Preethi Venugopala's Blog, page 19
April 6, 2017
The Magnificent First sentence or First Paragraph
Image SourceDon't we all remember the above famous opening line of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice?Many authors manage to grab the attention of their readers right from the opening lines of their book.
Some begin with a fascinating opening line; some others have a magnificent first paragraph.
Before I buy any book, I read the first paragraph/ page of the book. I know many others who do this as well.
As a writer, we can always try and follow this technique. I usually work on it during the final edit of my manuscript.
Many of my author friends emphasize the importance they place on a great opening line as well.
Let us check some examples from some famous works. These are my personal favorites.
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” ~Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
~ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
“In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.”
~ Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
So, are you ready to work on your opening lines?
I hope these examples have managed to convince you.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is FLinking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
Have you read the Letter A, B, C, D, E ?
April 5, 2017
How to Explode a Moment in Creative Writing?
E is for Exploding the Moment:
Exploding the moment is the style of descriptive writing where a scene is described as if it were happening in slow motion.
A single important sentence from your manuscript when exploded transforms into a brilliant paragraph that paints a scene or describes an event.
Exploding a moment helps to slow down the narrative and gives a sensory experience to the reader.
How to explode a moment?
During very important moments in your life, the scenes get imprinted in your memory vividly. You will remember what you spoke, saw, felt, thought, and heard.
That is exactly what you want your reader to experience through your writing.
Let me try to explain it with an example:
Look at this scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where Harry visits the grave of his parents.
Moment: Harry laid the wreath of Christmas roses, which Hermione had conjured, on his parent’s grave and then walked away with her, unable to stand the grief.
Exploded Moment:
“Hermione had taken his hand again and was gripping it tightly. He could not look at her, but returned the pressure, now taking deep, sharp gulps of the night air, trying to steady himself, trying to regain control. He should have brought something to give them, and he had not thought of it, and every plant in the graveyard was leafless and frozen. But Hermione raised her wand, moved it in a circle through the air, and a wreath of Christmas roses blossomed before them. Harry caught it and laid it on his parent's grave.As soon as he stood up he wanted to leave: He did not think he could stand another moment there. He put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, and she put hers around his waist, and they turned in silence and walked away through the snow, past Dumbledore's mother and sister, back toward the dark church and the out-of-sight kissing gate.”
--- excerpt from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
From this example, you can see how the scene loses its intensity when it is explained using a single sentence. This entire scene would have happened within a few seconds.
What JK Rowling did was to explode the moment by incorporating Harry’s emotions, the descriptions of the graveyard and Hermione’s actions, making the reader experience the entire scene through Harry’s eyes.
If you want to explode a moment, these are the questions that will help you:Where is the scene happening?What is the character hearing?What is the character feeling?What is the character doing?What is the character saying?
Now, answer these questions using two or more sentences and arrange them according to the sequence it happened. Voila, you have exploded a moment.
Using this technique, describe scenes which are significant to the story.
It should be something that fleshes out the character, introduces a conflict or something dramatic that will hold the attention of the reader.
It can be a humorous anecdote, an action scene or an emotional one.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is E
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
Have you read the Letters A B C D ?
Exploding the moment is the style of descriptive writing where a scene is described as if it were happening in slow motion.
A single important sentence from your manuscript when exploded transforms into a brilliant paragraph that paints a scene or describes an event.
Exploding a moment helps to slow down the narrative and gives a sensory experience to the reader.
How to explode a moment?
During very important moments in your life, the scenes get imprinted in your memory vividly. You will remember what you spoke, saw, felt, thought, and heard.
That is exactly what you want your reader to experience through your writing.
Let me try to explain it with an example:
Look at this scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where Harry visits the grave of his parents.
Moment: Harry laid the wreath of Christmas roses, which Hermione had conjured, on his parent’s grave and then walked away with her, unable to stand the grief.
Exploded Moment:
“Hermione had taken his hand again and was gripping it tightly. He could not look at her, but returned the pressure, now taking deep, sharp gulps of the night air, trying to steady himself, trying to regain control. He should have brought something to give them, and he had not thought of it, and every plant in the graveyard was leafless and frozen. But Hermione raised her wand, moved it in a circle through the air, and a wreath of Christmas roses blossomed before them. Harry caught it and laid it on his parent's grave.As soon as he stood up he wanted to leave: He did not think he could stand another moment there. He put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, and she put hers around his waist, and they turned in silence and walked away through the snow, past Dumbledore's mother and sister, back toward the dark church and the out-of-sight kissing gate.”
