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Showing posts from 2013

Dhoom 3- My take

The most awaited movie boasts of ending the year with a bang. Box office-wise, yes, Dhoom 3 is doing a wonderful job, but content and writing wise, is it really such a Dhoom? When I first went to watch Dhoom, I had low expectations. Fast bikes didn't really appeal to me and I thought for sure it would be a complete "guy" movie.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it a thrilling movie- action packed, great songs and commendable acting by all actors. All the actors looked good and the actresses had prominent roles. Then Dhoom 2 came along and it became obvious that Dhoom was going to be a stylish big-budgeted franchise. Dhoom 2 delivered in all aspects and was an upgrade from the previous movie. Big names were attached to the project, the songs were great, the costumes were chic and the action and thrill scenes were mind-blowing. When Dhoom 3 was announced, my expectations peaked. This was going to be better than Dhoom 2 and I awaited the release impatiently. Th

Mistakes were made

I have always found the quotes on courage really helpful and thought they had really helped me overcome so much. Turns out those fancy words were just a fancy.  I did the very thing I thought I would never do. Instead of owning up to my fears and tackling them, I let them get the best of me. And then what happened? The obvious- I paid the price for giving in to my fear. All this pain and discomfort could have easily been avoided had I showed more courage and confidence. Hopefully, this will be a lesson that changes my perspective and pushes me to be more courageous. 

New Ebook on Smashwords

And so I am excited to reveal my new short story ebook. Ta-dah! Get it for free HERE

Where has the time gone?

The past few weeks have been stressful. There have been so many things going and so little time to make sense of what I'm doing is right or not and whether the decisions will bring upon disappointing repercussions or will everything work in my favor or not.  There are so many decisions to make in relationships, in career and health and all of this can be so overwhelming. The only thing that I understand right now is that things and my destiny are not in my hand. I can't control anything that happens to me and whatever is supposed to happen will happen regardless of what I do about it. I can only hope for the best.  Because of this- being in my head too much- I haven't been able to get much writing done. But now, I feel that only getting back into writing and my fantasy world will save me from my inner turmoil. 

My Gripe with Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed was one of those games that pulls you into a world of a bygone era and gives you a glimpse of a life that you had only read had existed. That was the pull, the USP of the games, to draw the gamer in and let her or him imagine themselves living a life in that era. One would imagine that life would have been much simpler all those years ago without the politics and betrayal and pressures of being accepted in society. But for those who haven't studied history extensively- like me- will find that things may be (at least comparatively) better now. No capital punishment for one. I played Assassin's Creed 2 even before the first one and was totally captured by the spell it weaved. Renaissance has its own magic- the period where art and culture took front seat. In this game, you are thrust into this period and live the life of Ezio Auditore da Firenze who is unaware of his own destiny. After his family is betrayed and executed in front of him, he e

Bullying is still Rampant

At some point or another, we've all come across an incident of bullying. Whether we've experienced it first hand, seen it happen to someone else or read the numerous reports in newspapers. Over the years, Bullying has become a cause of concern and several campaigns have been launched against it.                                                               SAY NO TO BULLYING! Schools and colleges have often taken a rigorous stand against bullying and punished offenders severely. Unfortunately cases of bullying still exist with many victims resorting to taking their own lives. This is saddening. But what is shocking is that despite all these reports, bullying is still a stigma in society that refuses to go away. Since bullies now know that they could be punished, they have taken to the Internet where they can hide behind the anonymity of usernames. Discussion boards were once a medium to exchange ideas, have a healthy debate and voice our (otherwise sometimes

R.I.P. Brian Griffin :'(

In a horrific twist, the creators of family guy, killed off a beloved character in the latest episode. Brian Griffin is just a cartoon dog, I know, but his death left me aghast and deeply upset. The episode itself was so heartbreaking and had me in tears. In the beginning of the episode, Stewie destroys his time machine after he's almost killed during one of his travels and decides that enough is enough. Along with his best friend Brian, they decide to get a new lease on life by doing something "normal" like playing hockey outside. Huge mistake! While Stewie goes inside to get something, Brian is run over by a car. The poor dog didn't stand a chance. I have to say here that the car did see awfully familiar. I don't know why, but the whole thing seemed suspicious. Maybe it will be revisited in a future episode, I guess. Anyway, just when I thought that there would be a miracle, a deus ex machina on bringing Brian back, he dies! The monitor flat-lines, ther

Need Directions to my Future

My hopes, my dreams and my feelings are all mine. But my troubles are not only mine. It was easy for me to feel like I was the only one going though a bad phase and that no one could ever understand what I'm going through. I still feel like no one can understand me without actually being in my shoes, but for me to feel that I was the only one going through problems and obstacles was wrong. Interacting with people recently has made me realize that I was in the same boat as them. I would like to wallow in despair and claim that my boat has a huge hole in it and slowly sinking, but there are people like me out there going through something familiar. In a way it makes me feel better that I'm not alone in this  but I also get slightly envious if their problems are resolved before mine are. I would like nothing better than to have everything straighten out and even get noticed for my writing. Or at least my efforts. I have a long way to go- I know that- but I can'

100th Post!!

