Don't Let These 4 Things Affect You.

 Don't let these 4 things affect you:

1) UNSOLICITED OPINIONS OF PEOPLE WHO BARELY KNOW YOU

Often times the people who say they don't like to be judgmental are the ones who are most guilty of it. Not unusual. But please don't let their opinions color the way you think of yourself. What people think of others is mostly a reflection of what they think of their own selves. If they don't like themselves, they try to bring you down to their own level in their heads because they know they can't do it any other way. 

2) LACK OF SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE YOU THOUGHT WERE VERY CLOSE TO YOU

You will find a lot of friends around you when you're hitting a low. But very few people who will be there to support you when you're trying to create something of your own and need their help. Let that act as an eye opener. Don't let it break your heart. People like to shower sympathy because it makes them feel like they are in a much better place. Value the people who are 'always' there for you. They constitute your tribe.

3) CRITICISM

There's a difference between constructive criticism and being downright nasty. Learn to spot the difference. Work on the former, disregard the latter. If someone is being unnecessarily mean, it is just their inner bitterness lashing out at you. They cannot make themselves happy which is why they go around making other people sad. That's easier, right? All you can do is pity them. 

4) PEOPLE NOT LIVING UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS

It might be a friend, a significant other, a family member, anyone. You might often feel like your emotions are not being reciprocated. But remember, how other people behave is completely beyond your control. If you let them affect you, your mental peace will be at their mercy. Don't let that happen. If someone truly cares for you, they will make time for you, they will let you know you are important. They won't keep you on hold.

Hope you're having a nice day! ❤

5 Books/Series I Remember Obsessively Reading as a Kid.

5 books/series I remember obsessively reading before I turned 12:

1) Malory Towers by Enid Blyton- YES! I was OBSESSED about this series, about Darrel, Felicity and all their lovely friends. I have read each and every single book from this series and I still possess the whole set. I even tried to write a similar series of my own inspired by Malory Towers. 

2) St. Claire's by Enid Blyton- This too was quite similar to the Malory Towers series and reading them together would inevitably get you confused. I LOVED the O Sullivan twins, Pat and Isabel, the midnight feasts, the lacrosse matches, Miss Potts. OMG! I can't stop gushing.

3) PINK PAGES- OH MY GOD! I read Pink Pages for the very first time when I was probably 8 or something, and I was absolutely thrilled. This is not a novel. It's more like a teenage self help book with so many cool activities and games. I feel so nostalgic whenever I think of those days!

4) Glitter Girls- A series again, about a super cool girl gang who had so much fun together doing different things, participating in various competitions, going to the same school. They had these cool team T-Shirts and accessories, secret hide-outs. I absolutely LOVED the idea of a girl gang when I was a kid. Was never lucky enough to actualize it though. 

5) FAMOUS FIVE, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Little Women, Heidi, Oliver Twist, Alice in Wonderland, Adventure Series, I couldn't decide which one to pick so I listed all I can remember :'3 I was an avid reader when I was a child. It's sad that I don't read half as much nowadays. 

Which books/series do you remember reading when you were a kid?

5 Things You Can do Today to Have a Better Future.

5 things you can do today to have a better future:

1) CUT OFF TOXIC PEOPLE 

Please cut off toxic people from your life. If you have someone who's always critical of every little thing you achieve, who's constantly bringing negativity into your life or a 'friend' who's never appreciative of your efforts and is constantly letting you down, please cut them off. You owe it to your mental peace. 

2) EXPLORE TO FIND YOUR CALLING

What's the one thing that you can do better than most people you know? What's that one thing that makes you want to wake up in the morning? Find that out. Do different things to see what you like to do best. Explore!

3) PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

If you're dealing with mental health issues that are holding you back from ascending to your full potential, please make them your priority. Seek help! Don't shy away from doing so. There are various online forums, Facebook groups, that can get you in touch with people who have gone through the same and who can/want to genuinely help you.

4) SELF CARE

Have a 'me-time' that you keep sacred. Devote time to yourself. Take care of your skin, be mindful of what you're putting inside your body, get enough sleep, eat healthy, exercise, take different courses that you think might help you further your goals and always put yourself first. 

5) READ

Read books. Read articles. Read blogs. Educate yourself. Please don't choose to stay in your bubble. Catch up on what's happening in the world. Think. Form your own opinions. Reading helps you develop and analytical thinking. So, please READ.

Please contribute to my thoughts by adding yours below. 

5 Ways to Create Strong and Believable Characters.

5 WAYS TO CREATE STRONG, BELIEVABLE PROTAGONISTS:

1) PAINT YOUR PROTAGONIST GREY.

