tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400258582432467582024-03-05T04:34:08.758-08:00New Indian Writing- Fresh ClassicsNew Indian Writing is an endeavor to bring together new authors and readers. Publishing as an English language author in India is getting popular but still a challenge. We put you face to face with readers, critics, and experts from publishing industry.Hershhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746263260855586341noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-41045986877989083902012-10-30T09:18:00.001-07:002012-10-30T09:18:17.539-07:00Moved to NEWINDIANWRITING.COM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hershhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746263260855586341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-89145803349803348982012-04-06T09:15:00.000-07:002012-04-06T09:15:02.935-07:00Writing as an Indian or not?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Writing as an Indian or not?</span></b></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB">Shamala S. Palaniappan grapples with how her heritage rears its head in her writing and reading.</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">"Are you Indian?"</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Living in Germany, it must have be one of the most common questions I have been affronted with. My answer has always depended on the situation, the person asking, and my mood for the day.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">That is usually followed very quickly by, " I looooove Bollywood." At which point, I put an end to the conversation. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the industry, nor the movies, I am simply not a fan, and just simply because I am brown and have a name with 13 syllables, does not make me an instant expert!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I never see myself, which probably always been one of my virtues and problems in the same breadth. I have no sense of my height, colour, girth. I can stand amidst six-foot tall blondes and not know that I am the odd one out.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Because I really believe our outer shells can never do us any justice. As a writer, it is my inner self, what I hear, see, feel, taste, suffer that appear on paper as words, in the hope that the reader will join my journey for the short while that they remain on the page.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">But a question that presents itself every now and then and I know that I have to address is my Indian heritage as a writer. I stand in the wake of giants. Names such as Tagore, Rushdie, Roy, Narayanan, Andal, Adiga, Divakaruni, Mistry, Desai, the list is endless. Google search Indian authors and the list reels for miles.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">When I read anything by any Indian author, I feel as if I have come home. It is really peculiar, as I have never lived in India. But perhaps, I carry the essence of a 5000-odd year soul in me. I hear the characters speaking directly to me, relating tales that I understand, and showing me emotions that I immediately comprehend.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Perhaps, there will always be an umbilical cord that connects me to the mother nation, and as an individual I do not need to address my ties since there will always be a connection at a very subliminal level.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I applaud the written words that India has birthed. I have learnt, lived, and loved every bit of the country I know only as a tourist through the books. I have read and reread stories to visualize what life must have been like during different political eras, through the labyrinth of history.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The voices of Indian authors that have given life to characters who have traversed the sub continent from north to south, east to west, coast to coast. I could wax lyrical on each individual writer, but will save that for another post.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I want to whisper into the air, the story that wants to be told, the story of an Indian soul from a migrant family, who cannot stop – migrating. Where does the soul root itself? Where does the soul find its home?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It is the story that I am writing. It is the story of searching for answers.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Because for now, my answer is: I am not sure.</span></div>
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Bio: A Malaysian of Indian descent, she prefers to look at her homeland with affection and horror from afar. A geneticist by training, she now writes to appease the macrocosms and microcosms. A child of the world, and unsure of where to call home, she resides in Germany, where the wintry summers continue to inspire her. She has just published her collection of short stories, Elephant's Breath, and can be contacted at <a href="mailto:shamalasp@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">shamalasp@gmail.com</a>. Also, follow her misadventures at <a href="http://www.writingorganism.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.writingorganism.com</a></div>
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Follow This Blog on Facebook <iframe allowtransparency="true" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FNew-Indian-Writing%2F108554052598101&width=220&height=62&colorscheme=light&show_faces=false&border_color&stream=false&header=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border: none; height: 62px; overflow: hidden; width: 220px;"></iframe></div>Hershhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746263260855586341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-64833892783874922392012-01-24T08:23:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:25:04.982-08:00Interviewing Ram Halady- A Chicago Based Indian Author<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttSsapkKNExz9_40rgfc-XIGgqCH7en7cgQFkrIzBsWPDMY_1YIqUXvUdbcMhyHuUNnms2DymSDeDYMPlJmTOIGesh41Zzg9jZWTw23IDjwpD9B8CEUsdZTfK9OPYGA24bREralnbjt4/s1600/Reuben+Book+Cover_2+_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttSsapkKNExz9_40rgfc-XIGgqCH7en7cgQFkrIzBsWPDMY_1YIqUXvUdbcMhyHuUNnms2DymSDeDYMPlJmTOIGesh41Zzg9jZWTw23IDjwpD9B8CEUsdZTfK9OPYGA24bREralnbjt4/s320/Reuben+Book+Cover_2+_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>What’s the title of your book and its genre? Tell us briefly about it.</b><br />
Reuben’s Adventures in Uncle Ram’s Farm is the title. Vol-2 followed shortly after the launch of<br />
Vol-1 in July 2011. It is a set of 6 short stories each with illustrations, for children of ages 3-9.<br />
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Although I had moved away from India to Chicago over 20 years back, I had good<br />
childhood memories of visiting my uncle's farm. In each of us, there is a child who<br />
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longs to have adventures in the safety of love of their uncles and protective pets. My</div>
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wife Jeanne and I have fantasized about settling in India with a farm and a roaming</div>
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elephant, which the villagers would love to feed.</div>
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So, I based my stories with real family in my imaginary farm in India, right next to</div>
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the forest, where there is no shortage of animals or adventures. I also wanted to</div>
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put the children in charge of this world, assisted by animals that can communicate</div>
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especially to them. In these stories, Reuben and Andrew visit the farm; get exposed</div>
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to different animals in their adventures and learn something along the way.</div>
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amazon.com/author/ramhalady</div>
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<b> Any similar titles from other authors published recently? Which authors would you think you</b></div>
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<b>directly compare to? Old or new.</b></div>
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I am not aware of any writers similar to my work. I think it is unique in terms of multi-cultures</div>
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converging in a folk-lore type stories.</div>
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<b> Tell us in about 100 words about your literary influences?</b></div>
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My dad was a professor of English, and there was no shortage of books of all kinds, when</div>
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growing up. We read both English and Tamil books very avidly. We would hit all the local</div>
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libraries and read all novels and comics. Enid Blyton was my favourite then.</div>
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blyton%2C_Enid</div>
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<b> Is there any one book that changed your life aroun</b>d?</div>
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If there is one book I can point to, it is “Quiet American” by Graham Greene. He has a very</div>
