An Ode To Winter
Posted on November 8, 2021 Leave a Comment
I am a hopeless winter person – you know, when a person goes overboard with sweaters, hoodies and hauling around shawls everywhere they go even when it’s just chilly, wearing socks while sleeping and using a heater at night to warm my cold feet. I know I am not the only one so I decided to write this piece in order to give a shoutout to all those beautiful people who love, adore and cherish winters as much as I do.
An Ode To Winter
I open my eyes from a hazy dream which is slinking off into oblivion as I slowly wake up when something cold brushes on my right cheek. As I sit up, pushing around the white cloud-like comforter, a light chilly breeze grazes my cheeks and nose again making me shiver convulsively. I look around trying to clear my head from the faraway dream that I cannot recall anymore and feel the mild onset of heaviness from the middle of my nose to the top of my head as the chill settles in and around my sinuses. Mr. Snuffles, one of my two cats, jumps up on the bed and rubs his warm body against my hands asking for scratches. I indulge him for a few minutes and then get out of bed not sure if I even want to wake up yet. I look at the digital clock which shows 5:12 am right as my feet meet the wooden floor. The cold pierces through the bare skin of my feet and jolts me completely awake. I smile to myself letting the cold make its way to my ankles, calves and knees. I stand up and shuffle towards the half-open bedroom window, Mr. Snuffles following behind me diligently. As I reach the window and draw the sheer curtain back, a strong gust of cold breeze slams against my face. I freeze in my place as the shock of the cold settles in my mind and my heart begins to swell with happiness – winter is here!
I forget the headache as it becomes a distant dull throb and shuffling back to the bed-side shove my feet into the fuzzy fluffy slippers that were a birthday present from my father. Then I make my way to my armoire, yanking it open and fish out a hand-knitted chunky-yarn pale blue shawl. It is an oversized shawl, almost as big as a blanket, and wrap it around myself. As its warmth envelops me and the soft yarn brushes against my cheeks and the bare skin of my arms, I revel in the feeling that reminds me of being hugged by my mother. Tightening the shawl around me, I go to the study room which looks over the garden in the front. I yank open the curtains, my hands trembling just a little with anticipation, and what I see fills my heart with such joy that I forget everything – the late phone call of Rudra calling off our engagement, the nasty fight we had after it and the tears that soaked my pillow wet before I slept.
A wave of contentment settles over me that I haven’t known or felt in a long, long time. It’s still dark outside but I can see the faint glow of the rising sun slowly and steadily coming into view from atop the Gulmohar tree on the right-hand side of my lawn. I stand here in awe as the chirping of the birds gets louder and the leaves of the trees start to rustle with activity. Mr. Snuffles walks round and round in loops around my feet, trying to warm himself from the heat of my legs, The sun keeps rising ever so slowly as the world around us wakes up from their lazy dreams and cosy beds.
Ms. Buttercup, my older cat, stretches on her bed on my study table and leaps from it to come to me before settling on the faux fur of one of my slippers. Both Mr. Snuffles and Ms Buttercup are purring with as much content as I feel from being a part of this beautiful morning. I sit down carefully in front of the big window and they both rub their backs against me showering me with affection. I scratch their backs as one of them settles in the crook of my folded legs, settling in the cosy warmth of my shawl and the other one besides me, resting her head on my knee.
Their purrs of gratification and the cheerful chirping of the birds make my heart sing. And we all welcome the winter with love into our lives. I let out. along, lazy sigh and thank the Universe for everything I want and need to be happy because it is right here in this room with me.
Do These 5 Things Before Selling Your Home
Posted on October 29, 2021 Leave a Comment
Even in a hot market, before you put your home on the market among real estate for sale in Whistler or anywhere else, there’s some work you’ll need to do first. Selling a home requires a lot more than simply putting up a “For Sale” sign in the yard or placing an ad on Craigslist, particularly if you’re hoping to get the maximum dollar possible. And why wouldn’t you?
If you do these five things before your home is listed, you’ll increase the odds of getting the offer you’re hoping for, and perhaps several of them.
1. Pack Up Personal Decor and Eliminate Clutter
According to the 2019 National Association of Realtors’ home staging study, cleaning and decluttering was the No. 1 task real estate agents recommended to their clients. The first step is to pack up any of your personal decor, family photographs, children’s drawings, mementos and the like so that buyers see your home as a clean slate that makes it easier to get emotionally attached. If a buyer can walk through and determine your profession, favorite sports team, religious preference, and so on, they’ll be more likely to move on to the next place, especially when your choices conflict with theirs.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to declutter, anything else laying around on shelves, counters, tabletops, and even in closets, should be tossed, donated, or stored. You want everything to look well-organized with the less junk the better.
2. Re-Paint or At Least Touch It Up
One of the least expensive ways to make your home look its best is to give it a fresh coat of paint. In fact, certain colors can even boost the selling price of your home, with blue a favorite among buyers, ranging in shades from powder blue to periwinkle in the bathroom, a soft gray-blue in the kitchen and a cadet or ocean blue in bedrooms. Living rooms are best in shades like taupe that create a calming feeling.
