Apparently there is a contest for Shaastra [IITM's Techfest], which involves making a site that'll top google search for a given term. Why they would do that beats me, but then I am used to people doing stuff that means nothing.
Our readership, by which I mean Priya of the Numbskulls has requested that this link be put up on my blog, so my other readers (she is delusional) will help her win.
If you feel that there was nothing weird at all, try this - coecelanth shaastra zeppelin equivocate and durbatuluk
Time whizzes by and I, I write of glimpses I steal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Cerebration Part - 2
10 Basic Rules of Writing from Trudi Canavan's workshop
1. Show don't tell
2. Use strong verbs (He walked slowly/he strolled)
3. Avoid overdoing adjectives and adverbs - including qualifiers (very, rather, just, quite, really)
4. Use dialogue for immediacy:
Avoid too many adverbs (he said loudly/ he shouted)
But don't overdo the 'speech' verbs (ejaculated, muttered, whined, etc.)
Using said is OK
Accent and slang - not too much
If in doubt, read it aloud
5. Don't complicate point of views unnecessarily
Avoid too many povs in a novel
Avoid too many povs in a scene
If you must change from one pov to another within a scene, be careful you don't cause confusion
6. Avoid infodump by delivering background with
Dialogue (but not as "As you know Bob..."
Lessons/ stroytelling/ records/ letters/ books/ recollections/ dreams/ vision
If you deliver background via narrative, it is more dynamic if related from pov of character than a narrator
7. Avoid too many made-up words. Explain your concept as briefly as possible, always avoiding infodump
8. Get your facts straight. Research! Research! Research!
9. Avoid clichés (eg. roaring fire, raging desire). Avoid plot clichés (like sheperd who is the missing heir)
10. Perfect third person before using first person
And then one rule to rule all rules
11. Stick to the rules for starters and break them later when you are a skilled writer
1. Show don't tell
2. Use strong verbs (He walked slowly/he strolled)
3. Avoid overdoing adjectives and adverbs - including qualifiers (very, rather, just, quite, really)
4. Use dialogue for immediacy:
Avoid too many adverbs (he said loudly/ he shouted)
But don't overdo the 'speech' verbs (ejaculated, muttered, whined, etc.)
Using said is OK
Accent and slang - not too much
If in doubt, read it aloud
5. Don't complicate point of views unnecessarily
Avoid too many povs in a novel
Avoid too many povs in a scene
If you must change from one pov to another within a scene, be careful you don't cause confusion
6. Avoid infodump by delivering background with
Dialogue (but not as "As you know Bob..."
Lessons/ stroytelling/ records/ letters/ books/ recollections/ dreams/ vision
If you deliver background via narrative, it is more dynamic if related from pov of character than a narrator
7. Avoid too many made-up words. Explain your concept as briefly as possible, always avoiding infodump
8. Get your facts straight. Research! Research! Research!
9. Avoid clichés (eg. roaring fire, raging desire). Avoid plot clichés (like sheperd who is the missing heir)
10. Perfect third person before using first person
And then one rule to rule all rules
11. Stick to the rules for starters and break them later when you are a skilled writer
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Cerebration - Part 1
This weekend was the Canberra Readers and Writers Festival. The festival brought together many Australian writers and a few from overseas as well. I couldn't attend much of the festival, which was a shame, but I did attend a few 'Author speaks', a book launch and one of the workshops. This being my first festival, I am gratified to observe that books are still held in great affection by all age-groups.
The book launch wasn't spectacular in the way an Indian film has a muhurat. It was a small book, self-published by a Canberran writer. There was a lot of wine, bread and snacks though, and I think half the people just turned up for the free food (the other half being family and friends). I would be surprised if the book sold more than a thousand copies.
Met Kathryn Fox, who is considered by many as 'Australia's Patricia Cornwell'. Like in the Kay Scarpetta novels, Kathryn's Dr.Anya Crichton is a forensic pathologist solving puzzling crimes. Having read and enjoyed novels of both, it was very exciting to hear her speak about her books, her personal experience fighting crime and her take on writing.
