To see the manuscript of history, live and happening... one must read Manreet’s novel. - Gulzar
LIFE'S NOT SO BAD AFTER ALL. THERE ARE NOT ONLY POISON BUT ALSO ANTIDOTES
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STORIZEN REVIEW
Laundry Girl 2.0 by Yamini
Pustake Bhalerao - Swapna Peri
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STORIZEN REVIEW
The Legend of Laxmi Prasad by Twinkle Khanna - Himani Gupta
STORIZEN POETRY
Lust for Life - Neetu Khatri Kajal
STORIZEN POETRY Padmini - Bishaldeep Kakati
64
STORIZEN POETRY
Erotic Is Her Name - Aparna Mukherjee
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STORIZEN POETRY Is That Love? - Vidya Shankar
calling all writers!
You can also be a contributor Mail us your entries at talktous@storizen.com Your smart ideas and inputs help us create our informative issues. from the editor
"L“ife's not so bad after all. There are not only poison but also antidotes.” This quote by Irving Stone reminds me of the several ups and downs of life I have been through Life has been a roller coaster ride but it's better to have a life full of surprises, isn't it?
Based on the above, we decided to give life a chance and kept the theme for our July Issue as "Lust for Life - How difficult it is to be simple."
We take pride in featuring the Literary Star, author of the books Earning the Laundry Stripes, The Long Walk Home, The Taj Conspiracy, Hunt for the Kohinoor, Manreet Sodhi Someshwar who is back with her latest - The Radiance of a Thousand Suns!
Like every month, we bring you five new releases this month in association with HarperCollins Publishers and Hachette India viz. A Monk's Guide to Happiness by Gelong Thubten, A Will to Kill by R V Raman, The Radiance of a Thousand Suns by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar, Narasimha by Kevin Missal and Fear Of Lions by Amita Kanekar You will surely love all these titles!
Like a love story is an evergreen genre, Crime Fiction is also picking up pace or I must say that it has surpassed the romance genre as being the trending one currently. In this Issue, we bring you The Editor's Choice - The Art & Science of Writing Crime Fiction by the one and only Crime Fiction Trendsetter - Vish Dhamija.
You are surely going to love the stories and the wonderful poetry from our contributors in this Issue
This issue also features two Book Reviews - The Legend of Laxmi Prasad by Twinkle Khanna and Laundry Girl 2.0 by Yamini Pustake Bhalerao.
It's an immense pleasure to share it with you that Storizen Magazine has crossed a milestone of 38000+ reads and 900k+ impressions digitally! Thank you all for your continued support and blessings!
Help us spread the word by a like, comment and share and let us grow our family of Storizen!
Happy Reading!
Saurabh Chawla, Editor in Chief editor@storizen.com
After writing the highly successful books including Earning the Laundry Stripes, The Long Walk Home, , Mehrunisa Trilogy, Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is back with her next - The Radiance of a Thousand Suns. She tells about her journey and about her books and why to study the past to define the future in a tete-a tete with Pria.
by Pria
FromanMBAGraduatefromtheIIM and doing marketing, advertising, and consulting to writing books, howthejourneyhasbeensofar?
Eventful. It has surprised me even!
Did anything inspired or motivated you to start writing? (Any book you readetc?)
Writing snuck upon me in the guise of a tai tai, a Chinese colloquial term for a woman of leisure. Perched atop a Singapore high-
rise, at the turn of the millennium, I was to take a sabbatical from the life of a corporate road warrior and indulge in some ‘me’ time. On my way to realising this barmy prospect in sunny Singapore,I collided with the plains of Punjab. Rather, its fields. That grew mustard and wheat and rice and, for a period in the eighties, militants. Which made my little town on the Indo-Pak border a militant hotbed. And
Niki's determination to complete her dead father's unfinished book, his life's work, takes her from India to New York City where her pursuit of a mysterious immigrant woman turns into an obsession that begins to imperil her daughter, her marriage, and, eventually, Niki herself. When a blizzard blankets NYC, Niki finds herself on a path where the present and past collide violently. Propulsive and poetic, this elegant literary thriller melds the fervour of Punjab with the frenzy of New York. Spanning the cataclysms of Partition and 9/11, via the brutality of Emergency and the pogrom of 1984, the novel explores the impossible choices women are forced to make in the face of violence, the ties that connect them across ages, and the secrets they store. Interweaving the epic Mahabharata, the poetry of Bulleh Shah, and the legend of Heer, The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is a novel about the mythic and the intimate, about stories on tapestry and mobs that recur, about home and love and history and those heartbreaking moments when they all come crashing together.
images started to swim up, of a time that I had left behind, or so I thought...
I tried to resist. After all, I was jobless by choice, unburdened by motherhood, ready to explore a shiny first-world city! But the neat white Ikea table in my newly-set-up study drew me in repeatedly. There I’d sit after my husband left for office, with my second cup of tea, and memories that rose unbidden, like the fragrance of the night-blooming jasmine in
the garden of our home in Ferozepur. All right, I determined, I would offload those memories onto my PC and be done with them. I was naive. One memory led to another, then another, a labyrinth opening up for me to wade in. That period of my life came back to me with the kind of hi-fidelity reproduction enthusiasts wax about.
To make sense of those memories I started asking questions. My research took me back in time and it was the national library, not any salon, that became my haunt. Seven years later, I had a book: The Long Walk Home.
All
right, I determined, I would offload those memories onto my PC and be done with them. I was naive. One memory led to another, then another, a labyrinth opening up for me to wade in.
You have written across genres. Your first book was on the life of a girl in corporate. Then you moved on to writing thrillers, The Taj Conspiracy and Hunt For The Kohinoor. What inspires you as a writer in this genre? Any real life influence that led you towriteonthisgenre?
The writing of what became my second published book, The Long Walk Home, took me seven long years. That was partly due to the research involved but also because I was teaching myself to write. I stalled frequently and threatened to quit occasionally. At some point, I heeded my husband’s advice — Why not try something simpler? — and the idea of a tongue-incheek look at a woman executive in an all-male corporate world came to me. It arose from my own experience as the first woman sales manager with Unilever India (Hindustan Lever Limited, at that time).