If re-painting isn’t an option, do a touch-up using leftover paint from your last paint job. If you don’t have any, peel off a little and bring it to your local home improvement store to match. Use it to touch up areas with scrapes, nail holes, chips, and handprints.
3. Focus on Curb Appeal
You’ve heard about the importance of curb appeal before, and it really can’t be understated. Ensuring that your lawn is mowed and your landscaping looks well cared for is a must. One of the easiest ways to freshen it up is to add a layer of new mulch. It’s also a good idea to trim overgrown bushes and plants, pull weeds, and perhaps even plant some flowers. Pay attention to your home’s entrance too, you might add potted plants to the porch, perhaps a new door knob or even a fresh coat of paint on the front door.
4. Hire a Good Agent
One of the secrets to maximizing profits is hiring a good agent. While you might think you can go the FSBO (for sale by owner) route to avoid paying commissions, your property may never make it to the local multiple listing service (MLS) which means it will get a lot less traffic. Odds are if it does sell, it will sell for less. Of course, it’s also important to ensure you get a good agent by checking references from recent clients. Ideally he or she will have a lot of experience in your particular market.
5. Look at It Like a Buyer
After you’ve thoroughly cleaned, decluttered, and made any necessary fixes, take a look at your home as if you were a buyer. Consider every tiny detail, from the blinds and ceiling fans to baseboards, tile grout, and windows. If you don’t have time to polish everything up it might be worth hiring a professional.
5 Most Terrifying Classic Horror Books
Posted on October 28, 2021 Leave a Comment
End of October is here and, although 2020 was nothing less than a long horror spell, it is only natural for a horror reader and writer to share some of my favourite books in the genre that truly terrifying me. If you are new to this genre, these books would be a great starting point for your but if you are an old chum to the genre, chances are you might have already read them, or at least might have watched the movies, so maybe re-read them again? It is that time of the year after all.
If you are a writer or an enthusiastic reader of horror genre and want to know about the details of the genre, then do check out the Webinar I conducted last October: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ5IUEKUsps
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5 Most Terrifying Classic Horror Books
1. The Woman In Black by Susan Hill
The Woman In Black by Susan Hill is a short story but a terryfing one. The mood and atmosphere of this story is so dark and gloomy that it’ll take you right in the manor on the moors where the story takes place. As opposed to most of the contemporary horror fiction, this book is very suggestive and plays with the senses – which for me personally is the best kind of horror. If you want me to be honest, I spent a lot of time during and after reading this book looking over my shoulder!
2. Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is very peculiar with a level of subtlety that is not only hard to nail but also near impossible to master. But Shirley Jackson is one author who could do it flawlessly. I mean, she was, and still is, one of the best horror writers in the world. She can spook you and confuse you and make you have nightmares just in a matter of pages. This book especially does all that and so much more. The ending is one you won’t be able to get out of your head for a long time after you turn the last page.
3. The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
First off, The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James is nothing like The Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware (I say this because most of the people read The Turn Of The Key and think they’ve read both the books… if you get my drift.) The Turn Of The Screw is a masterpiece and will continue to remain so. This book is so wonderfully written that everything that happens in this book has now (in this modern world where anyone can write a book) become a trope. Yes! So if you want to learn anything about this genre, you need to read this book. Oh, and do it in the daytime as the tone of the book alone will make you feel like it is a hopeless, hopeless world.
4. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
Now Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin is more of a straightforward arrow (mostly but not entirely) and has a mystery interlaced throughout. You may guess what will happen as a lot of writers have used this story as the basic premise of their novels, but reading this book is an experience in itself. More than the overall story, it is about the little things in this book, oh and the last act is pretty wicked! To follow it up, do watch the movie adaptation (the old one) as it is pretty good too (but of course only after you’ve read the book!)
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a classic story that everyone knows but only a few have experienced. The writing and gothic atmosphere of the book will drag to to the deep recesses of the dark nature of human mind and drag you back again like a tight slap on the face. Read this book even if you know about the story not he surface. The writing is great and the feel fo the book – the tone and pacing is outstanding.
So these are my top 5 horror classics. Have you read these? Or do you like other classic horror books? Do share some recommendations and your thoughts on these in the comment section below!
Cancel Culture = Online Toxicity
Posted on October 25, 2021 2 Comments
So I was on Goodreas (as I am always there scrolling through my friend’s TBRs and current reads and reviews) and I came across a book called Christmas Pig. When I dug deeper and read the blurb I quite liked what I read and decided that I will give it a go.
I was on audible buying the audiobook for this book and that was when I realised that the book was by J.K. Rowling. I was like “whaaaatt” as I hadn’t read abut it anywhere on my social media channels especially Instagram! I am friends with some big time Potterheads and by extension J.K. Rowling but still they never uttered a word about her new book.
Now I need to confess something – I haven’t read the HP books (well not ALL of them) and so I am not into J.K. Rowling at all. But given how vocal my online pals are, I was shocked to not have heard about this book or any other releases by J.K. Rowling at all (positive or negative.)