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classy style of narrating without effort and pretense. He showed that you can start a story from</div>
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anywhere and carry on. I also like Hemingway and John Le Carre, as it is easy to lose yourself in</div>
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their stories.</div>
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<b> Why do you write in the genre you currently write?</b></div>
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I kind of fell into writing in this category - It started as a hobby for me - writing</div>
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entertaining stories for my nephews Reuben and Andrew, for the last 3 years over</div>
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their visits or birthdays and special occasions. I think the world would be a better</div>
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place if children were in control than adults. I like weaving in my observations of</div>
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their personal characters with my experiences in a way that children can have fun,</div>
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adventures and learn something.</div>
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<b>What have you learnt so far in your journey from finishing manuscript to becoming a published</b></div>
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<b>author? Any lessons for unpublished authors.</b></div>
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It is very important to have the support of your family and friends. For children’s category, it is</div>
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good to have a good illustrator, who can enhance the stories and a publisher, who will devote</div>
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their time to marketing your products ceaselessly. And don’t yield too much to the editors lest</div>
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you lose your originality over correctness.</div>
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<b> Tell us about your next project?</b></div>
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The experience of writing the last 2 books has opened up many possibilities for me. I like playing</div>
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and interacting with children. I love reading the stories to them. With favorable reception of</div>
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this theme, I am likely to add more stories with new characters in the same series. I am also</div>
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considering writing novels as well. Let us see what 2012 will bring.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjz03b7ooNfaO4N15VhuT4tUP0e-_g2q8bynDhNp1ZuqChXPybuAx8zLWKPF9MtchbWQM_lw7fc2onmY_Vg5HvYYeoqt5e1F1kVyU8TwZqcrqESULISrkNPw1OcCGhldEwbwSQq7xoaA/s1600/Author+Photo+with+Reuben+and+Andrew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjz03b7ooNfaO4N15VhuT4tUP0e-_g2q8bynDhNp1ZuqChXPybuAx8zLWKPF9MtchbWQM_lw7fc2onmY_Vg5HvYYeoqt5e1F1kVyU8TwZqcrqESULISrkNPw1OcCGhldEwbwSQq7xoaA/s320/Author+Photo+with+Reuben+and+Andrew.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB">The Journey of the Unknown Path </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">by young talented author Manhardeep
Singh Ahluwalia makes no pretence to follow Robin Sharma’s style of writing. Even
though you can’t help but sense the similarities, it’d be a mistake to compare the
two. The book is intended to be taken as a parable, with consistent, and,
sometimes annoying, presence of prescriptive subtext.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It’s a
journey of two characters spaced in time. The journey is metaphorical with
abundant moral lessons to be had along the way. Rama, who is the first
protagonist, journeys across an unknown forest. Michael, a few centuries later,
travels through an unknown tunnel. The metaphor stands to mean that’ ‘unknown’
is in fact ‘life’. What fails the book in terms of content is the attempt to
traverse through this ‘unknown’ in less than 50 pages, and, it makes a mockery
of all the larger works of self-help literature. Brevity of thought and
expression works against the book. This first flaw is the length of the book.
It’s not a book, it’s a booklet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Robin
Sharma weaves stories around his moral teachings, so does Stephen Covey when he
is teaching management leadership. Paulo Coelho takes this to another level and
makes one magically oblivious that his stories are also ingrained with moral
and spiritual lessons. Manhardeep sits somewhere on the fence on this. He has
tried a parable that is too short, too vivid, and does not drive home an
individual message. It’s a cacophony of quotes that you can find out of the
literature of Bob Proctor, Bob Doyle and other guys out of <i>The Secret </i>. Manhardeep needs to find his ‘voice’ pretty soone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">This is
clearly a case of how a publisher has failed a first-time talented author. The subtext coming up as ‘author’s notes’ is
a bad idea. So, is the length of the book. The language is formal and at times
redundant. I can’t understand why the ‘acknowledgement’ page is the last page
of the book. This all suggests that the editor took a leave when they published
this book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I would
sincerely want to keep Manhardeep motivated enough to carry on writing after
this review. There is nothing at all wrong with his skill-set and writing
brain. <i>The Journey of the Unknown Path </i>is
a publisher’s blunder and is certainly an incomplete-book published in hurry by
a business house and not a publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Considering
that the author paid money towards publishing I am absolutely furious at the services
he got in return. Of course, the quality of printing and paper is acceptable
but that’s just about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Why is the title
not ‘A Journey of an Unknown Path’, or, ‘A Journey of the Unknown Path ? I
wonder if they ( editors) can actually see any difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Follow This Blog on Facebook <iframe allowtransparency="true" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FNew-Indian-Writing%2F108554052598101&width=220&height=62&colorscheme=light&show_faces=false&border_color&stream=false&header=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border: none; height: 62px; overflow: hidden; width: 220px;"></iframe></div>Hershhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746263260855586341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-87992965506801944332012-01-11T10:24:00.000-08:002012-01-11T10:24:02.051-08:00Sushant Kumar: Author of Tribal Fusion and Social Evolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgMclHSYy4qFh40iP7bBVEwnMaQ2MVCmVE17dONJdhh06YnblMjGZdoz9zNcjxoYddedX2zLsfaVy6na6K2ujhvTGnTkz41lNvmQuHn5k-M_Cl3m-2ZWutkZZKpRV4Q5JlBmEipU5rBg/s1600/sushant-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgMclHSYy4qFh40iP7bBVEwnMaQ2MVCmVE17dONJdhh06YnblMjGZdoz9zNcjxoYddedX2zLsfaVy6na6K2ujhvTGnTkz41lNvmQuHn5k-M_Cl3m-2ZWutkZZKpRV4Q5JlBmEipU5rBg/s320/sushant-cover.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #222222;">Meet
Sushant Kumar who is already an internationally acclaimed historian who began
writing at the age of 16. Social evolution has been a topic of debate amongst
intellectual elite. A recent interview with Sushant below-<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">What’s
the title of your book and it’s genre? Tell us briefly about it</span></b></span><b><span style="color: #222222;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The title of the book is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Tribal Fusion and Social Evolution</i>.
Its genre is adult non-fiction. This book is written with the point of view to
analyze the tribal structure in the Vedic times and its evolution as the
caste-society. The fusion of the various tribes to form the complex
hierarchical caste-society has also been discussed with references to the
literary and the archaeological sources of the contemporary period. Following are
some of the links to my book.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"> <a href="http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TribalFusionAndSocialEvolution.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TribalFusionAndSocialEvolution.html</span></a></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 54.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://books.google.co.in/books/about/Tribal_Fusion_and_Social_Evolution.html?id=852HGVbfwJIC&redir_esc=y" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://books.google.co.in/books/about/Tribal_Fusion_and_Social_Evolution.html?id=852HGVbfwJIC&redir_esc=y</span></a></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Any
similar titles from other authors published recently? Which authors would you
think you directly compare to? Old or new.</span></b></span><b><span style="color: #222222;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Yes, there are the many
books written by the different authors of repute. Some of them are<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Material Culture and Social
Formations in Ancient India</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by
Prof. R.S. Sharma,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>From
Lineage to State</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by Prof.