 Don't paint your protagonist all good or all bad. Break out of the black and white morality and paint him/her grey. Readers don't like perfect characters. They are looking for someone they can relate to.

2) MAKE YOUR PROTAGONIST VULNERABLE.

Give your readers a reason to care about your protagonist, to root for them and be invested in their journey from the start to the finish. Show what makes your protagonist weak, what keeps them up in the night, what they fear the most, their insecurities, their prejudices, the parts of them they aren't proud of.

3) SHOW DON'T TELL.

Reveal the character of your protagonists by dropping seemingly irrelevant details about them, the way they walk or talk, what they think, how they interact with other people, what kind of music they listen to, what shows they watch on TV. Don't explicitly state what they're like. Let the readers perceive that through the details. 

4) PLACE YOUR PROTAGONIST IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.

Create conflict, place them in extraordinary situations so much so that they contradict their natures, their beliefs, their core values. Shatter the images that you've created of them. Don't make them flat, predictable, boring characters. Every once in a while, make them do unexpected things.

5) LET THEM EVOLVE.

Let your protagonist evolve through the story. The way the readers find him/her in the first chapter should change by the time they reach the last chapter. The change can be a positive or a negative one but letting your protagonist evolve or transform through the narrative is extremely important.

If you've learnt something new from this post, please check my profile, follow me on social media, interact with me if you like the kind of content I post. I would love to hear from you! ❤

Hope you're keeping well.

Stay home! Stay safe! ❤

3 Ways How Online Content Writing Courses Exploit You.

With the mushrooming of online courses on sites like Coursera, Udemy and even independent websites, exploitation of labour has become the order of the day. Watch out for these 3 RED FLAGS while you're taking an online content writing course:

▶ UNPAID INTERNSHIPS

Any course that charges you an enormous amount of money and then asks you to devote your time working for their clients FOR FREE is not worth it. This is exploitation at its most fundamental level, an instance of unpaid labour, where you are made to feel like you're getting to learn a lot through 'first-hand experience' but all that is happening is that they are profiting off you by: first, making you purchase an expensive online course, and second, by earning thousands of rupees from the sale of your articles. As for me, I have had a 'first-hand experience' of such exploitation. So, trust me when I tell you, it's not pleasant at all.

▶ UNCORRECTED ASSIGNMENTS

Well, it's quite natural for coordinators of such online courses to display remarkable sincerity/punctuality when it comes to promptly correcting your assignments in the first one or two weeks. But just wait for a few weeks and see if they maintain the same level of sincerity throughout. More often that not, you will get to see their true colours by the end of the third week. And then you'll find yourself writing long emails and text messages requesting them to correct your assignments and give you some feedback.

▶ SKIPPING MODULES

While there might be a detailed, comprehensive brochure offering extensive modules specially curated to fill all the gaps in your knowledge when it comes to content writing, after you have actually paid for the course you will find these modules being half-heartedly covered and at times being left out altogether. This is not what you signed up for. Any discrepancy between what they have promised to offer and what they actually end up offering should be taken seriously. When you are paying for something, it is your right to question and demand your money back if your needs haven't been met.

Have you faced similar problems? I'm looking forward to hearing from you. 

#contentwriting #contentwriter #contentcreator

What to do when you cannot write?

Haven't written anything in a while? Get that notebook out and pen down whatever comes to your head. A lot of people have asked me how I deal with a writer's block.

My answer is simple. I WRITE.

Because that's the only way you can battle a creative limbo.

1) Write. Write everyday. Write a lot. Write whatever comes to your head without being conscious about what you're writing.

2) Even if what you've written doesn't turn out well, don't stop writing. You don't get a chiseled body in a day. You have to keep hitting the gym regularly. Same with writing.

3) Don't write with publishing as your goal. Not all writings have to be monetized. But you need to train yourself every single day in order to be able to write something that can be monetized. Invest today to get the returns tomorrow.

4) Stick to a schedule. Take some time out everyday and devote it completely to writing. Be it 30 minutes or an hour.

5) Take writing courses. There are a lot of free and paid courses available on the internet. Enroll for the ones you think serve your writing goals and watch yourself flourish! 

6) READ. READ. READ. If you cannot write at present, why don't you read? Read the works of authors who you look up to and try to understand what exactly it is that you find so compelling.

Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Have a great Sunday! ❤

A Random piece of Advice.

So, after a full two hours of going through all my old posts from 3-4 years back, I've realized, no word is a wasted word in the writing world. In fact, we need to do something wrong in order to figure out how to do it right. The entries in your old journals might be replete with inaccurate expressions, grammatical/syntactical errors, the tendency to use bombastic words just for the heck of it, never-ending clichés and naivety of thought. It's okay to cringe. You might even want to go back and delete all your old posts because they don't fit with the way you've conducted yourself lately. But I'd suggest, let them be. 