I then, obviously, went back tot he book’s Goodreads page and read through some of the reviews (I generally refrain from reading reviews as sometime they can be full of spoilers without warning.) And what I found was just people rambling on and on about J.K. Rowling’s transphobic tweet.
I was like “What the hell!” And went to Googke and Googled (duh!) J.K. Rowling transphobic tweet and here’s what I found.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth. The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women – ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences – is a nonsense.”
J.K. Rowling (taken from Indian Express)
I seriously do not find anything about this tweet as transphobic! It simply looks like J.K. Rowling is standing up for women (people who mesturate.) And nothing else at all!
Come on people, let us not get too carried away with the whole freedom of speech and expression because *surprise* *surprise* it applies for HER too!! So why can’t you just move on! I mean, it is one thing to disagree with someone’s thoughts or opinion but an entirely different thing to Cancel them!!!
My god, people! Stop this hate and cancel culture. It is toxic, seriously – for everyone!
If you don’t know what cancel culture is, read this article by VOX and this article on Scroll.
Some other latest targets of Cancel Culture are Ellen DeGeneres and Kim Seen Ho.
I would just like to say that we all need to chill a little and start taking things a little less seriously (and get a little less offended) bye EACH and EVERY thing that is said on the internet!!
What do YOU think?
5 Ways To Use Credit Cards Responsibly
Posted on September 17, 2021 2 Comments
Credit Cards are one of those things in life that everyone wants but only few can have and even fewer can keep. But have you ever wondered why is that so? Why are Credit Cards so lucrative yet so difficult to hold on to without destroying your credit credibility? Well, it is not the card that is to blame, it is the user awho tens to misuse the card and then get late in repaying the instalments.
Keeping this in mind, here are 5 ways in which you can use your credit cards responsibly and even build a good credit score that’ll benefit you in numerous ways.
5 Ways To Use Credit Cards Responsibly
1. Read And Understand The Credit Card Agreement & Terms Of Payment Carefully
Always make sure to get your credit card from a reputable establishment and while signing your name make sure that you first read and understand the entire agreement (maybe by taking help of the agent/broker or banker helping you) – clause by clause and term by term. The most important things to look out for are – the credit limit, the payment period, the instalment system to pay the credit and the interest rate as well as penalties. We all like to think that there won’t be any hiccups, but when it comes to credit cards, it is better to be cautious than pay heavy penalties (which, over a period of time, grow higher than the credit itself in many cases.)
Also, be very wary of shady institutions and their lucrative offers as you don’t want to end up being a victim of the ever-growing problem of credit card fraud. Be aware and make an informed decision. Make sure to do your research first! Click here to know more.
2. Use Credit Cards Smartly
First off, you won’t end up in a soup if you use the card carefully and smartly in the first place. People tend to binge-spend on unnecessary things thinking they will pay for it later when they have a warm credit card in their pockets. But what they forget it, if they buy the things they don’t even need and keep on repeating doing so, they will end up with repayments that they might not be able to pay off in time and suffer from late fee and interest on top it. And once you re caught in this cycle, it is very difficult to get out.
So the smartest thing to do is to use the credit card only when necessary – keep it for an emergency. Inc are if you have to use it, then use it only on the essentials such as fee payments, bill payments, medical expenses, etc.
3. Always Stay Below The Credit Limit
Keeping your credit card expenses under the credit limit will ensure that you always have some balance left for severe emergencies. Also, it will make sure that you never over step your limit and hit a penalty or wound up in a bad situation where you need the money but can’t draw it as you’ve already spent it to its limit.
4. Make The Payments On Time
Make sure to make the payments on time – or better yet before the due date. This not only helps you be ahead in your financial game but also provides benefit for your credit score. Also, while paying the monthly payments, make sure to not just pay the minimum amount, try and pay a little extra, it will help you in not only paying-off the balance quicker but also go a long way in helping your credit score. Which in turn will open a lot of door for you in future for loans and mortgages, especially if you plan to buy a house or a car in the near future.
Here’s some good information on why to Pay By The Due Date.
5. Don’t Skip Payments
NEVER ever skip payments. Apart from adding double amount in your next month’s payment, it will also incur heavy penalties making you end up paying. a lot more than the payment amount and will harm your credit score. This is something you do not want to do! So make sure never to skip on your credit card payments.
So these are the 5 Ways To Use Credit Cards Responsibly. If you want to share your experiences with credit cards or have more useful information, please feel free to comment below.
In the end, using the credit card in a good or bad way is in the card holder’s hands (literally!) So before you blame the credit card make sure to do your research first and then make smart use of it. If handled properly, credit cards can be life-savers and come in very handy, especially in emergencies. So don’t hesitate from getting one, just be well-informed before using it.
WOW #49 – Word Of The Week
Posted on September 15, 2021 Leave a Comment
WOW – Word Of The Week is a weekly feature that I came up with in the year 2015 in order to learn new words and their meaning in the English language and improve my vocabulary.
If you wish to participate and post about WOW then, by all means, feel free to do so. A link-back to this blog post would be most appreciated and also it would help me in knowing that you’ve posted your work.
