Pratik Shah's Blog, page 3

Sound of Silence

Absolute silence
This summer afternoon
Not a sound
In the house
Except for the gentle whirr of the fan
And the tick tock tick of the clock

It’s so eerie
I despair
I re-assure myself
Everything’s cool
As I lay on the bed
And become aware

Have been caught up
In the din of the world
Have become almost deaf
To the harmony in me
Impervious
To Self
And scared
Of the silence within

The post Sound of Silence appeared first on Write said Pratik.

Illusion

You live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality, but you do not know this. When you understand this, you will see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything.

That is all. – read somewhere

The post Illusion appeared first on Write said Pratik.

Vaishno Devi Map

A simple Vaishno Devi Map, trek route, for people traveling to Vaishno Devi, Katra. Click on the map for higher resolution. The maps are used in the book Operation Jai Mata Di, releasing August 2015. Watch out for the release!

Map 1:

Vaishno Devi Trek Route Map 1

Map 2:

Vaishno Devi Trek Route Map 2

The post Vaishno Devi Map appeared first on Write said Pratik.

Operation Jai Mata Di - Book Released!

Operation Jai Mata Di should be well on it's way to become the highest rated thriller book of all time ;)

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SYNOPSIS In a daring midnight operation by armed men, over 10,000 pilgrims are taken hostage en route to the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi, a popular Himalayan religious-tourist destination in the troubled state of Jammu & Kashmir in Northern India. The hostage-takers threaten to shoot pilgrims every day, unless the incumbent Government accedes to their demands.

With the Hindu festival of...

The Saturday Morning Muse

This morning is a prized one for Mumbai – the rare mist, the rare cold on a rainy Saturday. I sit down with my regular cup of tea when a sudden urge overwhelms me.I need to write. I got to write something down. Now! I fumble through my kid’s rack (for I have none) for pen and paper (for I have none) and end up with a blunt pencil and a crumpled sheet of paper. Sitting in the balcony I start writing… the muse has finally awakened after a long time. Padhaaro mhaare des! And the mist might not l...

When Undone

In a world where I am aloneIn those times when I am undoneI want a ray to shine on meI want your face to be with meForever, when we'll be goneWould remain the times we longedBy the river, across the seaOn top of the mountains, you and me

To Crowd Fund or Not

As some of you would know, I’ve crowd-funded my book Operation Jai Mata Di, the first fiction book to be crowd-sourced in India.

Why crowd-fund?

There’s always this initial hesitation – asking for money. But there are a couple of reasons why you can, or probably should, crowd-fund. I can think of three…

A. SELLING STUFF
As a writer, an artist, you’d eventually need to sell your art. You’d want people to buy your stuff and you’d need to reach out to your folks, your friends for selling your wa...

Opjmd Final Covers – India and International versions

This one’s Indian edit

And this one’s vides…

Notice the difference?

The post Opjmd Final Covers – India and International versions appeared first on Write said Pratik.

The ways through which I stride

As I stride across the mountainsI realize the valleys yonderAnd as I drift across the oceanI realize the deepest wonderThere are clouds that come my wayThe sun that shoves them awayI wade thru rain, I walk thru shineOh the ways, thru which I stride

Alia Bhatt & the art of Book Marketing

What’s Alia Bhatt got to do with Book Marketing and Self Publishing, you’d ask. Well, you’ll figure it out soon.

Do you know what self publishing really tells about you? That you’re not a famous guy. For if you were really famous, wouldn’t one of those publishing houses lined up for the rights to your debut best seller? All the publishing and distribution hassles taken care of?

But you’re not a famous guy, and no one really notices you. No one really cares as you go about faring your book. No...