Reading & Writing: Beyond Pages and Pens

We often assume that reading many books automatically makes someone “well‑read.” But quantity is only an illusion of wisdom. True reading begins after the book is closed. Being widely read and being well‑read are not the same. Anyone can consume hundreds of pages, but unless the mind assimilates, questions, reflects, and transforms that knowledge into personal insight, reading remains just another pastime—like scrolling or gaming. The respect we give to people who read a lot is really respect for those who have grown through their reading, not merely turned pages. Intellectual development is an inner process. It happens quietly, in the psyche, long after the words on the page have faded. Where Does a Story Really Exist? A fascinating question arises here: Does a story live in the writer’s mind, the reader’s mind, or in the interaction between the two? Kafka may not have fully understood the labyrinth he created in The Trial or The Castle. Anand, in മരുഭൂമികൾ ഉണ്ടാകുന്നത്, may not have consciously intended every layer his readers now interpret. A story is like sweetness—is it in the sugar, on the tongue, or in the chemical reaction connecting both? Writing exists in the same mysterious space. A text is never a static object; it evolves every time a new mind touches it. Writing as Catharsis For many writers, writing isn’t an act of control—it’s an act of release. Stories take shape on their own, demanding to be expressed so the writer can find relief. Writing becomes catharsis, a cleansing of emotion and thought. The writer pours out what the psyche struggles to contain. In this sense, writing is not merely a craft. It is therapy, discovery, and confession rolled into one. The writer doesn’t always know the depths of what they reveal. Sometimes the story knows more than the storyteller. Reading & Writing: Two Halves of the Same Inner Journey Reading nourishes the mind; writing frees it. Reading expands our inner landscape; writing maps it. Reading exposes us to worlds; writing reveals our own. But both require the same essential ingredient: awareness. Without awareness, reading becomes consumption. Without awareness, writing becomes noise. With awareness, both become tools for intellectual and emotional evolution. Conclusion A book doesn’t make you well‑read. A pen doesn’t make you a writer. It is the inner work—the analysing, the feeling, the engaging with ideas, the catharsis—that transforms both reading and writing into meaningful acts. The magic of literature happens between minds. Between writer and reader. Between thought and emotion. Between pages and inner worlds. And in that space, we don’t just read or write—we grow.

Audere est facere @250th Birthday of Jane Austen

“Audere est facere” is a Latin phrase that means:

“To dare is to do.”

Word by word

audere — to dare

est — is

facere — to do / to make

Meaning in simple terms

It expresses the idea that having the courage to attempt something is itself an act. Action begins the moment one dares.

Common usage

Used as a motto encouraging bravery and initiative

Famously associated with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club

Often quoted in motivational or philosophical contexts

Example sentence

“She believed in audere est facere—that daring was the first step toward achievement.”

It was a dream come true moment to talk about one of my favorite authors. 

What I spoke about was 

Austen's Memory, 

Austen's Magic and 

Why Austen Matter even today. 

Unveiling the Enchanted Realms of Jane Austen’s Fiction

Thanks to the literary community of the Chinmaya school for this opportunity. 

 

How to write like Tolstoy? ~ Richard Cohen 61 of 25

Yesterday, had a family get together, though unwell, wnated to attend it. But did not want others to be troubled by me. Event being in an author's house filled with books, picked this from his collections and I couldn’t put this one down.How to Write Like Tolstoy is a thought-provoking journey inside the minds of the world's most accomplished storytellers, from Shakespeare to Stephen King.Behind every acclaimed work of literature is a trove of heartfelt decisions. The best authors put painstaking--sometimes obsessive--effort into each element of their stories, from plot and character development to dialogue and point of view.What made Nabokov choose the name Lolita? Why did Fitzgerald use first-person narration in The Great Gatsby? How did Kerouac, who raged against revision, finally come to revise On the Road? Veteran editor and teacher Richard Cohen draws on his vast reservoir of a lifetime's reading and his insight into what makes good prose soar. Here are Gabriel Garcia Marquez's thoughts on how to start a novel ("In the first paragraph you solve most of the problems with your book"); Virginia Woolf offering her definition of style ("It is all rhythm. Once you get that, you can't use the wrong words"); and Vladimir Nabokov on the nature of fiction ("All great novels are great fairy tales").Cohen has researched the published works and private utterances of our greatest authors to discover the elements that made their prose memorable. The result is a unique exploration of the act and art of writing that enriches our experience of reading both the classics and the best modern fiction. Evoking the marvelous, the famous, and the irreverent, he reveals the challenges that even the greatest writers faced--and shows us how they surmounted them.

The Art of Storytelling

Be in control of our stories, to shape it. Shape our self image. As creatures we are programmed for Story telling. 

