Gaurav Parab's Blog, page 6

Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora book event | Bangalore | Saturday 27th June 6 pm |

Dear Friends,

Look forward to catching up in Bangalore - on Saturday 27th of June at Crossword Bookstore, Forum Value Mall, Whitefield.

If you are still not convinced about attending with the Bangalore traffic, the posted pasted below with special Photoshop effects tastefully inserted will do the trick. See you on Saturday at 5.45 pm!

Rustom is not only flying off bookshelves...

Rustom is not only flying off bookshelves, it is also flying onboard Air Vistara as a featured review in the inflight magazine.The review says 'the book reminds one of the old thriller movies with intriguing plot and engaging sub plots'. It is summarized as ‘All in All, not one of the run of the mill novels, and has a plot that keeps the reader involved and determined to finish the book in one go’ 

So next time you fly Vistara, a little bit of me is flying with you. Do share with friends! 

https://www.airvistara.com/trip/inflight-magazine/monthly#jun15



Apologies for the delay in updating the blog. The last month has been beyond hectic on the personal, work and book front. There is so much going on, some things nice and some events that have tested me severely. 

But I promise to keep sharing good things, and this blog marks a fresh start of sorts.

Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora | Save the Date | Saturday, May 9th 5 pm | Crossword Aundh, Pune

Dear Friend, 
I hope you can make it to the book launch of Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora this Saturday at 5 pm at Crossword, Aundh, Pune.Also, since I have never done this before, should I cut my hair short or the wavy, intellectual look should work fine? Look forward to your suggestions and presence at this short, quick, and crazy event.I promise to not act like a celebrity at least for this event. No promises about the future. Do come and make the most of well behaved me. Do drop in and get all your friends along.

From My Desk to Yours

By Gaurav Parab

I received some messages that Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora is out for dispatch and will be delivered today. This excitement being shared is so overwhelming that it really cannot be reduced to words. But let me try.When I first heard Coming Back to Life so many years ago in a place so nondescript that I don't even remember where it was - I was not taken in by the brilliant music or those truly bad-ass words sung from the heart. What I remember is a thought in my head on what a wonderful feeling it must be for any artist - musician, writer, painter - to have given birth to an original thought in a garage, garden, a study table, a bed or someplace insignificant that no one else really cares about. And then sometime later , like a trick made completely of magic, someone who is not even connected or known to the 'creator' - oceans away puts on that song, opens that book, looks at that painting and strangely becomes a part of what started off as a tiny thought thousands of miles away in another person's head. Then that reader owns and makes the thought completely his/her own.I feel honored to be a part of every reader, every friend, every single one of you who have trusted me with their time by taking a look inside my messed up mind and being a part of my journey.Thank you, and there is still space left inside my head. Do let your friends know. And yes, that's me in the picture from sometime back creating Rustom's world.
And Hey Friends, the book is available now in most leading bookstores in major cities and airports. Do spread the word to your friends.

A moment years in the making

By Gaurav Parab





Yesterday evening, went down to Crosswords Aundh and experienced a moment that had been more than 10 years in the making. From the first time I entered a bookstore, I have been waiting to have my work displayed in a room full of stories. Good, bad, average, brilliant. It does not matter. To have your work breathe in the same air as stories from the most brilliant minds from across thousands of years is that moment when a little whisper about making a small dent runs through your soul.
There it was. Smiling back at me. In the new arrivals shelf. Glancing every now and then at the bestsellers group – like it might just end up there in some months.
Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora, a crazy tale that began as a simple thought in my mind in a garden in Bangalore, moved hesitantly through my hands on a notebook in a café in the Himalayas, got slammed into a hard drive in Pune, splattered by ink in Delhi – finally made into bookstores across the country.
It was nice to share this moment with my mom and the missus. The missus smiled back at me. We have been visiting bookstores for more than a decade together now, and every time I would glance at her my eyes would say one day. One day love. One day.
That day is here. Good lord, the day is here.
So many of you have ordered the book online and it should start arriving in 3 or 4 days. Thank you for your patience.
For those planning to get it from a bookstore, it should be available over the weekend in other parts of the country. For those in Pune, its already here at the wonderful Crosswords store in Aundh. Do pick up a copy. And do thank the bookstore folks for being stubborn in keeping alive one of the great experiences in our lives in some challenging times. Nothing beats visiting a bookstore.
If the book is not available in a store near you, you can order it on amazon.in 
PS - My Baba up there, wish you were here. You cannot imagine how much we missed you. You just cannot.

Creating Jennifer for Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora

hThank you so much for the overwhelming support to Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora. Pleased to share that the book, a literary crossover ( A byproduct of the Higgs Boson as produced by the LHC ) absolutely burned through the charts during preorders.

And now in a couple of days the book will start trickling into bookstores across the nation. I do hope you will sustain the enthusiasm for Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora and act your age (Assuming you are all my age) and go to that old fashioned place called a bookstore, buy your copy, tell the store manager that you will be back for more and walk out with your head held high.