WOW #48 – Word Of The Week
Word:
Hirsute
Pronunciation:
/ˈhəːsjuːt/ | hir·sute
Part Of Speech:
Adjective
Derivatives:
Hirsutism and hirsuties, synonymous nouns naming a medical condition involving excessive hair growth; hirsutal, an adjective meaning “of or relating to hair”; and hirsutulous, a mostly botanical term meaning “slightly hairy” (as in hirsutulous stems).
Meaning:
- hairy
- covered with coarse stiff hairs
Related Phrases:
–
Synonyms:
- hairy
- shaggy
- bushy
- long-haired
- woolly
- furry
- fleecy
- unshorn
- stubbly
- hispid
Antonyms:
- hairless
- short-haired
- shorn
- bald
- glabrous
- smooth
Phrases/Informal Synonyms:
–
Word Origin:
early 17th century: from Latin hirsutus.
Usage Note:
Mostly used with a humorous undertone.
Use In Sentences:
- The hirsute teenager was warned that he would be expelled from school if he did not take a haircut and pay attention to his grooming.
- Nitin always wears a t-shirt to the pool so that others won’t laugh at his hirsute chest.
- Reena is a hirsute woman and whenever she is around we try not to notice her moustache.
- The balding man visited the salon for a hirsute makeover.
I hope you guys like this word and hope it’s useful to you in some or the other way! If you want to check out more words like this, then visit my page:
A bank of all the words that have been discussed in WOW so far
Okay Or Not Okay?
Posted on August 21, 2021 2 Comments
People always want to know, especially the ones who care or at least think they care for you if you are okay or not. But what about what lies in between those two words. Most people don’t realise that they’re a whole world between those two ends and that more than half of the time a person is somewhere in between because the distance between those two peaks can take years or decades to cross.
When I was learning French early this year (I am not presently learning it as I am still awaiting the weekend bath for A2 level that should begin in another 2 months) I learned a beautiful expression – Comme ci, comme ça (pronounced as kum-sih, kum-sah) which means okay-okay/like this, like that. This is exactly how I respond to this seemingly vague question.
If you actually care about someone, they why ask this at all, why not ask, ‘What’s happening?’ or better yet ‘What’s really going on in your life?’
I think answering these questions would be far more convenient than answering in just ‘okay or not okay.’
What do you think?
WOW #48 – Word Of The Week
Posted on July 25, 2021 Leave a Comment
WOW – Word Of The Week is a weekly feature that I came up with in the year 2015 in order to learn new words and their meaning in the English language and improve my vocabulary.
If you wish to participate and post about WOW then, by all means, feel free to do so. A link-back to this blog post would be most appreciated and also it would help me in knowing that you’ve posted your work.
WOW #48 – Word Of The Week
Word:
Eclectic
Part Of Speech:
Adjective
Derivatives:
eclectic – noun; eclectics – plural noun; eclectically – adverb
Pronunciation:
eclec·tic | \ i-ˈklek-tik
Meaning:
- deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
- denoting or belonging to a class of ancient philosophers who did not belong to or found any recognized school of thought but selected doctrines from various schools of thought.
- consisting of different types, methods, styles, etc.
- composed of elements drawn from various sources
- (as a noun) denoting or belonging to a class of ancient philosophers who did not belong to or found any recognised school of thought but selected doctrines from various schools of thought.
- (as noun) a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
Related Phrases:
–
Synonyms:
- assorted
- heterogeneous
- indiscriminate
- kitchen-sink
- magpie
- miscellaneous
- mixed
- motley
- patchwork
- piebald
- promiscuous
- raggle-taggle
- ragtag
- varied
Antonyms:
- homogeneous
- narrow
- dogmatic
Phrases/Informal Synonyms:
–
Word Origin:
late 17th century (as a term in philosophy): from Greek eklektikos, from eklegein ‘pick out’, from ek ‘out’ + legein ‘choose’.
Usage Note:
–
Use In Sentences:
- In Prem’s library, you will find an eclectic mix of books because he will read just about anything.
- The painter’s recent work is an eclectic collection of landscapes she has recently visited.
- India is an eclectic and diverse country with people from various caste, religion and cultural backgrounds.
I hope you guys like this word and hope it’s useful to you in some or the other way! If you want to check out more words like this, then visit my page:
A bank of all the words that have been discussed in WOW so far
10 Best Advice On Writing By Stephen King
Posted on July 4, 2021 2 Comments
Stephen King, for me, is the God of writing. He knows how to create believable characters that will make you feel all kinds of emotions (a wide, wide range of emotions at that), he creates genre-defining works and his stories are simply incomparable to any other on the planet (though I do know a couple of them which have been inspired by others’ stories, though he writes everything better – so he just makes them all awesome!)
When it comes to writing, I blindly follow his advice because his advice is always solid advice. He never bullshits, he never lies or tries to paint a picture other than how it is in reality; it is always straight up and eye-opening. So here is a list of 10 Best Advice On Writing By Stephen King that I always adhere to when it comes to writing my own stories and books.