Our wold needs stories, we are all striving to convey our stories in the most persuasive manner. 

Story is licensed and channelized day dreaming. There is relaxed openness

Story need to have - EMPAT formula

1. Emotion (Heart of the story)

2. Mirror

3. Pattern - Start , middle, end

4. Ability to hold attention 

5. Transformation - (Soul of the story) - Key lesson, Have clear call to attantion

Agoraphobia. Mind the Gap. I am just a copy, of a copy of a copy. Do better. Know what the viewer wants. 

What sets you apart is how you tell the story. What is pulling one is not the katha or story, but the kathakar or the storyteller. 

Orbit shift is what is needed. Be mindful of gravity. Be grounded, and don't fly.  Know of personal gravity,  Gravity of company, industry, social or cultural gravity - prejudice, jugad, cumulative gravity kills idea. Sometime you have to be impractical. Come up with something really innovative, that is Orbit shift. 

Challenge - TV has become second screen, mobile phone has taken up. Find your flavour. Inform - without giving fuss. 

Ethos - Authority on the subject

Logos - Logical Appeal 

Pathos - Emotions - genuine connection with audinece

Metaphor - a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else.

Brevity - Punchy lines

Purpose - what is the purpose of what your are doing? Which is your favourate story as child, that shaped you?

Most CFOs are terrible storytellers.

→ Net profit is $18.2 million, down from $21 million

→ Operating margin decreased from 22% to 19%

→ Revenue grew by 7.3% since last quarter

→ G&A expenses increased by 12.5%

You know what's wrong with this?

This is data dumping. 

The audience doesn't know what to do. 

No decisions get made. 

Instead the better way is this.

(WHAT) - (WHY) - (GOOD/BAD) - (NEXT STEPS)

Here's how.

(WHAT)

Last quarter, revenue grew by 7.3%. But that growth came at a cost. Our G&A expenses increased by 12.5%. This led to a drop in operating margin from 22% to 19%.

The result?

Net profit fell to $18.2 million, down from $21 million.

(WHY)

Here’s why this happened

We invested heavily in marketing to drive top line growth.

Operational inefficiencies increased costs in key departments.

(GOOD OR BAD)

But it’s not all bad news.

Our investments are paying off in improved brand awareness.

And we have identified three areas to optimize operations and reduce expenses.

(WHATS NEXT)

Next steps-

Streamline our supply chain by Q2.

Reassess non core spending.

Focus on high margin products for sustainable growth

This is storytelling.

- It gives context.

- It connects the dots.

- It drives decisions.

Follow this flow -

- WHAT

- WHY

- GOOD OR BAD

- NEXT STEPS

Books

Stories anesthetise part of your brain, and you start experiencing. Only with emotion you can connect. Emotion is what your book must be wired to transmit. 

In life if we cannot feel emotions, we cannot make rational decision.  

When we are reading or watching a story we are not observer but we are participating - functional MRI reveal this. 

People are looking for emotional connect. When people are emotionally connected, they become participant. 

People want to enjoy their life or learn from your book. They are not for our flowery language. 

Fiction readers love to read for pleasure or learning. 

Non Fiction readers are looking for Pain killer or pain reliver. 

Problem will be solved in both the cases. People want to avoid pain or have pleasure. 

Main character of your book is always the reader - MRI. Reader should get transported inside your book. 

The way you communicate, will help reader be part of it. So their fears and problems are to be covered in the book. 

If content is the king, context is the kingdom. - Context can be just a year, or culture, or tradition, history, country, human nature. Context can be theme, setting. 

Let not your Goraphobia turn into you finding your passion. Find your passion. 

What book to write next? Chat GPT

 Question are same, answers will vary depending on our seeds. How can we find what book to write next? 

My One Mission In Life

Top 5 things I want to achieve in the next 10 years

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My top 5 personal interests/hobbies/passion or topics I am always passionate about

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My top 5 skills or talents from childhood

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My top 5 unique professional interests or unique key areas I have worked for <number> of years or have a lot of experience in

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6 Unique Topics or types of books I always love to study or read

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6 Areas that I have a lot of experience in

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Is there any big challenge you have overcome in your life? If yes, share more about it here.

3 Types of Books I Would Never Get Bored Of 

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 3 Aspects About My Personality That I Love

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6 Achievements / Awards I Have Received

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6 Things I Would Like To Do When I Have All The Money & Time In The World

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3 Examples Of Authors Who I Want To Become In The Future

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3 Influencers/Leaders/People who have influenced me big way

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6 Lessons I Have Learned In Life The Hard Way

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Prompt 1 – Interest Summary

Write a simple 1000-word summary about me and my top 3 prominent themes for book writing right now.