I intended it as mainstream women’s fiction and had a lot of fun writing it. Perhaps because I wrote it as a relief from Long Walk and the voice of my protagonist Noor came naturally to me since I gifted her many of my own adventures in sales. I wrote it in a year, it was an easier sell, and it became my first published novel, Earning the Laundry Stripes.
Thereafter, when I was searching for my next subject to write, in the winter of 2008, we visited the Taj Mahal. Our guide came highly recommended with his roster of foreign corporate clients. He proved a downer, rattling off dimensions of domes and minarets amidst a steady dribble of urban legends. As we perambulated the monument, he pointed to the pinnacle atop the central dome. The finial is too far for the naked eye to discern much. But a replica exists on the red sandstone platform and he walked us to it. See, he triumphantly pointed to a carving — a coconut resting on mango leaves atop a pot of water — a popular Hindu design! Then he began his spiel about how the Taj Mahal was actually an ancient Hindu temple called Tejo Mahalya which the Mughals had repurposed.
The guide’s story, attributed to one P. N. Oak, is routinely dismissed by historians. But I was so disillusioned I determined to write a story that would rescue the Taj Mahal from lies and show the monument for what it truly is: a symbol of syncretic India. The challenge was huge. Most Indians know little about the monument except for its famed beauty and fabled love legend. There is a dearth of scholarly work — indeed, the Austrian historian Ebba Koch is the only one permitted to take measurements of the complex over her thirty-year research on the monument. The Taj Conspiracy became a runaway bestseller. (Readers still email me that they take my book along as a guide
when visiting the Taj!) In Mehrunisa, I had a protagonist my readers had connected with. I followed this with The Hunt for Kohinoor which weaves a spy story against the backdrop of contemporary Indo-Pak history of internecine warfare and our shared Mughal history.
Tell us about your latest book - The RadianceofaThousandSuns.
The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is about Niki’s determination to complete her dead father's unfinished book, his life's work, which takes her from India to New York City.There, her pursuit of a mysterious immigrant woman turns into an obsession that begins to i
mperil her daughter, her marriage, and, eventually, Niki herself. When a blizzard blankets NYC, Niki finds herself on a path where the present and past collide violently.Interweaving the epic Mahabharata, the poetry of Bulleh Shah, and the legend of Heer, The Radiance of a Thousand Sunsis a novel about the mythic and the intimate, about stories on tapestry and mobs that recur, about home and love and history and those heartbreaking moments when they all come crashing together.
The narrative spans the cataclysms of Partition and 9/11, via the brutality of Emergency and the pogrom of 1984, and stretches from India to New York.
Admittedly, it is a broad canvas, one that I have wrestled with for many many years. To echo that famous dialogue from the film Damini: draft pe
draft, draft pe draft, draft pe draft likhti gayi, par manuscript nahin mila. Until it finally did. Phew! But it would not have been possible without the countless books, academic articles, scholarly research papers and oral testimonies which provided me with a solid foundation upon which to build my novel. Historical fiction is a tricky beast and I am pernickety about historical authenticity, hence the two-stepforward-one-step-backward momentum of writing this book. I am indebted to the public library network in Hong Kong and New York — HKPL and NYPL — for daily sustenance.
The Radiance of a Thousand Sunsis a novel about the mythic and the intimate, about stories on tapestry and mobs that recur, about home and love and history and those heartbreaking moments when they all come crashing together.
1.Your all-time favorite author/writer? Mirza Ghalib.
2. Do you believe in writer’s block? Did you have it anytime or not?
Writer’s block is a feature of a writer’s life, much as injuries are for any athlete. When I face an obstacle, I go for a long walk, cook, or listen to my favourite ghazals or Sufi poetry.
3. Your favorite place to write your book(s) My home.
4. How many hours a day do you write?
3-4, daily, weekdays.
5. Do you Google yourself?
Sure. Especially when a new book is out.
Your books include a lot of research and history. Do you think that in this country, history has beenmanipulatedmanifold?
I believe that in order to grapple with the present, sometimes, we have to engage with the past. I don’t mean a rehash. What I have in mind is a close scrutiny of tradition, an exploration of homilies, a deep dive into myths so we can parse the narrative for our stories and question the status quo. Why, for instance, after 70 plus years of Partition, have we not been able to lay the ghosts to rest?
In India, the past is forever intruding upon the present. So why not reckon with that past, I asked myself, and invited the dead to populate my latest novel. The history of independent India has literally been ‘his’ story. The Radiance of a Thousand Suns attempts to reconstruct the (hi)story and add to it the missing, suppressed, and absent stories of women. As Niki, my central protagonist in Radiance, says in the novel: “Men’s stories become a society’s narrative and our heritage; women’s stories are forced underground, sealed and locked.”
“Men’s stories become a society’s narrative and our heritage; women’s stories are forced underground, sealed and locked.”
In 1947, when women’s bodies became the battlefield, did that template of sexual violence derive from our foundational epic? Does the fact that women bore the brunt of that violence echo in this time of #metoo?
Do you think few people may differ with you regarding some events that you have written? How do you dealwithsuchsituations?
I write stories that I want to read but I can’t seem to find. For instance: I want to read about the women who lived through the cataclysms of Partition and the Emergency and 1984. I know what the men did, there are history textbooks and novels written about their valour and violence, but it’s the silent stories of the women that intrigue me. Can a regular Indian woman save the nations’s most iconic monument? When I wrote the Mehrunisa trilogy, I didn’t want to create a Jane Bond but an everyday heroine who could be a role model for girls. In Radiance, my protagonist, Niki, questions: “It is our epic, the story of India. And yet, how
whereas Karan-Arjuna-Krishna sprout like weeds.”
I grew up amidst women who made me realise that Draupadi was alive and living amongst us. For a girl child in Punjab, there couldn’t have been better role models. I always tell my daughter: The power of the story lies in the hands of the storyteller. As women, we must dig them out, dust them off, dress them up, imagine them, grow them, tell them — Our stories. If others differ, they have to find and write their own stories.