--- excerpt from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
From this example, you can see how the scene loses its intensity when it is explained using a single sentence. This entire scene would have happened within a few seconds.
What JK Rowling did was to explode the moment by incorporating Harry’s emotions, the descriptions of the graveyard and Hermione’s actions, making the reader experience the entire scene through Harry’s eyes.
If you want to explode a moment, these are the questions that will help you:Where is the scene happening?What is the character hearing?What is the character feeling?What is the character doing?What is the character saying?
Now, answer these questions using two or more sentences and arrange them according to the sequence it happened. Voila, you have exploded a moment.
Using this technique, describe scenes which are significant to the story.
It should be something that fleshes out the character, introduces a conflict or something dramatic that will hold the attention of the reader.
It can be a humorous anecdote, an action scene or an emotional one.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is E
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
Have you read the Letters A B C D ?
April 4, 2017
Of Dialogues, Drafts, Developments and Dictionaries
Let us look at the various Ds involved in the creation of a novel today.
Dialogue:
Dialogues are an integral part of any novel and help to show rather than tell the story. Through the dialogues, the reader becomes a part of the conversations.
Dialogues can be used effectively to bring about twists in the story, drama, conflict and also hold the reader’s attention. It can be used to portray jokes, emotions and sometimes tell an entire story.
What are the essentials of a good dialogue?
A dialogue never resembles the recording of an actual speech. It is just a semblance of speech, aiming to take the story forward in an interesting manner.
Dialogues serve their purpose when:It introduces or increases the conflict in a story.It reveals the character of the speaker.It piques the curiosity of the reader.Brings out details that increase the tension in the story.The characters speak according to their status, upbringing, and location. A high-profile businessman, a homeless man, a teacher or a child would speak about similar things in entirely different manners.Something should change in the story after the dialogues are exchanged because of the details revealed in them.
Image Source
Don’t we all remember this famous first proposal by Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen? It reveals Darcy’s character as the pompous aristocrat who is struggling hard to reveal his true feelings to a lady of inferior birth with whom he has fallen in love totally against his own wishes and character. Unlike what he had expected, Elizabeth Bennet refuses to accept him and tells him all the reasons as to why she cannot accept him introducing further twists and conflicts in the novel.
The scene is made memorable by the dialogues alone. The entire scene is on fire owing to the dialogues.
Development:
The novel can be developed in many stages.
There should be a discernable beginning, middle and an ending. You can divide the stories into multiple parts or acts. Each act can deal with a particular phase in the development of the story. Each act can begin with an inciting incident, introduce conflicts, portray interconnected scenes leading to some rising action, a climax, falling action and an ending. Every act following the ABDCE pattern.
Dictionary:
Make use of the dictionary at all stages of writing your story to make your writing crisp and tight. Synonyms can come in handy to avoid repetitions.
Example: Replace the word look with glance, gaze etc.
Weak verbs combined with adverbs can be replaced by stronger verbs. Example: run fast can be replaced by dart.
But try to use common words always. We do not want the reader to reach for a dictionary multiple times while reading a single page. There is beauty in simplicity.
Drafts:
So, imagine you have completed the first draft of your novel! Congratulations. But no, you cannot rest now. The major work begins now.
When you finish putting down the story you had in mind on paper, it is called as the first draft and is often crude and unpolished. It will be filled with typos, grammar errors, irregular sentences and even many plot holes. So, the next step would be to work on it and improve it. For this, you have to now put on your editor’s cap, scrutinize it and look it through the eyes of a reader.
Rename the file and save as a second draft before editing because it is always a good idea to retain the original first draft. You might be amazed by how many changes the drafts undergo. And even if you edit out entire paragraphs or scenes from it, these might come handy later in another book.
Once you complete multiple rounds of edits and corrections, renaming and saving the file as a different draft after each round, go over it again. When it is done, send it to your beta readers. Edit again if you want to incorporate some of their feedbacks. Keeping all the drafts together in one folder will help you re-examine the story line progress anytime.
When a publisher accepts your work, they will assign an editor to you who will make you go through all these stages yet again. This time though, they will do the majority of the work. It is after the book goes through N number of drafts, N number of edits, copy editing and proofreading that it finally gets published.
It is a long process, but the entire journey is beautiful.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is D
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
Have you read the Letters A and B and C ?
Dialogue:
Dialogues are an integral part of any novel and help to show rather than tell the story. Through the dialogues, the reader becomes a part of the conversations.
Dialogues can be used effectively to bring about twists in the story, drama, conflict and also hold the reader’s attention. It can be used to portray jokes, emotions and sometimes tell an entire story.