{Copy paste the above question and answers) 

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Prompt 2 – Affirmations

Knowing my mission, my goals, create 10 affirmations for me to read every day.

Knowing my mission, my goals, create 10 affirmations for becoming a visionary author to read every day.

Knowing my mission, my goals, create 10 affirmations for growth to read every day.

Create 10 affirmations for health to read every day.

Create 10 affirmations for wealth to read every day.

 

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Prompt 3 – Finalizing the book ideas

Analyze my life experiences, passions, personal interests, talents, life lessons, achievements and traits, and let me know the top 3 book ideas around which I can build a reader community. Give me a short one-paragraph explanation of why I must choose any of those 3 book topics. Give me separate 3 book ideas for fiction and non-fiction.

Based on these 3 book ideas, which could be the ONE IDEA you feel will make a greater impact in the world? Just enter the Book Idea.

Based on these 3 book ideas, which could be the ONE IDEA you feel can help me create more wealth? Just enter the book idea.

If my author season is to go for <something light> or <something research driven> or <something serious> or <impactful>, which topic I should pick for writing.

If you had to choose ONE BOOK IDEA for me between the TWO given my author season is <>, what would it be and WHY? Explain to me in one paragraph.

(Author season - choose your author season - 

Light work, no pressure work, intense work, moderate work, less research driven, heavy research driven…)

If I pick IDEA <>, what is the ideal target market for this book given that I want to build impact and wealth. Share the 6 attributes of this target market.

If I have to write and publish this book in next 2 months, what is the ideal word count for this book?

Assuming I will write upto 35000 words, can I write multiple books in this series? Share the book series details in a paragraph.

Suggest a catchy title for this book

Abraham Verghese & Writing

 A doctor by profession working for HIV victims, wrote a scientific paper describing that, but then felt that the language of science didn’t begin to capture the heartache of the families, the tragedy of that whole journey. That was the moment he became a writer. (His first book―My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story―came out in 1994.) And then  just sort of have kept going,  have kept writing ever since then partly because he love to read. He came to medicine because of certain books, certain novels that inspired him. And so once he published that first book, he had this ambition to write the kind of novel that would inspire another generation of readers to go into medicine.

And he did at his own pace. He worry that when your attention span is confined to Instagram and short bursts like that, and when it is all visual and when you don’t have the experience of taking words and making pictures in your head, then a part of your brain just doesn’t get exercised and we lose something.

He had his medical education in two places―in Ethiopia to begin with and then when the civil war broke out there, eventually finished in India [Madras Medical College]. But in both cases, there was a British system of education that put great emphasis on learning to read the body as a text. It is an art that is dying, that is not done very well anymore. But he loved it. And he had the most wonderful teachers, unforgettable people who were incredibly skilled at reading the body. And so he sort of really fell in love with that. And it is ironic that his reputation in America in academic medicine has a lot to do with bedside medicine  yet it is not as though he learned some special skills in his postgraduate years. 

He is an outsider looking in, wherever he had lived his life. This is a great perspective to have as a writer.  Nonfiction, at least in America, outsells fiction five to one, ten to one. For some reason, if something really happened, readers are more interested in it than if you make it up. So in general, even though novels make a lot of splash, nonfiction makes money for publishers. So there was a lot of pressure for  to write another nonfiction story. And he had just lived through another experience with the death of a friend.

But he was really keen to write fiction because he think it is very liberating.  Fiction though it draws on things he know, it draws on  experience, he don’t think it is autobiographical in the sort of broadest sense. But he do write about what he know. So the first novel was set in Ethiopia and the character goes to medical school. But that’s about the only resemblance―he had a twin,  mother was  a nun.

According to him the most important decision is geography―where you locate the book. 

He is a  big believer in the quote “Geography is destiny.”  heard this as a medical school, and it was taught  as something that Freud said, speaking about the proximity of the birth canal to the interesting organs nearby. —he was paraphrasing Napoleon. Napoleon, in saying “Geography is destiny,”.

Every change of geography change destiny.

He has a whiteboard where he doodles, it is the  artefacts of the creative process. They weren’t the causative agents that made me write in a certain way. They were just part of the process.

To keep the readers engaged, You want them to forget all personal problems and enter this world in two or three pages. And then you have to work very, very hard to keep them in this fictional dream with their disbelief suspended. So he think it is much harder to write fiction than nonfiction because when something really happens, we have an inherent interest in it. But when you write fiction, I think you just have to work very hard.

There is a famous saying in writing that you have to kill your darlings. But when they say kill your darlings, it doesn’t mean killing your favourite characters, by the way. What it means is, as you know, if you think a piece of writing is very, very cute, you have written 10 pages, but you love this one paragraph, that’s the paragraph your editor and you, if you have some wisdom, are going to realise that it is just not working.