"I grew up amidst women who made me realise that Draupadi was alive and living amongst us. For a girl child in Punjab, there couldn ’t have been better role models."
many women do we know, or have heard of, who are named Draupadi? The one epic female character in India’s greatest epic finds no takers,
What according to you is needed to write books in a sensitive genre like yours which covers disturbing events like partition, riots,terrorismetc?
Curiosity about history. Dedication to research. A sense of dispassion. A willingness to go against the popular grain. But most of all, a deep desire to tell a story that informs and entertains.
Which genres you enjoy reading the most? Which you don’t enjoy atall?
I enjoy reading anything that’s well written and nuanced. I am a sucker for language, for words that when strung together create entire worlds and characters I want to journey with. (You could say I am a failed poet.)
What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?
That writing one book does not in any way equip you to write the next. With each book I find myself a novice, having to figure out once again how to go about this business of conjuring worlds via words.
Anything you would like to say to yourreaders?
Read, read a lot. Reading makes us better people, if only because it opens the world to us. But write only if the story would kill you if you didn’t. And I mean it, literally. Study the past to define the future.
What are some ways in which you promote your work? Do you find that these add to or detract from yourwritingtime?
Mostly, I write. But when I have a new book out, I ferret for every scrap of attention the book is getting and feed it to social media.
What projects are you working on at the present? When can we expect a new thriller from you? What about the last book in the Mehrunisa Trilogy after the Hunt fortheKohinoor?
Several. Mehrunisa Book 3 is definitely in the pipeline. However, I am currently vested in multiple books set around India’s independence and partition, most of which read like thrillers.
Is the character Niki in The Radiance of A Thousand Suns inspiredfromanyreallifeperson?
When you write regularly, the real and artificial, the imaginary and the organic, all get inextricably mixed with each other. Niki, and indeed all my characters, has elements of real people I have encountered. However, Niki is no less real to me than people whose lives are not lived on the page.
What do your plans for future projects include? Any plans for a motion picture/web series based onyourbook(s)?
Any medium that enables reading is great. I prefer physical books to ebooks any day.
Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
Too many to name! Just an initial roll call would include Ghalib, Gulzar, Khushwant Singh, Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, John Steinbeck, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Krishna Sobti, Amrita Pritam, Hillary Mantel, Anita
"I grew up amidst women who made me realise that Draupadi was alive and living amongst us. For a girl child in Punjab, there couldn ’t have been better role models."
Inshallah!
How do you feel about eBooks vs. print books and alternative vs. conventionalpublishing?
Desai, George Eliot, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Enid Blyton… I believe that every text I have read has left its influence on me. The greatest impact on my writing comes from the fact that
I know more than one language. Whilst I write in English, Urdu shayars and Punjabi Sufi poets have nourished me through my life.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing that people DON'T know about your subject/genre, which they need toknow? That I write across genres? From literary fiction to literary thrillers, from commercial fiction to women’s fiction… The one thing that unites my writing is my kickass female protagonists.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I wanted to add the stories that have gone missing from the history of independent India. And I am immensely grateful that Gulzar saab liked The Radiance of a Thousand Suns enough to give it his generous blurb: “To see the manuscript of history, live and happening … one must read Manreet’s novel.”
What did you find most useful in learning to write? What was least usefulormostdestructive?
Writing daily. Re-writing and editing. Reading voraciously.
(As told to Pria)
(Visit www.storizen.com for the full coverage!) About Pria - Young mesmerizing freelance blogger, social enthusiast, an economics graduate from Jharkhand University with Master in Child Psychology. She is hardworking yet crazy, a passionate reader, an ardent music fanatic, an avid caffeine lover, and a maniacal animal lover too.
She has been a part of numerous anthologies, articles, and write-ups for newspapers and magazines which are multi-linguistic. She has also written screenplays for YouTube series.
pria@storizen.com
We're all on a search for happiness, but we're looking in the wrong places. Everyone looks externally to find contentment, we think material possessions will unlock our happiness. A Monk's Guide to Happiness explains how and why we need to look within, and connect to our true essence, in order to find peace. Everyone has the potential to be happy, after all, we're all 'hardwired' for happiness.But how do we get there? By meditating. Not just in the morning, but throughout the day by introducing micro moments so we never drop the mindfulness ball, even when we're busy. Meditation is more than just a stressreduction tool or a relaxation therapy, it is the key to finding longlasting happiness.Gelong Thubten, a Buddhist monk who has worked
with everyone from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to Ruby Wax and Benedict Cumberbatch, explores the theme of happiness in his debut book and explains how to bring meditation into our busy 21st century lives with simple exercises.
Gelong Thubten is a Buddhist monk, meditation trainer and author. In 1993, at the age of 21, he ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. He has spent over six years in intensive meditation retreats, the longest of which was 4 years.Thubten is a world pioneer in mindfulness meditation teaching, with over 20 years experience working with businesses, hospitals, schools, universities, prisons and addiction counselling centres. He works with major clients such as Google and LinkedIn and he teaches mindfulness to medical students. Thubten and a neuroscientist collaborated with Ruby Wax on the book How to be Human.
A haunted manor. A dead body. A house full of suspects.
An ageing and wheelchair-bound Bhaskar Fernandez has finally reclaimed his family property after a bitter legal battle, and now wants to reunite his aggrieved relatives. So, he invites them to his remote Greybrooke Manor in the misty Nilgiris – a colonial mansion that has played host to several sudden deaths, and now stands alone in a valley that is said to be haunted by the ghost of an Englishman.
But Bhaskar has other, more practical, problems to deal with. He knows that his guests expect to gain by his death and, to safeguard himself against violence, he writes two conflicting wills. Which one of them comes into force will depend on how he dies.
Into this tinderbox, he brings Harith Athreya, a seasoned investigator. When a landslide occurs, temporarily
isolating them and resulting in a murder, Athreya finds that death is not the only thing the mist conceals.
R.V. Raman has led KPMG’s Consulting Practice, and was a Partner with A.T. Kearney and Arthur Andersen. After a corporate career spanning three decades and four continents, R. V. Raman moved away from full time roles. He now teaches business strategy at an IIM, mentor young entrepreneurs, advises select clients and writes. He’s the author of Fraudster, Insider and Saboteur (Hachette) – a series about whitecollar crime in corporate India. He lives in Chennai.