Romila Thapar, and the many others. Recently, Prof. R.N. Nandi has published a
book<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Aryans Revisited</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aryans-Revisited-Ramendra-Nath-Nandi/dp/8121509599" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.amazon.com/Aryans-Revisited-Ramendra-Nath-Nandi/dp/8121509599</span></a>),
which is the most relevant to my topic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Tells
us in about 100 words about your literary influences?</span></b></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>There are the many sites on Internet
on which my book can be found. This is a serious topic and people interested in
the ancient Indian history are the target readers. Many of the papers included
in the book were presented as the papers in the Indian History Congress. Some
papers have been published in some editorial volumes also like<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Recent Researches in History, Archaeology
and Culture</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by Prof. P.
Chenna Reddy, from Hyderabad. So experts are the target audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Is
there any one book that changed your life around?</span></b></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> Formerly, I have
published three books on the relevant topics viz.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Evolution of Tribes, Society and
Early Philosophy: in Indian Subcontinent<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>(Patna,
2004)<i>, The Rigvedic Cosmology: Some Interpretations</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(Patna, 2006) and the present book,
namely,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Tribal Fusion and
Social Evolution<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>(New York,
2008)<i>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>After the
publication of the first book, I had become a member of the Bihar Itihas
Parishad in the age of 16 while after the publication of the second book I had
become a member of the Indian History Congress in the age of 17 and thus I had
become the youngest member of these congresses till hitherto. At that time I
was doing Intermediate from Patna Collge, Patna. When the third book was
published from New York, I was 19 year old and was doing BA Hon. from Patna
University, Patna. Now I have passed MA (1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>class, 1<sup>st</sup>) and this year I
am the gold medalist in History from Patna University, Patna.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Why
do you write in the genre you currently write?</span></b></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This is the most controversial and
difficult topic in the Ancient Indian History. Therefore, I intend to analyze
the problems and develop a methodology for the reconstruction of the Vedic
History. In the present book, I have tried to analyze the course of social
evolution and the development of the various taboos in the Vedic period and
then to underline the patterns of the course of social evolution in that
period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">What
have you learnt so far in your journey from finishing manuscript to becoming a
published author </span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">? Any lessons for unpublished authors</span></b></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I have learnt so far that there is no
need to be hasty because this is a very serious task and this involves so much
labour and sacrifices to gain something. One more thing I should like to share,
never restrict your fantasizing ability. Imaginations are more important than
information. Never make your brain a storehouse of facts, rather develop your
perspective because the value of a person lies in his perspective. Information
can be gained from anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Tell us about your next
project ?</span></b></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I
want to write on the topic, “The Epistemological Role of Language: A Pragmatic
Perspective on Learning in the Historical Background”. But before that I want
to settle myself. So as I feel mentally relaxed and ready, I will start working
on this topic. I have already prepared the topics what I have to work on. This
will be a work to underline the fundamental perspective by which the Indian
thinking, intellectual activities and the education system were unique in the
ancient period and differed from those of the western civilizations, that is,
the perspective that determined the course of the Indian thought process
throughout the Indian history.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Follow This Blog on Facebook <iframe allowtransparency="true" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FNew-Indian-Writing%2F108554052598101&width=220&height=62&colorscheme=light&show_faces=false&border_color&stream=false&header=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border: none; height: 62px; overflow: hidden; width: 220px;"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-23115236526270383762012-01-07T07:23:00.000-08:002012-01-07T08:37:43.994-08:005 Absolute Must-Do of Online Book Promotion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLcSLtXXsYI8GXelz5yXL9fW2hjPAjLs3cvr37eo4QDV2Oqhb5_VzhSid2YHGAfJVmFSP8J3mA288K5t-IvFzlm1AxENsvHo9v43O77Vhmk0jPMvrGvYA6gIIQcOPmVt4PNkirZZgGiw/s1600/price-promotion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLcSLtXXsYI8GXelz5yXL9fW2hjPAjLs3cvr37eo4QDV2Oqhb5_VzhSid2YHGAfJVmFSP8J3mA288K5t-IvFzlm1AxENsvHo9v43O77Vhmk0jPMvrGvYA6gIIQcOPmVt4PNkirZZgGiw/s200/price-promotion.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Always told my guitar teacher to teach me a tune rather than the boring basics of music-theory. I was made to learn by rote all the scales and all the variations.He never gave-in to my requests. He knew the importance of fundamentals. So do I now. This blog is to help authors get better in every dimension. Authors have had to rely upon their publishers to market and sell their books. Not anymore. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a>You are in charge of your book's destiny more than anybody else. So some very quick ideas, which are expanded further on our <a href="http://bookpromotionhub.blogspot.com/">book promotion blog</a> which is specifically devoted to this cause.<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><a href="http://bookpromotionhub.blogspot.com/2012/01/5.html">Start a Cool Author Site</a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Start A Blog, And Blog</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Network Like A Crazy Spider </li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Plug In Your Book to Social Media</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Use Video To Announce Yourself Tete-e-Tete</li>
</ol>
<div>
Most authors are somewhat aware of all this already. But this also holds true that I have yet to see a 'cool' and professional author site from an Indian author. That's just one point. Online marketing needs expert advice. It's a huge curve to learn all this on your own. I'm afraid a lot of agencies in India are either too expensive, or, shabby. Help is scarce and internet serves to confuse those who try to self-train themselves. Let's change all that, shall we! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Tell me what have you done to promote you/your book online. I'll critique/praise your efforts to get you better. Let's hear it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hersh Bhardwaj</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
P.S. Do subscribe to <a href="http://bookpromotionhub.blogspot.com/">Book Promotion Hub</a> to learn the best promotion tactics and tips.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-58032178196126709832012-01-07T02:30:00.000-08:002012-01-07T08:38:22.000-08:00Ipsita Banerjee: A Silver of Moon beam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-GB">Recently we interviewed Ipsita
Banerjee, who prefers to define herself as ‘irreverent, crazy, and tactless’.
She is an interesting writer nonetheless and never planned to be a writer. Now she
is enjoying every bit of her glory and already into her next writing project.