You've only grown. And probably ten years down the line, you'll look back and laugh at what you're writing now. Quite natural, right? Everything you've gone through, everyone you've ever met has made you who you are today. The clichés have had an equal contribution in that, whether you admit it or not.

Look back and celebrate your growth as a writer, and perhaps learn a thing or two from your old posts. Treasure the simplicity that used to be the essence of all your former works. But don't you ever stop writing. :')

Hope you're having a great day! ❤

5 Ways of Effective Journaling!

Intimidated by the flawlessness? The truth is you DON'T have to be so perfect when it comes to journaling. Here are five ways how you can effectively use your journal to set goals and achieve them:

🧡 Write a list of things that you want to achieve in life, and what you can do to achieve them. These can be both short term and long term goals and it should go right at the beginning of your journal.

❤ IT'S OKAY if the pages don't look like picture postcards. Real journals are messy. Because human minds, and creative minds in particular, are rarely tidy. And your journal is just a reflection of your mind. So, embrace the messy and chaotic and personal feel of your journal (unless you're planning to sell it). 

🧡 Use it like a Gratitude Journal. Before you go to bed every night, write 5 things which made you feel happy and thankful through the day. It might look like a simple exercise but it helps take away the negativity that might build up throughout the day and gives you a peaceful sleep.

❤ Set goals everyday. Write them down after you wake up in the morning and cross them out as and when you've achieved them. They don't have to be anything big, but simple things that you've been procrastinating, like cleaning out your wardrobe, or taking your dog for a walk, etc. However, make sure you follow through. 

🧡 Finally, keeping your bigger goals in mind, the ones that you listed right in the beginning, take baby steps everyday towards the fulfilment of those goals and record them in your daily entries. Writing it down actually helps you realize where you're lacking and what more you can do.

- Your handwriting doesn't have to be perfect

- Your entries don't have to be color-coded

- Your journal doesn't need to look artistic

- You don't have to paste pictures or maple leaves or do anything fancy to feel like you're doing something worthwhile.

(Although if you want to do it, and you have the time and skill, go ahead). 

But what is most important is to write how you feel, what your vision is, and how you plan to go about fulfilling your dreams. Zero in on what's really important and you are all set! 

#writingtips #writerssociety #writersnetwork #writinglife

10 Ways to Write Better Everyday!

Here are ten things you can do to improve your writing EVERY DAY! 🧡

🍁 Choose a theme that's close to your heart and write a paragraph on it everyday for two weeks. Paragraph word limit- 200 words.

🍁 Read a short story everyday and jot down the expressions, figures of speech, passages or thoughts that have appealed to you most.

🍁 Choose a particular word everyday, and learn five new synonyms of that word. Make sure you also check how you can use a certain word in a sentence otherwise it might stick out like a sore thumb where it's not apt. 

🍁 Keep a journal. Journalling random thoughts and ideas as and when they come to you shall serve as excellent fuel for the dry season.

🍁 Write long texts. When you're texting your close friends, spend a little more time and make a little more effort to write a text which has at least three or four lines, instead of the usual 'K', 'Hmm', 'Yeah', 'Ttyl', 'LOL', 'XD'.

🍁 Be a good listener. Let other people talk about themselves and listen to them. Insight is extremely important when it comes to developing characters.

🍁 Be empathetic. Don't jump to conclusions. Be open to both sides of a narrative.

🍁 Make a list of your favourite words, idioms, proverbs and phrases. Consult the list when you're writing something.

🍁 When you're texting or talking to a friend, be attentive to the way they articulate their feelings. It will help you write killer dialogues.

🍁 Share your write-ups with other readers, get valuable feedback and work on them. The more you let people read your work, the more you understand your drawbacks and plus points. 

Happy Writing! 🧡

My journey so far.

Starting out very young, as a writer, is never easy. Especially if you're introverted, ambitious and idealistic as a teen. I started out when I was only sixteen years old. I thought I could write a novel which would inspire people to look at 'love' differently. Mind you, I didn't know shit about love back when I was 16. Neither was I ever in a relationship nor did I have any real life example to draw inspiration from. And all those lessons on love which I believed would 'stir the world' were gathered from different works of fiction and my own teenage fantasies.

The destiny of every illusion is disillusionment. 

Mine weren't any exception.

I didn't know what I was doing. 

I had this dream, this burning desire to be a published author, which kept me up all night and I wanted to do something about it. 