The highlight of the show though was one of the star overseas writers invited to be part of the festival, the Canadian writer, Stuart McLean. He is a bestselling author and the host of his own CBC program, Vinyl Café and is quite a popular guy, from what I hear. I heard him read from his comical series and he was simply hilarious. I have never enjoyed a book reading as much before. He brought the characters to life with his narration so well, that we could almost 'watch' everything happen on the screen behind (being projected from the back of his head)
"Toilet Training Galway the cat" and "Morley hits a racoon" were nostalgically R.K.Narayan-ish. I think Stuart was what columnist V.Gangadhar ('Slice of life' in Hindu) would be like, if I ever get to meet him in person.
A good weekend. Very good weekend.
The book launch wasn't spectacular in the way an Indian film has a muhurat. It was a small book, self-published by a Canberran writer. There was a lot of wine, bread and snacks though, and I think half the people just turned up for the free food (the other half being family and friends). I would be surprised if the book sold more than a thousand copies.
Met Kathryn Fox, who is considered by many as 'Australia's Patricia Cornwell'. Like in the Kay Scarpetta novels, Kathryn's Dr.Anya Crichton is a forensic pathologist solving puzzling crimes. Having read and enjoyed novels of both, it was very exciting to hear her speak about her books, her personal experience fighting crime and her take on writing.
The highlight of the show though was one of the star overseas writers invited to be part of the festival, the Canadian writer, Stuart McLean. He is a bestselling author and the host of his own CBC program, Vinyl Café and is quite a popular guy, from what I hear. I heard him read from his comical series and he was simply hilarious. I have never enjoyed a book reading as much before. He brought the characters to life with his narration so well, that we could almost 'watch' everything happen on the screen behind (being projected from the back of his head)
"Toilet Training Galway the cat" and "Morley hits a racoon" were nostalgically R.K.Narayan-ish. I think Stuart was what columnist V.Gangadhar ('Slice of life' in Hindu) would be like, if I ever get to meet him in person.
A good weekend. Very good weekend.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
No new news
"News is what we give them and we give them what they want"
One of my favorite pastimes when I was in India was to watch both Sun News and Jaya News. If you haven't done that before, you ought to. These people are fantastic. They can twist the basic of facts, give it a face, eyes, nose and make a monstrer off it. Take for instance, Kannagi statue or Kushboo's comments. Who the frigging hell cares one way or the other? Sun TV wanted you to believe that it was an attack on Tamil and Tamil women's chastity and bingo! most people did. Unless ofcourse you watched Jaya news. Look at the deplorable state of media. Everyday we see people being manipulated to believe their version of the truth. And it is not a phenemenon unique to the Indian media. Fox News has been accused of distorting news time and again. Also remember the 'Freedom fries' and 'If you are not with us, you are against us' but was that Fox News or was that Bush.
Jon Stewart's 'The Daily show' and Stephen Colbert's 'The Colbert Report' are beacons of hope. No!!! they are not sworn to broadcast the truth and nothing but the truth. They are programs on Comedy Central. What these TV shows inspire is a scant disregard for anything and everything. The whole idea behind these mockeries is to unsanctify the sacred. It is mostly politicians who bear the brunt of their attacks (Governor Bush vs. President Bush was a tickler) but the media hasn't exactly been spared either. Take this for instance or this. You can view many of their videos on their website. (I loved the recent one on the media coverage of Karr's extradition - 'Karr on a plane'. Watch it!)
I would be kidding myself (and bullshitting all of you) if I said that Comedy Central has given me a new perspective on global politics. Thats not what they are for (as Jon pointed out in Crossfire). By showing that these 'God-like' beings; politicians, actors, business tycoons, news barons and other celebrities, are mere mortals they pull the rose-tinted glasses from our eyes. They edify the importance of making our own informed opinions and to stop parroting the "truths" as shown on TV. There is a similar Australian program called 'Chasers War on everything'. Indian counterparts 'Movers and Shakers' and 'Naiyandi Durbar' were great too.
But the point is... Good or not... we need them!
One of my favorite pastimes when I was in India was to watch both Sun News and Jaya News. If you haven't done that before, you ought to. These people are fantastic. They can twist the basic of facts, give it a face, eyes, nose and make a monstrer off it. Take for instance, Kannagi statue or Kushboo's comments. Who the frigging hell cares one way or the other? Sun TV wanted you to believe that it was an attack on Tamil and Tamil women's chastity and bingo! most people did. Unless ofcourse you watched Jaya news. Look at the deplorable state of media. Everyday we see people being manipulated to believe their version of the truth. And it is not a phenemenon unique to the Indian media. Fox News has been accused of distorting news time and again. Also remember the 'Freedom fries' and 'If you are not with us, you are against us' but was that Fox News or was that Bush.
