When I started writing, I wrote because I loved writing. The simple act of creating something – a story, an article, a character, a novel – gave me pleasure, and, whether it was good or bad, pushed me to create writing. It was a good enough reason. It was a privilege to be able to … Read more
My friend who climbed Everest last month told me about the dangers of Khumbu Icefall. It is a treacherous section from base camp to Camp 1. What makes it dangerous is not just the technical difficulties of negotiating it but the fact that it is on a moving glacier. What that means is that it … Read more
Swami Vivekananda on Strength: (Extracts from Complete Works) The only way to rise is by doing the duty next to us, and thus gathering strength go on until we reach the highest state. The infinite strength of the world is yours. Drive out the superstition that has covered your minds. Let us be brave. Know … Read more
When I first started writing, more than the actual writing, I spent a lot of time on reading about writing. Later, after reading a lot about writing, I realised that my time is best spent in the actual writing, going forward. But at that point in time, when I was new to writing, publishing and … Read more
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