Here is what we talked bout with Ipsita-</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">What’s the title of your book and it’s genre? Tell us briefly about it</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">The title of my
book is “A silver of moon beam.” It is a collection of essays, short stories
and poems. The full particulars of the book can be found at the following link:
<a href="http://frogbooks.net/frog-books-leadstart-virgin-leaf-poolani/a-sliver-of-moonbeam/"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://frogbooks.net/frog-books-leadstart-virgin-leaf-poolani/a-sliver-of-moonbeam/</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB">Any similar titles from other authors published recently? Which authors
would you think you directly compare to? Old or new. </span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">No similar titles
that I know of. And I don’t really dare
compare myself with established authors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB">Tell us in about 100 words about your literary influences? </span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">Well, I’ve always
been an avid reader, gobbling everything from Stephen King to Richard Bach and
everything in between. I generally do not read or like romantic fiction and
very rarely read biographies. I prefer thrillers, something with an element of
mystery and intrigue. I am not fussy about the author, any book can hold my
attention. As I grow older I find I do not have the patience for long-winded
descriptions and details unless it’s by someone like Fredrick Forsyth! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Is there any one book that changed your life around?</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">That’s near impossible to answer, I could not name
“one” book, a lot of books have dug their claws into me, Illusions (Richard
Bach), The Shadow of the Wind (Carl Ruiz Zafon), The five people you meet in
heaven (Mitch Albom), The Millennium Series (Steig Larsson), First Among Equals
(Jeffery Archer) are just scratching the surface. No, there are too many books
that have influenced me, I cannot pick on one.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Why do you write in the genre you currently write?</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">My book was not
planned, I never thought that I would actually write a book that would be
published. I have a blog (<a href="http://www.asliverofmoonbeam.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.asliverofmoonbeam.blogspot.com</span></a>) and I
love writing but being a published author never featured even in my wildest
dreams. Friends and family read my blog and somehow their encouragement and
support initiated this book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB">What have you learnt so far in your journey from finishing
manuscript to becoming a published author
? Any lessons for unpublished authors</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">The most important thing is to market yourself. Like
in any other profession today, you really need to sell yourself, to your
readers, to your potential readers, even those people who you always thought
you could take for granted. And it is pointless to wait for anyone else to do
it for you. Unfortunately I am pretty hopeless at this PR business and I have
relied heavily on my publishers to do it for me. A mistake, I have realised.</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Tell us about your next project ?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">My next project is
something completely different. For one thing, it is a full length novel set in
the backdrop of the insurgent movement in Chattisgarh. The manuscript is
complete but the project is yet to take wing.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dm6CKWkdN3oYyzH4L34hB5Hkxkx_RvhrHDwVDABGlVD7EMetj-3qRoC0JRo-Nwf1zItk9S5soQmDrHbYyG-YWdp1brq1IUq5JP-v_hh9DJ8jBg4UmeDLRp9src9FM9znhBIdjaNBtqc/s1600/ipsita-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dm6CKWkdN3oYyzH4L34hB5Hkxkx_RvhrHDwVDABGlVD7EMetj-3qRoC0JRo-Nwf1zItk9S5soQmDrHbYyG-YWdp1brq1IUq5JP-v_hh9DJ8jBg4UmeDLRp9src9FM9znhBIdjaNBtqc/s1600/ipsita-pic.jpg" /></a></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-77954575801024433912012-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:002012-01-04T23:52:22.219-08:00Who is the reader? You , or, the person who buys your book and reads, or, a literary critic?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZagdFiy39S2mK7TtJEZpxnwbs5jMreER3MhAI4LTqUtpCkm5tdjkn4mZfTThlH53diJrszLL2LeonLkfecUvW4ox71qbmdLtZx1taBl-Sf5efJpR1cijyUivnSdpCRjyuvfzpf3uvM4g/s1600/reader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZagdFiy39S2mK7TtJEZpxnwbs5jMreER3MhAI4LTqUtpCkm5tdjkn4mZfTThlH53diJrszLL2LeonLkfecUvW4ox71qbmdLtZx1taBl-Sf5efJpR1cijyUivnSdpCRjyuvfzpf3uvM4g/s400/reader.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Reader: Img Courtesy: www.SXC.HU</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
(Guest Post by Ram Ramkrishnan)</div>
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There would have been many an occasion when each of us would
have wondered whether there were more of us in ourselves than the entity we
generally regarded as ourselves. The prevailing norms of wisdom would have
negated and thwarted any further reflection on this question. A heated yet un-acrimonious
discussion, not very long ago, between my daughter and son who are pursuing
different levels of medical education about patients suffering from a
particular type of brain damage called Capgras syndrome, in which I was an
essentially silent yet deeply involved participant, unshackled the imaginative
process from its earlier constraint of restrictive prudence on this mysterious
matter of possible multiple personalities.<br />
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The quintessence of their discussion
was that each sense with which the human body probes the environment about
itself, gives rise to and nurtures a slightly different personality based on
its own separate experience - all of which need not necessary be identical, and
that the one so fostered by the sense of vision generally dominates the others.
Another related point that was dwelt upon during this interesting debate was
that a class of brain cells called mirror neurons, were the primary instigators
and perpetrators of this supposedly exclusive human trait of empathy – the
ability to see, or at least strive to see, a situation from a perspective
different from one’s own material, emotional, and experienceable references. </div>
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This revelation, if it could be called one, is what came to
the fore to provide a reasonable explanation to my otherwise long-held view
that authors – or at least most of them – primarily write for themselves. They
are their own readers. It is true that others that read the work of an author
as well as literary critics who rate an author’s work do form part of the
larger perceptional and associative realms of the writer. As one continues on
this path of written articulation of one’s thoughts, and experiences various
shades and intensities of criticisms, accolades, and indifference from critics
and readers, one unconsciously empathizes with these personalities and a small
measure of each of their persona coalesces with that of one’s own, changing one’s
perspective towards the world and one’s convictions just that wee bit to
account for the points thrown up by this interaction. But these changes are not
sweeping or potent enough to overshadow or completely submerge the original
self. Authors mature by this process – but still write only for themselves. In
more unsophisticated terms, this accretion or erosion to the author’s
multilayered personality is akin to adorning an appropriate makeup and looking
into the mirror, because the world is only a reflection of us and our
perspectives.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Ram Ramakrishnan</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-90628146210032964762012-01-04T06:45:00.000-08:002012-01-07T08:39:27.362-08:00Sana Rose: Author in Focus for The Torrent From My Soul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFikvOdscUJD2Ws9eXVC6-2x0eL6iOiRj5RCE3ZtFirtQ40GFFt7744SaZnIfHnAUgVHDKXWQikLJCJCSjoaB-HRRGTkqfdZmq8oP-h70nnU8h5cd6ExrjoSChg3TzipWIZDbrW0NPjNw/s1600/The+Book+Cover-sana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFikvOdscUJD2Ws9eXVC6-2x0eL6iOiRj5RCE3ZtFirtQ40GFFt7744SaZnIfHnAUgVHDKXWQikLJCJCSjoaB-HRRGTkqfdZmq8oP-h70nnU8h5cd6ExrjoSChg3TzipWIZDbrW0NPjNw/s320/The+Book+Cover-sana.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sana Rose</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a 23 year
old aspiring author/poet from Kerala, India. Already having published one
compilation of poetry, Sana is working on her next poetry collection and also
trying her hand with fiction writing. We got hold of her recently and this is
what she has to say- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What’s the title of your book and it’s genre? Tell us briefly about it.(
you can include links to your site and book sales page )</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My debut book’s title is <i>The Torrent from My Soul : Poems of A Born
Dreamer</i> [ISBN: 978-1-60976-888-1] . As the title says, it’s Poetry and it
was published in USA. (<a href="http://sbpra.com/sanarose/">http://sbpra.com/sanarose/</a>)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The book is </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">a
collection of 70 poems I wrote between the ages of 13 and 21.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Torrent from My Soul</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> reflects the thoughts, joys, sorrows, love,
hopes and dreams of a young woman common to most of the young people but made
different by the way she chose to express it – that is, Poetry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Through
this collection of sentimental poems, I intend to tell the lonely ones, that
they are not alone at least in the world of the lonely.. And to the sad ones that I understand them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It
is a book that most women can relate to as a journey they themselves went
through at some point of time in their life. And also to the younger ages. But
then, it’s not just about women. There are poems that are written from
different Point of Views, which make them my imagination and others’
experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My
website is at <a href="http://www.sanarose.com/">http://www.sanarose.com/</a>.