Jon Stewart's 'The Daily show' and Stephen Colbert's 'The Colbert Report' are beacons of hope. No!!! they are not sworn to broadcast the truth and nothing but the truth. They are programs on Comedy Central. What these TV shows inspire is a scant disregard for anything and everything. The whole idea behind these mockeries is to unsanctify the sacred. It is mostly politicians who bear the brunt of their attacks (Governor Bush vs. President Bush was a tickler) but the media hasn't exactly been spared either. Take this for instance or this. You can view many of their videos on their website. (I loved the recent one on the media coverage of Karr's extradition - 'Karr on a plane'. Watch it!)
I would be kidding myself (and bullshitting all of you) if I said that Comedy Central has given me a new perspective on global politics. Thats not what they are for (as Jon pointed out in Crossfire). By showing that these 'God-like' beings; politicians, actors, business tycoons, news barons and other celebrities, are mere mortals they pull the rose-tinted glasses from our eyes. They edify the importance of making our own informed opinions and to stop parroting the "truths" as shown on TV. There is a similar Australian program called 'Chasers War on everything'. Indian counterparts 'Movers and Shakers' and 'Naiyandi Durbar' were great too.
But the point is... Good or not... we need them!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Alaipayuthey
Lalita had asked me to do a translation of Alaipayuthey, Oothukaadu Venkatasubbu Iyer's composition on Lord Krishna (the same one used by Maniratnam and Rahman in Alaipayuthey). Reluctantly, I did. And though I can't say I am completely satisfied with the result, it's been good. So... do read and comment.
---------------------------------------------
My mind wavers, O! Kanna,
the joyous bewitching song of your flute.
my mind wavers, O! Kanna!
with your entrancing song
An unmoving statue I stand
time flies by and I know it not
Muraleedhara, the unknowable
my mind wavers
The clear moon blazes as a noon sun
my eyebrows arch, searching the horizon
the breeze brings your ripe melody
and my eyes dizzy, i feel strange
Delight me by granting the place in your difficult heart,
embrace mine, gift it sense and make it bloom
like the ray of the sun that merges with the roaring waves of the ocean
like the anklets in union, make merry
I call you thus with my heart wrenching cries
and you, you revel with other women.
Is this right? Is it proper?
Is it at all just?
While the flute plays, like the dancing foliage
my mind laden with sorrow
wavers, my kanna, it wavers
with your joyously bewitching song
------------------------------------------------
Lalita suggested flutters or ripples for the first phrase. 'wavers' maybe a tad inaccurate but I couldn't resist using it (given the allusion to wave). Limitations of translation, I guess. There aren't as many levels of meaning for 'wavers' , as it is for 'Alaipayuthey'. It cud be wanders (which is the fave reproof of my maths teacher before her pinched the arm). 'In turmoil' also appeals to me as does flutters and ripples. Any comments?
---------------------------------------------
My mind wavers, O! Kanna,
the joyous bewitching song of your flute.
my mind wavers, O! Kanna!
with your entrancing song
An unmoving statue I stand
time flies by and I know it not
Muraleedhara, the unknowable
my mind wavers
The clear moon blazes as a noon sun
my eyebrows arch, searching the horizon
the breeze brings your ripe melody
and my eyes dizzy, i feel strange
Delight me by granting the place in your difficult heart,
embrace mine, gift it sense and make it bloom
like the ray of the sun that merges with the roaring waves of the ocean
like the anklets in union, make merry
I call you thus with my heart wrenching cries
and you, you revel with other women.
Is this right? Is it proper?
Is it at all just?
While the flute plays, like the dancing foliage
my mind laden with sorrow
wavers, my kanna, it wavers
with your joyously bewitching song
------------------------------------------------
Lalita suggested flutters or ripples for the first phrase. 'wavers' maybe a tad inaccurate but I couldn't resist using it (given the allusion to wave). Limitations of translation, I guess. There aren't as many levels of meaning for 'wavers' , as it is for 'Alaipayuthey'. It cud be wanders (which is the fave reproof of my maths teacher before her pinched the arm). 'In turmoil' also appeals to me as does flutters and ripples. Any comments?
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