The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is a literary thriller set between India and New York City, bringing to life the hitherto ignored stories of women who lived through the Partition, the Emergency, the pogrom of 1984 and 9/11
Niki’s determination to complete her dead father’s unfinished book, his life’s work, takes her from India to New York City where her pursuit of a mysterious immigrant woman turns into an obsession that begins to imperil her daughter, her marriage, and, eventually, Niki herself. When a blizzard blankets NYC, Niki finds herself on a path where the present and past collide violently. Propulsive and poetic, this elegant literary thriller melds the fervour of Punjab with the frenzy of New York. Spanning the cataclysms of Partition and 9/11, via the brutality of Emergency and the pogrom of 1984, the novel explores the impossible choices women are forced to make in the face of violence, the ties that connect them across ages, and the secrets they store.
Interweaving the epic Mahabharata, the poetry of Bulleh Shah, and the legend of Heer, The Radiance of a
Thousand Suns is a novel about the mythic and the intimate, about stories on tapestry and mobs that recur, about home and love and history and those heartbreaking moments when they all come crashing together.
Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is an award-winning writer of four books, including the critically-acclaimed The Long Walk Home.
The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is a literary thriller set between India and New York City, bringing to life the hitherto ignored stories of women who lived through the Partition, the Emergency, the pogrom of 1984 and 9/11
An Avatar of Vishnu. An Asura King. And … A Vishnu Bhakt. Divided by fate. United by tragedy.
Characters from Indian mythology come alive in bestselling author Kevin Missal’s reimagining of the world of Gods, Demons and warriors.
Based on the story of Lord Narasimha, King Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad, Narasimha, book 1 of The Mahaavatar Trilogy, is a thrilling and exhilarating journey about the fourth Avatar of Lord Vishnu, and theepic battle for the future of the universe.
Narasimha, once a brave soldier, has left the war and is lying low as a physician in a village. But a familiar face from his past seeks his help to stop the tyranny of the blind usurper – Andhaka.
If Narasimha refuses, the world might just end.
What will he do? And why did he leave the war in the first place?
Prahlad, the interim king of Kashyapuri, is torn between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose?
Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, wants to avenge his wife. To do that, he must go through the Trials and get the ultimate weapon – the Brahmshastra. But the Trials have sent so many others to their death.
Can Hiranyakashyap survive?
Kevin Missal wrote his first book at the age of 14, and at 22, the St Stephens graduate is best-selling author and a full-time writer, with the first two books in his Kalki series being runaway successes. DharmayoddhaKalki: Avatar of Vishnu and its sequel SatyayoddhaKalki: Eye of Brahma have sold one lakh copies in under a year.
Kevin loves fantasy fiction and has always been a fan of mythology.
His books have been featured in publications like The Sunday Guardian, The New IndianExpress and Millennium Post. He lives in Gurugram and can be contacted at kevin.s.missal@gmail.com
A beautifully crafted, thrilling tale about a peasant revolt led by feisty women that shook the Mughal Empire to its core
ABOUTTHEBOOK -
The story covers the revolt of a littleknown peasant community that broke down caste, religious and gender divides, and set up its own administration in protest against the heavy taxation imposed on them by Emperor Aurangzeb.
Captivating prose and a varied cast of unforgettable characters from all walks of life in that era – from Mughal nobles and generals to peasants and sweepers – recreates life in the Mughal Empire twelve years into the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb.
Set twelve years into the rule of the austere Aurangzeb Alamgir, in a time of impossible wealth and unbearable want, of brilliant architectural extravaganzas
amidst ancient traditions of squalor, and of a caste society on the threshold of capitalism, Amita Kanekar’s powerful and intricately woven novel tells the story of an unlikely rebellion that almost brought imperial Dilli to its knees.
A
beautifully
crafted,
thrilling tale
about a peasant revolt led by feisty women that shook the Mughal Empire to its core
by Vish Dhamija
The only rule of writing crime fiction is that it should be believable. Not real, but realistic. Of course, there will be times/situations when you will need to deviate from the facts and that’s okay, so long as you ensure that it doesn’t sound(too)implausible.While weallknowcrimesdon’toccur the way we watch them in films or how they’re narrated in books, it is the author’s job to assess how much reality to suspend so that the story still sounds credible—for that to transpire,oneofthewaysisto ensure that the readers are adequately immersed in the narrative, and the dialogues soundconvincing.
Another known practice to make the story sound believable is to set it in a location that the readers can visualize easily. Setting a story in larger cities like MumbaiorDelhiorChennaiis anobrainerforme:Mumbaiis oneofthecitiesinIndiathat
most people have either visited or seen in numerous Bollywood films. The local areas, landmarks and surroundings described in several of my books have been seen or heard of by most; the same logic applies to Delhi or Chennai or any of the larger cities. Moreover, large metropolises have a lot of diversity in terms of people, food, language, architecture, etc.toworkwith.Thatisnotto say you cannot write a story based in Jhumri Telaiya, but your narrative will have to workalotharder.
Crime fiction is the easiest to read,butitisfairlycomplexto plot and pen. Most crime stories provide a “hook” in the beginning (murder, heist, caper,con,fraud,malpractice, etc.) that stimulates the readers’ curiosity, grabs their attention and encourages them to read through to the conclusion.One of the most crucialconsiderationshere
should be that the “hook”— despite the clues you deliberately drop into the narrative—should hold the readers’ attention until the veryend.
theireyesandpicturethelead characters, and connect with them. The film Sholay released in 1975. Almost 45 years later,Gabbar, Thakur, Jai,Veeru,Basantiandeven
"CRIME FICTION IS THE EASIEST TO READ, BUT IT IS FAIRLY COMPLEX TO PLOT AND PEN."
Characterization is another extremely critical component in storytelling. The characters should be realistic for readers to relate to without a struggle; theyshouldbeabletoclose
Dhanno are as vivid in my memory as when I first watched thefilm.
