Dear Non-Writer friends,

Dear Non-writer friends,

Firstly, thank you for the appreciation you show us for whatever we write on Facebook and here on our blogs. There is nothing more motivating for a writer than the fact that their thoughts resonate with others.

One of the ways of appreciation is sharing our work which helps us reach out more. Thank you for that. But when you simply copy paste what we have written from our timeline to your timeline on Facebook rather than sharing the original post or crediting the writer, nobody knows whether the post is written by you or by us or some other famous writer. Simply copying it on your timeline cannot be called as credit to us. It is blatant plagiarism. When it gets shared from your timeline, we never know how far it has reached because there are no credits, remember? Our sharing the work on a public forum / social media doesn't mean it is available for free copying. That thing you just copied and pasted was somebody's hardwork of hours, maybe days too. That is the reason we are so possessive about our work.

And when you do something like this, it takes away one of the most important things from us – the possibilities. From us – the ones who are still trying to make a mark for ourselves in the world of writing. You take away from us the possibility of a simple message like ‘I like what you have written’ from a stranger which could be the only reason on a bad day for us to continue writing when we are thinking of giving up. The possibility of the post going viral, the possibility of the post getting us in contact with the right people in the writing industry, the possibility of it landing our next book deal. I know I am being preposterous here but heck, there are possibilities !!

So when I have to fight it out on social media to ask you to ‘share’ the original post or give us the rightful ‘credit’ for what I have written, it makes me question as to whether I should share my next post or not, or am I being too arrogant in asking for the credit for my own work?

I know I am not a big time famous writer. I am just an ordinary blogger who is very passionate about writing and the written word in general. Thank you.

P.S. – This post was inspired by an ugly incident I faced recently on Facebook when a school friend simply copied a piece I had written on Facebook to her timeline and when I asked for credit, she and her friends turned nasty towards me.

I have used the word ‘we’ in the post above because I am speaking on behalf of my writer / blogger friends. I hope they would agree.

My baby is a year old today :) :)

The day is clearly etched in my memory. 14^th May 2013 it was. The day my baby came into my life after a lot of pushing and efforts. Hard work it was. More mental, than physical. I was literally nagged into bringing it to life by well-wishers. So damn afraid I was. How would things happen? How will everything work after its

arrival? I mean everything changes once you have a new entity to take care of. I mean, what’s the point of bringing a new being into existence with so much passion and then what if you don’t nurture it properly. Such and a whole gamut of questions popped inside my head.

And then the day arrived. The labour had begun. Confusion, patience and a lot of efforts later, my baby came to life. I could see it. Ah.. that amazing feeling. I was literally walking in air. Happiness visible in my eyes!! I never thought in my dreams that the puppy love affair which started in teens would eventually develop into a passionate relationship and finally consummate into bringing my baby to this world. If happiness was just a ‘petal’, I was experiencing full blown spring. Such was its impact on me.

Gosh, I was so damn careful in handling it in the initial days. I didn’t know what to do when others came around to have a look. How do I behave? How was I supposed to make them feel?

But, such a proud parent I felt when somebody would come to see my baby. When they said something good, I beamed. I basked in the glory seeing my baby grow day by day, seeing the love and affection of people around. When somebody would ask me, how my baby was doing, I would run out of words describing what happiness my baby and I were going through.

I kept a check on my baby every now and then. You could say I was obsessed. I don’t know if all parents are this way, but I was.

And then there were the grey days. Days when nothing in life seemed to be going right. Days when disappointment touched the shores of my soul. And on such gloomy days, one look at my baby would bring smile on my parched lips. I felt so connected to it. My baby. My reason to smile.

And through this journey, I also mingled around with fellow parents. Came across with some great ones! I tried to learn from them seeing how they handled their babies. Some were so successful in gathering so much adulation from one and all around. I so adored them. I wanted my baby to be as successful as them. But, ofcourse, my baby was my baby and I had my own way of handling it and nurturing it. I learnt my own path and kept on walking.

