Rebirth of the blog

Not that my blog had died. Although I hadn't said one word here for the last one year. Everything is a passing phase, and when something new catches your fancy, you tend to ignore the older things. So I am proud to announce the completion of a FULL SHORT STORY!

I can't believe it took me a year. That it because I started work on two novels and two short stories simultaneously. As usual, I tore up most of what I wrote -- which is what happened to every short story and novel I'd ever written since age nine. But this story has survived. I can still read it and not want to tear it up.

I do continue making edits, though. Tweaking and rewording. And, I feel my research is missing something. It is set in 1803, which is what scares me.

Do I have enough experience in life to write? I've always asked myself that, and answer my own question by tearing up my manuscript. This time around, I thought, I shall never know unless I do write and let my writing stand. One thing I do know: I cannot live without writing.

So what do we do with this story? In one word, nothing. For now. Right now, I am living for the moment, going with the flow. Let it stand, and if it is meant to see the light of day, the story will be known to the world.

Meanwhile, work progresses steadily on my novel. I keep deleting whatever I write, which sets me back by a few thousands of words each week. Also, I wonder if I can possibly avoid the dreaded subjectivity factor. Is it too autobiographical? Too narcissistic? Too dramatic? Or, worse, farcical? The doubts resurface every second.

I have made up my mind that I cannot leave the personal touch out. After all, one draws characters from life. Any resemblance will be purely coincidental! Having said that, I know I've directly brought in incidents from my life into this book. Is this a bad idea? Will the people involved recognise themselves and be mad?

About my protagonist. I believe we were both one and the same when I began writing. Someway along the line, she grew into her own identity. Now, I would say my protagonist is very similar to me, but someone very different.

These are problems every writer, seasoned or newbie, faces. And, there are no answers. The thing is, how do I eradicate doubts and gather enough courage to write the next word? (We'll cross the agent bridge when we come to it)

The transition from a professional non-fiction writer -- creative and journalistic -- to an amateur fiction writer is a challenging and confusing one, though very exciting. I am presuming that all those bylines I built up over the years will help if I ever feel confident enough to attempt to publish.

My first step in this direction is to blog regularly. And to challenge myself linguistically each day. More on that, the latest books and every thing else, next time.

A script gone wrong

Sprained my back mildly since my last post. Trying too hard to increase physical activity and flexibility may have had something to do with it. (Thanks for the message, Penny :) Been ages since we spoke)

On the hobby front, it's been great, though. I've got three fountain pens this year, and it's just March! Keep 'em coming! One is a Blackbird in plain burgundy; a twist-filler (pic one). You open the blind cap and twist the knob to the right to empty and left to fill again. Repaired and polished it myself last week and it is doing a great job.

Picture two is a Kingswood pen. Kingswood was England's name for the US's Eversharp. So, the nib is Eversharp. In marbled red and black, the pen is a knock-out. A simple lever filler, it took me all of seven minutes to repair. Writes a rather fine line, but I'm pleased because almost every one who sees it looks twice and asks me about it.

Acquisition number three was a plain black Parker Victory -- England's Duofold. Nothing fancy, except that it has a mean nib and is a button filler. One reason I have this fondness for Parker Victory is that it was launched in 1945 (there are those that say it was 1941, but I believe in 1945, just for the romance of it). If you don't know why that is significant, you shouldn't be reading this blog. You shouldn't exist, even. Anyway, have repaired the pen and it's running fine.

Note: all those pictures were pre-repair photos taken by the sellers.

My writing has, sadly, been completely non-existent for the past 7-8 months. I have managed a few bylines, including a couple of book reviews, but nothing special. Now that I have these pens, there is an excuse to write.

Speaking of which, I always find myself writing better when I really put pen to paper (fountain pen). There is very little that I actually type, unless it is this blog or some story I am editing as part of my job. Is there anyone who actually types out their material rightaway?

Some days back, a friend of mine was bemoaning the fact that few people wrote in cursive these days. I chanced across some 1884-1889 copies of The Girls' Own Paper in dad's friend's attic. (google Girls' Own Paper for more info). In spite of the teeeeny print which gave me intermittent headaches and saw me incur my boss's wrath with appalling carelessness, I was delighted with the correspondents' column, where the editors actually advised the readers on their handwriting. "You lean too much on your pen", "Try to write with your back straight" and "You have an excellent hand" were some of the comments.