He think of myself as all-physician. And is looking out at the world through the lens of a physician. A very famous American physician who died in 1919 used to say, ‘It is much more important to know what patient has the disease than what disease the patient has.’ I think that remains true. I think it is much less about specific diagnosis than it is about getting to know this person in front of you and the illness that they have and sometimes the outcome depends much less on the nature of the illness than on the nature of the patient.

We raise our children with stories. We use stories from the very earliest stage. If you think about your own childhood, it is a succession of small stories that impacted you. And it is always puzzling to me why people stop reading fiction, to their great detriment. At least in America, the majority of readers are women. One could argue that they have perhaps more time. That’s not a really good argument, but it’s being made. Fiction, time and time again, has the ability to change societies. You think about Uncle Tom’s Cabin in America. That novel ended slavery in America. One book captured the public’s imagination and made slavery unpalatable. Similarly, in the UK, one book―The Citadel by A.J. Cronin―depicting medicine and health care in a small Welsh mining town created the National Health Service. It caused such a public sentiment.

When fiction sweeps through society, it has a particular role in shaping us. And, a part of the reason that to me medicine feels very unimaginative at times in terms of the way people seem to understand it is because we have become so left-brained in our orientation. And we are not tapping into the right brain and all its wonderful mystical associations. All the stuff that Freud and everyone else would tell us is terribly important in driving us.

One of the common things is that when you have done something, then it is assumed that you are going to keep doing it. You are going to create another one, another one. And with every book, you have always felt that you have nothing more to say, that you have put everything you know into it. When you do something that’s worked well, there is immediately the sense of, ‘Oh, what’s next? You’re gonna do this again. When will you do it again?’ He feel free of that pressure. So that’s probably why it took 14 years between the last book and this book.

It is not easy for him to do that. And he can’t just do it on demand. It has to sort of come organically, because he feel he has something to say, and there is a story that’s compelling. So he is not in any rush to write another one right away. He probably will write. He enjoy writing. But he don’t feel compelled to churn out another bestseller, first of all, because it is impossible to do. It is incredibly lucky to have had one novel do well, and then to have a second one do even better. There is no formula. With every book, you start from zero. And it is long, tortuous. 

Art gives meaning to our lives. If we were mechanical creatures, then we wouldn’t need art. But art is in a way tapping into our subconscious and tapping into our complex motivations. I mentioned Proust talking about novels being an optical instrument that allows you to look into yourself. Similarly, I like a lot of modern art, but it is very subjective. The artist presents you something and you bring your life history and your biography and your eyes and you look at this thing and you tell yourself a certain story. My belief is that we need art to make meaning of our lives. We need technology to boil our coffee and to allow us to talk on Zoom, but it doesn’t necessarily give us meaning.

AI is going to do a lot of things (laughs). But there is a big misconception about AI; it is neither artificial, nor is it intelligent. It is actually parasitising material already existing in the world by writers like me. In fact, there is a movement afoot to try and make sure that AI pays us for poring through our novels and coming up with ways to imitate us. So I think it is an interesting phenomenon, it will generate a lot of interesting quasi art. But ultimately, we respond to human beings, individuals making art. I am not sure whether we are moved by, except in the abstracts, technology creating art even if it has some similitude where it feels real. Even so, I don’t think it is quite the same thing.

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It was during her time as a nurse that she met Abraham Verghese, a young medical student whose passion for medicine matched her own dedication to patient care. Their shared values and love for their work brought them closer, and they soon realized that they were meant to be together. After a whirlwind romance, Sylvia and Abraham tied the knot and began their journey as a couple. Sylvia's unwavering support for Abraham throughout his career has been pivotal in his success. They had two children. 

Abraham Verghese and Cari Costanzo Kapur, Ph.D Anthropology work together now. 

Longest English Words

 Don’t expect to find the absolute longest one here. That word would take up about fifty-seven pages, and it’s the name of a protein called titin found in humans. The full name has a whopping 189,819 letters! Most dictionaries don’t include this word and many other super long ones. It’s because dictionaries have limited space, and most people don’t need to know these super technical words. Some used are:

1. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (forty-five letters) - A lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica or quartz dust. 

Pneumono - ultra - microscopic -silico - volcano - conio - sis

2. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (thirty letters) - A mild form of inherited Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism that simulates the symptoms of the disorder but isn't associated with abnormal levels of calcium and phosphorous in the blood. 

3. Floccinaucinihilipilification (twenty-nine letters) - The estimation of something as valuless. Ironically, Floccinaucinihilipilification is a pretty valuless word by itself. It's almost never used except as an example of long word. 

