Introducing little womders – 3

In the series, this is the third installment and it’s done by my 8 year old daughter. She is improving on her skill as I have noticed. But want all your support to encourage her.

Someday I will share her writings, too. She writes stories good for her age. But she needs support, encouragement and guidance from experienced people like you. Hope to hear from you.

Few dreams and few goals left behind.

Image credit- Elena Mozhvilo- Unsplash

Some dreams some goals left unfulfilled.

There was so much in your life to be achieved.

But you were forced to leave your family and true friends, behind.

And one fateful night, they said, you’re gone leaving all to mourn.

I believe you never wanted to go, but they gave no option.

Your deeds will never let us forget you. Till we’re there the fight of justice will go on.

Commonplace book

Recently found out about commonplace book and was confused about what it was and on researching about it got even more confused! Why? Because it is so similar to writers notebook.

May be not exactly, but so much similarities are present, one such similarity is, commonplace book is not a diary or a travelogue, alike the writers notebook. After this I searched even more about it and found out, that there is one for writers, called writer’s commonplace book. And here I go again. When looking into what one can write in it, I was surprised to see the same topics as writers notebook. Where I was keen, on first finding it, to start my own commonplace book but after knowing what all goes in there, I finally dropped the idea of starting it. Now, further talking about it, I found out where there is commonplace journal also where notes and quotes from our readings are kept.

One more thing which is cleared to me now, after searching about commonplace book is that you make or write notes about the book or whatever you are reading so that you might utilise it when needed so going by the definition, I am already doing this commonplace book thing before coming to know about it. But the Idea as a whole is very fascinating. I may start it in near future when one of my writers notebook is over. On the second thoughts I might start one for reading and recording my development as I have to start reading more extensively again.

Please, you all out there, my friends whoever has any idea about this commonplace book please do share with me so that I can get more elaborated knowledge on it.

Tips and Exercises : for improving Writing

3 years journey in this blogosphere and writing journey since I remember. And after taking it seriously, I have learnt many things about writing.

When I started this blog, I was naive. Still I am not expert and I believe there is no end to the journey of learning and improving, in any field leave apart the wiring. This journey is ever evolving. There is no end to learn something new every time.

In this journey of mine about writing and learning the tricks of trade, I have come across many books, blogs, magazines and what not which have helped me to improve my writing and emerged as a better writer. I now, know the difference between the hobbyist I was and a serious writer I am. 

I want to share the sort of tips and the exercises which have helped me to improve on myself as a writer. Hopefully, you all will like these, too.

Tips are like bonus points to me. I keep looking and for. A single one can make a huge permanent impact. So here I share my ever growing TIPS treasure.

# Ask More Questions.

The more questions we ask, the more likely we are to find out something extra ordinary. Questioning is something very interesting part of finding the facts or gathering the knowledge. The more we ask about are subject the more interesting and vivid answers we find. These answers lead to more questions and the cycle goes on. The deeper we research the more material we collect and this forms a never-ending source of inspiration.

# Take Small Steps.

Only think about the present, this paragraph, this page, this chapter. If you think about the novel as a whole, it will break you down and you will abandon the whole idea of writing easily.

# Imagine Your Reader.

As you start writing our novel post or article or an essay, you should try to imagine your ideal reader. What age are they, what gender, intellectual or someone who is not so highly educated. keeping this in mind you should write according to their taste and understanding.

# Be Willing TO Write Badly.

As a writer it’s your first duty to write. Write without being judgmental and straight from heart. Rather than focusing on tenses, focus on clean, crisp sentence.  Write from your heart, write for yourself when you are writing. Leave the editing part till you have put down everything on the paper. It’s better to have something to make corrections to rather than to stare at a blank page.

# Be A Ruthless Editor.

If something seems chunky to you, the writer – then it probably is. Always prune the sentence. Edit Mercilessly. Don’t fall in the trap of lovely words. They have to go. Be simple, be clear and don’t go for the decorative words. 

# Grab Time.

Don’t wait for finding time but utilize whatever, whenever  and where ever you get time.

# Keep Emotions In Place.

# Respect Words.

Word choices should be conscious. Being lazy makes our writing a failure. Respect words and maintain a curiosity about their shades of meaning.

# Be A Reader, First.

Always remember, to write with the perspective of the reader. See what is interesting, to you as a reader and not as a writer.

Tips From Julia Cameron

• Be brave. Morning pages make you brave.
• If you spend three pages cleaning away the rubble of your life, your novel writing will come more easily. You might be writing morning pages because you are clearing out the negativity in your life – bold and can write more freely on your project.
• What would you love to write? It’s about getting down. It’s like taking dictation. It’s like listening to what’s want to be written and writing that.
• Abandon the rules. Write from the heart.

Tips From Self – Publishing School.