When I started out, I had zero knowledge about how to write, publish or market books. I had no clue about formatting, typesetting or editing. I didn't know the difference between traditional publishers and vanity publishers. I wasn't aware that an amazing, cost-effective platform called KDP even existed. I was never on social media. I started from zero, all alone, with nobody to help me or guide me through the whole process. 

And I was thoroughly cheated.

Quite natural, right? That's what usually happens when you have to depend on other people for something you have no knowledge about. The moment they get a whiff of your ignorance, they sink their teeth into it. 

Yes, my interviews featured in different newspapers, I was felicitated in my school, yada yada yada, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. My friends and followers on social media only knew what I let them know. I celebrated my little successes and never opened my mouth about the losses my parents had to suffer. And all the limelight I received as a young author, was short-lived. 

My work was not up to the mark. It had several glaring errors which my publisher never bothered to bring to my notice. Starting from the formatting, the typesetting, the proofreading, inconsistencies in the plot, to the cover page designing- none of it was properly executed, even though I was charged separately for all of these services. The critiques naturally went hard on me. They ridiculed the layout, the format, the typesetting, the punctuations, which were all out of whack. I was heartbroken. I never thought I would be able to write again. And well, for three years, I almost didn't. 

The only thing that I thought would make me, my school and my parents proud, stuck out like a sore thumb and became a cause of perpetual embarrassment for me. 

I left social media. Focused on my ISC. Graduated from school. And didn't think of holding the pen again for a very long time. I got admitted to Jadavpur University, and even though my experience there has been bittersweet, choosing JU over DU, continues to be the 'one' decision in my life I shall never regret. And I thank my mother for it. She was one who pushed me to sit for the JU entrance exam when I was hell bent on going to LSR instead. 

JU transformed me. 

And whoever I am today, whatever I stand for, whatever I have learnt about life, about people, about myself, I owe it all to JU. I owe every bit of it to JU. If I've been able to hold the pen again, it's for JU. None of it has been a cakewalk for me. Everything had its own ups and downs but I'm glad I've been able to learn from each and every one of my experiences and incorporate those lessons in my life.

So, here I am. Alive. Back again on social media. Back with a new book. My stories are different this time. My life has been a whirlwind ever since I stepped out of school. And in the midst of it all, I kind of lost the ability to think or write about love the way I used to. 

I don't know when my book is going to hit the market, but hopefully I won't be exploited this time since I have chosen KDP. I hope my readers like what I've written.

And through my new stories, I hope to reintroduce myself.

Hope you're having a nice day. ❤

4 Types of Publishing.

Tired of that manuscript sitting idle in your laptop? Confused about how to publish your first book? Here are four ways you can do it:

▶Traditional Publishing- 

This is one of the most difficult options. But if you are certain that your manuscript has the potential to make it big, you can opt for traditional publishing. Publishers like Penguin, Harper Collins, Hachette, Simon and Schuster, Scholastic etc are all traditional publishers and they publish your work only if they think it is worth it. Many of these publishers do not receive unsolicited submissions. You have to approach them through literary agents. It is a long drawn process, very time consuming. Visit their websites, go to the 'Submission' page, read up the FAQs and then mail your manuscript.

▶Self Publishing- 

You don't have to wait for a reputed publishing house to give you a green signal. And even if your manuscript is GREAT it will end up in the slush pile because you are a newbie. With a self publishing, you can publish your manuscript once you are sure it's ready. However, you have to pay a large amount of money for that. You can choose from several packages provided by the publishers. The more you pay, the more services they offer. But you have to take most of the initiatives when it comes to marketing your book. It is a fast process, but it is extremely expensive.

▶Adaptive Publishing- 

Publishers like PepperScript offer Adaptive Publishing where you need to pay for the initial publication of your work. You choose the number of copies you want to publish, pay the cost of printing, editing, book cover designing, digital marketing etc. Once all your copies are sold, and if it fares well in the market the publishers agree to sign a traditional contract with you where they take over the cost of printing and pay you the royalty from time to time. 

▶ Kindle Direct Publishing- 

It is the most cost effective form of publishing. Create a KDP account on Amazon and upload your formatted manuscript, a nice cover page which you might create yourself using Canva, and you're all set! You don't have to pay a single penny! Anyone with the Kindle app on their device can read your work. 

Have a great day! ❤

The Ugly Truth about Traditional Publishing.

If you want to be a published writer, this is the post you ABSOLUTELY NEED to read before you send your manuscript out to publishers.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A DIME IF YOUR BOOK IS TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED- that's what a lie looks like in the writing world. YES. 🙂

First of all, most of the traditional publishers (with a few exceptions like Harper Collins and Penguin) do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. 

So, what's the difference between a SOLICITED manuscript and an UNSOLICITED manuscript?