10 Best Advice On Writing By Stephen King
1. “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
It is pretty straight-forwards advice (I told you, SK kids you not), still most writers don’t get it – the secret is to read and writer. Simple as that.
2. “You have to read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do so. If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”
This is the first advice I followed when I began writing. I simply read so much that after 500 books I already knew the deepest and the darkest secrets of writings that most writers would kill for. So read – as much as you possibly can. Read even more than you write so that when you write, you can write better.
3. “There should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with. If there’s a window, draw the curtains or pull down the shades unless it looks out at a blank wall.”
This is more on the lines of discipline training your brain into writing with a focused mind. While learning to develop the habit of writing, this is the one advice you NEED to follow.
4. “I think that every novelist has a single ideal reader; that at various points during the composition of a story, the writer is thinking, ‘I wonder what he/she will think when he/she reads this part?’”
I’m sure any writer who has written more than 1L words would definitely know what this this all about. Ideal reader is what keeps a writer going and it is the best motivator, at least for me, when it comes to writing my own stories.
5. “One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed.”
Keep it simple, folks. Good writing is not what words you use, it is HOW you use your words.
6. “If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered.”
This is one of my favourites! Welcomes to the ugly part of writing 🙂
7. “I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book.”
That is how a writing habit looks like and you can see the results it produces. I try to use it as my inspiration and write at least a couple hundred words everyday (at least.) Start with 100-200 words and gradually increase as you feel comfortable settling into the habit of writing.
8. “I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven.”
The stories are always about the characters, so make sure you get your characterisation on point and your story will be good.
Related reading: 7 Types Of Characters In Fiction
9. “You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.”
This is why you need to read so that you can first feel the magic that writing it before you can even think of creating it yourself.
10. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.”
This one is deep and to put it simply don’t do it for anything but the love of writing. If you can’t live peacefully without writing, then you write. Other things are like pit-stops, not the destination or the reason for the journey in the first place. If it is not why you write, then you better not write.
So these are some savage advice from the king of Fiction himself. If you want to explore more of his AWESOME books or want to know more about him (if you still don’t know him yet) then check out the articles below, they are all pretty great:
- List Of Books By Stephen King – Wikipedia
- Stephen King Bibliography – Wikipedia
- The 10 Best Stephen King Books – Rolling Stone’s Readers’ Poll
- The 20 best Stephen King books, ranked by Goodreads reviewers – Insider Reviews
- The 17 Best Stephen King Books Ever Written, Ranked – GoodHouse Keeping
- 13 Best Stephen King Books to Read in 2021, Ranked – The Manual
- The 13 Best Stephen King Books to Horrify You—Or Warm Your Heart – Vanity Fair
WOW #47 – Word Of The Week
Posted on July 3, 2021 Leave a Comment
WOW – Word Of The Week is a weekly feature that I came up with in the year 2015 in order to learn new words and their meaning in the English language and improve my vocabulary.
If you wish to participate and post about WOW then, by all means, feel free to do so. A link-back to this blog post would be most appreciated and also it would help me in knowing that you’ve posted your work.
WOW #47 – Word Of The Week
Word:
Discordant
Part Of Speech:
Adjective
Derivatives:
Discordance (noun)
Pronunciation:
duh·skaw·dnt | /dɪˈskɔːd(ə)nt/
Meaning:
- disagreeing or incongruous
- (of sounds) harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony
- being at variance: Disagreeing
- characterized by conflict
Related Phrases:
- strike a discordant note — appear strange and out of place.
- characterized by conflict
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
- harmonious
- peace
- concordance
- musical
- concord
- harmony
Phrases/Informal Synonyms:
–
Word Origin:
Late Middle English: from Old French descordant, present participle of descorder (see discord).
Usage Note:
–
Use In Sentences:
- Something gave a loud discordant twang.
- The frightened cat gave a discordant shriek and jumped on top of the table.
- The discordant sound of the teacher’s high-pitched voice silenced the class.
- In the middle of the song, the piano player struck a discordant note and ruined the entire piece.
I hope you guys like this word and hope it’s useful to you in some or the other way! If you want to check out more words like this, then visit my page:
A bank of all the words that have been discussed in WOW so far
WOW #46 – Word Of The Week
Posted on June 22, 2021 Leave a Comment
WOW – Word Of The Week is a weekly feature that I came up with in the year 2015 in order to learn new words and their meaning in the English language and improve my vocabulary.
If you wish to participate and post about WOW then, by all means, feel free to do so. A link-back to this blog post would be most appreciated and also it would help me in knowing that you’ve posted your work.
WOW #46 – Word Of The Week
Word:
Apathy
Part Of Speech:
Noun
Derivatives:
–
Pronunciation:
ah-pauh-thee-uh | /ˈapəθi/
Meaning:
- lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
- a lack of emotional interest
Related Phrases:
–
Synonyms:
- indifference
- unconcern
- passivity
- detachment
- lassitude
- mopery
- affectlessness
- emotionlessness
Antonyms:
- enthusiasm
- interest
- passion
Phrases/Informal Synonyms:
–
Word Origin:
Early 17th century: from French apathie, via Latin from Greek apatheia, from apathēs ‘without feeling’, from a-‘without’ + pathos ‘suffering’.