What are the essentials of a good dialogue?
A dialogue never resembles the recording of an actual speech. It is just a semblance of speech, aiming to take the story forward in an interesting manner.
Dialogues serve their purpose when:It introduces or increases the conflict in a story.It reveals the character of the speaker.It piques the curiosity of the reader.Brings out details that increase the tension in the story.The characters speak according to their status, upbringing, and location. A high-profile businessman, a homeless man, a teacher or a child would speak about similar things in entirely different manners.Something should change in the story after the dialogues are exchanged because of the details revealed in them.
Image SourceDon’t we all remember this famous first proposal by Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen? It reveals Darcy’s character as the pompous aristocrat who is struggling hard to reveal his true feelings to a lady of inferior birth with whom he has fallen in love totally against his own wishes and character. Unlike what he had expected, Elizabeth Bennet refuses to accept him and tells him all the reasons as to why she cannot accept him introducing further twists and conflicts in the novel.
The scene is made memorable by the dialogues alone. The entire scene is on fire owing to the dialogues.
Development:
The novel can be developed in many stages.
There should be a discernable beginning, middle and an ending. You can divide the stories into multiple parts or acts. Each act can deal with a particular phase in the development of the story. Each act can begin with an inciting incident, introduce conflicts, portray interconnected scenes leading to some rising action, a climax, falling action and an ending. Every act following the ABDCE pattern.
Dictionary:
Make use of the dictionary at all stages of writing your story to make your writing crisp and tight. Synonyms can come in handy to avoid repetitions.
Example: Replace the word look with glance, gaze etc.
Weak verbs combined with adverbs can be replaced by stronger verbs. Example: run fast can be replaced by dart.
But try to use common words always. We do not want the reader to reach for a dictionary multiple times while reading a single page. There is beauty in simplicity.
Drafts:
So, imagine you have completed the first draft of your novel! Congratulations. But no, you cannot rest now. The major work begins now.
When you finish putting down the story you had in mind on paper, it is called as the first draft and is often crude and unpolished. It will be filled with typos, grammar errors, irregular sentences and even many plot holes. So, the next step would be to work on it and improve it. For this, you have to now put on your editor’s cap, scrutinize it and look it through the eyes of a reader.
Rename the file and save as a second draft before editing because it is always a good idea to retain the original first draft. You might be amazed by how many changes the drafts undergo. And even if you edit out entire paragraphs or scenes from it, these might come handy later in another book.
Once you complete multiple rounds of edits and corrections, renaming and saving the file as a different draft after each round, go over it again. When it is done, send it to your beta readers. Edit again if you want to incorporate some of their feedbacks. Keeping all the drafts together in one folder will help you re-examine the story line progress anytime.
When a publisher accepts your work, they will assign an editor to you who will make you go through all these stages yet again. This time though, they will do the majority of the work. It is after the book goes through N number of drafts, N number of edits, copy editing and proofreading that it finally gets published.
It is a long process, but the entire journey is beautiful.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is D
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
Have you read the Letters A and B and C ?
April 3, 2017
Conflicts, Character sketch and Climax
Let us explore some of the C elements involved in Novel writing today!
Conflicts
Image Source
Conflicts are what provides the hook that keeps the reader’s interest in the story. Conflicts create compelling characters and situations. Without conflict, the stories become banal.
What are the different types of conflicts commonly found in literature?
The most common types are:
Man against Man:
This is the conflict where the protagonist is pitted against the antagonist right from the beginning of the story. This is the most common sort of conflict that exists in most novels.
Example: Harry Potter, the chosen one, has to find a way to kill Lord Voldemort in the last book of the series. So, he sets about to find the Horcruxes that makes Voldemort immortal. The entire book series has Voldemort portrayed as the main villain.
Another example in romance is when two men are in love with the same woman.
Man against Nature:
This is the situation where the protagonist has to battle nature in order to survive. There can be multiple problems that would come his way as he fights nature.The best example is the story of ‘Robinson Crusoe’, an impulsive young man in the seventeenth century, who sets about to explore against the wishes of his parents. He ends up on a deserted island as the lone survivor of a shipwreck. He manages to pick some basic things to survive from the wrecked ship and begins a life on the island. The book is a magnificent tale of survival supposedly based on the true story of a shipwrecked sailor.
Man against Self:
In many stories/novels, the conflict is brought about by the struggle of the protagonist against their own personal demons. Mostly there are traumas from the pasts, addictions, heartbreaks or tragedies that the protagonist has to let go in order to achieve his goals. It is often a very lonely fight and this conflict often brings about interesting twists in the story.