- a solicited manuscript is basically a manuscript that is presented to a traditional publisher ONLY by a literary agent (on your behalf). An unsolicited manuscript is one that you can directly mail as a 'submission' to the traditional publisher. 

When I tried to go the traditional way with the manuscript of a memoir that I was working on last year (yeah, you can call me delusional), I checked the FAQs on the websites of probably 25+ traditional publishers only to discover that they DO NOT ACCEPT unsolicited manuscripts. Some of them even had a list of literary agents that writers could approach, and through them, get their work placed before the publisher. The reason stated was that since these traditional houses receive hundreds of manuscripts every year, they do not have the time to go through each one of them, and that is precisely what the literary agents do. They basically sift through the slush pile to find those rare manuscripts that are really worthy of being published. So, you first send your work to them and they agree to present your work to the big-shots only if they believe it has got the potential. 

So, naturally, I emailed my manuscript, cover letter, synopsis, sample chapters and professional bio to fifteen different literary agents and got positive replies from around 2-3 of them, (and mind you, they were the most famous literary agents in the country.) They mailed me saying that they wanted to read my entire manuscript! I was on cloud nine! Because it was clearly mentioned on their website that they will ask for my complete manuscript ONLY if they are interested in my work. 

Hence, I sent them my complete manuscript as fast as I could. I had already started visualizing myself receiving my first royalty cheque. But something that struck me as rather odd was when they replied to me in less than 24 hours, saying that they were interested to go ahead with my work (like how? How did they finish reading a 250 page manuscript in less than 24 hours?) but that it needed a touch of 'EDITING' which was one of the services that they offered. 

So what would an author, who's always dreamed of having her work traditionally published by a reputed publishing house, do in such a situation? I naturally jumped at the offer and asked them what their rates for editing were and what all I was supposed to do in order to acquire their services. I was so happy that my work was finally getting the attention I thought it deserved. The months of hard work had finally paid off. I was so sure that my work was worthy of being published, because it was the first time I had worked on a such serious theme and that too after months of extensive research.

Well, they then asked me to send my entire manuscript to them once again. I did. After perhaps an hour, having applied the right font, line spacing and everything, they wrote to me saying that my 250 pages turned out to be a gigantic 420-page memoir. Their rates were around 280 rupees per page for only one round of editing (exclusive of GST). So, they would be charging me around 1,30,000 rupees for ONLY ONE ROUND of editing, and based on how I reworked my manuscript, multiple rounds of editing might be required before they would present it to a publisher. And even after all that the publisher might not agree to publish my work. but that was not something they could help.

That's when I realized that the publishing industry was called an 'industry' for a reason. Being an undergraduate with almost NO income of my own, I couldn't think of paying over 3 lakhs for several rounds of editing, depending on the whims of my literary agent. And yes, they might be reputed for their first class services but I wouldn't want to be placed in a situation where I would have to break the bank or waste my parents' hard earned money on a cause that was totally uncertain. And even after spending all of that money, what if the publishers didn't think my work was good enough? What if they rejected my manuscript? What then? How would I face my parents? What would I say to them?

So, what I realized was that, unless one was a prolific writer of considerable repute or someone who wouldn't really mind losing 3-5 lakhs to a gamble, approaching traditions publishers through literary agents was not someone one could safely opt for. There are several reviews online from writers who have gone ahead with it and suffered major losses for nothing. 

You can both self-publish and market your work for way lesser than the amount of money that you might have to pay a literary agent only to have your manuscript rejected at last. And if you decide to opt for Kindle Direct Publishing, you might not have to pay anything at all.

Having said all that, I would like to add that it was not my intention to hurt anyone's sentiment through this post. This was purely a personal experience which I thought I owed my readers and other budding writers out there.

Stay Home!

Stay Safe!

Peace! 

❤

How to Write Killer Dialogues?

Tired of your dialogues sounding unrealistic? Follow these simple steps to write killer dialogues:

• Listen to people when they speak- and I cannot stress on the importance of this fact enough. The only way to nail your dialogues would be to write them exactly as they sound in real life.

• Write short incomplete sentences- when we are speaking to somebody, we hardly ever speak in a long-winded manner. We do not bother finishing our sentences unless it is a very formal conversation. For an example: "Got no lunch on me today," she said. "Cafeteria then?" It's pretty much implied in these incomplete sentences that she wants to go to the cafeteria because she didn't carry any lunch. 

• When two or more people are speaking, pepper your dialogues with interruptions- this is what happens when two or more people speak in real life, isn't it? Do they wait for the others to complete what they have to say? No. Unless you're writing a monologue, make sure you include some interruptions.