I was going to post something else today, when I realized that this was going to be my 100th post! The reason I'm excited about it is because this is going to be my first blog where I was committed enough to make a hundred posts. 

Books vs. eBooks

Having this debate is the same as comparing Traditional things versus Modern ones. The only thing constant is change and with change comes progress. As years pass, modern technology takes its firm foothold in our households and makes every other appliance and device obsolete. Gramophones are replaced by media players, old telephones are replaced my mobile phones, big heavy TV sets  probably no longer exist as flat screen TVs now adorn every household. There are so many gadgets and electronics that have taken the place of old devices. I'm writing this on a laptop, for example. Not on a typewriter. When I say that progress is good an inevitable, I do not mean that the "old" things are forgotten. Many would still swear that music sounds a lot sweeter on gramophones. People may have mobile phones to tell them the time, but they still wear watches. Some chefs still prefer chopping up vegetables rather than using food processors. The "old" is still here to st

Vivid Dreams

Had another vivid dream last night. It was one of those dreams that seem so real and that life that I am leading in it, also feels true. I was someone else but going through the same upheaval of emotions going through in real life, though it isn't mentioned in the dream itself. Dreams are material for the writer, so I always try to remember the images I had seen and then see if I can use it later on. This one didn't require me to put in much effort to recall. I was nowhere in particular- just a large earthy plain with nothingness all around. It was night time and there were thousands of stars overhead- something that is never seen in the bright city lights. All I remember is that I was gazing up and wondering why the moon appeared to be moving further and further away from the Earth until it was just a tiny crescent shape in the sky. That's when the Earth started to move faster and I could see the rotations of the globe. Bizarre was the first thing that came to my

Love Triangles

I am finally going to attempt to work on my very first love triangle story. I have tried it before, but haven't treated this as much detail as I am going to. In my previous stories, the focus was always on the characters who were endgame. The third wheel was never a prominent figure in my stories. In Awakened One Night, I did touch on the protagonist being in love with a guy with whom her sister too was interested in. But Kara (the protagonist) and Alex were never given any detailed scenes, since the focus was more on the mystery rather than the romantic angle. Now I am trying to study what makes love triangles in popular stories, so…well popular. First of all, I think the three characters need a backstory before they come into contact with each other. The readers should be able to relate with them even when their backstory is revealed later on in the story. Also, like in any character building task, they should seem human to the reader. The second part is vital. The char

My take on my Favorite poem

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening BY  ROBERT FROST Whose woods these are I think I know.   His house is in the village though;   He will not see me stopping here   To watch his woods fill up with snow.   My little horse must think it queer   To stop without a farmhouse near   Between the woods and frozen lake   The darkest evening of the year.   He gives his harness bells a shake   To ask if there is some mistake.   The only other sound’s the sweep   Of easy wind and downy flake.   The woods are lovely, dark and deep.   But I have promises to keep,   And miles to go before I sleep,   And miles to go before I sleep. My Take There is a lot of debate about whether the poem was about Robert Frost himself, walking out after spending the whole night working on one of his other poems or was it about someone else entirely. And then there's the debate of whether the poem was to be seen as a glimmer of hope or a man contemplating suicide.  But I have promises t

More ramblings, or not

I think the reason I can't write coherently today is because I'm writing mechanically rather than from the heart.  I should be focusing on writing from the heart and finding-and retaining-my voice rather than trying to write something that isn't me.  Just a thought. Just a ramble. 

Just a thought

This is just a thought and maybe I'll elaborate on this further (when I'm over my writer's block) but "they" say proper and open communication is important to maintain any relationship, but is it possible to have one when the person on the other hand is a stubborn mule?

Writer's Block

Gaahhhh! I can't believe I have writer's block. I want to write something, anything really- a decent blog post, a chapter in any of the stories I am working on, but the words....they won't come! This is horrible. On the other hand, I'll try to get some reading done. Need a good book that would help me get over  my writer's block quickly. There's so much writing I want to do. 

Found another one!