4. Antidisestablishmentarianism (twenty-eight letters) - Orginally described opposition to the disestablishment of the church of England, but now it may refer to any opposition to withdrawing government support of a particular church or religion. 

5. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (thirty-four letters) - Word to use "When you have nothing to say". It appears in some but not all dictionary. - You can also use it to say Very good or wonderful. It was used in the Mary Poppins film. (Super / Cali / Fragilistic / Expiali /docious

6. Incomprehensibilities (twenty-one-letters) - Longest word in comman usage.

7. hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (36 letters) - Fear of long words - hip-po-po-to-mon-stro-ses-quipped-alio-phobia

More on this here:

https://thelanguagenerds.com/2024/14-of-the-longest-words-in-english/?fbclid=IwAR3-265JEsLv5CR5f8guSSNdDC5QMksjy9s7ISIyRr5du0SoPhd9jpOKkYE 

On Writing ~ Stephen King (6 of 24)

With 288 pages, he calls it a short book, yes for his standard it is. King's advice is grounded in the vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999 - and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Short and snappy as it is, Stephen King's On Writing really contains two books: a fondly sardonic autobiography and a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists.

With three forwards - the first starts with his joining the rock and roll band of writers - brainchild of Kathi Kamen Goldmark a book publicist and musician - a team of writers - Kathi, Amy, Ridley, Dave, Mitch Alborn and Stephen on rhythm guitar plus Josh Kelly and Erasmo - for music and companionship. It was Amy Tan Saying 'No one ever asks about the language' that motivated Stephen to write this book. 

The memoire comes first then the tips on writing. Upto point 11 here is from Part 1. 

Some advices to aspiring writers:

1. Read 'The Elements of Style' by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White,  - Rule 17 'Omit needless words'.
2. The editor is always right. 'To write is human, to edit divine.'
3. Writers cannot be made but only formed. Equipment's come with original package, those talents need to be strengthened and sharpened. - Ambition, desire, Luck too is needed. 
4. Imagining is the key for fiction
5. Good story ideas seem to come quite literally form nowhere, sailing from empty sky, two unrelated come together to make something new.
6. Every writer has been accused by someone or the other of their talent. 
7. Write with the doors closed, rewrite with the doors open - take out when you rewrite, things that are not the story. 
8. Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference.
9. Writers original perception of a character or characters may be as erroneous as the reader's.
10. Stopping a piece of work just because it's hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. 
11. Put your desk in the corner. Life is not a support system for art. It's the other way round. 
12. Writing is telepathy. 
13. You must not come lightly to a blank page. You can approach with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness or even despair. 
14. Have your own toolbox. - 
1. Common tools go on top, 
1. commonest of all is vocabulary. What you use is what matters, not how much you have. Use the first word that comes to you if it is appropriate and colourful. 
2. Grammar - avoid passive tense, Adverb is not your friend. 
2. Beneath it is:
1. Elements of style - 's
2. In fiction paragraph is less structured, it's best instead of the actual melody. paragraph not the sentence is the basic unit of writing. - words create sentences, sentences create paragraphs which quicken and begin to breathe. 
3. Right instruments
1. Read a lot and write a lot. - Good and Bad. 
2. How many books each author writes vary, some have written 100+, which Harper Lee had just one. Stephen wrote every morning or character being to stale off the mind. He wrote every day, except  including Christmas, 4th July and his birthday. He tells in interviews except so he don't sound workaholic.   He likes to write 10 pages a day, i.e. 2.000 words which is 180000 in 3 months. Have a daily writing goal. Keep no telephone around. 
3. Schedule time, rooms and space
4. Write about anything - as long as you are telling the truth. - Write what you know
5. Stylistic imitation is one thing, a perfectly honourable way to get started. - Imbue what you write with life and make it unique by blending  in your own personal knowledge.
15. Writers are in pyramid structure, the most are bad, few are genius. 
16. Healthy body and stable relationship helps. 
17. Stories and novels consist of three parts. Narrations, which move the story from point A to pint B and finally to point Z; description which creates a sensory reality for the reader and dialogue, which brings characters to life through their speech. Stephen distrust plot - he believes stores make themselves. The job of a writer is to give them a place to grow. They are like fossils in the ground. It is tough to get it out without a few breaks and losses. 
18.  Situation comes first, characters next, then narration, outcome is visualized but most of the time it is something unexpected. 
1. Exercise: take a story - change characters and incidents.
19.  Description is what makes the reader a sensory participant in the story. Description begins in the writers imagination but should finish in the readers. 
20.  It is dialogue, that gives cast their voices and is crucial in defining their characters. You can say straight that a character did not do well in school, or may be by way of conversation.
21. With dialogue comes building character in fiction.  - pay attention to how real people around behave and tell the truth. If you do your job, your character will come to life and start doing stuff on their own. 
22. Practice is invaluable and honesty is indispensable. Skills in description, dialogue and character development all boil down to seeing or hearing clearly and then transcribing what you see or hear with equal clarity - without use of unnecessary adverbs.
23. When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you're done you have to step back and look at the forest. 
24. Starting with questions and thematic concerns is a recipe for bad fiction. Good fiction always begins with story and progresses to theme; it almost never begins with theme and progresses to story. 

