WRITING A BOOK

WRITING A BOOK

Who's the smart person who said that there is a book in all of us? Well it's true isn't it? Don't you hear people say 'Oh I could write a book on that subject'? Or 'I could write a better book' ?

Modern technology has made it much easier to publish a book. Here are a few tips for you, just in case you decide to write a book.

The first thing you need to do is to set a reasonable deadline for your book. Most of us procrastinate because we want the book to be perfect, or because we're afraid of failure. As a result the book remains in our heads or on random pieces of paper and it never gets published.

Think of your first draft as version number one. Once that's done you can improve on it and call it version number two. Just like Microsoft now has version no. 8 – each time is an improvement on the last one.

Nowadays there are a lot of self-publishing houses where you can print on demand. At a reasonable cost you can print just a few copies. The advantage of this is that this will enable you to see what your book looks like in print.

Of course before you do that you've got to have a good outline and table of contents. Some people write a book and then try to work around the table of contents.

If you're not sure of how to go about it then use a best-selling book in the same genre as your book as a model. Try and imitate the structure of that particular book.

Now once your book is ready you need to get publicity for your book right? Otherwise your book will just sit on the shelf collecting dust.

So how do you make your book stand out? How do you get media exposure? You need to have a 'hook'. You need that one line that they can use to attract an audience. Just as you need to sell your book, the TV and radio producers need to look at their ratings. So give them that one line that will help them get viewers.

Let's say you're a dietician and you've written a book on 'Healthy Fast Foods made in a jiffy'. The TV anchor would probably say 'Coming up..... Fast foods that can actually be good for you'. The people listening or watching the show would be interested in something like that, right? And they'll wait to see what it's all about.

Think of it as 'Coming up ….........' Now what do you need to add to make it interesting? Once you've done that you've got your hook.

Now go and write your book.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joe Bunting has a great blog on writing called The Write Practice. He has also published a book called   Let's Write a Short Story!  Here's one of his recent blogs:

Don’t be a Resolution Writer

With a clear conscious, I can promise that desire had little to do with the conception of this post. If my desires dictated when this would be written, it would be put off a few more days. Fortunately, my will, and not my feelings, determine my actions as a writer.

Photo by Nationaal Archief

 An underrated attribute – the will of a writer

What separates the in-shape person that works out year-round from the unhealthy one that each new year vows to start working out again? The unhealthy one is riding the emotions of the new year, banking that they’ll feel those same emotions for the next 365 days. Every day is a new decision with new circumstances. Extra work. Early morning. Other priorities. As the emotional high lessens, so does the frequency of their ‘yes’, until finally, the question no longer exists.
For the other, the decision has already been made. Each day from that point on confirms their decision to be healthy. There is no longer a choice, the only option is to be in-shape.
I love writing. I desire to write. But I’m not thrilled about writing every single day. Some days, I’m distracted. Other days, my brain just isn’t working, or I’m not feeling confident. Of course, the desire is to write when inspired. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re artists. It’s the days that don’t inspire that separate an in-shape writer and an unhealthy writer.

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”

Don’t be a New Year’s resolution writer. There is a cycle for this kind of writer:
Inspiring high -> emotionally-based decision to write  -> inspiration lessened by time ->which lessens willpower ->which lessens confidence ->personal disappointment enters ->willpower gone -> writing ends until next inspiring high.

Three ways to not depend on feelings

1. Writing is a privilege

Without realizing it, we look at writing as a sacrifice. The late nights, the writer’s block, the low pay, it all leads to a self-pity way of thinking that weakens our will to write consistently. Calling yourself a writer is a privilege that many wish to do, but never will. When that privilege is understood, you’ll take a new approach to your writing.

2. Practice undesired writing

Look at those times you don’t feel like writing as gifts to practice – like swinging a weighted bat before stepping up to the plate. When you don’t even feel like a writer and can still write well, you know you’ll be  ready when that moment of writing inspiration shows up.

3. The decision is a noun, not a verb

Don’t struggle anymore with the daily decision to write. The only decision that needs to be made is, “Am I a writer?” If the answer is yes, the actions will follow. Writers write. If it’s who you are, you won’t be able to make any decision other than to write.
The posture of our thoughts will decide if writing will be an aspect of day to day life.
Are you relying on feelings and desires to write consistently?

Not exactly Valentine's Day

 Two days before Valentine's Day I challenged my young friends to write a most romantic first line followed by the most romantic second line. I had seen this in one of the newspapers a few years ago and thought it would be fun to do.

As an example I gave them these lines:

I see your face when I'm dreaming
That's why I always wake up screaming'

Love may be beautiful, love may be bliss,
But I only slept with you cos I was pissed.

---------------------------------------------------

A few of them took up the challenge and came up with these funny lines.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aditya: when you broke up with me, you gave my heart a blister.