The hero can be someone who is plagued by self- doubts after a personal tragedy. Hamlet by Shakespeare is a superb example.
The protagonist can also be someone struggling to get over an addiction to alcohol/drugs.
Other important C elements to watch out for:
Character Sketch:
Create a character sketch of your main characters before you begin your novel.
Get to know them. Describe their likes, dislikes, and physical features.
When the character comes alive in your mind, you will be able to get the scenes, their reactions to situations and other such nuances correct.
Climax:
Spend time pondering over the climax of the novel before you actually write it down. Make it one that is truly memorable.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.
The Letter of the day is C
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Z
and BlogchatterHave you read the Letter A and B?
Conflicts
Image Source
Conflicts are what provides the hook that keeps the reader’s interest in the story. Conflicts create compelling characters and situations. Without conflict, the stories become banal.
What are the different types of conflicts commonly found in literature?
The most common types are:
Man against Man:
This is the conflict where the protagonist is pitted against the antagonist right from the beginning of the story. This is the most common sort of conflict that exists in most novels.
Example: Harry Potter, the chosen one, has to find a way to kill Lord Voldemort in the last book of the series. So, he sets about to find the Horcruxes that makes Voldemort immortal. The entire book series has Voldemort portrayed as the main villain.
Another example in romance is when two men are in love with the same woman.
Man against Nature:
This is the situation where the protagonist has to battle nature in order to survive. There can be multiple problems that would come his way as he fights nature.The best example is the story of ‘Robinson Crusoe’, an impulsive young man in the seventeenth century, who sets about to explore against the wishes of his parents. He ends up on a deserted island as the lone survivor of a shipwreck. He manages to pick some basic things to survive from the wrecked ship and begins a life on the island. The book is a magnificent tale of survival supposedly based on the true story of a shipwrecked sailor.
Man against Self:
In many stories/novels, the conflict is brought about by the struggle of the protagonist against their own personal demons. Mostly there are traumas from the pasts, addictions, heartbreaks or tragedies that the protagonist has to let go in order to achieve his goals. It is often a very lonely fight and this conflict often brings about interesting twists in the story.
The hero can be someone who is plagued by self- doubts after a personal tragedy. Hamlet by Shakespeare is a superb example.
The protagonist can also be someone struggling to get over an addiction to alcohol/drugs.
Other important C elements to watch out for:
Character Sketch:
Create a character sketch of your main characters before you begin your novel.
Get to know them. Describe their likes, dislikes, and physical features.
When the character comes alive in your mind, you will be able to get the scenes, their reactions to situations and other such nuances correct.
Climax:
Spend time pondering over the climax of the novel before you actually write it down. Make it one that is truly memorable.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.
The Letter of the day is C
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Z
and BlogchatterHave you read the Letter A and B?
April 2, 2017
Importance of Building a Routine, Backstories, Beta-readers and Backup
Let us explore some of the B elements involved in writing a Novel today!
Did you know that most of the writers who start writing a novel give up after the first few chapters?
A novel requires the writer to be regular in their writing habits. If you start writing daily, showing up at your work desk with an enthusiasm to match, your novel will soon see the light of the day.
But if you are plagued by doubts, or you are busy being busy, you might not show up daily to write and your writing would suffer.
Build a routine:
Build a routine by virtue of which whatever happens you would add to your word count daily. Even if it is a single sentence, a single paragraph or 100 words. Do it regularly and you will be able to move towards your goal of completing your novel.
Commit yourselves to spend a few minutes towards this passion that you have. Create a writing routine.
Spend the first 30 minutes after you wake up to write.OrSpend the last 30 minutes before you sleep to write.
Set small goals. A 500-word count daily would add up to 15K words at the end of one month. Do the math and you will realize how much you can achieve in six months’ time or in a year. The average word count of a novel is between 50K-80K words.
Backstories:
Invent backstories for your main characters to flesh out your characters. What incidents in their past have defined their present.You might not use them all in your book. But you will get a better picture of this character you have created. But practice moderation while using them in your manuscript.
Beta-reader:
A beta-reader is someone who reads your manuscript before it is published. Beta-readers give useful insights that help the writer to understand how a reader will react to their book. You can ask someone to read every chapter you write immediately after you complete one. This will give you a regular feedback regarding how your book is progressing.
In the initial stages of your writing, choose a well-wisher or fellow writer friend to beta read. A negative feedback when you are just beginning will not help in any way.
Once you finish your first draft, you should ask a different person (not your first beta reader) to read it. If he/she is a professional, better.