Usage Note:
Use In Sentences:
- This time around, election fever appears extremely subdued — partly because of the pandemic but also from an underlying apathy. –NYT
- After his father’s demise he sank into apathy.
- Her apathy lead to her divorce.
- His apathy was the cause of his mental rehabilitation.
I hope you guys like this word and hope it’s useful to you in some or the other way! If you want to check out more words like this, then visit my page:
A bank of all the words that have been discussed in WOW so far
CCW Flash Fiction #3: Music In Nature by Vanshika Sahu
Posted on June 15, 2021 Leave a Comment
Crazy Cat Writers’ Flash Fiction is a Monthly Flash Fiction Challenge, where we share 2 topics every month for writers to write stories upto 1500 words. We pick one winner on each topic and publish the winners for each topic on the Crazy Cat Writer blog on the 15th and the 30th of each month.
In order to participate, join our group Crazy Cat Writers on Telegram and submit your pieces at crazycatwriter3@gmail.com.
Rules of participation:
- You have to be a part of Crazy Cat Writers Writing Group in order to be able to participate.
- The story can be on or revolve around the topic provided (it is okay even if you mention the topic in the story more than 5 times too without actually making it the focus.)
- The story has to be a creative fiction or non-fiction piece (NO ARTICLES)
- The story has to be under 1500 words.
- You can submit one story per topic only.
- Anyone can win multiple times if their stories are good.
- Please try to keep your stories PG 13. If they are not, then don’t forget to add warning of 18+ in advance.
- If your story has triggers or is about hard subject matters, then don’t forget to include a trigger warning.
Music In Nature
Tears were dripping from my eyes. Eventually I was lost in his thoughts, I was day dreaming about him. Five years of relationship ended in 5 second. I found myself in guilt and pain’s ride. Sometimes I thought heart breaks hurts the most. I felt lonely and lost again. Once again, I was at the same turn, I couldn’t find my path. I couldn’t move, all I was waiting for him to come back. But I had to choose a path – for my happiness; for myself.
I promised myself not to look back. I started ignoring my thoughts and grab the phone from side table. I started scrolling through it to unleash my pain. Eventually I played our favorite song, no matter how I tried not listen that. I played it for last time, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I felt the lyrics and my heartbeats started synchronized with melody. For a minute I was lost in it. I opened my eyes and found myself smiling. I felt fresh and alive once again.
I opened my laptop and started writing….
For me Music is feeling,
Feeling of being lost,
Lost in thoughts of freedom,
Freedom from pain,
Pain of holding grudges,
Later I found music as a medicine,
Medicine given by nature,
Chirping birds, Dripping water,
Blowing winds and flowing river,
Music doesn’t belong to beats,
Real music found in deep dark World,
Where it brings lights and happiness,
I decided to kept in my mind,
Melodies in my Heartbeats,
AND lyrics in my soul….
About The Writer
Vanshika Sahu
I am law 3rd year law student and a part time content write. A small business owner of shri_aparajitha. Love to pen down my feelings. Currently, Working on fiction story.
You can find Ramcharan on:
Instagram
WOW #45 – Word Of The Week
Posted on June 9, 2021 Leave a Comment
WOW – Word Of The Week is a weekly feature that I came up with in the year 2015 in order to learn new words and their meaning in the English language and improve my vocabulary.
If you wish to participate and post about WOW then, by all means, feel free to do so. A link-back to this blog post would be most appreciated and also it would help me in knowing that you’ve posted your work.
Picking up where I left off, this is going to be the 45th word for this feature.
WOW #45 – Word Of The Week
Word:
inchoate
Part Of Speech:
Adjective
Derivatives:
–
Pronunciation:
in·cho·ate | \ in-ˈkō-ət
Meaning:
- being only partly in existence or operation
- imperfectly formed or formulated
- just begun and so not fully formed or developed
- confused or incoherent
Related Phrases:
An inchoate offence, preliminary crime, inchoate crime or incomplete crime is a crime of preparing for or seeking to commit another crime.
The most common example of an inchoate offence is “attempt”.
Synonyms:
- amorphous
- elementary
- embryonic
- formless
- immature
- imperfect
- incipient
- preliminary
- rudimentary
- shapeless
- unfinished
- unformed
- inceptive
- unshaped
- nascent
Antonyms:
–
Phrases/Informal Synonyms:
–
Word Origin:
Mid 16th century: from Latin inchoates, past participle of inchoare, variant of incohare ‘begin’.
Usage Note:
This word is most commonly used in relation to legal jargon therefore you can find it in various legal documentation.
Use In Sentences:
- The reception seemed to me rather inchoate not to say disorderly.
- They were inchoate proletarian protests.
- He had a child’s inchoate awareness of their language
- Her dreams were senseless and inchoate.