• Include backstories and facts about the people speaking in the dialogue tags or right after the dialogues to make them sound less monotonous. Ex- "Let's hang out someday, please!" she insisted impatiently over the phone. She hadn't seen her best friend in three years, ever since they had left school after the boards.

• Don't overuse too many mouth sounds like "Hmm", "Ah", "Um", "Err" etc. That's not how we usually speak all the time (unless we have serious speech and memory problems). Use but don't overuse. It makes your writing come off as rather amateur.

Hope you found it useful.

Drop your dialogues in the comment section below, if you want to have some fun! ❤

Facing Criticism.

Facing criticism and WHY you shouldn't shy away from publishing your work:

A writer grows only when he/she has the ability to take constuctive criticism in his/her stride. A lot of us shy away from publishing our work just because we are afraid of what other people might say. 

"What if they criticize me?"

"What if they make fun of me, my concepts and my ideas?"

"Oh! If that happens I'll never be able to write again!"

Well, let me break it to you. They will. You will be criticized. That's a given.

You cannot please/satisfy everyone. Nor are you here to do that. Some purely make fun of other people when they see them accomplishing the things they themselves couldn't. They do it out of bitterness and that's not constructive criticism. That's toxicity. And you shouldn't lose your sleep over people like that. 

Also, as a writer you should be open to people interpreting your work in their own unique ways. Everyone interprets the same piece of text differently, based on their own life experiences, knowledge and awareness. They might notice certain strains in your work that you yourself couldn't when you were writing it. When you see people criticizing your work always try to know 'WHY'. If they can give you the answer to that and if you think they are somewhat right, that's the kind of criticism you should take seriously and work on. 

Always remember, unless you're criticized, you won't be pushed to know more, to learn more or to write more. Criticism makes you conscious, it makes you more aware. Most importantly, it makes you want to be a better writer, and that's a prerequisite if you want to become a writer whose works are treated with seriousness. That's how you learn, that's how you grow. 

None of us are born into this world already being what we want to be. And especially if you're a writer who is just starting out, feedback, reviews and opinions from readers, are QUINTESSENTIAL. 

DO NOT ASSUME THAT EVERY CRITIC IS A HATER. SOME ARE MERELY TRYING TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH THAT YOU  YOURSELF CANNOT SEE BECAUSE YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO YOUR WORK. (yes, I'm screaming)

If you're not open to constructive criticism, you are just not prepared to grow as a writer. 

#constructivecriticism

4 things to avoid in the first chapter of your novel.

The first chapter is the most important chapter of your novel. It can actually determine the fate of your manuscript, whether its going to make it to the book shelves or in the Recycle Bin. Here are some of the things that you should definitely AVOID in the very first chapter of your novel:

▶ Too much backstory- let the readers catch up with the back story eventually as they read through the chapters. Don't state all of it in the very first chapter.

▶ Too many character names- unless you're out to confuse the readers, don't do it. When too many names are thrown in all together, the readers will invariably end up perplexed. 

▶ Waking up from a dream- this is one of the most overused techniques of beginning a novel. If you're thinking of starting your novel with a dream, or with a character waking up from a dream, PLEASE reconsider.

▶ Long character descriptions- describe your protagonist, yes. But always remember the 'show, dont tell' rule. Instead of explicitly describing the character of the protagonist, let the readers figure it out through his/her actions, choices, habits or quirks.

Your goal is to keep the readers wanting more after they have read your first chapter. So, make sure you frame the first chapter in a way that gets them hooked to your narrative right from the very beginning.

Language Rules!

It's very easy to fall into the trap of using bombastic, high-sounding words to make your work look/sound erudite. But in reality, it has quite the opposite effect. Yes.

What I always ask young writers, when they seek for writing advice, is "Who are you writing for?" and most of the time they reply with something like "common people". And why I ask this question every time is because it is EXTREMELY important to have your target audience in mind when you're writing something that you want put out into the world.

• Your reader should not have to possess extensive background knowledge of Literature, Philosophy, Sociology or any other discipline for that matter to be able to understand simple concepts (unless of course you're particularly targeting the students of these disciplines). 

• If you're writing for the common people use the language of the common people. If you want your message to have an impact on them, kindly refrain from throwing around words that you know they won't understand. It often intimidates them into not reading your work at all.

• Your reader should not have to consult the dictionary 12 times to be able to understand the content of a single page. It makes the entire reading experience extremely tedious and thus forces the reader to close the book after a few pages and never go back to it again. Your goal is to ignite not exhaust.

Let your words be simple but your ideas profound. Who do you want to inspire? Who do you want to change? Who do you want to reach out to? Ask yourself these questions before you write. 