He/she should be someone who loves reading the genre you are writing in. Select one who will encourage you and give constructive criticism.
Not someone who claims they will be brutally honest. People who claim they are brutally honest are usually just brutal, never honest. So run for your life if someone tells you that.
Don’t send the manuscript of your romance novel to a person who reads only thrillers. They might just discourage you by saying your book is too mushy.
Similarly, show your work only to persons you can trust. In this age, plagiarism is very much rampant. People don’t hesitate to steal other’s work and pass it off as theirs.
Backup:
If you are writing on your PC or laptop, always remember to create a backup file for your manuscript. Electronic devices can crash anytime and your months of work can vanish in a second.
Though they are methods to recover files from crashed hard disks, it always helps to be on the safer side. Create multiple backups for every important word file you create.
Email them to yourself. Store them on cloud storage or Google drives. Or on external hard disks.If you are writing in longhand, take photocopies whenever possible.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is B
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
Have you read the Letter A
Did you know that most of the writers who start writing a novel give up after the first few chapters?
A novel requires the writer to be regular in their writing habits. If you start writing daily, showing up at your work desk with an enthusiasm to match, your novel will soon see the light of the day.
But if you are plagued by doubts, or you are busy being busy, you might not show up daily to write and your writing would suffer.
Build a routine:
Build a routine by virtue of which whatever happens you would add to your word count daily. Even if it is a single sentence, a single paragraph or 100 words. Do it regularly and you will be able to move towards your goal of completing your novel.
Commit yourselves to spend a few minutes towards this passion that you have. Create a writing routine.
Spend the first 30 minutes after you wake up to write.OrSpend the last 30 minutes before you sleep to write.
Set small goals. A 500-word count daily would add up to 15K words at the end of one month. Do the math and you will realize how much you can achieve in six months’ time or in a year. The average word count of a novel is between 50K-80K words.
Backstories:
Invent backstories for your main characters to flesh out your characters. What incidents in their past have defined their present.You might not use them all in your book. But you will get a better picture of this character you have created. But practice moderation while using them in your manuscript.
Beta-reader:
A beta-reader is someone who reads your manuscript before it is published. Beta-readers give useful insights that help the writer to understand how a reader will react to their book. You can ask someone to read every chapter you write immediately after you complete one. This will give you a regular feedback regarding how your book is progressing.
In the initial stages of your writing, choose a well-wisher or fellow writer friend to beta read. A negative feedback when you are just beginning will not help in any way.
Once you finish your first draft, you should ask a different person (not your first beta reader) to read it. If he/she is a professional, better.
He/she should be someone who loves reading the genre you are writing in. Select one who will encourage you and give constructive criticism.
Not someone who claims they will be brutally honest. People who claim they are brutally honest are usually just brutal, never honest. So run for your life if someone tells you that.
Don’t send the manuscript of your romance novel to a person who reads only thrillers. They might just discourage you by saying your book is too mushy.
Similarly, show your work only to persons you can trust. In this age, plagiarism is very much rampant. People don’t hesitate to steal other’s work and pass it off as theirs.
Backup:
If you are writing on your PC or laptop, always remember to create a backup file for your manuscript. Electronic devices can crash anytime and your months of work can vanish in a second.
Though they are methods to recover files from crashed hard disks, it always helps to be on the safer side. Create multiple backups for every important word file you create.
Email them to yourself. Store them on cloud storage or Google drives. Or on external hard disks.If you are writing in longhand, take photocopies whenever possible.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is B
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
Have you read the Letter A
April 1, 2017
How to Plot your Novel using the ABDCE Formula
A is for the ABDCE formula:
You have this story playing non-stop in your mind’s eye, begging to be put on paper.
There are multiple scenes that come to you. You have only a vague idea of what happens to your characters.
Out of the many questions that troubles most writers, the one that requires an answer first is where to begin?
The timeline of your novel might be a few decades or years or days. Where should you begin the story?
Next will be what all details should be included?
How should the story end?
Should you plot the novel or write it as it comes to you?
In my experience, when I plot I am able to write faster. It is like laying down a strong foundation before constructing a building.
The easiest way to plot is the ABDCE formula. In the ABDCE structure for plotting a story/novel developed by Alice Adams, the story begins with an Action or an inciting incident.
Image Source
The Formula:
Action: This is the inciting incident which sets off the story in motion.Background: What happened to the characters in the past that made them what they are today.Development: The course of the story where the characters chase their goals.Climax: This is the point where the goals are achieved with dramatic consequences.Ending: All the loose threads in the plot are tied up.
