much and went rather for my hubby's choice. But unexpectedly I really enjoyed the movie, especially for the lively comebacks of hero and equal stand-up by the heroine. Diljit Dosanj and Neeru Bajwa have done a great job playing the male and female leads. The highlight of the movie is the purely Punjabi humour. Director Anurag Singh has staged the perfect comedy timing throughout. For a light-hearted fun watch it took the bag, especially the romantic couple's daggers drawn interaction which was quite likeable, the hero calling the heroine 'dumnia' a Punjabi word for 'beehive' for most of the movie. Spunky, lively characters, great quips which were spin-offs on Punjabi language added to the amusement. Being light on the plot elements and some repetitive sequence in the scenes were the drawbacks but didn't take the charm out of viewing. Here's a song from the film on youtube with cute bangra steps executed well by Diljit.


Sunday 1 July 2012

Hi, 
Here's a Lucky Seven Challenge.


I was tagged in this post by Melissa Lockhart. 


The challenge : Post seven lines from an unpublished work of fiction. 
So, now to the rules

  • Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript (fiction or non-fiction)
  • Go to line 7
  • Post on your blog the next 7 lines, or sentences, as they are – no cheating      
  •  Tag 7 other authors to do the same


 So here's mine:



"You weren't saving it for your marriage? That's the usual reason for remaining inexperienced."

"You needn't think you've denied my prospective husband the chance of being my first." She dismissed with aplomb. "I've just been too shy because of my strict upbringing. My parents were very strictly religious and when they left me to mami even there the household was very uptight moral code."

"All this time you've been itching to get out of the confines?...



And now I tag:


Teresa Morgan
Maria Perry Mohan
Alex Butcher
Yasmina Kohl
Linda Soper
Bisi Leyton
Gabrielle Battistel


If you've been tagged before, pass on to someone else, please. No pressure. Just enjoy! 
Have a lovely week! :)



Thursday 24 May 2012

IPL Bonanza

Hi everyone, it's IPL season in India and being a cricket enthusiast I'm going to share some pics of my favourite team Chennai Super Kings players with you all. Have an eyeful :)

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                          The indigenous Captain cool


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Laid back coach


#
Dreaming of the sixes he hurled at RCB!

#
The newest team member who took the season by the storm

#
                                 Raina in a rare restful pose


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       Anyone recognise him? Smashed some well placed shots



#sorry people had to remove the pics.

Thursday 17 May 2012

A poetic endeavor


Hi everyone! Today I'm posting a poem written by my daughter. So proud of her but that's natural. Hope you like it as well.
                                             
                                         THE ROAD

I start from the route you choose to travel
Made of coal tar or just of gravel

I emerge from a beautiful ridge
Or connect two banks forming a bridge

I’m the cause of much confusion
And many a times cause an illusion

I help you get to your destination
Be it real or just imagination

I don’t care about where you belong
Discrimination is past me, I take everyone along

I stretch along and divide in two
You choose the one you want to

Some take the path their mind set
But some don’t take and they regret

 You can travel in day or in the night
Enjoying the sun or the moonlight

 I stretch as long as the river Nile  
Or end after covering only a mile

I pass through the forest, I lead to the beach
You can find roaming on me, insects like a leech

Sometimes under a tree-cover, sometimes left plain
You can marvel the breeze or enjoy the rain

I’m always ready to help you all
Have made wonders like the Great Wall

I’m made in curves or in straight lane
Can’t help the traffic which drives you insane


Do let me know how you found it. Till next time, cheerio!
Have a great week!