Last week, a colleague told me he didn't care about how awful his handwriting was -- the skill, he said, was not required anymore. I almost wept. Whatever happened to our world? I made the old arguments of how your handwriting defined you and his writing just told me he was chaotic, and that a beautiful handwriting wouldn't harm, hurt or hinder. But who listens? I used to collect postal history and have all these 1850 envelopes with Penny Blacks on them and the address written in most beautiful scripts.

As a six-year-old, I remember Miss Annie Rose writing, "Improve your handwriting" in my report card. I also remember hours and hours of copy-writing cursive script on holidays. My nephew is eight and they don't comment on his handwriting in school. In fact, it is seen as unimportant, because all you need to do is type.

I disagree. As a fountain pen collector and an aspiring writer, I see this as plain blasphemy. If and when I do have kids, I intend to see that their handwriting is as copperplate as can be (ok, I'm going to boast -- my handwriting is quite good). Computers, biros/ball point pens and a shoddy education system have ruined our children's writing. NOT IF I CAN HELP IT!

Do you have good handwriting? And, do you think it is an unnecessary skill?

All guns firing

Well, it's good to be blogging again. I'm not going to waste time apologising for a 10-month hiatus.

A lot has happened after my last post. I was on physiotherapy and medication for ages and am fighting fit now and drive to work, except that I seem to have lost the ability to touch my toes without bending my knees. The doctors assured me it would happen, but I keep trying every day in vain. I also get mild back ache if I sit down for too long.

Professionally, I returned to work in June, for limited hours and gradually started full-time work. I also went on my first international assignment to the US and got a few stories out of it. That was in October, and two stories are still being written. Which means...

I've slowed down. Seriously. I now need more time to read a book, more time to finish a meal, more time to edit a story and so on. Either I am turning into an old, old woman, or I guess the young blood thing has run its course. Or may be, it's my body telling me it needs 'me time'. Still, it's good to stop and smell the roses.

On to the purpose of this blog, and my New Year resolutions:

1. NO health scares this year. OK, that's not in my hands, but I won't take risks. Such as riding pillion on a bike. No more daredevilry. My folks have stood outside intensive care units enough for a lifetime.

2. At least five fountain pens and three war medals.

3. Finish reading all pending books.

4. Finish writing all pending articles.

5. FINISH THAT SHORT STORY (the one set in 1803).

6. Get at least 25 bylines (three so far this year, with another coming up next week).

7. Read at least two books a week.

That's it, really.

Bookswise, I'm getting a feeling I read too much fiction. Not that there's anything wrong. It's understandable that I enjoy fiction more, but I think I need to read more non-fiction just to maintain a balance.

I came across a book called The Recruit by Robert Muchamore. Whatever I read on the jacket looked attractive. Haven't started it, but once I finish, I'll be sure to share thoughts.

I also found a few coffee table books, which seems the wrong name for the things. Aren't they more of picture-books? Why coffee table? Call them photo-ops, if you like. Sorry to say this, but I dislike coffee table books. 1. The purpose of a book is to be read. And these books have very little text or reading matter. 2. The information they do give will hardly fill a brochure. 3. If I want to view photographs, I'll go to google images! 4. They're so unwieldy to hold. 5. What a disgraceful waste of paper! Save the planet, why can't we?

Do you like coffee table books? Maybe you could convince me to change my mind about them. Till next time, happy reading.

I'm lucky and thankful

To be alive. Here's why.

My last post was on March 19. On March 26, a colleague from work and I decided to hop out along the road during lunch hour. I took my brolly down, and said we would walk. But she had just got her motorbike licence a month ago, and a new motorbike to boot, so insisted on my riding pillion with her. Entirely my fault.

Anyway, we were going back and had to take a U-turn. She was on the left lane, and suddenly swerved to the right for the turn. A speeding car crashed into us -- I knew it was going to and managed a 'look out!' I was airborne, crashed into the car, broke the windscreen and bounced off into the road, hitting my head and hip. I blacked out.