Let me try and explain this with an example:
‘Harry Potter and philosopher’s stone’ by JK Rowling tells the tale of Harry Potter, an orphan who is left at the doorstep of his only living relatives, the Dursleys at Private Drive. He is ill-treated by his cruel uncle, aunt, and cousin on every occasion.
Action: Harry starts receiving mysterious letters that are snatched away from him by his uncle just before his 11th birthday. He tries in every way to read the letter but never succeeds.
Background: Rubeus Hagrid who hand delivers the letter from the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry tells him his story. He learns that he is a wizard who is quite famous in the wizarding world. Harry’s parents were Aurors who had died facing the dark wizard Lord Voldemort who had mysteriously vanished when he had tried to kill Harry.
Development: Harry reaches Hogwarts and is sorted into Gryffindor House. The various characters are introduced. Ron and Hermione become his best friends. The rest of his adventures at Hogwarts in his first year, his dilemmas and his achievements constitute the chapters which fall under the category of development. This is where the characters undergo change. More adventures follow. Harry, Ron, and Hermione suspect that professor Snape is trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone which they believe is being guarded by the four-headed monster dog in one of the forbidden corridors in the school.
Climax: Solving the various puzzles and overcoming the hurdles that the team of teachers had created to guard the Philosophers stone, Harry finds that it is professor Quirrel, someone he had not suspected at all, who is trying to steal the stone. Lord Voldemort who had lost his body is possessing Quirrel. Harry faces Voldemort’s wrath when he refuses to help them find the stone.
Ending: Harry wakes up in the hospital wing of the school and learns from Dumbledore that Voldemort has vanished again after killing Quirrel. Griffindor lifts the house Cup after a last-minute awarding of house points to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville for their role in protecting the Philosopher's stone. Harry returns to Private Drive determined not to tell the Dursleys that he cannot use magic outside of Hogwarts.
Those of you who have read this book will notice how many chapters fall under these categories. The majority of the story happens in the Development category. The rest of the structure is mostly one or two chapters each.
It is now your turn to decide upon the ‘Action’ that is going to capture the attention of your reader the most. Begin there.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is A
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
You have this story playing non-stop in your mind’s eye, begging to be put on paper.
There are multiple scenes that come to you. You have only a vague idea of what happens to your characters.
Out of the many questions that troubles most writers, the one that requires an answer first is where to begin?
The timeline of your novel might be a few decades or years or days. Where should you begin the story?
Next will be what all details should be included?
How should the story end?
Should you plot the novel or write it as it comes to you?
In my experience, when I plot I am able to write faster. It is like laying down a strong foundation before constructing a building.
The easiest way to plot is the ABDCE formula. In the ABDCE structure for plotting a story/novel developed by Alice Adams, the story begins with an Action or an inciting incident.
Image Source
The Formula:
Action: This is the inciting incident which sets off the story in motion.Background: What happened to the characters in the past that made them what they are today.Development: The course of the story where the characters chase their goals.Climax: This is the point where the goals are achieved with dramatic consequences.Ending: All the loose threads in the plot are tied up.
Let me try and explain this with an example:
‘Harry Potter and philosopher’s stone’ by JK Rowling tells the tale of Harry Potter, an orphan who is left at the doorstep of his only living relatives, the Dursleys at Private Drive. He is ill-treated by his cruel uncle, aunt, and cousin on every occasion.
Action: Harry starts receiving mysterious letters that are snatched away from him by his uncle just before his 11th birthday. He tries in every way to read the letter but never succeeds.
Background: Rubeus Hagrid who hand delivers the letter from the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry tells him his story. He learns that he is a wizard who is quite famous in the wizarding world. Harry’s parents were Aurors who had died facing the dark wizard Lord Voldemort who had mysteriously vanished when he had tried to kill Harry.
Development: Harry reaches Hogwarts and is sorted into Gryffindor House. The various characters are introduced. Ron and Hermione become his best friends. The rest of his adventures at Hogwarts in his first year, his dilemmas and his achievements constitute the chapters which fall under the category of development. This is where the characters undergo change. More adventures follow. Harry, Ron, and Hermione suspect that professor Snape is trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone which they believe is being guarded by the four-headed monster dog in one of the forbidden corridors in the school.
Climax: Solving the various puzzles and overcoming the hurdles that the team of teachers had created to guard the Philosophers stone, Harry finds that it is professor Quirrel, someone he had not suspected at all, who is trying to steal the stone. Lord Voldemort who had lost his body is possessing Quirrel. Harry faces Voldemort’s wrath when he refuses to help them find the stone.