Sunday 6 May 2012

The Inconvenient Muse

Writers often struggle with that slippery customer, writer's muse. Mostly the problem is in pinning it down. Well, I have been hard at work trying to put down the first three chapters of my Passions book. I call it that after the name of the contest Mills and Boon India hosted and also because it is that for me...a passion. Though the amount of mental and even more psychological energy being expended - in seesawing the ever threatening question of Will It Be - makes for the more appropriate term 'obsession'. Anyway, to get back to the point, during this I have discovered how inconvenient my Muse has become. After wasting away precious keyboard minutes in jabbing away words I know can't be exciting to the reader since they sound flat to me, I give up and go start on lunch. Only to find that suddenly the situation I was head banging is crystal clear, the hero who had been mouthing dialogues like my recalcitrant son at lunch when he doesn't get his favourite meal, is now really talking as though he means it, all in my head, the heroine is whizzing away on her emotional stream, a stream made up of perfectly tailored words. Maybe it's because the stress of thinking is gone or that having your hands busy allows your mind to wander off on its own path. But the problem is, instead of tapping keys, my fingers are closed around the spatula. How tough it is only if you're a writer you can imagine! Out of desperation, I grab the nearest thing, my phone and starting qwertying the lines, only they've faded a little and takes me a bit of thinking to remember, what did he say after she said this?oh bother! And then the ominous sound of sizzling vegetables reminding me of where I am. Scratch the typing, I have a family to feed and a charred meal will not make for happy smiles.
Ah such are the trails of an inconvenient muse!


What about you? Do you wrestle with this inconsistent entity? Have you ever thought of the perfect scene then not remember a word when you started to type? Do share your thoughts, I'd love to know!

Have a great week! :)

Saturday 14 April 2012

About March Mayhem and April chats

I call the last month March Mayhem because it was vacation time! I can see all mums nodding in sympathetic understanding. When kids are home from school, an automatic anarchy sets in the house. Nothing seemed to get done. And an overdose of nothing, combined with repetitive screeches to get them in order leaves poor maternal nerves frazzled and patience frayed.
That is why April is a breath of peace and brings breezes of calmness. (I'm a horrid mother, I know), but that's what kids at school mean to me. Last week  I spent hours of conversation with hubby, which time had somehow gone missing from our routine. It came to me then, how talking, even if it is chatting about nothing in particular, is so important to feel connected. Unless those sounds waves are being transmitted and received, you start to feel mental distance . Isn't that why we all love social networking? Even without the sound waves, the power of moving communication that touches you across the miles (or across the street as the case maybe) and makes you empathize with, say, a friend facing the same springs allergies as you, cannot be discounted.
I read somewhere recently that this is the reason why we cut trees. Because they are silent, have no way of showing their existence and cannot retaliate even though they are stronger and tougher. Does that make you think?  Maybe silence isn't golden after all.

Have a great weekend! And do share your thoughts regarding my ramblings :)

Wednesday 21 March 2012


Lucky Seven


Karina Buchanan tagged me in this fun thing making the rounds on the writing circuit. :)




Here are the rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines – sentences or paragraphs – and post them as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other authors



This is from my ms that has been giving me tension headaches since I started revising it and making me wonder if I'll ever type The End. Seriously, I hate revising! 


"...Why have everything cut and dried and labeled? We can see each other. No strings, no hampering on either side.” Was it really her, softly advocating this madcap policy?  
“You're being way too generous." Lazer judged.
She looked away. If he only knew. 



And now I tag:

Jorja Lovett
Cherie Nicholls
Doris O'Connor
Alannah Harte
Adite Banerjie
Kiru Taye
Julia Broadbooks

No pressure if you don't participate, this is all just for fun!!  Enjoy!










Thursday 8 March 2012


A Happy Holi made even more Colorful


This is such a momentous occasion that just had to blog about this.

Something so exciting happened that I have to share my feelings on the occasion. I got to the top five in the Mills and Boon India Passions Contest. *swoons* 

This morning I was just after the kids to stop wasting time on the ipad and piling clothes for a folding spree and absentmindedly opening the Mills and Boon India page for a looksee at the Holi posts. Side by side I was on phone to sil to wish her. And there the results were. Totally lost the track of what I was saying and sil was like hello?? Where are you?? Somehow finished the call and opened the link. 

When I found my story up there, I couldn't believe it. I said OMG and son was ya what is it? Then my daughter, who been taking an interest in my doings (she's 14) and I were hopping madly and she said, don't step on my toes, mom I'm not wearing slippers.


