Blogging A-Z Challenge- April 2011

Thanks to Damyanti for sharing this exciting opportunity to hone your writing skills. Arlee Bird, a fellow NaNoWriMo 2010 winner, has organized the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge. What it means is this:-

Breaking Out Of A Habit

No, not breaking out of a habit as in wanting to quit smoking or give up on excessively fatty, but wonderfully yummy, food! I thought I would share today some ideas on getting out of habits that diminish the power of your writing.

Writing A Synopsis

Done with your novel? Writing work over? Great, because the tough part starts now! If you thought writing the novel was the difficult part and it will be smooth sailing from hereon till the book is published amongst a burst of flashes from the Press cameras at the book launch, you are in for a surprise. The tough part begins now.

Learnings As A Writer

In a sense I guess a book is never fully complete. I say so because the scope for improving your writing is boundless. Yet, we need to stop somewhere  as there is no limit to the extent of editing that you can do. My second book is getting ready. Yes, “Lucky For Some, Thirteen” is now almost complete. I would like to share some learnings today.

Lessons from Jeffrey, Lord Archer

Jeffrey, Lord Archer really needs no introduction. I had the privilege of meeting him when he was in Bangalore recently for the launch of his new book ” Only Time Will Tell”. There was a huge crowd at Reliance TimeOut that evening. This is part of his whirlwind tour that takes him to 16 cities in 5 countries in 4 weeks.

Advice For New Writers

As a new writer, be ready to be offered tons of advice. From a host of well-meaning friends, family and even others who don’t know you from Adam. The moment they come to know that you are a new writer, they are liable to say “Oh, have you tried this…..” or ” Really, I think you should spend more time on that…”

It’s All About Your Characters

Yes, I am one of those who strongly believe that the success of your story depends upon the way you shape your characters. I guess it’s all about the characters. This thought comes to the fore in a recent interview I had with the well-known Indian Book Reviews.  You can catch the interview in full at their website here.

Writerly Wisdom

While there can be no substitute for actual experience, it is good to get perspective on the different issues which you are bound to face when you wish to become a writer. Thanks to Jon Winokur for putting together an amazing list of “Writerly Wisdom Through The Ages”.

The beauty of this collection is that it covers a wide variety of topics. I recommend it be savoured at leisure. It’s not an item of fast food that you gulp down and run. It needs to be read at leisure when you dip into this collection from time to time , like when for example, you feel the need to be inspired.

This has been very insightful to me and I hope it will help other writers and prospective writers overcome the fears in their minds.