Be mindful of the police/investigative rules and practices. There are procedures the police force has to follow, andthere’sasciencetoit.That’s where research comes in. However, all research should be presented in an appropriate manner; it should be weaved intothenarrative.Thereisa
Introduce side stories. You cannot write a recipe without the ingredients; you cannot write a 90,000-word manuscript without sub-plots —you can but it will be quite bland. Any plot—however complex—can be summarised on one side of an A4 sheet, but it will lose all the romance of good storytelling. Readers don’t want bare-bones; they want a great reading experience.Itistheauthor’s
"CHARACTERIZATION IS ANOTHER EXTREMELY CRITICAL COMPONENT IN STORYTELLING."
thin line here: details should be sufficient, not overwhelming—the author should refrain from long winded and complex explanations.
responsibilitytointroducesubplots that are interesting enough for readers to stray from the main narrative. They need to be seamlessly woven intothemainplot.
Another factor is pace: never neglect the significance of your readers’ time. If the narrative gets sluggish and boring, you’ve lost the readers. The adrenaline should keep pumping; the anxiety levels should never drop. If your chapter finishes leaving the readers gasping for more you’ve already succeeded.
Lastly, think about the conclusion before you start. What is the most likely ending tothestory?It’sokaytoleave some things unsaid, as long as you are certain the readers will take the leap. Also remember, all stories don’t need to have a happy ending, so don’t lose sleep over it. Instead, focus on what you wantthereaderstothinkonce thestoryisover.
Vish Dhamija is the author of eight crime novels, including legal thrillers. He is the only writer of Indian origin listed among the major legal thriller writersoftheworld.Hisbooks starring Rita Ferreira (Bhendi Bazaar, Doosra & Lipstick) have recently been acquired for adaptation into multiseason, premium original digital series by Abundantia Entertainment (Producers of films Airlift, Toilet-Ek Prem Katha)
@vish_dhamija
@veedhamija
(The views expressed by the author are personal)
by
by Suparna Rijhwani
The train was almost there, yet Tanya had to close the distance of 50 metres in one minute.Shepickedupherpace and dashed ahead, something bumped onto her legs, she didn’t want to lose a second andkickedthatthingawayfrom her path. She closed the distance and just in time boarded the train before the doorsclosedinonher.
She was headed to the next suburb for a short shopping spree, Lia needed a smock for her art class and it was urgent. Aftergatheringherselftogether, Tanya decided to fish out her cell phone to browse the options she had at the shopping centre. Her hand dipped inside her coat pocket, where she knew she always kept her phone, but her fingers closedonnothing.Alarmed,
she realised that ‘the thing’ she had kicked out of her way enroute to boarding the train was actually her phone. Her phone was old and needed replacement, yet it contained important stuff and needless to say it was part of her life. Simplicity be damned, her mind raced away about boarding the next train back and searching for her phone, which might lie still in the grass, near the station.
Tanya and Dev often clashed over how much technology is being used in their house, yet Tanya tried to keep it simple by cutting down on television time, not buying an IPad for Lia and also limiting Lia’s screen time. Sometimes the choices she made for Lia, who was now ten years old, made life difficult for Lia.Herpeersconstantlytalked about new TV shows and features, or the new video game in the block. Lia felt left out and at times bullied. However, Tanya always explained her decisions to Lia, whichhaskindofworkedouttill now.ThenLiawasinvitedfora
sleepover to her friend’s birthday party and since it was her closest friend, Tanya let her go. The next evening Lia returned, questions about the party was answered with a monosyllable, stating that she wastiredLiawenttobed.
Next morning Tanya tried having a conversation with Lia, who still seemed sapped out. Instantly her mother’s heart knew that something had gone wrong at the sleepover, she dialled Amy’s number to fish out details of the sleepover. After a short chat she hanged up, her eyes brimmed up with tears, Lia, her baby was in pain and sheknewit.
Amy had told Tanya that the girls had dinner and then they had asked permission to watch a movie on Netflix, Amy had allowed that with the promise that they all go to bed by 10. After that she had gone up to her room and by 10 the girls had also retired to their room. Everything was fine except Lia was very quiet in the morning and Amy had concluded that maybeshemissedhome,after
all it was her first time. Tanya had to know what happened, but Lia refused to talk, she quickly made Lia’s favourite hot chocolate with marshmallows and took it up to her room. Lia was reading a book and seemed busy. Tanya persisted and wanted Lia to talk.Liawantedtobeleftalone, yet her little girl seemed lost. After a lot of cajoling and persisting Lia burst out into tears, they won’t stop. Her arms around her daughter, Tanya smoothed down her hair and wiped her cheeks repeatedly. After what seemed an eternity Lia finally calmed down enough to tell her that Lana had put on a movie with MA rating and there were lots ofkissingandviolencetowhich Lia was uncomfortable. When she asked Lana to switch off, they called her a ‘baby’ and made fun of her. Lia’s little world had fallen apart that second, when she found her best friend making fun of her and enjoying at her expense. Shedidn’tknowhowtogoback toschoolandfacethesegirls
again and was scared that they might repeat that behaviour andevenlabelher.
Tanya’s head wracked with painandworry.Shehadknown that some girls in Lia’s class acted above their age, watched movies meant for teenagers and young adults and even had Facebook and Instagram accounts. Lia had mentioned to her earlier, but Tanya had always intended for Lia to be off social media until in high school, as well as watch movies and series which were ageappropriate. Keeping it simple, keeping it innocent was the mantra that both Tanya and Dev had agreed upon for Lia. However, with the turn of events and onslaught of technology coupled with peer pressure, Lia’s innocent world of ten had come crashing down. She was now denied of her innocence, denied of keeping her life simple, denied being who she wasgrowinguptobe! It was hard to be simple and technologyfree!
Suparna is a creative person with strong inclination towards education and writing. She loves to travel, doing maths and being a parent. Over the course of years she has written for many blogs and maintains her own personal blog, along with that she cofounded an online magazine Festive Riot, focusingonfestivals. https://pulsingthoughts.wordpress.com/
by Pranay Pratap
“I need you, can you please come over?” she said and just hung up. No other words, no pleasantries. Just that one simple statement. I could imagine her moving around the house. Her hair all messed up, clothes all shabby, glasses askew with a cigarette in her mouth vigorously puffing away at it. I got dressed and hailed a cab, she didn’t live that far away and something in her words told me that I would regret blowing her off.