The links to most of the online stores are given in my website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Currently, I’m trying to get a
revised edition published in India to make it easily available for Indians,
which is a little tough now due to the higher cost of imported editions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Any similar titles from other authors published recently? Which authors
would you think you directly compare to? Old or new. </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As a debut author, I should be
really aware about similar titles out on the market. But as we all know, there
are thousands of books being published every year and a lot of poetry books are
among them. But the question is how many are read. And what kind of poetry is
read. That’s where I would rather focus, instead of looking out for
competitions. And in making my own next book absolutely different in the sense
better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Poetry is, in fact, a personal
experience. So, even if there’s a book that has a similar title or similar line
of thought in poems as that of mine, I would still say it’s different, because
the reason that made me write these thoughts is not necessarily the reason the
other poet wrote the same. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, frankly said, I do not know
who I would compare myself to. Though recently, when a local writer came to
talk to me about my book for a newspaper, he played a record of a Malayalam
poem by Balachandran Chullikkad, a known contemporary poet from Kerala, recited
by the poet itself and I felt a connection. And he said he felt a similarity with
Mr. Balachandran’s when he read my book and that’s why he made me listen to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It makes me really happy that
even though I’m writing in English, my poetry is likened to a poet writing in
my mother tongue, whom I haven’t read yet, which shows that my reading is a
very narrow one. Only the readers would know a comparison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tell us in about 100 words about your literary influences? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To talk about my literary
influences, I would first have to talk about my reading which is very much
confined to the genre I want to write in. Poetry is not something I read often.
I do read random verses, and have loved poems by Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats and
Yeats. But I haven’t even read enough of them to count them as my literary
influences in poetry. I should think that my poetry is one without influences,
but with differences. I keep them simple and mostly, rhymed. Two things I
prefer in poems I read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As for fiction, I go for
contemporary romance/women’s fiction from Western authors (which is definitely
not urban chicklit, as the media and readers refer to). Some books have much
depth if we contemplate. I guess I think like Kristin Hannah when it comes to
the term ‘Love Story’. It simply doesn’t have to be a romantic love between the
opposite sex, but better still, I believe, a story that brings out the love
between siblings, mother and daughter, father and son, and simply true friends
– all that are love stories. And the best of the kind. Contemporary Romance is
rather the name of a genre, just to classify the book I’m writing, and Kristin
Hannah’s books really inspire me into writing plots that are about
relationships between all kinds of human beings instead of just a man and a
woman. And the author Cecilia Ahern inspired me with the fact that she became a
best-selling author at 21 years with her debut book P.S. I Love You. Absolute
emotional treadmill for a debut from a young author, that one!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Is there any one book that changed your life around?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I wouldn’t say that one single
book changed my life around, as if I just woke up into a new life. But there’s
one book that truly changed my attitude. My attitude is not what’s important
there. To whom is what’s important. My attitude to my mother changed after
reading Kristin Hannah’s novel <i>Summer
Island</i>. It is her best book I have read so far. There wasn’t a single
character I could relate to, in that book. And not even a situation. But the
feeling, the emotion was something I knew. It’s the only book I cared to write
a review in my blog. To any girl who thinks that they have some problem with
her mother, I say, read Summer Island. Read into it, not just the story. What
touched me most was the truth that our mothers know things about us that we
can’t ever remember. But still we shout at them, “You don’t understand, you
don’t know me.” I still have tough times but in a negligible amount. Many
things have added to the change, but <i>this
book </i> lay the foundation to the
change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b><span lang="EN-GB">Why do you write in the
genre you currently write?</span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s probably because that’s what
I’m best at. (Chuckles).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Poetry happens to be only one of
the genres I’m writing in. It’s not written having a genre in mind or for even
a book. But when there are many, I think of compiling them and giving it a shot
together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In fiction writing, I will be
concentrating in contemporary romance/women’s fiction which has minimal mention
of modern gadgets like the Internet and Laptops, etc. (I’m a medical student,
not an IITian. LOL.) and more human moments than artificial. I wouldn’t say
that things like those happening in my novel could happen in real life. But
bits and pieces could. The emotions could. And the needs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There is a lot this genre can do,
if written well. Somehow the lessons I learnt from my relationship with my
mother – those things I have experienced and have not, and those things I can
only imagine happening (to my characters) – these get instilled into my
writing. My focus is on how the family background of a child shapes up the
person he/she is, will be and could be. Reformations and changes start at home.
Certainty in life and fears – these are instilled in a person from home. From
his/her parent/guardian’s actions, ways and absence or presence and family
situations. What I write are not snapshots from my life, but I bend to and view
from every angle possible from the vertex that’s me, to see a story between
every two characters that pop up in my mind. I had plans to experiment in
psychological fiction genre, too, but it’s another long way from where I am.
Maybe I’ll try, when I’m smart enough to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What have you learnt so far in your journey from finishing manuscript to
becoming a published author ? Any lessons
for unpublished authors?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am a lazy person by nature but
fortunately, I’m restless by dreams. Being a published author is easy if you
work hard enough. It wasn’t about building up a career. It wasn’t about money.