I came to and found my colleague in hysterics. She pulled her hair loose and was screaming. Searing pain through me. Onlookers yanked me up by the wrists (!)

At this point, I lost my temper. Right there, in the middle of the road, I yelled, "Do you want me to die here of brain haemorrhage?" I'm not even sure if there is such a thing! But it worked. I was taken to the hospital.  I had to deal with calling my family up, looking after our bags and brollys, all that pain and a hysterical woman.

At the hospital, I blacked out again after telling them my blood group and allergies. When I came to, I was in the neuro intensive care with occipital haematoma (outside the brain, thank Heavens), hip, lower back and finger injuries. Need to have a tooth out next week as it got impacted and infected. The pain was so bad it took me a while to read, or even walk without help.

Am much better now, and hope to return to work in 20 days' time. Not allowed to bend, lift weights, go gymming, take the stairs or run or jump for three months. Oh dear. And, worst of all, my birthday, in mid-April was a damp squib. Got plenty of presents, but all my plans were spoilt.

So that's a rather personal sob-story. But the idea is not to whine or whinge. I'm THANKFUL. This could have ended so badly. At least, I can blog again. I've promised my mom, boss and aunt that I shall not get on a motorbike again. I've put my family through enough trauma, and can only imagine how awful it must have been for them to stand outside the intensive care unit for days.

The question is, why are there hysterical, weepy and wimpy women in this century? She actually said she felt faint, and collapsed in a heap, once she reached the hospital. I didn't know this, having blacked out, or else I would have turned up in a Victorian bonnet, with smelling salts.

I think I know why there still are spineless women out there, who go to pieces and lose their heads in a crisis. It is because of an overdose of reading and viewing material along those lines. You know all those books where women are oh-so-naive and weak, and depend for everything on this six-footer guy? That's what I'm talking about.

I asked her last week why on earth she made such a cake of herself, and she said, "It was all too much for me. It is the first time such a thing has happened to me." Hey, this is my first accident, too. I don't go about falling off motorbikes for a hobby. Mind you, she's a fantastic person and will always be one of my dearest friends. After all, we've been through enough together, before, during and after this.

Whatever happened to the emotionally mature, sensible, independent woman of the twenty-first century? Was she swallowed up during her teenage by Barbara Cartlands and sitcoms? I hope not.

I'm not saying all women are like that. I would rather shoot myself at point blank range, boil myself in oil and then imprison myself, than screech in a crisis. But the fact is that there are such women out there, despite the powerful, sophisticated image we've built for ourselves.

So that's about it, to wind up a rather harsh post. Maybe we need more books with brave heroines. Thoughts?

Boring books, or wronged writer?

Hello after ages. Apologies for not writing, but I'm recovering from a severe attack of viral fever, during which, among other things, I lost my voice, ruptured a capillary in the throat, got an ear infection and a swollen gland in the jaw. Any idea as to what gland it is? The salivary gland must be thereabouts, but I'm not too sure.

Anyway, I've been tidying my room. No easy task, but I came across this and have halted cleaning operations for a while. Enid Blyton's Magazine Annual #2. Enid's works were my companions while growing up, and my mom grew up reading EB, too. Her books are definitely in the "to be read with sandwiches and cakes at teatime" category. There is a lot of criticism surrounding the books, plots, names used, racial stereotyping and gender discrimination. Pity.

Agreed, Monty Python's parody of EB (Children's Stories, MP and the Flying Circus) was hilarious. There are plenty of EB stories about Bertie Bumble who lived in a tumbledown cottage in Dinky Dell in Dum Dum village. But would I give them to my child/children in the future? Yes!

1. They were delightful. Any book which has a Land of Goodies, a Land of Birthday Presents, pop biscuits, and children winning the day is fine by me.

2. They got me to read. And got some peace for my mom. Purposes served.

3. Despite all the "negative qualities" in the books, I don't think reading them has made me any worse.

4. Page-turning writing style, accurate grammar and spelling.

5. The school stories and adventures had morals, without actually appearing didactic and annoying. Believe me, if a child imitates Fatty and says, "I never tell lies," BRILLIANT!

True, it is the boys who have most of the adventures. The girls are told to stay home, and their role during camping is generally to do the cooking and the washing up. But WHEN were these books written? EB was born in the 1890s! No way was she going to write about kick-ass gals.