Ending: Harry wakes up in the hospital wing of the school and learns from Dumbledore that Voldemort has vanished again after killing Quirrel. Griffindor lifts the house Cup after a last-minute awarding of house points to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville for their role in protecting the Philosopher's stone. Harry returns to Private Drive determined not to tell the Dursleys that he cannot use magic outside of Hogwarts.
Those of you who have read this book will notice how many chapters fall under these categories. The majority of the story happens in the Development category. The rest of the structure is mostly one or two chapters each.
It is now your turn to decide upon the ‘Action’ that is going to capture the attention of your reader the most. Begin there.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is A
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
March 31, 2017
People Who Make the World a Better Place
Often, it is not the one who is sitting on the throne that brings about change in a country. It is the minions who work at the grass root level who are the causative agents for all the changes that happen in this world.
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Yet, we forget them conveniently and all the praise gets garnered by the politicians and the top brass in any community.
The daily wage workers who sweep our streets, takes away our garbage and toils in the hot sun at construction sites and farms make this world better place. We usually forget them conveniently.
Among us, some do recognize this and treat them with dignity. The old lady who lives on the ground floor of our apartment always keeps a plateful of food to feed the municipality worker who comes to empty our garbage bin in the morning.
There are also those who take care of the homeless and the street animals. There is a house in the block next to ours which is a shelter for all street dogs.
The owners of the house, keep their gates open and at any given time there would be at least ten street dogs relaxing in their compound.
I have seen this man who distributes blankets to the homeless in the streets during the bitter cold season in Bangalore.
The man who lives in the apartment on the opposite street feeds crows daily in the evening. The ruckus created by the crows are not out of greed, but of happiness.
He gives them small pieces of dried coconut. Crows by nature are very suspicious creatures. But, they trust him completely and he is their friend. Every evening, while the rest of the birds are returning home after their daily wandering, I see a large flock of crows flying towards this man’s terrace.
Yet another news story that impressed me recently was about a Bengaluru MBBS student who drives an autorickshaw after his classes to fund a charity at the hospital he studies, which takes care of medical bills of poor patients.
Source: ScoopWhoop
His father died early in life and his elder brother is paralyzed. He has two young sisters. The autorickshaw was a gift to him from the hospital superintendent for passing his exams with good marks. You can read his story here.
All these stories convince me that there is definitely goodness left in this world. The media shares such stories but it gets drowned in the negativity that floods it.
Do you have any such story to share? I would love to hear them.
Linking this post with We Are The World Blog Fest, aiming to infuse social media with all the good stories that are out there, the stories that show kindness, compassion, hope and the resilience of the human spirit.
Image SourceYet, we forget them conveniently and all the praise gets garnered by the politicians and the top brass in any community.
The daily wage workers who sweep our streets, takes away our garbage and toils in the hot sun at construction sites and farms make this world better place. We usually forget them conveniently.
Among us, some do recognize this and treat them with dignity. The old lady who lives on the ground floor of our apartment always keeps a plateful of food to feed the municipality worker who comes to empty our garbage bin in the morning.
There are also those who take care of the homeless and the street animals. There is a house in the block next to ours which is a shelter for all street dogs.
The owners of the house, keep their gates open and at any given time there would be at least ten street dogs relaxing in their compound.
I have seen this man who distributes blankets to the homeless in the streets during the bitter cold season in Bangalore.
The man who lives in the apartment on the opposite street feeds crows daily in the evening. The ruckus created by the crows are not out of greed, but of happiness.
He gives them small pieces of dried coconut. Crows by nature are very suspicious creatures. But, they trust him completely and he is their friend. Every evening, while the rest of the birds are returning home after their daily wandering, I see a large flock of crows flying towards this man’s terrace.
Yet another news story that impressed me recently was about a Bengaluru MBBS student who drives an autorickshaw after his classes to fund a charity at the hospital he studies, which takes care of medical bills of poor patients.
Source: ScoopWhoopHis father died early in life and his elder brother is paralyzed. He has two young sisters. The autorickshaw was a gift to him from the hospital superintendent for passing his exams with good marks. You can read his story here.
All these stories convince me that there is definitely goodness left in this world. The media shares such stories but it gets drowned in the negativity that floods it.
Do you have any such story to share? I would love to hear them.
Linking this post with We Are The World Blog Fest, aiming to infuse social media with all the good stories that are out there, the stories that show kindness, compassion, hope and the resilience of the human spirit.