Bookstores really really need your support. If you have already ordered online, you should really buy one copy from bookstores.

But this is not what the blog is about. Wanted to share a quick note on making characters come to life (unedited, so excuse the typos) All along, you have been hearing me talk about Rustom this, Rustom that and so on. But one of the most interesting characters in the book is Rustom's wife Jennifer. A person who was a big challenge to sketch out.

For all the other characters, Rustom, the storyteller, Mani etc..I was very clear about the way they looked and the way they acted. But everytime I came to Jen, I hit a concrete wall of sorts. While I had a good idea about how she looked (Think Perizad Zoraben) I was not clear on what she stood for. Her essence and all that, if you want me to sound like a writer. So unlike the other chaps, for whom I created detailed character maps, personality traits, dressing styles, the music they heard, what they read and so on - Jennifer was simply a ghost floating in my head.

Till under the influence of what should not be named, I wrote Smells Like Bombay. One of my personal favorites and boy oh boy did Jennifer really come to life after that! I knew exactly what would piss her off, what would make her happy and what are the things one should never ever do to Jen.

Guess what? A few weeks ago, Kaushik Shukla an independent musicians contacted me and said that he wanted to make a song out of Smells like Bombay. I was a little hesitant, considering how important that song had been in my journey but when I heard his other work I told him to take a stab at it without telling him about the book.

And boy oh boy. Kaushik and the southpaws simply blew me away with their song based on the poem. It captures Jennifer even more than the poem. Let me know if you like it as well.

And do order Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora online or get it from a bookstore near you! You will all love Jennifer in the book.



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Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora -Pre-orders started

Dear Friends,


Writing in with some exciting news. Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora is now available on Amazon.in and Flipkart and other sites for pre-order. In fact, less than 12 hours after the links became available, the book is already screaming through the New Releases/Pre-order charts on amazon.in .
Do visit amazon.in , pre-order and bring the site down! Ok, that maybe stretching the point.
Thank  you for all your support and look forward to your readership.
Warm Regards
Gaurav

Rustom & the Last Storyteller of Almora | April 2015

Dear Friend,
Trust this blog finds you in the best of health and circumstances. I have a couple of quick things to share.


The First Thing: A big thank you for your support every day since this blog started back in 2006. Even though updates here over the years are now as infrequent as old friends you only run into every now and then, even if the blog has moved from standing for something today and something else tomorrow, and the words here border dangerously on being narcissist more often than not– you have hung on. You have supported me. You have calmed me down when life threw my mind around. More importantly, you have let the words be themselves when I had to deal with unimaginable loss.Through this blog, I made the most wonderful life-long friends. We celebrated amazing times and grieved when life was not kind. This, nothing can change. And above everything else, every single one of you have inspired me.

Thank you. Thank you. I can’t say it enough, but let’s do this once more before ending this short note. Thank you my dear friend!
Yes, the second thing I mentioned. Listen, a few years ago as this blog grew and I grew with it through a better understanding of myself and the world around me, I started work on a then unnamed project with some simple ideas in my head. The plan was to try create something that misfits like you and I will enjoy. A story not about falling in love for that has been done before by better writers.  A story not about an MBA or an Engineer or both combined finding their way through life, for again I may not have the skills to pull it off. A story not based on myth or ancient tales as I had nothing new to offer. No vampires, for they are primarily based out of LA and only drop into Italy to catch up with the Volturi. No fifty shades of gray or 31 shades of Baskin Robbins.
All I wanted to do was to write a story that may take the reader back to those glory days of our childhood when each family had crazy storytellers whose words would pull you down in your seats and take you away on journeys, usually beginning with the word Listen…
A story that will be a wreck. A breaker of rules. A quirky, dark and light tribute to real magic, and the fake tricks that all of us pull off. A story based on a simple idea, like how far a bad man will go to set things right?
And then the damn thing took a life of its own. Dozens of drafts, hundreds of thousands of words written, rewritten, deleted later – the story I wrote found a home at Hachette India, who seemed as excited about taking it to a wider audience as I am. When the Hachette group, whose imprints represent the works of my favorite writers from Stephen King, Mitch Albom, John Grisham, JK Rowling, Enid Blyton and so many others said, “Gaurav, you young looking middle aged man, how about sharing this tale with the rest of the world?’ I just replied with where should I sign?And yes, that’s the second thing. My debut novel, Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almorawill hit the stores in April 2015.
It’s been the hardest last few months. I lost my father Col Ullhas Parab, and if is absence was not gut wrenching enough I now live every day carrying the weight of not letting him read my book.
Then again, it’s been the most exciting last few months as the beast has taken its shape. While I don’t want to reveal what the book is about, I can share that it’s a about a man, a drifter and a coward who is forced to do a very brave thing.
This book is I hope about every reader of this blog. After all, deep down don’t we all yearn to do good?
I believe you will find it interesting. There is no elegant way to say it, but let me try. BUY THE DAMN BOOK.

After all, who would you rather like to have known all these years?  A guy who wrote an awesome book? Or a guy who wrote a bestselling awesome book. BUY Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora and ask your friends to do the same. Watch this space for more details in the days to come. And one last time, thanks again.

