World of Books and Travel

Vishu is the astronomical or zodiac New Year in Kerala and is observed on the first day of the Malayalam month of ‘Medam.’ From an astrological point of view, Vishu is of immense significance. The day and night are of equal duration on the Vishu day (12 hours). Usually Vishu is held on April 14, but this year (2015) it is shifted to April 15th. This is because Vishu is decided based on the transition of the sun from Meena Rashi to Mesha Rashi (Meda Rasi). Vishu with Vishukkani is observed after the Sun enters Mesha Rashi. This means the transition should take place before sunrise on April 14 to observe it on the day. If the transition is after sunrise on April 14 then Vishu is observed on April 15. Kani konnapoo- image courtesy: Wikimedia.org What are the highlights of Vishu? Vishukkani, Vishukaineetam and Vishubhalam are the highlights of Vishu. Vishu starts with Vishukkani, the first auspicious thing people see on the day. It is during the Brahma Muhurtha or ideal...

1. Write only when you have something to say. - David Hare 2. If you want to be a writer,you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. - Stephen King. 3. I constantly retype my own sentences. Every day I go back to page one and just retype what I have. It gets me into a rhythm. — Joan Didion 4. Do be kind to yourself. Fill pages as quickly as possible; double space, or write on every second line. Regard every new page as a small triumph - Roddy Doyle 5. Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. - Anne Lamott 6. A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go for a long walk. - Helen Dunmore 7. The hardest part is believing in yourself at the notebook stage. It is like believing in dreams in the morning. – Erica Jong 8. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But "sai...

We all want to become better writers in our respective fields. Let us learn from the tips from the popular writers. 1. Write in the third person unless a really distinctive first-person voice offers itself irresistibly. - Jonathan Franzen 2. Never pun your title, simpler is usually better: Lolita turns out to be a great title; couldn’t be simpler. - Martin Amis 3. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please will you do my job for me?” - C.S. Lewis 4. When you catch an adjective, kill it. -Mark Twain 5. Don’t start a paragraph with the same word as previous one. That goes doubly for sentences. - Martin Amis 6. Do not write long sentences. A sentence should not have more than ten or twelve words. - V.S. Naipaul 7. Don't go into great detail describing places and things. Unless you're Margaret Atwood and can p...

Every story is written with a point of view,which means how it is told to your readers. Point of view (PoV) is a term that defines from whose eyes the narrative relies upon. Basically, there are three main types: First person Third Person Omniscient Want to know more about PoV and how they are written? Read this article. Which is your favorite method of PoV? I mostly write in third person and sometimes in Omniscient.