 After Writing:

1. Two drafts and a polish for Stephen but he feels it will vary from writer to writer. - After the first drat before going again, take a break. Take your book rest like a bread dough between kneading. Resist temptations. Reading over the manuscript after a break, do it in one sitting. 
2. Be through the book over a dozen time or more before the print. Let 4 to 8 other people read before it goes to print. - Don't let all opinion weigh the same. 
3. Ideal reader is the best way for you to gauge whether or not your story is paced correctly and if you've handled the back story in satisfactory fashion. Pace is the speed at which your narrative unfolds. Most commercially successful books are fast paced. Stephen like slower pace and bigger, higher build. 
4. For Back story - everyone has a history, most of it isn't very interesting. Stick to the part that are.
5. Research where needed. 
6. Writers colony is interesting. 
7. How do you get an agent and how do you make contact with people in the world of publishing? - They are all looking for next hot writer. Send your published work details, and Thank them for reading. 

 The memoir is terrific stuff, a vivid description of how a writer grew out of a misbehaving kid. You're right there with the young author as he's tormented by poison ivy, gas-passing babysitters, uptight schoolmarms, and a laundry job nastier than Jack London's. It's a ripping yarn that casts a sharp light on his fiction. 

Stephen King found inspiration to be a writer through H.P. Lovcraft’s collection of short stories that he found while going through old storage with his brother in the attic. When he read his father’s copy of The Lurker In The Shadows, he claimed to have found home. His first story was about four magic animals who rode around in an old car, helping out little kids. Their leader was a large white bunny named Mr. Rabbit Trick. Four stories on it. A quarter apiece. That was the first buck made. In late 1950s, a literary agent and compulsive science fiction memorabilia collector named Forrest J. Ackerman changed his life along with thousand other kids of his generation, editing a magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland. During his Ro-Man period, Stephen when 11 years,  first send his story to the magazine named spaceman. It was rejected, but Forry kept it and 20 years later, turned up at a Los Angeles bookstore with it turned up in line, and asked for signature. First published story was in a horror fanzine issued by Mike Garrett of Birmingham, Alabama. and published in his novella title 'In a Half-world of Terror'; Stephen's title was 'I was a Teenage Grave-robber'. Seeing green color on mothers tongue, while licking a stamp came the idea 'Happy Stamps'. This was rejected, he poked the rejection slip to a nil. 14 to 16, he poked rejection slips replacing the nail with a spike and went on writing. At 16, his brother had started Dave's rag. His brother was interested in all sort of scientific things and photography while Stephen was interested in movies. For them Poepictures where a genre of movie - the one that effected most being 'The pit and the Pendulum.' written by Richard Matheson. Once home, wrote it as a VIB Book, sold them in 1961 unaware of plagiarism and copyright. Teacher scolded and said, why do you write junk like this. This demotivated him, but he continued doing series for Dave's Rag. When in college and working in a mill part time, on his mother's advise to escape going for war, he wrote a story 'Graveyard shift', which paid him well and he felt rich.  He met his wife, Tabitha Spruce, at the University of Maine’s Folger library, and it continues, what ties them together are the words, the language and the work of life. His mother passed away in 1974, to uterine cancer. He spent some time teaching English Creative Writing at the University of Maine in the late 70s, early 80s.

 "I wanted monsters that ate whole cities, radioactive corpses that came out of the ocean and ate surfers, and girls in black bras who looked like trailer trash." But massive reading on all literary levels was a craving just as crucial, and soon King was the published author of "I Was a Teen-Age Graverobber." As a young adult raising a family in a trailer, King started a story inspired by his stint as a janitor cleaning a high-school girls locker room. He crumpled it up, but his writer wife retrieved it from the trash, and using her advice about the girl milieu and his own memories of two reviled teenage classmates who died young, he came up with Carrie. King gives us lots of revelations about his life and work. The kidnapper character in Misery, the mind-possessing monsters in The Tommyknockers, and the haunting of the blocked writer in The Shining symbolized his cocaine and booze addiction (overcome thanks to his wife's intervention, which he describes). "There's one novel, Cujo, that I barely remember writing."