A year it has been! Twelve months of pure bliss. My baby is growing up to become so adorable. I love the adulation being showered on my child. Thankful I am to all those who have been around. Friends, so amazing I have made in this journey. Friends who are great support. Friends who love to drop in and say hello to me and my baby! I can’t even describe the happiness I feel when I have those friends around, motivating me to do better and adulating the baby.

I can go on and on about it. Any parent can. But yes, I noticed, I haven’t mentioned the name of my baby yet. I deliberated a lot on it while naming. And after thinking and re-thinking and consulting and discussing, I named it ‘Dreams and Dimensions’. Do keep showering your love on us. <3 <3 <3

 P.S. - I also wrote a poetic version for ‘My Baby’. You can read it here. 

Our Blogs, Our Homes !!

Our Blogs. Thinking about mine brings a smile to my face. Does yours bring too? I was just thinking how they are an extension of us. Can we call them our second homes? They say home is where heart is. And our blogs certainly have our hearts, don’t they?

The look of our house has to be like us, like people residing in it. Traditional or bohemian, black & white themed or dashed with colours, or a mix of everything. Remember, while decorating your house for that occasion where there would be guests coming over, how you fretted over tiniest things that would matter. Where should that plush looking carpet be placed? Where would that art piece look best? Thinking. Arranging. Re-arranging. After all, you would have guests at your place. They shall look around; they shall walk all over, look in the corners - the decorations, the colours, the patterns, the wall pieces, everything. And you want them to be perfect. May be if not perfect, atleast like you. The guests should remember whom they visited. If they go and talk about it to others, nothing like it. 

Well, didn’t you feel similar while you were decorating your blog? Didn’t you try many themes before finalizing the one? I have seen some beautiful wall hangings, colourful pictures, animations and even fish tanks on the blog. Extension of the bloggers themselves, I guess?

Whenever anything new happens in the house, be it an event - happy or sad, whether you’ve brought a new television or whether you’ve given up an old bad habit, the family and friends have to know about it. Isn’t that the case with our blogs too? They are the first ones to listen to our achievements, bear our rants and share our happiness. And then, the news spreads to family and friends – virtual but equally strong like the real ones. They would come and praise your achievement, they would come and share your sadness, they would congratulate you and they would advise you. Just like your real friends and family.  

We like to keep the most prized possessions, our winning trophies in the most visible place of the house for everybody to see and admire. And similarly, those lovely award badges, those contests winning badges, the badges showing where we’ve been published adorn our sidebars, visible for all.

Our houses get cluttered. And then, we start the cleanliness drives. Creating drawers for different things, putting things in their place, marking the lids of the jars so that they are easily available next time you need them. Haven’t you donw the same for the blog? Labeling the posts, adding proper tags, linking to the other similar posts and even creating pages for similar ones to be stacked together. Homes, Blogs.

And remember, when you have guests at your place? You clean the place well, you announce their arrival to other members of the family, introduce the guest to your family members. Isn’t that somewhat similar to what we do while having co-bloggers as guests on our blog? Similar. 

And then you might roam around, admire others’ places, may be want that wall hanging that is there in neighbour’s house on your wall too, but then, at the end of the day, your own little space is the best. The best. Howsoever, cluttered or empty it is. Your home does have your heart. So does your blog. Isn’t it?

This post is written as a part of April A to Z Challenge 2014 under Non-Themed category. I am doing two posts for this Challenge and Themed posts can be found here.

Inspiration to Instigate and be Indifferent

Inspired

I snooping around

senses on high alert

matter for my next post

Instigate

my favourite it was

he stealing my lunch

obviously I punched

Indifferent

it actually matters

hence the pretense

that it doesn’t matter

This post is written as a part of April A to Z Challenge 2014. I am doing two posts for every alphabet. The Non-themed posts can be found here.

Fiction, Really ??