Another poem I found that I had written in...I don't know when I wrote it.  The Purpose of My Being By Palvi Sharma The mountains, rain and sunshine All have a purpose of being But not I. The flowers their scentness The birds their flightness All have a purpose of being But not I.  Why is it that when I step forward I'm but pushed behind? And when I'm behind I'm stood still? Why is it that when I ask questions, I'm not answered any? And when I'm being asked, Know none of the answers to many?  If there's a purpose of my being I'd like to know. If there's a purpose in me I'd like to know.

Rain- A poem

I was Googling myself (doesn't everyone?) and found a poem I had put up online long ago. I completely forgot I had ever written anything like this. Poetry may not be my forte in writing, but it was a decent attempt I think. Here it is: RAIN The rain so sweet and pure, Comes down steadily in a healthy pour. Washes away the dust, Washes away the pain, The rain so soothing, it fills my heart with cheer. Some embrace it, Some run away. The rain so free, It doesn't matter anyway. When it stops, Your heart shall miss it. But the gushing puddles will help you remember, The joy you feel when it comes down again.

LAZY

I have opinions about everything and can't wait to write them down, but the words at the moment, elude me. However, now that I am nearing the end of one of my stories, I can't wait to write more and more of fiction. If I wasn't feeling so lazy, I would attempt to write both fiction and my opinions, but...I am lazy :)

Call of Duty- My complaints

I've enjoyed playing Call of Duty multiplayer and when the newest one: Call of Duty Ghosts released, I was so excited to get back in the game. I have to say that I am disappointed with the multiplayer maps. They are far too long and detailed. I mean, literally every map I played today had a fully furnished diner or restaurant or bar. There was a map which had a nicely decorated home and another where there was a sewerage. And where were the flags to be captured in Domination? Nowhere near the above mentioned details. I guess the maps may work in other game modes but at least in this- Domination- they should have shortened the map. I don't think it would be possible to gain higher points in a map that is so easy to get lost in. Too much detail reminds me of some of the books I have read that used too much description and didn't have enough plot to make me interested in the proceedings. Sure, readers like to have the scene set for them, but describing everything just mad

Busy with Writing

Now that I am done putting the final touches to my new novella, formatting it, designing a cover and finally putting it up (phew!), I'm getting back to my writing. There's so much to do and so many stories to get back into. Currently, I'm working on three stories and have an idea for a fourth short story/novella. Writing after so long feels so satisfying but I'll have to take a break every now and then to promote my books. 

Let's talk about Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani c onfirms that making a movie about friends going on a road trip, or trek in this case, and pandering to the college kids with catchy songs and this contrived plot, can work despite the lack of clarity in script. The one thing noticeable after watching this movie, was how little I connected to the main characters of the movie, to the point that I kept referring them to Ranbir Kapoor's character and Deepika's character rather than the names they were designated. I think the movie was quintessentially about living your youth to the fullest and about chasing your dreams. Since it wasn't clear in the script, I can't really say. Deepika's character is fed up of studying all the time and has never been on a break. She runs into a former school classmate and realizes how different Aditi (yes, I remember who Kalki was playing) is from her. Whether she suffers from low self esteem or whatever, the next thing we know, Deepika's character has p

Happy Diwali !!!!!

Free eBook on Smashwords

For a Limited time only, I'm offering my new eBook 'Horror Story' for free on Smashwords. Get it now!!! Link:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/372992

Halloween picks #1

And the Numero Uno spot goes to...... Find out here: JUST STORIES Oh, and for a LIMITED time only, my new Novella 'HORROR STORY' is available for free on Smashwords. Get it here: HORROR STORY Alternately, buy it for $2.99 only on Amazon Kindle here HAPPY HALLOWEEN :)

New Horror eBook!

Here its is! Done editing and designing and now here I present my new Horror novella: (fanfare music) Buy it here:  Amazon Kindle On a side note, my other Horror novella: THE ENSNARED is free for today. Happy Halloween!

About Editing

After I was done with the writing part of my new Horror novella, I took two days off and then went back to reading and editing it with a fresh mind. At first glance and then subsequent read, I hated everything about it. There were tons of mistakes, the plot in the beginning had some inconsistencies that were bound to happen since I had changed and tweaked the story midway. Then and there, I decided to discard the whole story. There were just too many mistakes and I was sure I would never get it up by Halloween. I also hated the fact that I had rushed into the ending. This has happened before- the minute I am writing up the very last paragraph and then the sentence and the last word, I can't wait to finish it off. I put it away in a separate hidden folder, so I wouldn't be reminded of the mistakes I had made with this story. Then yesterday, I picked it up again, trying to get a few edits done with a critical eye and discovered that my initial analysis of my own story had be

New Horror eBook coming soon!