King also evokes his college days and his recovery from the van crash that nearly killed him, but the focus is always on what it all means to the craft. He gives you a whole writer's "tool kit": a reading list, writing assignments, a corrected story, and nuts-and-bolts advice on dollars and cents, plot and character, the basic building block of the paragraph, and literary models. He shows what you can learn from H.P. Lovecraft's arcane vocabulary, Hemingway's leanness, Grisham's authenticity, Richard Dooling's artful obscenity, Jonathan Kellerman's sentence fragments. He explains why Hart's War is a great story marred by a tin ear for dialogue, and how Elmore Leonard's Be Cool could be the antidote.

The first half of the book on the early experiences of the author that shaped the writer in him and the second half on writing, he is a true teacher. 

A few quotes from the book that highly resonated the writer in me -

"Hard writing makes for easy reading"

"You don't need writing classes or seminars any more than you need this or any other book on writing"

"I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever"

The certain reason I write- "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."

If Stephen Kind would meet George Orwell after life -  he would want to ask if the story idea had come first and then the theme?  According to Stephen, Story idea comes first. He feels allegories like Animal Farm could be an exception. 

Stephen King's son Owen King started with recording audio books for his dad when he was 10 years old first on cassette in 1987 his book 'The thorn Birds' and then Watchers....

The book ends with a conversation between Joe Hill and Stephen King on the book 'The Institute' and other books. He has more than 203 books to his credit.  Stephen and Joe wrote a story together called 'Throttle'. 

For Stephen - Robert Bloch and Ray Bradbury were a big deal particularly the stories. 

Movies watched most are - Sorcerer, William Friedkin. Followed by The Exorcist. Go ahead. 

Joe Hill's favourate horror move of all time was : It: Chapter one. According to him, Politicians sold fear, but his father sold bravery. The stories taught that if you have some faith and a sense of humor, and if you're loyal to your loved ones, somtimes you can kick the darkness until it bleeds daylight. 

Writing and Marketing your Book

Promoting the sale of a book can be a challenging endeavor, but there are several strategies and actions you can take to boost the sales of your book Here are some suggestions:

Optimize Your Book Cover and Description:

Ensure that your book cover is eye-catching and professionally designed. Your book description should be compelling, providing potential readers with a clear idea of what the book is about and why they should read it.

Leverage Online Retail Platforms:

Make sure your book is available on popular online platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other e-book retailers. Optimize your book's metadata, including keywords and categories, to improve discoverability.

Request Reviews:

Reach out to book bloggers, book review websites, and social media influencers in your genre to request reviews. Positive reviews can significantly impact sales and credibility.

Build an Author Platform:

Create a professional author website or blog to showcase your work and connect with your readers. Establish a presence on social media platforms where your target audience hangs out.

Engage with Your Audience:

Interact with your readers on social media and through your website or blog. Engage in conversations related to your book's theme and build a community of loyal followers.

Utilize Email Marketing:

Build an email list of interested readers and send them newsletters with updates, exclusive content, and promotions related to your book.

Book Launch and Promotion:

Consider hosting a virtual book launch event where you can discuss the book, answer questions, and offer signed copies or special promotions. Use platforms like Zoom or social media for these events.

Collaborate with Other Authors:

Partner with other authors in your genre for cross-promotions, joint giveaways, or co-authoring projects to expand your reach.

Offer Discounts and Promotions:

Periodically offer discounts or promotions to incentivize readers to purchase your book. You can also participate in Amazon's Kindle Countdown Deals or Free Book Promotions.

Book Awards and Contests:

Submit your book to relevant book awards and contests. Winning or being nominated can lend credibility to your work and attract more readers.

Guest Blogging and Media Outreach:

Write guest posts for blogs and websites related to marriage, relationships, and your book's theme. Reach out to local newspapers, magazines, and radio shows for potential interviews.

Utilize Paid Advertising:

Consider running targeted online advertising campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon to reach a broader audience.

Create Book Trailers or Teasers:

Produce short video clips or book trailers that give a visual preview of your book. Share these on social media and video-sharing platforms like YouTube.

Attend Author Events and Book Fairs:

Participate in author events, book fairs, and literary festivals to connect with readers and other authors.

Keep Writing:

Continue writing and publishing new content. Having multiple books can help promote your backlist, and readers who enjoy one book may seek out your other works.

Remember that book promotion is an ongoing process, and results may take time. Be persistent, adapt your strategies based on what works best for your target audience, and consider seeking the advice of experienced book marketers or publicists if your budget allows.

Marketing:

 Crafting a marketing strategy using Porter’s 7 Ps can provide a comprehensive framework for success.

 Let’s delve into a detailed strategy with specific action plans and the rationale for each P: 

 MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION 

 1. Product (Services): Your services are the core offerings . Highlight your specialised services to stand out in the competitive market. Action plan: Create a service catalogue that outlines each specialised service, Showcase the value and benefits of each service to address specific client needs. Rationale: Clearly defined services help potential clients understand what you offer, making it easier to identify the solutions that best match their requirements. 