I arrived at her place and knocked twice on the door. No reply. I stood patiently for 5 minutes and knocked again Two sharp knocks She opened and it was like imagination had come to life. She looked exactly as I had pictured her in my mind except for the fact that there was no cigarette yet I the sharp pungent smell of tobacco lingered in the air. I had given up smoking quite some time ago and the smell made me flare my nostrils. It was like a siren beckoning me with promises but all it had to offer was death.
“Thank you for coming over so quickly. I’m sorry if I intruded upon anything,” she mumbled. I just shrugged and walked in and settled myself on her couch With a sigh she closed the door and came sat beside me. “Is everything alright?” I asked. It was probably a foolish question cause it was evident everything was not okay else Y would not call me in the middle of the night. She said nothing but just brushed her hair with her fingers and looked around. Having finally found what she was looking for, she reached for the cigarette box and took one out, lighting it with trembling fingers. I patiently waited while she went about this task; with Y it was all about waiting You could never force an answer out of her, she would talk when she needed to and that was it.
Finally after 10 minutes she said, “I’ve been thinking of moving to California.” “Why?” I asked. “It’s because I need a fresh start. Things are too overwhelming over here. There is only so much I can take,” she replied. “Is it getting bad
again?” I enquired. “It was never good to begin with; you know the thing about sorrow X? After awhile it becomes addictive, you do not want to let go of it Happiness may come to you on glorious wings but it comes with a sense of unfamiliarity. You don’t know what’s in store for you. Sorrow on the other hand is comfortable; you expect the bullshit that comes along with it. There is nothing hidden. It is all very clear and defined,” she said.
“Those are heavy thoughts to have… ” I said. “Heavy? Yeah, maybe….but this is the way things work for me. Life is all about irony isn’t it? You try your best to pick up the pieces and move on but it kicks you back to the curb I read somewhere that people must always strive to be the best versions of themselves and that got me thinking….that statement is complete shit. What is a person’s best version? Sometimes what is your best maybe mediocrity for the world? Sometimes, life does not demand your best version. It demands your worst. There has to be some person in constant hell
for all the damn writers and poets to appreciate the beauty of heaven.”
I let her rant..it was not something I was used to. I never knew exactly what had happened to Y. The first time I saw her was at the local coffee shop where she had just walked in randomly. I was doing the crossword and had just looked up and there my breath grew short. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen and it was right from that moment that I knew we would be in each other’s lives. The
role I had wanted was not the one I had received but it meant being close to Y and for the moment I was content.
She burst into tears and just stood there looking out of the window, her eyes damning the world and all that there was in it. I got up from the couch and stood close to her I took a sharp breath and put my hand on her shoulder. “Y..I said, “I don’t know what has happened to you and I have never asked. All that matters to me is that I can be there for you when you need me and see you happy. I know it seems hopeless to you
now but I just wanted you to know that I love you.” There, I had said the forbidden words. I let them hang in the air and I could feel the authority of fate rushing in on me Y looked at me and smiled She didn’t say anything but just turned her head away and looked out the window again. I felt disgusted with myself, not because I had just confessed me feelings for her but because the look in her eyes was one of pity. She didn’t need to know that I loved her. She already knew that, and she pitied me for it. I wanted to walk away and go back to my place and crawl underneath a sheet but I couldn’t. I stood there looking at her.
Here was a person who was in so much pain that she had effectively blocked off any chance she had for happiness. She no longer appreciated love, she pitied it. Unwillingly she drained her friends and people around them. She needed to be happy but it came at the cost of sucking the life out of others. Many people had walked away but here I was letting her use me knowing that all there would exist between us was pity.
I went to the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on boil. When it was done, it took a cup to her and said, “Here, drink this, you’ll feel better. I should be going now It’s getting late… ” “Stay, please” she begged There was a hint of manic desperation in her eyes which I could not ignore. “Fine,” I said and just went back to the couch watching her sip her coffee. Once she was done, she put her cup away and came to me. She crawled onto the couch and rested her head on my knees. My breath started to come in ragged gasps and I brushed her hair. We didn’t talk. There was nothing to say. It was a moment which made to appreciate silence. We both understood it and did not want to risk losing it Soon, she fell asleep I found a blanket and tucked her in.
Dawn came and I decided to go home. I went home, took a hot shower and crawled into my bed finally succumbing into the loving arms of sleep. Y didn’t call me that day nor the next. I didn’t panic because this behaviour wasn’t unusual. On the third day, I was
sitting on the couch sipping coffee and flipped the newspaper open only to see Y’s face staring back at me under the obituary section. Not long after I’d left, she’d chosen to rest her soul by seeking the eternal sleep.
Hailing from the ever bustling city of Hyderabad, where every corner at the end of the street has a story to tell or a verse to recite.
To capture these nuances and go beyond horizons is what led PratapPranay to take up the pen and spin out pieces of work from poetry to short stories.
Often chided for wearing his heart on his sleeve, it has helped him develop a distinct style and persona and the depth in his writing comes from personal experiences which lend credibility and stylistic flair to his works.
by Pallavi Gambre
Somewhere in London... 07:30 Hrs
There was a lot of clinking and tinkling sound in the hallway of the apartment. The flight from Mumbai was not bad at all. In fact, Meera had travelled so much in between her home-city and London that she was quite used to of it now.
Sanhavi was still fast asleep. She had not slept much throughout the flight. Meera made sure not to wake her best friend while she cleaned up. She carefully closed their guestroom's door behind her before she started making her way through the long hallway, into the living room, towards the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
James had been a sweetheart to let them crash at his flat. Last night was an award
ceremony, and it was crazy; needless to say, the afterparty was crazier. Their movie won quite a few awards; so it was made mandatory by the director that the whole team get sloshed. And, everybody did. Even Meera could not resist to loosen up from her crazy schedules and what not.