Doesn't matter, where's your sister?

----------------------------------------------

Jenny:  Won't you be my valentine, you groovy frankenstein

----------------------------------------------

Pranay -You are my love, you are my life.

But seriously, just can't be my wife!

---------------------------------------------------------

Ainee - I love the way you look tonight,
but isn't it too early for Halloween night?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Priya  I love the crackle of your laughter,
How I wish hyenas didn't sound better !

Robin - Won't forget that day we got close.
.thank heavens I had a blocked nose.

Aanchal -   violets are blue and roses are red...
if you utter the 'love' word, you are dead...

Alphabetical Advice

The following piece of advice is a collaborative effort by members of the Writestuff Writers' group. 

Always be punctual

Be kind to one another

Call if you need help

Do what makes you happy

Each one teach one

Fear not, the Lord is with you

Give and you shall receive

Have healthy food and stay healthy

Instinct is something you can often rely on

Join forces as a team and you will find success

Keep the doc away by having an apple a day

Listen to your parents / elders

Meditation will calm your spirit

Never say die

I am Thankful for

   In the USA the fourth Thursday of November is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day  In 1621 the colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a three-day feast to celebrate a successful autumn harvest.

   In India we don't have Thanksgiving Day but we definitely have a lot to be thankful for. Here are the views of a few members of the Writestuff Writers' Club.

Priya: I am thankful to my family, my friends, for having a roof over my head, getting my daily meals and most of all I am thankful to God for carrying me through troubled times.

Aanchal: I am thankful to be born as a woman who can love, nurture and inspire.

To belong to a family who has gifted me with values and good upbringing. To belong to a country with a rich and varied culture, natural beauty and great history that is every neighbour's envy. To be blessed with everything I need and some more to share with others. To be healthy and wise so I can take care of myself and others.

Ayushi: I am thankful for the mistakes, as they are the best teachers, for the faults in me as they inspire me to be better, thankful for the hard times as they keep me hopeful for the good ones, for all that is lost as it prepares me for something new and better to come and I am thankful for my failures, so I can enjoy the process of trying again.

Phorum: I am thankful for mistakes, imagination and a heart that beats – no matter what.

Riccu: I am thankful that we have more holidays than America

Ayush: I am thankful to whatever made me stubborn, for without it, I'd never have travelled this road I'm on. I am thankful to Nature, because she provides for all – you only need to look in the right places. I thank my parents, for not agreeing with me, but supporting me nonetheless. I am thankful to my friends, for hanging around when no one else did, making sure I never strayed back into dark waters. And last of all, I am thankful to you Patricia, for believing in me, for the gazillion references, and for being the reason I'm writing this from an actual workplace!

Karthik: I'm not sure what I should be thankful for. How can someone be thankful for only some things in life. It's not possible. I do think though, that we keep forgetting to be thankful for everything that we do have

I think Karthik said it for me. We should be thankful for everything.

Without Repeating a Single Word

Is it easy to write six sentences without repeating a single word? Not easy, but definitely possible, say my IC Advertising students. Here are eight little gems:
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------


 They screeched into town, engine hissing, threatening to fall apart, tyres smoking. Their bags were full: guns, bullets, blood-soaked money. With them arrived the distinct smell of gunpowder. Very few people understood what this meant. But everyone knew trouble when it came. Grown men ran, children cowered under beds, and women peeped through cracks in wooden doors.
 - Aranyaka
            -------------------------------------------

Rumba is a dance of love. It tells stories through movements. The man holds his lady as if she will be the only one there. Their hearts beat together. Rhythm takes over. They melt down. Silhouettes then blend into unison.
 - Komal
           ---------------------------------------------------

Walking along the river holding his hand had always been her dream. He knew what she wanted and was willing to do anything that made Jennifer happy. But destiny is not in one's favour everytime. David's blood cancer would kill him very soon. Doctors lost all hopes. Why is life so difficult?
 - Priyanshu.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Six cups of coffee did not help. Pacing up and down made no difference. Why was he so tense? Normally nothing perturbed him. Today, everything about his life would be changing. After waiting for hours it finally happened. The president had been chosen.
 - Ranjani
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Our reality is based on false truths. Driven by intense greed, the human civilization exists in a constant state of ignorance. Mother Earth and her pagan gods left behind. We have ventured far into oblivion. Beyond any rhyme or reason. Time bears mute witness.
 - Srikant
--------------------------------------------------------------