March 28, 2017
5 Kitchen Products I Love
Image SourceIn my home, the kitchen is where only I can rule. I spend hours daily, cooking and cleaning for the family.
There are many products appliances that I really love in my kitchen. If asked to choose among them, I would select the following without much ado.
Prestige Grill-Toaster:
I purchased this using the winning coupons from the Game of blogs conducted by Blogadda. It is my savior during many hectic evenings where my fussy eight-year-old demands something yummy. A few slices of vegetables, cheese, and bread gets grilled and toasted to perfection within minutes. It vanishes from the plate within seconds. It is very compact and user-friendly.
LG Oven:
I am a reluctant baker. But I love making cakes on special occasions. The rich chocolate cake I make is a hit among my relatives and friends. I love it when the aroma of the cake wafts through the house. I use it also to cook one pot meals during emergencies. I have been using it since the last six years with zero complaints.
Borosil Mixing bowls:
These lovely bowls come handy when making cakes, biriyani or other special dishes. Whenever I take these out, my family immediately guesses that some special item is going to be on the menu. Good to mix cake batter, marinating and also serving.
Pigeon Induction Cooktop:
This is another one of my saviors. All my cookers are induction type and hence my cooking gets over quickly. An LPG gas cylinder lasts over six months for me as I use it only to make tadkas, deep frying, dosas or other slow cooking items. Its timer helps me set the time to cook boiled eggs, veggies, noodles and other special items that have specific time requirements. It doesn't use too much electricity and increase our electricity bills. I use this to boil water for bathing. We don't use geyser anymore.
La Opala dinner set:
This is something which brings in nostalgia. When asked to select a dinner set, I had gone for La Opala as this reminds me of home. I even searched for the exact design that we have at home. Was not successful, though. My husband jokes that even rasam-rice tastes yummier when served on these white pristine plates.
The House
Nobody understood why he had built a typical Kerala-style house next to his huge palatial mansion in the south of France.
He had specially ordered and hand painted several of the furniture. Curtains and cushions had been imported from Kerala.
He stayed there on weekends, listening to old Malayalam songs, immersing himself in memories. Expecting to hear the sounds and laughter of his parents.
Fate had rendered him an orphan years ago. Greedy relatives had usurped their house. A French couple had adopted him.
Now, he often received calls from them, requesting their long-lost billionaire cousin to help survive poverty.
Word Count: 100
This post is part of Friday Foto Fiction being hosted by Tina and Mayuri
March 23, 2017
5 Little Joys
Most of the joys I have experienced came to me unexpectedly. Nothing was planned. I guess happiness always comes exactly that way: in tiny packages.
My home library:
I have a small home library which contains my favorite books.
I am adding to it every now and then. I can spend hours in a bookstore searching for more books to add to my collection.
Books by my favorite authors like Anita Nair, Chitra Divakaruni, Julia Quinn, Nicolas Sparks, Dan Brown, Nandita Bose, Nora Roberts, Cecilia Ahern, Jojo Moyes, Rainbow Rowell and Anuja Chauhan dominate my collection.
My Art:
Over the period of the last few years, I have created many paintings, portraits, and sketches which had given me joy while I had created them. Art still continues to cheer me up. When I feel a need to cheer up, I pick up my pencil.
My iPhone:
I didn’t want an iPhone ever. I was smitten by my smartphone with a large screen and hence every time my husband attempted to gift me one, I refused.
Then after a particularly bad experience with a smartphone which had to be returned days after it was purchased, he asked me to try an iPhone, promising he would exchange his smartphone with mine if I found the iPhone not to my liking.
Now my iPhone is my joy. It helps me plan my day, write, take super clarity photos, videos and makes me exercise. I have become a fan.
My Laptop:
My laptop is a mini encyclopedia which stores records of all my favorite things in the world. More than anything, all my writing is done on my laptop and hence I can say it is the origin of my joys. With the amount of time I spend online, I can’t imagine being without my laptop for even a single day.
My Debut Novel ‘Without You’:
Like every author, I consider my first novel my baby. It has given me so much joy from the moment it germinated in my mind.
All the appreciation I have received from complete strangers through emails, messages and reviews make my day.
I do not market it excessively and most of the publicity it got was from mouth to mouth publicity.
Yet, it has become an Amazon best seller. It was #1 best seller more than twice on Amazon India and has always remained in top 50 from the time it was published. Today it is #3 on Amazon India Best Seller List.
#1 Position on Jan 11, 2016Thank you, Universe for the little joys that you send my way.This post is written for #ThankfulThursdays being hosted by Amrita, Tina, Mayuri, and Deepa.
