Swami Vivekananda on Religion: (Extracts from Complete Works) We know that all religions alike, from the lowest fetishism to the highest absolutism, are but so many attempts of the human soul to grasp and realise the Infinite. It is an insult to a starving people to offer them religion; it is an insult to a … Read more
As a writer, I met a lot of editors and some publishers, especially a few years back in the early days. Most of them asked me what genre do I write in? I had to actually go through a pre-defined list to choose as I didn’t know what to answer. But I settled on realistic … Read more
While writing a story idea, I generally do not know the exact end. But it is important to broadly know what happens next. At the idea level, I start the story with a particular character and the conflict that the character is facing, and a general sense of the setting. For example, it may sound … Read more
In the old world, when you went out grocery shopping, you told the shopkeeper what you wanted and then he would go and get it. He would stock everything he knew you are going to need, and wait for you to drop in when you need replenishment. In the old world, auto and taxi drivers … Read more
Swami Vivekananda on Love: (Extracts from Complete Works) Love unselfishly for love’s sake. Love, truth, and unselfishness are not merely moral figures of speech, but they form our highest ideal, because in them lies such a manifestation of power. Every act of love brings happiness; there is no act of love which does not bring … Read more
The morning sun reached the centre of the sky. Even in full brightness, Lakhinath Kaman looked like a ghost. He sat with a straight back on his second-hand two-wheeler. No beeps on his phone. Not a single phone call. No one thought of calling him. The only calls he received in the past week were … Read more
Stephen King rightly said that writing is a lonely job, so writers should primarily write for themselves. He also said that his writing is mainly for his wife, who is also his first reader and honest reviewer. I have learnt this too. I started writing mainly for myself as a form of expression. And my … Read more
A few months back I decided to evaluate Amazon Ads. I was told that if someone is searching for Indian Short Stories then if an ad appears for one of my books, then maybe someone will click on it, and then, perhaps, download a sample, and possibly, over time end up buying the book. ‘A … Read more
When she bent down to clean the floor beneath, her eyes were drawn towards that drawer again. The drawer was open when the bell rang. She knew what it was inside. She took a deep breath. “Shanthamma, give the keys to the driver,” she heard from the other room. She took the keys from the … Read more