Nonetheless, all her school stories have women protagonists. Fearless girls, who go rowing and rescuing in the ocean, over dangerous cliffs, riding mad horses all over England, and what not. And George, the 'girl who wanted to be a boy' in the Famous Five, resents being told to stay back and has her own adventures. In fact, it is she who saves the day in most of the books.

For many reasons, I've always hated the Famous Five. Julian, I found bossy, annoying and obnoxious. Anne, I found boring, irritating and rotten. George was the only character in the series, just as Fatty was the only real character in the 5 Find-outers, and Snubby was the only one to stand out in the Mystery series. Also, you read one Famous Five book, you've read them all. They are over-hyped, and there are plenty of other books, such as Shadow the Sheepdog, and Six Bad Boys, by EB, which knock the FF books into the last millennium.

Six Bad Boys is an 'adult' EB book. Can you imagine the woman who invented the "Saucepan Man" coming out with a book on divorce, broken homes, and crime? It just shows her depth. All Blyton-bashers out there, please do read this, and Shadow the Sheepdog.

Blyton is accused of racism, because gollywogs are villains in some of her stories. There are EB books where the gollys are actually the heroes. And the villain is the sailor doll, or the teddy, or even the rocking horse. The question is, did EB actually have racist intent? Or was that sheer coincidence? As we shall never know, I suggest that whoever finds the greedy gollys offensive stays away from those particular books.

For my part, I haven't read those Six o'Clock Tales, or Red Story Book, or those anthologies which feature gollys; I began with Bimbo and Topsy and the Faraway Tree books and went on to the adventure and school series at around age 7-8. So I wouldn't know about the racism thing.

Now for the names. The world was a lot more innocent and wholesome back then. It is only now that slang has attributed different meanings to what were once everyday names. No need to rename characters to Frannie and Rick. Enid herself would turn in her grave to find how the meanings of words have changed. For Pete's sake, the books are written for CHILDREN! KIDS! Not some sicko who's going to laugh himself silly over the names.

This was an author who produced around 800 BOOKS. And about 10,000 short stories. Of course some plots will sound alike. But can those armchair critics please imagine producing so much work? And at least 400 of those books are completely different, I'm sure.

Reading Enid as a child was a completely satisfying experience. No complaints. But I did have a few issues, and found some of the stories silly while reading them as an adult. That is the whole point. Enid is JUST for children. And unless the kids are complaining, get over it.

Here the case for Enid Blyton: Have you read her books? Did you like them? Which was your favourite, and what did you find offensive?

Next post: Do not begin a sentence with true or agreed.

Book my place

I've been 'reviewing' books at the amateur level for as long as I could read, but two of my book reviews have been published professionally, both in 2010. Woohoo!

To clarify, I submitted four reviews in all; one was a sample of a graphic novel, two were published, and a third was submitted this week. I'm proud. That they published a complete amateur's opinion on a new book! Fingers crossed for the third review.

My longest book review to date is Victoria and Abdul. Non fiction, and historical. Of course I was going to review it! I suggested, read and reviewed. Simply fascinating stuff. Queen Victoria, for her Golden Jubilee, was sent an Indian servant. The lad rose to become her teacher, secretary and confidante, even controlling some of her opinions and actions. There's a description of Her Majesty hurling vases, paperweights and other sundry objects in fury, when someone dared to complain about said servant. Gold. Didn't dream QV was ever in such a bate!

I always finish the whole book before reviewing it, even if it is a small four-sentence take. Or else, I'm scared I'll miss something vital. Apart from title, author, publisher, pages and price, the other thing I include is the plot--no spoilers, no ending; just basic storyline--somewhere at the beginning of the review. Then I move on to how natural the characters and dialogue are. Grammar and vocabulary follow, and tempo. I also insert some info on the author, such as the name of a previous work, or original profession.

The overall mood of the work, and whether that mood is contrived or consistent, has to come in, too. Where possible, I bring out how the book is different, by including a rare description, or a beautiful figure of speech used in the book. While I used to add a bottomline summing up my feelings on the book, I've found out it isn't recommended and is somewhat unimpressive.