• While writing a book ask a few questions to yourself.
• would you pick it up.
• Write as often as you can.
• Learn the craft of storytelling.
• Focus on new ways to phrase common visuals.
• Practice writing in your hand.
• Use strong language.
• Just write to write. Believe it or not, this frees up a lot of mental space and allows you to write without thinking much, which often helps you to write better.

Writing exercises are very good for many reasons, for instance to put the tips in use and get the creative juices get flowing. Here I will share what writing exercises I have collected and follow.

• Just write.
• Writing prompts.
• Choose a place you know well to write about. In a few words describe the place. Write a poem in any form that describes this place in detail.
• Ask a question of ` What if? ‘
• Pick a color of your choice and write 25 sentences starting with it.
• Free write. It doesn’t require you to write in a linear, logical pattern. Pick a new question, a new thought a new problem and just keep writing. The habit of free writing could transform your life.
• Describe your love interest’s eyes without using color. you can replace eyes with hair, lips, choice of clothes etc.
• Describe Same character twice – once to fall in love with and second time, to be repulsed by them.
• Edit someone else’ post. A person whom you don’t know, choose their post as it will be easier to focus on the editing process. While reading someone else’ post you can be a bit more critical, which trains your eyes to find the same mistakes in yours while you are proofreading.
• Re-writing with a gap between the draft and editing of being at least two days. The gap gives my mind to absorb upon it and work in unconscious which gives better and improved results the next time.
• I practice creating headlines or topics without using phone or laptop for help. It’s kind of brain storming on the Topics.
• Use picture prompts.
• Character and scene development.
• I search for interesting news articles and then do research again, then develop them in my style.
• Pick my favorite book and pick a random page then take a line from that page which is of the same number as of that page and with it, write – some times its the beginning or the ending.
• Morning Writing
  • Fiction, poem, article, travel tips etc.
    • Write part of a book.
    • Blog
    • Video Script

Haunted hunting lodge.

Hi all, I am very excited to tell you all that it is my first haunting post. I mean it is the first time I am sharing such thing. And the biggest joke I would say that I never knew about the fact though it is in my native place. I’ve grown talking about it and picnicking around it but still didn’t know that it is haunted and this makes  me share this post with you.

Odi Haveli or Lalit Vilaas

First, I will share a little history about it, actually it’s a historical monument, then will tell you the haunting part of it or as people like to believe. May be this is a recent development as I never heard of such thing till now and I bet my brother too, is unaware of the developments.

Well,as I know of the place as a hunting lodge of the royalties of Pink City. This place has three parts, two cottages like structure which look new addition to the original existing building. The actual name of the hunting lodge is ‘Lalit Vilaas’ or ‘odi haveli’ built by Jaipur ruler in the early 15th century. The location of the lodge, itself will give you the idea, how apt it was to build it there, in mid of the forest(then dense and inhabited by many wild animals like leopards, tigers, boars and other animals) is surrounded by the ‘Aravali’ ranges. When the king and his men went for hunting, they used to take halt.

But as the hunting was banned, the usage of the building was declined. Finally a time came when it was totally abandoned. And as we know, all the abandoned buildings must have story and surely have a haunted angle to them. This place also developed a haunting story.

The first Courtyard

The reason behind this is mostly two inhouse temples situated in the building which are destroyed by time and in one of them idol is missing. The big temple is of mother godess and the smaller one is of Lord Shiva. There you can find pious markings on the wall and in the godess’ temple you can find things used for worshiping. As these two are worshipped by evil forces as well, thus people established a belief that the witches have occupied this place, thus it got it’s new name ‘Chudailo ki Haveli’ or the ‘witches’ mansion’.

When you cross the temple, you reach in a courtyard where on the walls you will find ‘ chants’ written everywhere. What does they mean or the purpose, is not known. People who have gone there have heard strange sounds coming out of the main building. The main entrance door of the building often moves even though there is no wind. Inside, in the first courtyard you can see smoke markings, as if some fire is made, one or two belongings have been found.

As the building is amidst forest, it comes under the authority of Forest department, who has put a lock on it after developing a wildlife park in that forest, some years back. A social worker has reported that the movement of people and tourists, who visit the other historical monuments nearby, disturb the wildlife. People from the village used to come and offer prayers and sing. He also mentioned that there lived an elderly lonely woman in the ruins till two years back. She used to take care of the deities and after she left from there the forest department locked the place because some anti social elements used to gather there.

Some YouTubers go there just for adventure and to find some paranormal activity. And the place has become popular with adventure seekers. Some of them do feel bad for it. Because the building and the location are good and of historical importance but the government is not paying attention to it. It could be developed beautifully and play its role in development of tourism of the area.

View from one of the numerous windows

Whether ghost or no ghost, it does attract interest but needs attention or will fall.

Image courtesy: Devavrat Shekhawat