Today is Holi the festival of colours and this day has been mad from the start. First hubby waking me up smearing clour on my face. Then as soon as I rubbed the sleep from my face son was squirting his watergun on me. I gave back good when I came back from my walk. But I think I suffered rather more.

What a madcap morning. I was drenched through. And you can't know how a cold water blast  running down your back feels till you try it! With her usual logic daughter concluded that I must ask Mills and Boon when the contest voting results come out so they can drench me again because it has proved lucky for me. Kids!

And very rashly in my excitement I promised they can eat every variety of Domino's pizza when daughter reminded me of the pizza treat she had been promised. *smacks head*

It was a wonderful morning. It feels especially good because as almost all aspiring writers know, the downs are so disheartening that reaching anywhere near up calls for a celebration of the effort that has been put into our writing. Right, guys?

For the Indians reading this, how did your Holi go? Would love to hear about your experience.
Thanks for sharing this with me. Ciao!

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Waiting...


Don't you hate waiting? It's taxing. Wasteful. Mostly it's irritating. It stretches your nerves...well, till you're fidgeting like you'd like to go to the loo. Uh, that's my son's teacher's expression when his friend was waiting to get his work checked. :)
Waiting for a bus at the stop or your kid to finish home work so you can stop the vigilance and go attend the pile of chores waiting to be done.
Or waiting to hear the result for a writing contest. Can you hear the heart pounding?
Waiting is having time thrust on you when you don't want it. 
One thing about it. While waiting you can experience certain things. When the anxiety of waiting simmers down and you're reconciled to the inevitable. I usually do this while waiting for the bus on the highway. Like notice a woman straggling along with a load of dry wood on her head and wonder about other peoples' lifestyles and realise just how different they are from yours. Or see that woman hitch a ride on a trailer and wonder where she'd be going?  
Recently I was waiting for my son to do dictation for his weak spellings in Hindi. As I sat simmering with impatience, he showed me a diary he has with quotes in it. Reluctantly I began to listen as he read them to me, then I started being impressed. They were really wonderful quotes. I felt proud that he'd actually read them and understood many of them. He asked me to explain those he didn't quite get and we had a cosy time discussing them.
So waiting may not be bad all the time. This inaction in the midst of action.
Of course it has to be got through. Like waiting for the results. As I'm doing atm. It involves daily rise and fall of hope levels till you feel like yelling arrrgh or climbing the walls.
I decided to tackle it by working on the ms I had shelved.
How would you tackle waiting? Do you try to distract yourself like I'm doing or search for meaning during the wait? Or something else entirely

Hmm... opinions? 



Sunday 29 January 2012

SHOW NOT TELL

How many times we have heard of this red flag warning in writing? To tell you the truth, I'm still struggling to grasp it. When I do try to scan my writing through this mirror, it fairly drives me up the wall to try to fit my words to suit it.
 Recently something happened to make me see this in a totally different light that had nothing to do with writing at all.
I had been writing furiously and had to leave it to make dinner. So in the eager rush to get back to my ms, I decided to make an ordinary and quickly procured meal of chapatis and lentils for dinner. It would be good for digestion for my in-laws, I told myself and of course lentils are full of proteins so that's great for kids. My son didn't agree with my time-saving but not so savoury efforts. I told him, Mom's busy, so if you're a good boy, make do with this. He answered with something to the effect of 'do you even care what I like?'
This really struck me. It wasn't the first time I'd opted to 'make-do' instead of lavishing my energy on preferences. In my effort to keep the ball rolling and get things done while making extra time for writing, I'd begun to focus more on needs and less on choices. I was expecting everyone to adjust to my lack of time, but what my son said made me wonder if they were interpreting it as lack of love. Show not tell. That's as important in everyday life as in writing. Love has to be shown in caring, in taking into account our loved ones likes and dislikes, otherwise it's no use telling another person how much we love. Love means extending our time and patience to them.
That incident was something of an eye-opener. So I made my son his favourite stuffed parantha and had my smiling boy back.
Now I've made myself a promise to always show, not just tell!
What about you? Have you had a rush hour moment when you ignored someone? Did you get a chance to put it to rights? I'd love to hear your take on this.