James was long awake. Having dozed off on the couch late at night while watching a sports channel, he woke up feeling cold.
He was listening to the clinking and tinkling sound. It started from the far end of the hallway. The sound was in sync with someone's walk. He looked up. The clinking and tinkling sound was approaching the living
room. He saw her. She was in her homely clothes – a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt. He did not notice her smile because his eyes were fixated on her feet. She stepped into the living room, her feet - her sexy feet buried in his soft carpet. He noticed her feet were large, and that her toenails were painted with a deep brown matte nail polish. James had no single idea whether such colour was in fashion or not. Nonetheless, the colour made her feet look great, so much so that he could not take his eyes off of them. His eyes raised just slightly when something silvery dazzled in his vision. Strapped to each of them were beautiful silver anklets – the sources of the pleasant clinking and tinkling sound.
He watched her feet as they made their way towards the kitchen. He distinctly heard some feminine sound but he could not be certain what it was about. Maybe it was his hangover playing tricks with him but he could not stop his eyes. The
curves of her ample calves, descending down to those silver-strapped ankles… it was as if he was observing a woman's bare feet for the first time. It was a vision. A vision of utmost beauty. Like the Universe had taken utmost efforts to create the women's feet so sexy and the man created the perfect jewellery to beautify them even more. He was so much attached to that vision, like a prisoner seeing light after ages.
Can something as simple as a pair of feminine feet can affect one this much? He had never been one to sit back, take time and actually observe the women he had been involved with. He just appreciated them and all the passionate moments spent together, yet he never really noticed and observed much. And today, the clinking and tinkling of Meera’s anklets caught his attention like nothing else. He noticed. He got intrigued. He observed.
And it was not long before he deduced that he was lusting over something as simple as a pair of ankle-strapped feet. His sanity was trying to snap him out of it, but he could not stop staring.
The pupils of his sapphireblue eyes dilated and his breath hitched a little when he realized that the feet were walking towards him. Her pedicured brown-painted toes were sunk happily in the carpet.
He heard her ask, 'Coffee?' He looked up at her bare smiling face Her eyebrows were raised in question; her eyes patient, waiting for a mere nod or otherwise from him.
He had known the simple woman standing in front of him for nearly half a decade.
He was a celebrated film star; she was a writer. He had been the typical goodhearted playboy; she had been the typical not-reallyinterested-butcompassionate smartypants.
Their worlds collided on a professional note, which developed melodiously into a blooming friendship. He adored her. She would always pour her mind in front of him – chattering, blabbering and wandering off into the world of her own with her words. He admired her She would always be the same voice, the calm soul that she is, and would always look out for everyone around her. He respected her.
That moment, as he was staring up at the woman’s
face, he realised two things –firstly, the power of simplicity, and, secondly, how easy it always was for her to be this simple yet to catch his eye and hitch his breath.
He smiled big. He was sure was looking quite goofy. Her smile turned into confusion. ‘Yes,’ he breathed out. She stared at him for a couple of seconds, shook her head, chuckling. Her simple reaction made his heart swell, his smile broadening, if even possible. ‘Idiot,’ she simply muttered, amusement dancing on her lips as she made her way towards the kitchen.
Simple… simple as it is, he mused.
Pallavi Gambre, born and brought up in Mumbai, holds a B.A. degree in AIC (Ancient Indian Culture) from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. She is also an MBA in Tourism. In her internship at The Hindu, Pallavi took an exclusive interview of former footballer Alessandro Del Pierro. Recently, she had worked for New Woman Magazine as a Jr. Sub-Editor and also have written a few articles She not only has deep interest in writing fiction but also in the heritage, history and culture of Bombay. And, clearly, Pallavi is bad at writing her own bio!
@pallavi.gambre
@Pal Gambre
by Swapna Peri
Continuing from the first boo protagonist, the Laundry Gir the series of events was liv common life. She meets Sanyal and hence the relati starts. She misunderstand affection and thus gets into hi The second book starts with character Jatin who is a frie Indira in Europe, They both a a big plan. The Laundry girl m difference in what they planned
by Yamini Bhalerao
What did they plan? What was the danger she is into? Read this book to get the questions answered.
What I like:
1. A female detective concept is very interesting
2. The flow of the story is very gripping
3. The continuation of a few of the characters from book 1 to book 2 is done very smoothly
4. The transition of the mystery is really page turning
What I didn't like:
The book is very engaging and hence I could not find any flaws.
Characters:
All the characters are indeed plotted very well.
Narration:
With a very interesting narration, the author has managed to glue the reader's mind to the book.
Book Cover: The book cover is the image of a young woman who is having a captivating look.
Book Title: The title of the book ' The Laundry Girl 2.0 ' is selfexplanatory and unique. This is the second book in the ' The Laundry Girl ' series.
Language & Grammar:
A very fine language and good grammar are used.
Rating
Book Title: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Language & Grammar: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5
Swapna worked as SAP Consultant for 10 years in Major IT companies. Reading has always been her passion and occasional painting her hobby. She decided to quit her job, look after the family and pursue her hobby of reading and painting in a larger way. Thus, her big leap into book reviewing has paved a way and has been successful to date. Reading challenges interest her a lot and visiting book fairs is her favorite thing. She believes that there is no good back or bad book, but only books. Writing unbiased reviews is her strength and she is appreciated by fellow reviewers and readers for the same. An anthology of musings with her paintings is her pending dream!
@swapna.peri
@sappy_dreamz_unlimited
@swapna508
by Himani Gupta
The Title of the book was so funny that it urged me to buy the book and of course, I am a huge fan of Twinkle Khanna's writing. She had a great sense of story telling that makes the story magical and as a reader, you are totally enchanted. This book contains 4 short stories and each story is different from one another. They are fiction but as a reader, you feel like part of the story and it appeared to be realistic. The writing style is simple and easy to read. Each story will teach u a lesson. These stories are based in different districts and after reading this your perspective towards social change. The stories had touched
by Twinkle Khanna
the different struggles of women in society which will make you speechless after reading the book. It is a light read and one will not get bored with reading a Twinkle Khanna book. It had all the aspect that makes a book an Interesting read. I liked the First story that talks about Girl’s child in society. How this society welcomes a girl child. How beautifully author had portrayed the problems and solutions in a simple way that will make you smile after reading the story. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend everyone, If they are looking for an interesting read.