I am a medical student and still dependant on my family. My mother and elder
brother gave me much support with the various needs I announced in every step
from the writing desk to the bookshelf. It is important to remember that as
much as material support, emotional support is essential to keep our dreams
intact. And my fiancé’s unrelenting belief in me kept me in my pursuit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I learnt a lot of things in that
journey of eight months. Firstly, it’s just like a gestation period. I carried
it for eight months. And when it was finally out, I wasn’t really prepared for
it! I felt it was kind of premature. (Eight months is premature for a baby
medically, too). But really, absolutely, the joy when you hold it in your hands
is worth all the pain. (And yes, the conception of the idea of your dream-book,
too, might have been orgasmic.) By the time I got the printed book in my hands,
I was too tired and bored even to go through its proof copy and I approved it
without really proofing it. I had had to wait till weekends to work on the
editing, revising and proofing of my manuscript (I didn’t give it for
professional editing since it was poetry that was very personal) and had to
spent several late nights on the computer on weekends. But that fatigue lasts only so long. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Another thing I learnt in the
journey is how to write a good book proposal. And some technical works. And how
to write well and truthfully and <i>still</i>
get readers... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And why to dream</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, there is something I have to
tell the aspiring writers, which still includes me and those who dream to be
published. Something from my first speech as an author:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dreams are just a step away from being true – and the step is just a
matter of holding on to them and trying.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Easily said than done</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,
people laugh at that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s hard, true. But easier than letting go of your dreams</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, I laugh back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tell us about your next
project ?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My
next project is finishing my current project. I know I have been lagging on it,
but gladly, I'm back on track. The college and exams that come in between add
to the strains of an imaginative mind (winks!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
novel I'm working on is still a work halfway in progress. The novel titled ‘Amidst
Sandcastles’ is set in Goa, a place I have never been to, and most of the story
takes place especially at a time I could never have been there – in the
mid-90’s and later on in the Goa Medical College. I'm focusing on the human
elements of the story than the setting description to save the reader from
boredom and save myself from so much research time. But still a friend from
Goa, who graduated from GMC is helping me with the setting. It’s a challenge to
write this and make no mistake!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
the novel is going to take some time with all the breaks it’s going through as
I take my time to return to writing after every writers’ block of academic
etiology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My
second poetry book is ready in the meantime. I'm compiling it for final edits
and some glitter and stars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
intend to publish ‘<i>The Room of Mirrors :
Reflections in Words</i>’ in India. That’s a different book when compared to my
first poetry collection. But still, I'm in there with all that old love, dreams
and tears, but philosophically this time. The book has poems from last year
when I was in a complete poetic swing, experimenting new forms and such. There
are more than 100 poems in this book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Further
projects are still in <i>notepad stage</i>.
So, let’s put them off for another time, shall we? </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
sincerely thank New Indian Writing team for interviewing me for their blog. It
has been a pleasure talking to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vPBgu0_ke6TDomo8cPN6ppD2S-ls_HvqFGt3qBhU6uUmnCIcgfMltv5BxnxixM5M90EXKKF8kov0qRb77ju1zikymN9SdjqTmWAPUWcFu2ga-fqfypUVUr_GEy1cb9WxDrbSNtSeVQw/s1600/me-sana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vPBgu0_ke6TDomo8cPN6ppD2S-ls_HvqFGt3qBhU6uUmnCIcgfMltv5BxnxixM5M90EXKKF8kov0qRb77ju1zikymN9SdjqTmWAPUWcFu2ga-fqfypUVUr_GEy1cb9WxDrbSNtSeVQw/s200/me-sana.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-80531746175492735072012-01-01T09:53:00.000-08:002012-01-01T09:53:04.378-08:00Have You Sold Enough? The Book Sales Saga.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEJMgAhfdlkhdQL_148DfQumYQVuuCM2LV12xqwrzuvRToNQFkURcufmEgGJLOFVmwIwtvoXKZ4YWojHO6rAhUinxuSgEnrzBEsl9TaXhdxXnZTkrCPfDl6d9kZ2dALevkTtojmb_Wg4/s1600/774276_73489432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEJMgAhfdlkhdQL_148DfQumYQVuuCM2LV12xqwrzuvRToNQFkURcufmEgGJLOFVmwIwtvoXKZ4YWojHO6rAhUinxuSgEnrzBEsl9TaXhdxXnZTkrCPfDl6d9kZ2dALevkTtojmb_Wg4/s320/774276_73489432.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
No point beating about the bush- How many copies of your
books have you sold so far? What's the future of your book seems like? What
plans have you followed in ascertaining that you and your book meet a fair
number of readers? How helpful has been your publisher? </div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
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All the writers who
read this blog currently and those who'll stumble upon this in near future ( or
a distant one) will not generally like what I have to say in this post. Of
course this doesn't apply to ‘established’ authors writing in English in India.
But again, can we not name those even faster than this sentence ends. Yes,
merely a handful. That's exactly the point. Despite having one of the largest
English-speaking populations in the world our English writers sell poorly. Not
that there is a dearth of talent and creativity in India.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chetan Bhagat may be the master of controversy but not
necessarily one of the best literary artists we have presently.(No offence
meant Chetan). Sales figures tell a different story. Any lessons? I'll point
you to some-</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">His books are very accessible- in terms of
price, content (both the language and subjects explored), and, size.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">He gets out and builds his own brand.( let’s not
even start the ‘3 idiots’ and other controversies)</span></li>
</ul>
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A lot of books and manuscripts that I review that I
generally don’t like on first instance ,and,
those that sell poorly have some things in common-</div>
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</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Complex stuff- language, content and style of
writing. Most first time authors feel like showing off their
literary/linguistic prowess. KISS is a golden rule that applies here as well.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Price- Bhagat’s books sells for an average of
under Rs 100. You go to any book shop you’d struggle to find good books for a
similar price. In India pricing matters.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Author’s brand-</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">People don’t buy books, they buy a piece of the author. First-time and
lesser known authors don’t sell well simply because of obscurity. You have to
build a tribe behind you. And, unfortunately, your book alone cannot do it for
you. So, get out there and connect.</span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
How many of you have a cool author site? How many of you
connect with your local media? How many of you go around organizing book
signings? Have you ever done guest lecturing in colleges around you? How many
blogs do you read and contribute to everyday? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you seriously think your publisher is responsible to make
things happen, you are solely responsible for sending your
book inventory back to the paper mill. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you think we are talking about sales-figure alone, you
are missing the point. It’s about brand ‘you’ as an author.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, how many books have you sold in last 6 months? What have
you done to improve your brand? Let’s be honest.</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-12988306893854428862011-12-28T06:29:00.000-08:002012-01-03T02:27:58.657-08:00Rajeev Nanda - Author in Focus for- Conversations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZ0bUfqIA6sB4shHFgqp50IhDGy8NHY6in3F1xYOBDCyJv9NFHd0eZjGmMEZxZLeRUgwreQip73Yv9KGsI_5c7Fs5VpZz0mFvvMQa4KQPZAtHvgZu4eupE31S1cnXWQ8TuE3zgX3m6E0/s1600/Conversations-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZ0bUfqIA6sB4shHFgqp50IhDGy8NHY6in3F1xYOBDCyJv9NFHd0eZjGmMEZxZLeRUgwreQip73Yv9KGsI_5c7Fs5VpZz0mFvvMQa4KQPZAtHvgZu4eupE31S1cnXWQ8TuE3zgX3m6E0/s320/Conversations-Cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-size: small;"> <b> </b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Rajeev Nanda is an IT professional who nurtured his passion for creative writing over many years to eventually publish a part fiction, part philosophy book </span><i style="text-indent: -18pt;">Conversations</i><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> in 2009. We bring you some bits from our recent interview with Rajeev-</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>What’s the title of your
book and its genre? Tell us briefly about it</b>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The title of the book is
<i>Conversations</i></span>. The genre
is short-story/fiction and the sub-category can be classified as social philosophy. The book is a collection of stories and poems
that reflect on the challenges we face in our lives. The theme of the book is relationships and
reflections on life. I try to capture
the dilemmas and various challenges that life throws at us and how I see people
cope with them. The stories have been
based on my observation of people around me or strangers I met and talked to
during my travels. The situations are
fictional but the dilemmas captured are real.