5 Indicators of Amateur Writing.

If you're guilty of these five indicators, (or should I say sin-dicators?) your writing might come off as rather amateur to your readers:

Okay, so this is going to be a short but relatable blog:

1) Excessive punctuations. 

Especially exclamation marks (!!!) or ellipses (...) or these (?!!), (!!?), (...!) PLEASE STOP! This doesn't look good. Speaking from experience here. It will jar your readers and make them forget what a normal/healthy reading experience feels like.

2) TOO MANY CAPITAL LETTERS.

Capital letters are used only when you want to portray someone shouting or screaming. Don't use capital letters merely for the sake of emphasis. You can italicize your words if you want to emphasize but please refrain from over doing that. If your dialogues are relevant, your readers will automatically know which parts carry emphasis.

3) USING FANCY WORDS.

This is a big NO NO. Using fancy words like 'nefelibata', 'fernweh', 'cacoethes', 'confusticate' and other words that you like the look/sound of, without any idea of how they should be used, is worse than blasphemy in the writing world. Take my advice, don't use them at all. Using beautiful words won't necessarily beautify your writing. They'll only irritate your readers.

4) Using same sentence patterns or beginning and ending your sentences in the same way.

This can make your writing extremely monotonous. Bring variations in your sentences. Try combining long and short sentences. And cut out the inane subject-verb-object pattern. 

5) YOU. ARE. NOT. SUPPOSED. TO. WRITE. LIKE. THIS. Nor... like... this... WHY? BeCaUsE. No. oNe. eVer. sPeaKs. LiKe. tHis. Please try not to scare your readers.

Hope you found this blog useful.

How to Write an Impressive Blog.

Let's jump straight to the point. So, how to write an impressive blog:

1) Write a short catchy title.

Here's where starting with "How to" and "Why" can come handy. For an example, "How to Write an Impressive Blog". Or you might want to be more specific and try "5 Steps you can Follow to Write an Impressive Blog". Try to keep the title within 15 words.

2) Give examples.

If you're writing a "How to" blog, it's always going to be helpful to your readers if you give suitable examples for every step that you describe. 

3) Keep your introduction short.

Most of the readers don't even go through your intro. They jump straight to the points. So, don't waste time writing long intros for your blogs. Make the body of your blog as interesting as you can but keep the intro (and the conclusion) short. 

4) Research well.

No matter what you're writing on, make sure you've researched the topic well. Don't write blogs just for the sake of it. Your readers should have takeaways from your blogs. Don't attempt to write on topics that you're not quite familiar with because your readers are more intelligent than you think they are. They'll smell it right away.

5) Bring something new to the table.

There are thousands of bloggers out there who are writing on the same topics as you are. If you want your blogs to stand out and create a buzz, you need to tell your readers something that the other bloggers aren't telling them. Find that out first and tell them something new, tell them what they are not being told. Don't let your work be a compilation of all the other blogs you have read on the topic.

Hope you found this post useful.❤

The Key Elements of the WordPress Ecosystem.

What is WordPress? Why is it used?

Wordpress is a free online blogging platform where writers can self-publish their articles, blogs, stories, and insights. It is primarily a blog hosting website, served worldwide, owned and created by Automattic, Inc. It provides free blog hosting services for registered users. All one needs is a domain and hosting service to create and publish web pageswebpages using WordPress.

Key elements of WordPress:

1. Post

Anything that a user publishes on WordPress is a post. It can be an article, a blog, a story, or an insight. Freelancers can also offer their services on WordPress with the help of posts describing their services, the unique features of the services, their rates, etc. Writers can post their experiences and anecdotes in their WordPress domains to build an audience. 

What started off as a free blog hosting website is also being used as an advertisement platform nowadays. Whether it is product information, a biography of the author, the history of a particular company, anything published in a WordPress domain qualifies as a post.

2. Pages

Pages display the posts that an author publishes on WordPress. ThesePages were introduced in WordPress version 1.5. It permits users to create static pages like a home page, an about page, a contact page, a services page, a portfolio page, etc, all containing a specific kind of information related to the company, the author, a product, etc. Pages can be hierarchical. One page can have multiple sub pages. There is no limitation on the number of pages a user can create on WordPress. A user can also use different page templates to change the appearances of the pages.

3. Media

With the help of the Media tab, a user can upload photos, videos, GIFs, audio, and other files to his or her WordPress domain for further use in the posts. There are two screens under the 

Media menu- Library and Add New. Under the Library screen, one gets to see all the images, GIFs, video, audio clips one has uploaded to one's domain. The Add New option allows the user to upload free media to his or her domain for future use. The contents in the Library can be deleted and even edited depending on the wishes of the user. If the users want to insert any of these uploaded files in their posts, they simply have to select their preferred files from the library and add them in their desired places.