Ultimately, what I do is answer these questions: What is the book about? What is the book like? What is special about it? Why should you read it?

I'm no authority. These are just the guidelines I follow. I have a long way to go before they invite me to the Times Literary Supplement, and I need tips to improve my reviewing. Do share.

Next week: do not begin a sentence with I or my.

Blot out the copy-books

I am not a prophecy person. I can't stand astrology, and, for me, a prophecy is just about the worst plot instrument a writer can use. I loved Harry Potter until Rowling brought the prophecy in. And I still think there was nothing new in the prophecy. I mean, we all knew Harry had to face Voldy and only one would survive.

One series where the prophecy has been used well is Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. Nice, bringing in the Oracle. We didn't know which kid of the big three was the one in the prophecy. Besides, the Oracle of Delphi had a nasty twist in all her predictions, most of which simply couldn't be interpreted.

So, why did I pick up Mario Reading's The Nostradamus Prophecies? I had rough week at work and, on an impulse, walked to the bookshop during lunch, and came back with the first book I saw. This. Plus, I fell for the blurb: "Nostradamus wrote 1,000 prophecies. Only 942 have survived. What happened to the missing verses? And what secrets did they contain?"

Whether you believe in prophecies or not, you want to know what the missing 58 say. And where and why they were hidden. The book began and continued well, with the race for the verses between the protagonist, the antagonist and the villain. For someone who enjoys hidden object games, this is one of my favourite genres. James Rollins, Andy McDermott, Steve Berry, Matthew Reilly, Sam Bourne and the rest, I love. They don't fall into the same droning plots with every book. Secrets, mysteries and conspiracies, yes, but each book is completely different from the others and offers something new.

Back to Reading. Until they find the prophecies--braving death and torture--all goes well and I had my heart in my mouth. But the content of the verses is, for me, claptrap. A subject writers have dealt with ad nauseam.

The problem in the publishing industry is that, once Dan Brown became a success, everyone wanted to write about ancient secrets, deadly conspiracies to protect (or discover) the secrets, and innocent protagonists who solved ciphers, puzzles and anagrams to uncover them. Even Robin Cook switched over from medical thrillers to Dan Brown territory in Intervention. Enough already!

We've seen plots seeking the remains of Mary Magdalene, Alexander the Great, the Romanovs, Atlantis and Mother Mary, explaining the seven wonders, the Domesday Book, Nostradamus, the Aztecs, freemasons, Abraham and the Delphic Oracle, braving opposition from the Church, and villains looking to purge the world of genetic defects. What next?

After Harry Potter came a spate of fantasies, and after Twilight came a whole horde of paranormal fiction. Those trends have waned, but the post-Dan Brown trend is very much alive. I say the publishing industry does something about this and introduce some originality. Or else, we may see the thriller genre die a boring death.

Next week: avoid beginning a sentence with 'and'.

A year later

Happy New Year!

Last year, on this very day, I began this blog. I little dreamt I'd be at it today, or that I would have 24 followers!

A year on, what did I achieve? I acquired well over 5 war medals and 15 fountain pens! Most importantly, I finally got my hands on The Book--Winkles, Schoolboy Detective. And I got a job in magazine journalism. My byline count (including research credits for infographics) was 20. Not a bad year. My writing didn't do too well, though. I'm halfway through a short story set in 1803, and have just two chapters to show from one novel, and one from another.

This year's resolutions:

1. Get at least 25 bylines.

2. FINISH short story by March-April. Finish one novel by December, and half of the other, at least.

3. Write blog once a week.
4. Acquire at least 25 vintage first editions, five fountain pens and two war medals.

5. Maintain regular exercise schedule.

6. Curb spending and temper.

7. Increase number of followers for this blog (Target--50 by December).

Ambitious, aren't I?

Now for news. Last year, I'd written about a wonderful book I lost in Bristol--Winkles, Schoolboy Detective by Rowland Walker. I've GOT ONE! And this one is with the dustjacket, which, I'm afraid, is tatty and torn. Still, very nice. I cried getting it and have stashed it away among greatest treasures. If you get a copy, PLEASE read it!

Other books I got for Christmas include Richmal Crompton's Enter--Patricia, some nice Ethel Talbots, Doris Pococks and a few Chalet School paperbacks I didn't have. Stowaways in the Abbey and The New Abbey Girls by Elsie Oxenham are also mine now.