You can read samples from the chapters and other tidbits on each story
and poem on my web-site <a href="http://rnanda.com/">http://rnanda.com</a><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Any similar titles from
other authors published recently? Which authors would you think you directly
compare to? Old or new.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
When I started writing the stories and later decided to publish the
collection I did not have any comparison in mind nor did I write with any
specific theme. The theme just evolved
as I started developing stories and the poems.
As a genre, I would say that any short story writer, like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3APaulo+Coelho&keywords=Paulo+Coelho&ie=UTF8&qid=1325068262&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B000AQ3HB8#/ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_5_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=jeffrey+archer+books&sprefix=jeffery+ar&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Ajeffrey+archer+books">Jeffery
Archer</a>, can be a comparison but that’s all there’s to it. Some of the stories can be compared to the
themes that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3APaulo+Coelho&keywords=Paulo+Coelho&ie=UTF8&qid=1325068262&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B000AQ3HB8">Paulo
Coelho</a> writes about.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 99.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
People who have read the book tell me that my writing reminds them of some
of the famous authors! These comments
have been positive reinforcements and were ego-boosters for me. However, I do not believe in comparisons as
they start confining you to a narrow band of writing, which then usually limits
your imagination. I would rather develop
a consistent style of writing and be known for that consistency. Writing is my hobby and the only way I can be
truthful to it is by not falling into a trap of comparisons. I will let the topic and the situation be my
guide for each of my writing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Tell us in about 100
words about your literary influences?</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB">There are and have been
multiple authors that have influenced me, both philosophically and as role
models for me to achieve a certain level of quality in writing. The earliest ones have been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrita_Pritam">Amrita Pritam</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo">Victor Hugo</a>. Then came <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_rand">Ayn Rand</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bach">Richard Bach</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein">Robert A. Heinlein</a>. Philosophy, philosophical fiction and science
fiction being my most favourite genres, authors like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_herbert">Frank Herbert</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nietzsche">Nietzsche</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke">Arthur C. Clarke</a> and
many others are some of my favourites. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 99.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
For those who like these genres will agree that each of these authors’
writings is extremely powerful. The
characters draw you in, the writing stirs your emotions and the focus on the
central theme and message never misses a page.
I cannot come close to these authors but aspire to write like them one
day.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Is there any one book
that changed your life around?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB">In fact there are two
books – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fountainhead-Ayn-Rand/dp/0452273331/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325070552&sr=1-1">The
Fountainhead</a> by Ayn Rand and Mahabharata.
I have read both of them countless times and can read them again and
again and again… Although, I have to say
that I’m still not completed satisfied with the various translations of
Mahabharata I’ve read so far</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Why do you write in the
genre you currently write?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
I started writing stories just to pen my thoughts and observations. The genre just evolved because of the stories
I collated after few years of writing on and off. I did not start with any specific genre in
mind</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b> What have you learnt so far in your journey
from finishing manuscript to becoming a published author? Any lessons for
unpublished authors.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Humility! That’s the first thing that comes to my mind
as the key thing I’ve learnt in fiction writing. When I used to write articles on technology
and management and also wrote my book on e-commerce, those were ego trips. I was the subject matter expert and what I
wrote was never challenged by the editor or the publisher, other than
grammatical mistakes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 99.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB">When I submitted the
original manuscript to the publisher in the US – the book was first published
in the US in 2009, Leadstart brought it to India with an Indian edition – the
feedback from my editor shattered all my illusions about my writing. There was a time when I was close to giving
up but I’m glad that better sense prevailed and I let the editors (from my
earlier publisher and Leadstart) guide me into improving the quality of the
book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 99.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB">For writers who plan to
write as a hobby, I have only two pieces of advice– <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Persevere. Don’t give up. Keep going back to the idea that you started
with. Try multiple approaches. Don’t get disheartened because if you do not
believe in your idea/story/novel and do not stick to it, then who will?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Don’t take criticism
personally. If possible, try to get
early feedback from your friends and family or even a mentor <i>before</i> you
approach any publisher and definitely before you finalize the manuscript. This will only help you improve the chances
of your book being accepted by a publisher and in the market<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">For folks who want to be
professional writers, there’s only one piece of advice –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Develop a strong
marketing plan and be prepared to shell out money to hire the best
(independent) editors, sponsor events and go all out on advertising. About 100 books get published (English) in
India alone per day! To be noticed out
of these 100 you have to make a lot of noise<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Tell us about your next project?</b></div>
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There are multiple things I’m working on at present. I am experimenting with Hindi poetry which I
publish on my web-site <a href="http://rnanda.com/">http://rnanda.com</a>. Whenever an idea strikes I work on it and put
it on the web-site. One day, I hope I
will have enough of them to publish the collection as a book.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 99.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
I am co-authoring a book on Cloud computing with a colleague that we hope
to complete by early 2012. It is going
to be a technical and business strategy book that’ll cover the technology and
business strategy around Cloud. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I
am also working on an idea in science fiction genre. I’ve been mulling over it for some time now
and have started to develop the story.
I’m really excited about this idea.
The story is being set in not so distant future where the humans would
have evolved as a species. I want to
combine ideas from futurologists like Ray Kurzweil, Indian and western
mythology and history with a very Indian theme.