I hope you guys like this word and hope it’s useful to you in some or the other way! If you want to check out more words like this, then visit my page:
A bank of all the words that have been discussed in WOW so far
CCW Flash Fiction #2: A Short Poem by Ramcharan Modumpally
Posted on June 1, 2021 Leave a Comment
Crazy Cat Writers’ Flash Fiction is a Monthly Flash Fiction Challenge, where we share 2 topics every month for writers to write stories upto 1500 words. We pick one winner on each topic and publish the winners for each topic on the Crazy Cat Writer blog on the 15th and the 30th of each month.
In order to participate, join our group Crazy Cat Writers on Telegram and submit your pieces at crazycatwriter3@gmail.com.
Rules of participation:
- You have to be a part of Crazy Cat Writers Writing Group in order to be able to participate.
- The story can be on or revolve around the topic provided (it is okay even if you mention the topic in the story more than 5 times too without actually making it the focus.)
- The story has to be a creative fiction or non-fiction piece (NO ARTICLES)
- The story has to be under 1500 words.
- You can submit one story per topic only.
- Anyone can win multiple times if their stories are good.
- Please try to keep your stories PG 13. If they are not, then don’t forget to add warning of 18+ in advance.
- If your story has triggers or is about hard subject matters, then don’t forget to include a trigger warning.
A Short Poem
I thought of writing a few lines on this auspicious mother’s day….
But I failed, I tried again and failed, and again and again failed…
Finally concluded…
Through which word I can express sweetness other than mom….
Through which word I can express the feeling of being safe other than mom…..
Through which word I can express actual sacrifice other than mom…..
Through which word I can express first and best loving teacher other than mom..
Through which word I can express the meaning of genuine love other than mom….
Through which words I can express strength and support other than mom….
For the women who can mix food with love, who empathizes with me in every problem, whose stomach gets full when I ate, who will be in Cloud 9 when I achieve something…. I believe the oxford dictionary may fall short of words if I try to describe her greatness.
If any such word exists in all languages with millions of emotions, then that definitely will be a mother.Happy Mother’s Day Amma
About The Writer
Ramcharan Modumpally
A passionate fiction novel writer who is currently working on a page called late night thinkers, with 200+ quotes alongside a mechanical engineer, 2d animator, customer support executive with 2 years of experience, blogging learner.
You can find Ramcharan on:
Facebook | Instagram | Blog
5 Tips To Write Great Sentences
Posted on May 31, 2021 Leave a Comment
Everyone wants to write great prose, but most fo the times they ignore the very thing that makes up the prose itself – sentences!
In order to write great prose, you need to be able to write great sentences and in order to write great sentences, first you need to know what kind of sentences are there. Read this article to first learn about the 3 Types Of Sentences That All Fiction Writers Must Know.
Once you know the 3 basic types of sentences, move on and read the following tips on writing great sentences for fiction and other creative works.
5 Tips For Writers To Write Great Sentences
1. Express an idea in every sentence
You sentence should be meaningful. It should express, question, inform, or explain something. If it doesn’t do any of these things, then reconsider cutting it out all together. Every sentence needs to make sense and should be relevant in writing.
2. Vary sentence pattern and lengths
Use different lengths, approaches, techniques to make a point by repetition, but make sure not to make it too obvious. Readers hate monotony, so keep your readers entertained by mixing up different kinds of sentences and providing a healthy dose of variety.
3. Use strong verbs
This will eliminate the need to use unnecessary adverbs and adjectives in the sentences giving you cleaner and sharper sentences.
4. Combine sentences
Try and combine sentences to add variety to your prose. Don’t just use a single kind of sentences, try the different kind of them and in different ways, using varying verbs, conjugation, structures, etc.
5. Avoid Passive Voice and make use of Active Voice
This will also make your readers feel a part of your story rather than feeling out of the loop. Passive voice is boring and starts to go stale too fast, so use active voice in order to engage your readers.
I hope this helps you in writing better sentences, and as a result, better prose.
If you want to learn more about writing fiction then check out these articles:
3 Types Of Sentences That All Fiction Writers Must Know
Posted on May 28, 2021 3 Comments
Most of the writers, especially ESL Writers – English as Second Language Writers, face the problems of creative effective, sentences with great flow while writing a fictional story. On the surface it may not seem like a big problem, but when you really think about it, a sentence is practically the most basic unit in a novel, so how do you think sentences won’t have an effect on the overall narrative? Not paying enough attention to each and every sentence is what leads to bad writing!
In order to make it easier, I am beginning with the most basic types of sentences before explaining the topics of Fragmented Sentences and Run-On Sentences.
3 Types Of Sentences That All Fiction Writers Must Know
1. Simple Sentence
A Simple Sentence is a sentence consisting of only one clause, with a single subject and predicate.
So a Simple Sentence should have these basic 3 things: A subject, a verb and should make a complete thought.
Examples of Simple Sentences:
- Do you play piano?
- The bus leaves every morning at 5:00 AM.
- Water freezes at 0°C.
- I love my cat.
2. Compound Sentence
A Compound Sentence is a sentence consisting of two or more verbs and two or more simple sentences joined by a conjunction.
So a Compound Sentence must have 3 things: 2 or more verbs, 2 or more simple sentences and at least one conjunction.
Examples of Compound Sentences:
- I like coffee, and Seema likes tea.