4. Themes

Themes in WordPress is a collection of templates and stylesheets that bring diversity in the appearance of a WordPress powered website. Each theme comes with a distinct design, layout and features, and it gives a unique look to the website. Themes can be changed and managed by the users according to their tastes and preferences and the requirements of their website. A wide range of free themes are available on WordPress. However, there are some themes that the users have to purchase to use. 

5. Plugins

Plugins are little pieces of software that extend the functionality of a WordPress website. Each plugin comes with a unique set of features and they add to the overall efficiency of the website in their own unique ways. Different plugins are available for different purposes. They can be used for free from the official WordPress plugin directory. Some special plugins are also available for purchase from third-party companies and developers. Using plugins, users can add features to their websites without knowing a single line of code. 

6. Comments

Comments are the reactions that the readers leave on a WordPress website as a response to the blog, article, experience, or information posted in it. TheseComments are a great way to start multiple dialogues and build a community around one's blog. Through the comments, readers can offer constructive feedback, voice their opinions, ask questions, and thus engage with the blog content. The users have the option to approve of or reject a comment from appearing under their posts. They can also reply to the comments and thus initiate healthy conversations around their posts.

7. Users

Users are the ones who create and post content in the website, edit content, manage comments, etc. It's not necessary to always have one user for one website. Multiple users can manage a single WordPress website. There are several roles in a WordPress website, like the roles of Super Admin, Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber. Different users perform different roles. Each role has a specific set of tasks that it is allowed to perform. These tasks are known as “capabilities”. Although every role has a predefined set of capabilities, new capabilities can be added and removed from each role.

These are the fundamental elements or the building blocks of the WordPress ecosystem. A thorough knowledge of these key elements can help a user have a more fulfilling experience working on a WordPress website. Thus it is always advisable to look up the features before starting out.

How to go about the quintessential Pre-writing Process?

 What is Prewriting in the Writing Process?

Prewriting is the first and the most crucial stage of the writing process. The writers use it to determine what exactly they want to communicate, the purpose of the communication and the target audience. It comprises various steps which shall be further described in detail.

1. Select a topic.

Selecting a topic is the foremost task in prewriting. One should select a topic that one has a clear understanding of and sufficient knowledge about. In order to write an effective content, one should select a topic that is close to one's heart. One can also select topics that are popular or widely discussed among one's target audience. In that case, a keen understanding of the tastes and preferences of one's target audience is of vital importance. For example, if one's target audience consists of teenagers and young adults, they definitely won't be interested to read an article about the fiscal and monetary policy of India. On the other hand, they will be delighted with articles on date ideas, fashion advice, book recommendations, DIY gifts, celebrity gossip etc.

2. Write a Purpose Statement.

A purpose statement tells a reader what to expect from an article. It gives direction to an article by highlighting the most important points that are to be covered. It is usually short and precise, stating the focus and goals of the article in two or three lines. A purpose statement is written just after the title of the article and before the introduction. Writers often skip the purpose statement altogether and start directly with the introduction. Many of them incorporate the purpose statement within the introduction. 

3. Jot down ideas.

Writers should preferably keep a small notebook handy or install a Notes App to write down all the ideas as and when they come to them. Keeping a track of all the ideas prevents the risk of forgetting important points that might be crucial for the article. Jotting down ideas is like arranging all the bits and pieces of information that go into making an article complete and compact. While working on the main article, the writer can simply consult his notes and state the ideas one after the other with the requisite explanations.

4. Conduct research.

Research can be conducted in a number of ways. Writers can go through articles that have already been written on their topics by other writers. They might watch videos or listen to podcasts related to their topics. They can also consult other people in their circle and ask for their views on the chosen topic. Talking to people of the same age group as one's target audience can also prove beneficial. Reading books that might provide information related to one's content makes one's article more comprehensive and detailed. If that proves cumbersome, surfing the Internet always works.

5. Prepare the outline or structure of the content.

This is the step where the writer needs to organize his or her content. Outlining the content can be done in the form of a flowchart or a hierarchical structure. Outlining helps to build the framework of an article and makes it extremely easy for the writer to draft the actual article. Clustering is a technique that involves creating visual webs that explain the associations between different ideas. This is a kind of a diagrammatic organization of the rough content which the writer consults before drafting the fair content. Is it during this step that a writer has to assemble any pictures or illustrations that he or she might use in the article and decide where they are to be inserted.

These are the five basic steps of prewriting. It is quintessential for new writers to follow these steps so as to draft numerous articles quickly, efficiently and methodically.