This time I want to attempt a novel of a medium size, like about 300 pages. I don’t have a timeline set for this project
and will work on it as time permits, unless some publisher gets a whiff of it
and makes me an offer I can’t refuse <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
</div>
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<li><span style="font-size: 9px;"><b><br /></b></span></li>
<li><b><br /></b></li>
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</div>Hershhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746263260855586341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-58616813262761523982011-12-28T01:30:00.000-08:002012-01-03T02:28:15.309-08:00Author in Focus: Jayanta Ray- Writer of Withered Leaves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufbf-zyRXsXnWoytFj5PCeO234WMhjNlbWxlq-NKp0EiBxYfTQ-TUTcR3cHLc2UCYDSO1Xr4A9ZinB92bGKIgBFJDQFVtk4J1XUKTFnmvFEbsP4qTltHPMQRHIhGiAPBpJBxC-NUSCr0/s1600/Jayanta-Ray-cover-300x232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufbf-zyRXsXnWoytFj5PCeO234WMhjNlbWxlq-NKp0EiBxYfTQ-TUTcR3cHLc2UCYDSO1Xr4A9ZinB92bGKIgBFJDQFVtk4J1XUKTFnmvFEbsP4qTltHPMQRHIhGiAPBpJBxC-NUSCr0/s1600/Jayanta-Ray-cover-300x232.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB">What’s the title of your book
and it’s genre? Tell us briefly about it. ( you can include links to your
site and book sales page )</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><u><span style="color: #548dd4;">Withered Leaves</span></u></b> <b>by Jayanta Ray </b>(</span><b><span lang="EN-GB">ISBN: 978-93-81115-34-3); </span></b><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Frog Books; Price: Rs 130;
US $8; Pages: 130 (</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://frogbooks.net/frog-books-leadstart-virgin-leaf-poolani/withered-leaves/">http://frogbooks.net/frog-books-leadstart-virgin-leaf-poolani/withered-leaves</a></span><span lang="EN-GB">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Based on
multicultural experience set in a significant point in modern history, the
novel starts with a scene in Heidelberg, in the then West Germany. Siddhartha,
or Sid, an exchange student from India studying at the university, explores the
progress made by the post-WW II German society, often contrasting the
conditions back home. With his youthful energy and curiosity, Sid becomes a
part of the Schulz family he stays with. Frau Schulz, her introvert husband
Kurt, perhaps suffering from a sense of guilt about being part of Hitler’s <i>Wehrmacht
</i>during WW II, and their friendly teenaged son bond with Sid in more ways
than one, thus providing him with insights into contemporary German mind. The
city and the charming Neckar that lazily flows past it come alive as he roams
around with Barbara, his new-found friend and exchanges his experience with his
ex-girlfriend back home. The Berlin Wall stands as a reminder of the nation
divided and a symbol of stifled human aspirations. Sid returns to his homeland
— sombre and uncertain — shackled by Emergency. Using a variety of events and
characters, the book narrates the time and life in a small town in the
erstwhile West Germany in vivid details.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">Any similar titles from other
authors published recently? Which authors would you think you directly compare
to? Old or new. </span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – None, to my knowledge! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">Tell us in about 100 words about
your literary influences? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – My foray into literary writing
started with my first novel ‘<b>A Town by
the River</b>’ (</span><a href="http://books.google.co.in/books/about/A_Town_by_the_River.html?id=kUWwob38EnYC&redir_esc=y">http://books.google.co.in/books/about/A_Town_by_the_River.html?id=kUWwob38EnYC&redir_esc=y</a>).
The book dwelt at length on the then tumultuous
political situation of 70s in West
Bengal. Its strength lay in
descriptive details of the milieu, the people and more importantly, the
charming river. To the best of my knowledge, I can’t think of a direct
comparison with any authors, living or dead. Among the recent literary authors,
I admire Amitav Ghosh & Khaled Hosseini. </div>
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<b>4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">Why do you write in the genre you
currently write?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> –
Because that’s the genre where I can find empathy with the subject matter I
choose to write.</span></div>
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…/-</div>
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<b>5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></b> <b><span lang="EN-GB">What have you learnt so far in your journey from finishing
manuscript to becoming a published author? Any lessons for unpublished authors.</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – My suggestion to up-and-coming young authors would be: Take ‘rejections’
& ‘acceptance’ in your stride without compromising on the research that
would provide the inner strength of your work. No ‘fly-by-night’ operation! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>6.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></b><b>Tell us about your next project? </b>– It hasn’t
yet gone beyond the drawing board, but it would be a study of crossover culture
and its underlying nuances. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">About the Author</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">Jayanta Ray, a foreign-language translator by profession, holds a graduation degree in science, besides a post-graduation in the German language and a postgraduate diploma in journalism. He has been a recipient of the DAAD scholarship for studies at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He has regularly contributed articles on the Indian translation scene to <i>Professional Translator and Interpreter</i>, London. He has been enlisted in the <i>International Who’s Who in Translation and Terminology</i>, published by Praetorius, UK, 1996. For his contribution to the promotion of scientific-technical translation in India, he was awarded the Scroll of Honour by the Indian Scientific Translators Association in 2005. He has a number of publications in professional journals (both national and international) including two German<>English technical dictionaries published by Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam.</span></div>
<br /></div>Hershhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746263260855586341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140025858243246758.post-45807467839942147542011-12-26T07:25:00.000-08:002011-12-31T06:55:36.643-08:00New Author Woes: The Anxiety of Influence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodH8gWfUDdIRRESRrrGeoLjCVOzomPHF8BarUVGUEzP4IMx2rewJVdYuxvsT_guDfY4KL6VpP9pXRn39Qq5YifdrIVU7HkeBVf3oxuoEQYPhc42IvIl_w1MiXIBBGahgE8AAS3wQ96k4/s1600/1223542_91994840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodH8gWfUDdIRRESRrrGeoLjCVOzomPHF8BarUVGUEzP4IMx2rewJVdYuxvsT_guDfY4KL6VpP9pXRn39Qq5YifdrIVU7HkeBVf3oxuoEQYPhc42IvIl_w1MiXIBBGahgE8AAS3wQ96k4/s320/1223542_91994840.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">“Imitated
By Ancestors”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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No, this is
not a literary essay meant to scare you. This is one of the best ways I have
found to break ice with new authors- The
Anxiety of Influence theory. ( of course it allows me to show off a bit)</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Harold Bloom
proposed in 1973 that poets ( I normally ascribe this with most artists) are hindered in their creative processes by
ambiguous relationships ( no not those) they maintained with their precursor
poets. He believed that these ‘influences’
produce work that are at best derivatives of existing work, and, therefore,
weak. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Simply
saying- every new author/poet faces this ‘anxiety of influence’. Sitting back
to weave your first story and you soon realise that every plot has already been
covered by the masters. There is nothing left to write.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"> Getting your first story out, showing your
first major poem, displaying that first virgin painting is no mean feat. One
should be awarded just to be able to ship the first project. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Going back
to Bloom, one thing to understand is that studying the masters is not a sin.
Going beyond them makes one an artist. Shakespeare, as was widely known at that
time, was troubled in his early career due to the overpowering influences of
Christopher Marlowe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">So what do
we do – Great poets, such as Keats,
Shelley, Browning and Dickinson developed such a style and vocabulary that ‘for
startled moments’ one could say that ‘they are being imitated by their
ancestors’.( Harold Bloom,1973, OUP, <i>The
Anxiety of Influence</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">How many of
you remember that Sir Don Bradman commented that he( Don himself) played like
Sachin Tendulkar! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">So what do
you make of it? You suffered from this anxiety?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Hershhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06746263260855586341noreply@blogger.com2