At last, I'm done with the writing part of my new novella. It was going to be a short story, but as I wrote, I kept getting so many ideas that I wanted to add and so it is now officially a novella. Today, I finished working on the book cover. Not sure if I am happy with it though, since I went with Plan B and I really wanted Plan A. I have a few more days before I'm finally going to put it up on Smashwords   until then I have to do the edits. I was going through it a few days ago and have already found too many mistakes in the beginning. Yikes! Have to amend them ASAP.

My Journey in Writing

I think it's important to learn new things everyday if one wants to become a better writer. In the beginning of the year, I promised myself that and even kept a goal that each day be a learning experience. While doing so, I forgot to blog about it, but didn't stop from learning new things. Yes, there were days, when I didn't necessarily get up and reach for a book or surf the net to learn new things as arduously as I probably should have, but I still managed to learn a few things, even if it meant going through different experiences. I met some new people from different age groups and different cultural backgrounds and learned about how different lives can be. Hopefully, this will give me some insight into building characters for my future books. Every day is a learning experience, whether it was done voluntarily or not. Today I learned that I didn't have that much of an ego when it comes to improving myself or my writing. I do get defensive when someone attacks m

Halloween picks

I'm doing a Halloween Top 10 on my Facebook page: JUST STORIES The titles of movies/books/games in the list are those that have frightened me, and I don't scare easy. The title holding the number one spot will be revealed on Halloweens Day. Like my Page: JUST STORIES  to find out my picks. 

Talia Silverwoods from Repeated Lives

Talia was the first character I wrote for my first dark fantasy novella. She wasn't written up before, rather the idea of a story, compelled me to write her up. I had a plot and I just wanted a character to play her part. Repeated Lives- my novella- was story driven, but as I started to give life to Talia Silverwoods, I was immediately drawn to her and intrigued by her development. Yes, I did write her up, but she did take a life of her own. In the beginning, she was a normal girl who had everything- friends, loving family and a boyfriend who doted on her. There is a subtle indication that Talia doesn't necessarily appreciate what she has and like in any event, she was going to learn how to appreciate what she had. This was where the twist in my story came into play. Though Talia was well loved by all, there was someone who hated her enough to want to kill her. But why? Talia was going to find out only after she dies. Everyone had a destiny they must fulfill and Ta

Characters in Comedy

I find characters in comedies are perhaps easier to write that for in other genres. The reason being, that in order to make the comedy more effective, the character can be given a distinctive quality that could also be his major flaw in different situations. These situation need not even be complex. They can be everyday life situations that just require a character to be inserted and see how he performs with his distinctive flaw. For example, Brian Griffin in Family Guy. He was a character, built to voice his liberal opinions and dedicated to his writing. Using this, it was easy to write a situation where Brian is working on a brand new novel and already believing he was writing a masterpiece. So okay, every writer thinks their novel is going to be easily featured in the bestseller's list. Even me…. But to see Brian typing away and saying that he would name his character Norman Hall and only the scholars a 100 years from now would get that the character was a "normal

Sherlock Holmes (Character Study)

Sherlock Holmes- Who hasn't heard of this ingenious detective who captured hearts of millions of readers with his observational prowess and his witticisms? Sherlock Holmes was one of those characters that were easily likeable though not necessarily relatable. He may be lacking in social graces, standoffish and have no friends or romantic interests. But that didn't stop him from creating a lasting impression on the readers. Sherlock Holmes was liked so instantly that the magazine where he first appeared 'The Stand' quickly became a popular journal and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was instantly famous. For years, Sherlock Holmes stories were featured in the journal until one day, the Author kills of this beloved character. Fans were outraged; the subscriptions for the magazine dropped and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had no choice but to bring back the beloved Detective back. So what makes this character so likeable that the fans demanded the Author bring him ba

Sixteen- The Movie (My take on the story, characters, etc.)

Sixteen- Not just the age but the name of a movie as well. This one tackles issues faced by typical sixteen year olds- peer pressure, sexual urges, the search for love, unrequited love, parent's pressure, so on and forth. Sounds interesting, doesn't it. What could have been a movie about how these issues can be tackled while growing up in that very challenging age, turns out to be a movie of mistakes made and decisions gone awry. The movie is about three girls and a boy. One of the girl (Anu) aspires to be a model and has her world turned upside down when she finds out her parents, whose marriage she held in high regard, have an open marriage. Another girl  (Nidhi) has to make a choice on whether she should find a way to retain her boyfriend's interest in her or keep her parent's trust. The third (Tanisha) is always on the lookout for the perfect love, not realizing her best friend has feelings for her. She does find what she's looking for, but the man is not onl