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New (Jen's Song)

Image - James Carroll Woman with_Guitar

By Gaurav Parab 
So, what's it going to beThis time love?It was just a releaseWas just the wayThe light bounced offHer eyes, orthe way her lips curledor kept straightThe way she reminded you of that someoneWho reminded youof that someone elseOr the wordsThe words are alwayswhere you are foundWas it just _?Or something more importantLike the scent of her scentor the pearls, she did not wear
Now love,
it does not make it right
if it wassomething elseBut at least I hopeIt was something worth....well something worthwhile
Like the wayYour name effortlesslyrolled off her tongueLike the wayHer eyes closedWhen she sangOnly for you
I just hope it wasNot but another clicheI just pray this time Your reasonfor being youYour reason for herWas something new

Be a Selfish Learner to be a Better Writer

By Gaurav Parab

Image from Wikimedia Commons
An interesting thing happened at my workplace the other day. We have an online public forum where we post views, articles, poems and wise cracks. Being a new year and with all the resolution baggage it brings, I felt inspired enough to offer free sessions on discussions around the writing process.

Good boy Parab. Adjust your halo now.

No sooner had I asked for suggestions on what can be discussed, someone wrote back demanding my qualifications before I offered free sessions on the writing process. Now, while I realize that such responses don't deserve too much mind share, and this was but possibly a misfired attempt at trolling a well meaning initiative, with unnecessary references to my ego (I don't even know this guy) it did get me thinking.

Being older and wiser now with my mature paunch and reading glasses, I understood what such a thought process actually stands for. It signifies a uniquely Indian decision to learn based on the college diplomas that a teacher has collected in his life.  A writer is not a writer unless he is published. A singer is not necessarily someone who sings. She has to sing for the movies, or at least have performed a few gigs. Dear Sir, you are from IIM, no? An actor is no actor if he has not been on TV.

While my original post was about sharing thoughts on what we can possibly discuss, as opposed to 'teaching'; lets pretend for the sake of argument that it was about 'teaching' by my haughty self. Anything wrong with that? Lets look at that part.

While conceding that  technical things like flying or medicine need to be taught by qualified individuals who understand the science behind the act of flying and of healing as opposed to mere flying enthusiasts like say Superman, I believe that as far as the arts, leadership, or any skill linked with your heart, mind, or soul go -  you put yourself at a disadvantage if you only want a qualified instructor. You straight jacket your learning of the craft to an agenda drawn up by bureaucrats in dark places that sound like the Planning Commission. You are missing out on all the fun. You are running the risk of never encountering some truly unique perspectives.

No shame in discussing how to make a wheel by someone who has made a wheel before. No matter how out of shape, or how small - he can at least tell you how not to try making a wheel. No matter if he never worked at a Goodyear or Pirelli.

Why hesitate to ask for directions from one who has taken that road before? That person may not have reached the destination - but that insight backed with your own judgment might just help avoid the wrong detour or the longer route to success. Ramakant Achrekar once had a student who had no problems learning from someone with zero test runs, so why should anyone else.
My greatest writing teachers  have been people who have never been inside a classroom, or had their name embossed on a certificate on a wall.My mother and father, talented painters and writers in their own way taught me through their actions that it was ok to think different and wild. Bat crazy wild. The watchman in my society taught me patience and how I have to be at it one word at a time like he is at it one sleepless night at a time. Homer Simpson, widely believed to be a non living character, taught me how wonderful irrelevance is in connecting with your audience. Our regular cab driver, taught me to work harder when I felt I was working hard enough. The salesmen I worked with in a previous life told me how 'real' people interact. My many writer friends who don't run a blog, or have published a book never shy away from advising me for they know that in me they will always have a willing student. My dog Joko, who to the best of my knowledge went to no college - full time or otherwise, teaches me to live in the moment and focus on what is on my writing desk. (God, he can stare down a cat for hours without moving)

I can go on and on and still not scratch the surface of the large pool of  unqualified, yet effective teachers who continue to shape my world; in addition to the lessons from 'qualified' ones that together make me a better writer version of myself. I find questioning the qualification of someone who has offered to share his experiences to be an attitude we can all do away with.

On the bright side,the whole episode did gave me an opportunity to think about this flaw in our thoughts, and share my views on how important it is to not only give free lessons, but also take them.

Fortunately, a good proportion of people have the same value system and I am glad that we will be doing some well attended sessions at my workplace soon. Completely free. Heck, I may even throw in a viewpoint or two about why a writer needs an ego. But that's for another day.

So again, if you still have a chip on your shoulder, and want to learn cooking only from a Michelin star chef as opposed to your Mother who wrote no cooking books, or learn writing only from someone with Hachette,  Penguin, or Picador book contracts - then you might be missing out on some great lessons in life!

We have reached the part where I tell you about Subscribing to my Blog to receive these posts directly in your inbox ( you need to verify the email address after subscription) and Liking my Facebook Page.
Peace. Keep writing