When I wrote this post, a lot of people I knew asked me whether this was a real incident or a fictional one. All I replied was, ‘Sssh.. it’s a secret’. And I don’t know what people construed out of it. This hasn’t been the sole case. A lot of friends who read me have asked me similar questions when they have read some or the other post.

Haven’t you heard that real life inspires our films? And isn’t it vice versa too? Don’t films have an impact on real life too, good as well as bad? Can something similar be said for our literary world too? We know that reading inspires people in real life. But is it also the other way round? Does fiction get inspired from real life too?

Isn’t it possible that fiction writers create characters, situations and stories that they have seen or even been a part of? The situations we read about in books, the short crisp stories we read on blogs could actually have been enacted in real life.

Those thousands of characters we come across the pages of hardcovers and paperbacks, the ones we glance through the silvery screens of our ebook readers may have lives of their own, may be they are real people just dipped in the colours of fiction by the writers by giving them fancy names, adding the right amount of texture, may be mixing more than one real life character to create a completely new persona that gets the author appreciated for a well sketched character. May be even the dialogues have actually been said in real life between people, only to be added by the observant author just at the correct time in the story.   

While breaking up, one of my friend’s ex-boyfriend on being asked what about the promises that he had made, had said that she could kill him for not fulfilling those promises but he would never spend his life with her. Doesn’t this line resonate to this - “I could die for you. But I couldn't, and wouldn't, live for you.” (Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead) And I am pretty much sure that that guy has never ever heard about The Fountainhead, forget about reading it. Of course, Ayn Rand wrote it much before. But when she told me about that line, I remembered the book.

Haven’t we all used ‘come on, you don’t have to be sorry’ to our loved ones sometime or the other. Just that Eric Segal put it in Love Story as “Love means never having to say you're sorry.”

Whosoever thought about creating the characters of nosy neighbours and aunties, about the ever confused young generation, about those over-the-top loud Punjabi characters; I am sure must have met a few around.  

And what about coincidentally meeting the girl you had a crush in your school after several years, the hero falling in love with a nerd girl or vice versa, tit-for-tat for your mother-in-law, steamy romantic scenes, hard break-up stories, tales about wrong decisions of life; may be all of such situations have actually happened, may be they are happening even right now. God knows which pair of writer eyes is witnessing them and creating new masterpieces about them in their head.

Have you done it? Like, have you created stories out of real life characters and situations?

This post is written as a part of April A to Z Challenge 2014 under Non-Themed category. I am doing two posts for this Challenge and Themed posts can be found here.

A Bunch of 55 Fiction

In love with a Blogger:

He:   I like you and I know you don’t. I can’t force you to like me.

She: I hope you understand.

He:   Yeah. But hey, I hope you are not going to blog about this proposal.

She: Nope. I won’t.

Half an hour later

Post Title – The Proposal

*Now, what should be the character’s name?*

****************************************************************************************

The Misunderstanding:

She: Come on, she was not worth your love. Move on buddy. And what is all this shit about not getting married ever? Trust me, if you don’t marry, then an amazing woman shall loose an opportunity to have a superb husband in you.

He:  *Amazing woman? Oh my God, is she talking about herself? *

****************************************************************************************

What are friends for?

Me:        Tomorrow is first exam of our MBA. Its accounts and you are a science                     graduate. Would you pass?

Friend:   Don’t you worry. I am going to score good in this paper too.

Me:         Ok. What is a balance sheet?

Friend:   Balance sheet is where journal entries are made.

Me:         *He is going to fail*  

****************************************************************************************

Destiny?

Jia:     You know I have phobia of doctors. Just tell him that I have fever and                      cough.

Mom:  You can’t take medicines like that every time. And this new doctor doesn’t              prescribe medicines without seeing the patient.

Jia:     Then, I would prefer dying here.

*A year later on a wedding card*

Jia Weds Dr. Sushant

****************************************************************************************

Tit for Tat:

Neha:     That client Rahul is giving me such nightmares with the agreement. He                  just rejects whatever I propose.