- Suzan went to work, but Sid went to the party, and I went home.
- Our car broke down and we came last.
- You can go for the Yoga class and I will go to the gym.
3. Complex Sentences
A Complex Sentence is formed by adding one or more subordinate or dependent clauses to the main or independent clause using conjunctions and/or relative pronouns.
NOTE: A clause is a simple sentence.
Examples of Complex Sentences:
- Because my tea was too cold, I heated it in on the stove.
- Although she was wealthy, she was still unhappy.
- They returned the computer after they noticed it was damaged.
- Whenever prices go up, customers buy less products.
Workshop Alert: Introduction To Fiction Writing (June 2021) 5-Day Workshop – India
Posted on May 26, 2021 Leave a Comment
Hello guys, I am back with another workshop as some students wanted me to have a morning batch for the last workshop. So here it is:
Details of the course:
Fees: Rs.1000 per student
Date: 1st June to 5th June
Time: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Platform: Zoom
Session recordings: Available on Request
Certification: by Citrus Publishers (upon completion of assignment)
Topics Covered:
Day-1:
- Introduction to Creative Writing & Fiction Writing
- Genres in literature
- Discovering The Writer Within
- Ways of writing and the best way to write
- WHAT to write – finding and developing ideas
- Important Terminologies
- Important Literary Devices
- Writing Styles
- Literary Themes
Day-2:
- Understanding Drafts
- Importance of First Draft & Second Draft
- Exposition, Narration & Point Of Views
- Elements Of Fiction Writing
- Tools Of Fiction Writing
- Understanding Plotting a story
- Elements of Plot Structure
- Aristotle’s Basic Story Structure & 3 Traditional Plot Structures
Day-3:
- Characterisation basics
- Types of different characters
- Character as per their narrative function
- Character arcs
- Inner Conflicts
- Character Motivation and Stakes
- Character Backstory
- Profiling the characters
Day-4:
- The technique of ‘Show, don’t Tell’
- External conflict & Point Of Views
- Dialogue writing basics
- Understanding Pacing & Tension
- Structuring a scene
- Conflict, Resolution and Ending
- Self-Revising
- Self-Editing
- My Story Framework
Day-5:
- Elementary rules of Fiction Writing
- How to improve your writing
- Reading like a writer to improve your writing
- Writing-Related Concepts: Freewriting, Morning Words or Pages, Blank Page Syndrome, Prompt-Writing, Idea Journal & Writing Rituals
- Biggest Insecurities faced by Writers & Security Blanket For Writers
- Techniques of planning: MindMapping and Brainstorming for Writing
Registration is free!
So register today and join the Workshop Group to start practicing the writing exercises with me!
Guided Writing Groups – Write With Me
Posted on May 24, 2021 Leave a Comment
I present to you Guided Writing Groups – 3 Tiers of Exclusive Writing Groups!
In all the workshops I’ve conducted and having spoken to over a 100 budding writers, the main problem with each and everyone’s writing, that I have been able to identify so far are two: lack of motivation (or simply not knowing what to write) and lack of feedback (not knowing where they can improve and get better.)
For this, I have come up with the perfect solution that will not only help the writers interested in improving their craft and writing more by developing a habit out of it but also by leaning new things related to the craft.
Read on to find out how these groups work on different levels and how you can benefit from them:
Guided Writing Group by Heena R. Pardeshi
Guided Writing Group – Basic Level
What does it include:
- 1 specially curated weekly writing story topic (4 topics in total) – basic level
- Feedback on all the 4 stories
- Doubt-clearing related to all 4 stories through email
- Exclusive channel on Telegram only for paid members. Doubt-clearing and story submission through email.
- The story prompts will be a mix of different formats of prompts that will help you explore the depths of your creativity.
Rs.350 per month
Guided Writing Group- Intermediate Level
What does it include:
- Specially curated weekly writing story topics (4 topics in total) – intermediate level
- Feedback/critique on all the 4 stories
- Doubt-clearing related to all 4 stories
- 1/2 hour lecture on one writing-related topic every month. The topic will be different every month and will be taught over Google Meet.
- Exclusive channel on Telegram only for paid members.
- Doubt-clearing through email & WhatsApp
- Story submission through email.
- The story prompts will be a mix of different formats of prompts that will help you explore the depths of your creativity.
Rs.800 per month
Guided Writing Group- Intermediate Level
What does it include:
- 1 specially curated weekly writing prompt/topic (4 topics in total) – advance level
- Detailed critique and feedback on all the 4 stories
- Doubt-clearing related to all the 4 stories over a video call
- 1-hour lecture on one writing-related topic every month on Google Meet
- 1/2 hour personal online writing consultation for each student over a video call
- Exclusive channel on Telegram only for paid members.
- Doubt-clearing through email, WhatsApp and video call
- Story submission through email.
- The story prompts will be a mix of different formats of prompts that will help you explore the depths of your creativity.
- The writing-related topic that will be taught will be different every month.
- The writing consultation would be conducted over a video call as per your availability.
Rs.1500 per month
HEENA R. PARDESHI 