About the Book: A gangly young girl transforms her village with a revolutionary idea. Sixty-eight-yearold Noni Appa finds herself drawn to a married man - 'Why do people have to define relationships, underline each word till the paper gives way beneath,' she wonders. Bablu Tripathi becomes obsessed with sanitary napkins much to his family's horror, and a young woman keeps checking the weather forecast as she meticulously plans each of her five weddings. Funny, observant and wise, this is storytelling at its most irresistible.
About the Author: Twinkle Khanna is an acclaimed columnist and the bestselling author of MrsFunnybones. She lives in Mumbai.
Publisher:Juggernaut
Verdict: ☆☆☆☆
A crisp and flawless narration with some deep concerning situations that will make you urge to read the whole book. I really appreciate the writing style of Twinkle Khanna
In her own words: I am Himani Gupta, By profession, I am an HR Manager working in Bengaluru. Reading is my hobby which led me to write reviews for my readers. I have read and reviewed numerous books so far. Rohit is my favorite writer as far as writing is concerned and I wait for his books to read. If you wish to get your book reviewed, do feel free to contact me.
himanigoyal21
by Aparna Mukherjee
She is desirable
She is sensual
She rules every heart
Erotic is her name
Body is her dwelling place
For she is the queen of lust Which every person loves to embrace.
Lust wears the crown
The human souls pine to drown
In the river of the burning passion
The eyes seek for physical pleasure
For every one, it is the only desire.
The fragrance of lust Seems to be in the air
Like a fresh flower,
Lust blooms everywhere.
Body craves for lust
As it is the pressing need Which can quench
Of every person's lusty thirst
The ultimate delight Resides in the flesh
When lust conquers mind Every other thing falls behind.
The forbidden fruit
Provoke all to eat
For it is so alluring
That it is hard to retreat
In a few words, Aparna defines a woman who beholds high aspirations and firmly believes in expanding her horizon. She holds a Master degree in English from Mumbai University. By profession, she is an online content writer and blogger who writes informative articles for various UK and US blogs and websites.
Her poems got published in the digital Reflection Magazine and in the Indian literature website named Facestory's.com. She is a budding author too. Her first story on romantic theme got published in a book named "Memoirs Of Love".
As a person, she is open-minded, downto-earth and amiable in nature. Her world revolves around creativity. She wishes to make her mark in the literary world, hoping to leave an indelible imprint on her readers' minds.
by Vidya Shankar
When the cruel cut of fate a yawning chasm created,
Yet could not equal the loudness of the scream
The pain in my heart rent, His own sorrow he cast aside So he could soothe my burning tears to calm, His peace, so therapeutic in my healing, That reassuring embrace, tight in its affection, Is that what love is?
Society's distorted gender bias notwithstanding,
When he fed my hungry soul, comforted me to sleep,
Pampered me spoilt, ‘Twas my mother long deceased And like her, also had A strict word for my incorrigibility, That tender kiss on my forehead, Is that what love is?
Amidst the flurry of faults flung And the rising of red rage, An amused smile is all he gives in his everunflustered style And brushes aside, As he has done a million times before The tearful apology I whimper That understanding imbued in his eyes, Is that what love is?
Unfriended and unloved, Because there was nothing lovable about me, A dark shadow of myself, As I struggled to stand In a world I had thought was mine, But there he was beside me with pride That firm arm around my shoulder, his wife, Is that what love is?
Yes, yes, yes, and yes!
Vidya Shankar is a poet, writer, blogger, motivational speaker, English language teacher, instructional designer, content developer, and yoga enthusiast. An active member of poetry circles, her work has appeared in national and international literary magazines, literary platforms and anthologies. Her first book of poems 'The Flautist of Brindaranyam', a collaborative effort with her photographer husband, Shankar Ramakrishnan Herself a ‘book’ at the Human Library, Vidya Shankar lives a life of purpose by using the power of words, both written and spoken, to create awareness about environmental issues, mental health and the need to break the shackles of an outdated society.
@shanvidwinsalways
@vidya shankar author
by Svyatoslav Romanov
by Neetu Kajal
O’ Dear Time
Please hold on your pace
As I am not done with life
Many dreams yet to chase
Many thoughts yet to share
Many words yet to say
Many things yet to do
O’ Dear Life
Please hold on your race
As I have miles to go
Many people yet to meet with Many kids yet to play with
Many places yet to visit
Many things yet to deal with
O’ Dear Death
Keep hiding your face
As I am not ready to meet
Many emotions yet to reflect
Many liabilities yet to attempt
Many tasks still left undone
Many years yet to live
Neetu Khatri Kajal has done triple masters in Commerce, English and Education. She had got her paper published on Education during her masters in Education. She is a published author of two novels titled 'Immortal Love' and 'Beyond Expectations' and working on her next one.Sheisanavidwriter,travellerand blogger. One may find her blogs, articles and poems on boloji.com. Her travelling experiences are reflected in her write-ups. She loves to explore hill stations more often.She writes about Parenting, Adolescence, women and nature. She is a social activist and a big hand of help to the oppresed ones. Presently, she is working as a post graduatementorinEnglish.
@kajal_neetu
by Bishaldeep Kakati
The altruistic paparazzo
And his favourite entity, The lass Padmini:
That was the story.
He particularized Her every distinctive fea
The eyes of her, Weaved the photograph Abstract Art!
The dimple of her Sparkled his life, Like a flash light In the dark night.
All he could perceive Was Padmini and Her deceptive silhouet
The photogenic smile of Made the photographer tw
The essence of photogra And Padmini's dimpl
Amidst the bevy, Made him fall for her
Even his camera Didn't want her To stay far.
Oh! In that studio, In that dark room of emotions, Alas! The photographer saw Only a white sheet. Everything was black! As the paparazzo's love story Could never be read!
Writer,Columnist and Socio-Political Commentator.