Lost to international mail were Jill at Hazelmere and Jill Investigates by Valerie Hastings, and a couple of rare hardbounds by Angela Brazil. Tough.

Tracing oldies is a nightmare, but I've been lucky to find some nice online shops that sell vintage first eds, both on eBay and off it. Shall mention a few along the year.

Does anyone read these gems now? What is the oldest book you own?

NEXT WEEK: Avoid the word 'acquire'

At sixes and 7s

This post is all about what I'm typing on right now. I bought a cool Vaio CW16 laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit). A beautiful blue colour that matches my room, too. I'm madly in love with it. Only, it booted in 13 seconds before any programmes were uploaded and takes 40-45 seconds now with all the installations :( Once on, it works on lightning speed.

I use Mac at the office, but give Windows more marks for sheer aesthetic appeal. Mac is...well...a bit too plain. I've used Win NT, 95, 98, XP, Vista and now, 7. Surprisingly, many people have complained about Vista. Can't understand why. Agreed, it is complicated, but isn't the aero effect stunning? Win 7 ranks even higher. A mere mouse-over reveals all the programmes running and a click opens exactly the one I want. Nice transparent effect for the taskbar means my Sharpe wallpaper is visible (partly) anytime. And Windows Explorer is neat and organised. Much easier to locate those missing files.

The start menu is interesting. No annoying 'Start'--just the windows icon. Uncluttered, with just the essentials. Altogether, the desktop and the taskbar have a very clean look. Thankfully, they've made the gadgets bar optional and I've done away with it. It was what I hated the most about Vista. Win 7 has removed it from the side and placed it on top. I declared war on it on day two and I won.

That sickening Quick Launch feature has been trashed and I'm celebrating. Now for what I hate the most--IE. I loved it the first few days. But now, when I try to open a link as a new tab or new window, it takes ages, literally. Seriously, I'd shift to Firefox if I wasn't so lazy. What happened to the one-touch, one-second of last week? Technowizzies, please help!

I must say they use nicer colour combos on 7. I hated the green and the blue on XP. This is nicely subtle and toned down. Shutting down is easier than ever. Only, you need to be careful and not click on it by mistake, as there is no confirm step. Hit shut down and that's it. The comp goes off in four seconds.

So that's the technologically challenged layperson's opinion of Windows 7.

On totally unrelated subjects, I was gifted a nice Pelikan 800 in tortoiseshell jade. A stunning beauty. Pics will follow later. I also bought an ebonite pen. I'm not sure what it is--it says Raja on the clip, Wyvern Made in England on the barrel and TDLR Co on the nib (The De la rue and co). Some kind of mutant...

So did I leave out those three verbs I was to avoid? Please point out errors. Next week: leave out UNDERSTAND, MUST and TRY.

A new exercise

A comment by Emily on my last post is responsible for this--in future (not this one, from the next post), I will either avoid one/more particular word(s) and/or use one/more particular word(s) in my blog. And those who wish to comment are also requested to use or avoid the same word(s) in their comments. And the word to avoid will not be 'floccipaucinihilipilification' (sorry if there's a spelling mistake), and the word to use will not be 'the'. Get the picture? The idea is to avoid words we always tend to use, and to use words we normally avoid. And yes, I will create plenty of opportunity for myself to fail the exercise. Thanks very much for inspiring this, Emily!

I read in the papers sometime last month that a survey has revealed that we have become vocabulary-challenged. We tend to use the same few words for every situation. The most annoying word, according to the survey, is 'whatever', followed by 'you know' and 'anyway'. I agree. And solemnly do swear (by the unbreakable oath of the River Styx, let's do this like the Greek Gods) NEVER EVER to use those three phrases in this blog, world without end, Amen. If I do not keep my word, please point it out to me and I shall undergo penance by abstaining from reading for 24 hours.

So what do you think about the exercise? As verbs and adjectives tend to repeat themselves in our vocabulary, I think I'll pick those for now. That should make it good. No point in picking nouns.

Words to avoid in the NEXT POST and comments to the NEXT POST: All forms of the verbs THINK, SEE and FIND.