Rain lightly covered Princess Street, as if a baker was dusting freshly baked doughnuts with powdered sugar. Our hero limped along, his arthritic knee was acting up again. Few other people were out at this late hour. He suddenly stopped, stepped inside the seedy, hole-in-the-wall type establishment, well known for cheap booze, loud drunks and easy women.
   'Barkeep, whisky double, straight up, keep 'em comin.'
   'Good to see you Fred,' said the bartender sarcastically, pouring Scotch generously into six shot glasses.
 - Viren
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes in life you feel the fight left in you is over.
Sail through tides, bustle through winds, venture into dark nights and be thankful for such immaculate design.
 For time will end, while your life flashes past.
Wonder - did joy come to people around your space?
 How has enrichment been derived through you?
 Racing toward  perfect dreams without appreciating quality around one's environment isn't a way to live.
   Sheldon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a bird.
He had been christened Cody.
His owner lives in this house.
But the fowl's home happened to be an oven.
One day somebody accidentally turned that OTG on.
Someone somewhere died.
  - Manaswi

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Describing a Tree, using the 5 senses

it's a pleasure to teach the students of Advertising and Marketing (ADMA) in XIC this year. For their first written assignment I asked them to write an essay, describing a tree to a blind man, using the five senses. Here are a few essays:


DESCRIBING A TREE TO A BLIND MAN - USING THE FIVE SENSES.
------------------------------------------------

           

   Starting at the roots, they grab the ground like you'd wrap your fingers around a large ball of dough.
   The trunk is wide and uneven, like three people huddled together, trying to stay out of the rain under just one umbrella.
   There are knots on the trunk, like grandfather's knobbly knees. The bark on the trunk is rough and crumbly like the underside of a tandoori roti, and it smells a little like one too. The gash in the trunk, with sap oozing out, is like blood when you nick your finger, and probably just as painful for the tree. The sap smells and feels like sticky caramel toffee when it's fresh and the dried drops are like little misshapen glass marbles.
   The trunk is tall, twice your height and then starts to branch out like its stopped raining and the three people under the umbrella are going their separate ways.
   There are as many leaves as the hair on your head, each as large as your palm and shaped like it too. They feel like freshly starched laundry if you crush them in your palm and smell like a freshly mown lawn. The low-hanging leaves are dark and rough like your daily newspaper and when they move it reminds me of Dad reading it at the breakfast table. The younger smaller leaves are smooth and light, like the satin tablecloth on the dining table.
 by Viren Fernandes
-------------------------------------
      
A large old tree, in the beginning of Autumn

   There is a slight nip in the air, and right in front of us is an old, large tree. Take off your shoes, feel the leaves on the ground and the crunchy sound, like lightly crumpled pieces of paper. You step on them and they crackle and crinkle, from solid into dust.
    Can you smell the moisture in the air and feel the dampness between your toes?
    Now lean forward the touch the trunk. The tree is wider and maybe three times taller than you. The trunk is coarse, like the lines and wrinkles on an old man's face. It has an uneven surface. Run your hands along the bark, feel the flaky nature of the exterior, it crumbles and peels, with a crackling sound. This is the skin of the tree, much like yours. The slowly flowing thick liquid is the sap, it smells sweet but not like ripened fruit , just softer. It's thicker than saliva and is to the tree what blood is to you.
   Leaves are shaped like your hands, wide at the base, tapered at the top. New leaves are soft, like old leather shoes, velvety and soft to touch. The older leaves are like thicker paper, feel the soft powdery feel of dust on them. Tear them and hear them rip, like thin cloth. Old leaves on the floor are signs of decay.
   The new leaves are like new life. Brown is the colour of decay and aging. Green is the colour of life. This tree is both living and dying. New leaves are light, new to life, like infants. The leaves are veined, much like your palm, with one thick line down the middle.
   The tree is like you in many ways. Your feet can be compared to its roots planted in the ground. It's branches are like your arms and the leaves grow on extensions like the fingers on your hand.
   And at this time of the year, the tree droops like an old man with a wrinkled face. He has been around for a long time and will be.
   This is a tree in autumn, a large old tree biding its time.
by Aranyaka Mohapatra
--------------------------------------------------------
   

   Behold! The night blooming cereus, queen of the night. A tree unlike any other, the phoenix of the plant kingdom. Her tender yet scaly stems jut out from the raw earth and climb haphazardly towards the night sky. She stands moderately high and quietly elegant in the twilight. The small, rounded leaves a dark shade of life-affirming green, radiate a soft, soothing sensation to anyone blessed enough to bear witness to its mute rituals. For tonight is when the queen bestows upon us its thin, plate-like flowers that only bloom once a year. The white flower, with its bright orange stem is an unusual oxymoron to the darkness that surrounds the tree.
   Breathe in the sweet seductive fragrance that steer your emotions, like the captain of the ship. Standing here around her, you can't deny the aura she emits. The feel and  fragrance of the majestic night queen is a nocturnal wonder - something that will remain with you forever.

  by Srikant Kanchi

-------------------------------------------------