Meera:    Forget him. Somebody coming to see you tomorrow for arranged                              marriage thing?

Neha:      I don’t even know who has been called by Mom now?

*Next Day*

"Rahul Malhotra, you are so getting rejected". *Cheshire Cat Grin*

This post is written for the Write Tribe Festival of Words – Day 6 And the theme was 55 Fiction.

At the Festival of Words !!

In love with the written word

We love getting emotions stirred

Stringed together by a common passion

Coming together for some creatively stimulating sessions

Off we go with the trigger of the prompt

Giving birth to poetry, fiction or any other form

We read, get read, comment and get commented upon

Finding new blogger friends to devour their works from thereon

From our comfort zones we are pushed out sometimes

Unconsciously helping our words reach new sublimes

Yes, at Write Tribe Festival of Words we are

And this time, we shall just raise the bar !!

This post is written for Write Tribe Festival of Words – Day 3. The prompt was Free Write

Pouring some Blog Love :) :)

I so wanted to write this post since long. Have you ever come across a blog where its posts have been the kind that You have wanted to write? I have. And trust me it can get eerie at times. Now, as you know, we the writers have the habit of getting ideas to write upon at weirdest of times. And hence I have a habit of writing those tidbits of thoughts in my phone to be developed into full-fledged posts later. Some get developed into proper posts, while some lie in the drafts folders of your phone.

But what if I told you that you see posts written on those lines at somebody else’s blog and that too in a manner that you wanted to write. And mind you, it can be a coincidence once or twice but so many times. There has to be some connection with the blogger, isn’t it?

And I share this kinda weird spooky connection with Sreesha Divakaran who blogs at Petrichor and Clouds. And the connection I feel with her is so strong, I have named her as my kumbh ke mele mein bichhdi hui behen.

Take for instance the Halfway post that I wrote. And read hers ‘Figments Of My OverlyActive Hopelessly Romantic Imagination.' Both the posts are written in a different manner but the story line is so damn similar. I was shocked at reading this. And I type this, I am even scared that I can be blamed for some kind of plagiarism :0 But, trust me, I didn’t even know Sreesha Divakaran when I wrote Halfway.

And then I was almost awed when I read this post of hers called ‘Our Silent Game of Hide and Seek’. Because I had something on these lines drafted in my phone. It couldn’t get spookier. Wait. It can. She wrote ‘The Unintelligent Life Form’ and I was nodding my head all through the post because just like her I too was thinking why didn’t I study Literature.

She is the kind of writer who calls a spade a spade. I mean there are times when I really want to write something harsh or bitter but I hold back. Simply because I think I wouldn’t be able to handle some sensitive topics. But this girl is raring to go. For example, read these posts called ‘Why So Furious Lets Put That Tissue In Its Place’ or her ‘The Backstabber’ She seems to have her teenage rebellion back in action with some of her posts ;) And while I was searching for the links for the above posts, I caught hold of this one – ‘The Big Fat Indian Wedding And Bride’. Go dig.

And Sreesha’s poetry is to be devoured. I just love her for those amazing verses. Go enjoy them here. If you are a fan of horror in a teeny weeny format, she has that too on her platter here.

And before I start crying, all I would like to say to her is ‘Sreesha, darling stop scaring me with your spooky posts :P’ Lots of love from your kumbh ke mele mein bichhdi hui behen ;) Mmmuaaahh

   

This post is written for the Write Tribe Festival of Words – Day 2. The prompt was ‘Blog Love - show some love to another blog or blogs by showcasing them on yours. ’

Third Time Charm - Liebster III

The mere mention of the word ‘award’ brings a smile on the face. There are some like the ones given by mommy on successful completion of homework or minding your manners when guests are around or daddy for getting good marks. They are something which most of us have received. Then, there are some like receiving filmfares available to only a chosen privileged few. And then, there are some like ‘Liebster’ received by this awesome community of bloggers. I received two of my Liebsters from amazing fellow bloggers Sreeja Praveen and Sreesha Divakaran. I wrote about them here.                                                                                      

But an award is an award. As many times you receive it is always welcome ;) Somewhere, it is an indication that your writings are being liked somewhere. There are some fellow bloggers who come and read you everytime you put up some blabber and yet find it interesting enough to come back again.

So, when Inspirational Romance Writer, Aayesha Hakim presented me with my third Liebster here, I was all ‘smiles’. She wrote this before nominating fellow bloggers for this award – “To the people I have nominated above: Congratulations! The reason behind me nominating you is, I enjoy reading your blog and you deserve a lot more subscribers. Keep writing!”

The sheer simplicity and honesty of her words above make you feel warmer. So, dear Aayesha, thank you for considering me for this award. I love reading your blog too and hope you too win over many more readers.

The rules of accepting a Liebster are stated in my earlier post which I mentioned above. There was some confusion about nominating fellow bloggers again. I read somewhere that I can present this award to ten bloggers just once. But I also came across posts where bloggers have nominated others every time they receive this award. Since I have nominated fellow bloggers already, I wouldn’t be doing it again. But, yes I am all set to answer the volley of questions posed by Aayesha. So here we go !

1.   What would you wish to name a movie about your life?

That’s easy. The movie name should ofcourse be ‘Dreams and Dimensions’

2.   What is YOUR favorite blog post from YOUR blog? Link please!

Oh, Aayesha,  you are asking a mother to choose her favourite child. Very difficult. But still if I had to give it a shot, I think it would be 'Halfway' and 'A Closet full of Memories'

3.   What is the best piece of life advice you could give to someone?

    All I would say is, “Don’t hold back. Do things that make you happy. At the end, it’s just once that we get to live.   

4.   Worst thing a person can do to you?

Worst thing a person can do to me or for that matter to anybody else is judge me without knowing the real me. I literally loathe people who keep on passing judgments without knowing the story of other people.   

5.   Give me a description of what you see when you look out of the window this very moment!

    You wouldn’t believe where am I writing this post. I am travelling by train and its awesome morning sunshine over lush green fields that please my vision right this moment.

6.   What do you think about my blog? ;)

   Aayesha - The inspirational romance writer. I recently discovered your blog and have loved your writings since then. I just can’t imagine myself doing a post everyday of the month. So, kudos to you for completing the UBC. All the best for spinning more and more beautiful yarns of words. Lovely to have known somebody like you.   

7.   Items on your bucket list?

    As a writer, the most obvious thing is getting published. And few others are to visit Vegas, to have a tattoo and own a sea-facing house with a room full of my favourite books. That’s it ;)

8.   What is the thing you do at the end of your day just before going to bed?

     Most of the times, Facebook and Twitter gets the privilege :P But, yes, better sense prevails sometimes and I do think and decide about what am I supposed to do for the next day, which by the way never happens as planned :P :P

9.   Anything that you would want to change about yourself?

A better metabolism would be great :P

10.       Do you agree with popular belief that a man is ruled by his head and a woman by her heart?

I think women are too complex to be simplified in that one line of just being ruled by our hearts :P And, I don’t think it can be stereotyped in today’s times about how one behaves, whatever be the gender.

                                             

11 .       What according to you is the problem most of the youths face today?

Well, the problems are myriad. Starting from the fact that the android battery doesn’t last long to the pessimism about Indian politics :P But, on a more serious note, I think we (using the word ‘we’ considering that a 28 year old is still considered young :P ) want everything. Focus is what we probably lack.

Phew.. so, I am all done. Loved answering them Aayesha. J J

Writer's Block : Haiku

Image Source: Google

Blank page stares back

Medley of thoughts running all wild

Where do I begin?

* * * * *  

Where do I begin?

Ah, that thought I just caught

Let me just get going

* * * * *   

Let me just get going

Drops of words dribble down

Damn, not good enough

 * * * * *  

Damn, not good enough

Now, which thought should it be?

Blank page again I meet