2 Price: Your pricing strategy should reflect the value your services provide while considering market competitiveness. Action plan: Conduct a comprehensive market analysis to understand competitors’ pricing structures. Set your pricing based on your offer’s value, ensuring it’s reasonable compared to the market. Rationale: Pricing that aligns with the value of your services establishes a fair exchange between your expertise and client investment while remaining competitive. 

3. Place (distribution): Decide how your services will reach your target clients effectively. Action plan: Choose a strategic location for your office that’s easily accessible to your target audience. Utilise digital platforms and a user-friendly website to reach potential clients beyond geographical constraints. Rationale: A convenient location and a robust online presence enhance your firm’s accessibility and visibility, enabling potential clients to find you easily. 

4. Promotion: Promotion involves creating awareness and interest in your services. Action plan: Develop a content marketing strategy. Regularly publish articles, blog posts, and videos on your website and social media platforms to showcase your expertise and attract clients seeking valuable insights. 289 Rationale: Providing valuable content establishes you as an industry authority, attracting potential clients. 

5. People: Your team’s expertise can set your firm apart. Action plan: Highlight the qualifications and experience of your team on your website and marketing materials. Foster a culture of ongoing professional development to ensure your team is up-to-date with industry trends. Rationale: Showcasing a skilled team builds trust and demonstrates your ability to deliver high-quality services. 

6. Process: Transparent processes enhance client experience. Action plan: Develop streamlined procedures for client in[1]teractions, from initial consultations to project completion. Communicate the steps at the start of each engagement. Rationale: Transparent processes minimise misunderstand[1]ings and build trust, ensuring a positive client experience. 

7. Physical evidence: Physical evidence encompasses the tangibles that convey the quality of your services. Action plan: Design your office space with a professional and welcoming ambience. Create marketing collateral that reflects your brand identity, including brochures, business cards, and presentations. Rationale: A well-designed office and visually appealing marketing materials provide a positive first impression, instilling confidence in potential clients. 

By crafting a marketing strategy using Porter’s 7 Ps, you create a comprehensive approach that addresses all aspects of your CA firm’s operations. This strategic alignment attracts clients, builds lasting relationships, and establishes a reputable presence in the accounting industry. Regularly review and adapt your strategy.

  

How can I elevate my writing? 

Here are some tips to elevate your writing skills to the next level: 

• Read, read, read: The more you read, the more you’ll absorb different writing styles, vocabularies, and storytelling techniques. Fill your creative fuel tank! 

• Write regularly: Practice makes perfect. So, write daily if you can, even if it’s just a paragraph or a journal entry. Flex those writing muscles! 

• Embrace feedback: Don’t be afraid to share your work with others and accept constructive criticism. It’s how you learn and grow as a writer. 

• Edit like a boss: First drafts are rarely perfect. Edit and revise your work to make it shine like a diamond! n AN EVENING CHAT WITH CHATGPT 

• Find your voice: Be authentic and let your unique voice shine through your writing. Don’t be afraid to be yourself! 

• Experiment with genres: Try writing in different genres to explore your strengths and discover what you enjoy the most. 

• Stay curious: Explore new topics and ideas to keep your writing fresh and exciting.

These are the offline appearances that will help promote book sales:

1. Writers forum

2. Authors literary agents

3. Book club

4. Rotary club

5. Rotaract club

6. Lions club

7. ONGC forum

8. International material management association 

9. Doctors circle

10. Pharmaceutical  circle 

11. Health club

12. Gym

13. Mental wellness forum

14. Youth centre

15. Kitty party

16. Yoga centre

17. Literary circle (children)

18. Book shops 

19. Community centre

20. Kiosks in malls

21. Book reading clubs (BRC)- old age home

22. BRC- widow home

23. BRC- alchohol anonymous 

24. BRC- widow homes

25. BRC- substance abuse rehabilitation centre 

26. Friends association 

27. Alumni association 

28. Old students association 

29. Whatsapp group

30. Temples 

31. Schools

32. Colleges

33. University student forum 

34. Book cafe

35. Toast masters club/speakers club

36. Book club (virtual)

37. Book fairs

38. Literary festivals 

39. Pandals (temple)

40. Literary meets

41. Book launch meets

42. Going live on social media 

43. Brahmakumaris

44. Orphanages

45. Sports club

46. Colloboration (online)

47. ISCON temple 

48. Entertainment ( drama, skit) in school/ college drama clubs

49. Morning clubs

50. Park reading groups

Remember, people do not like to be sold. They like to buy things. 

Proofreading

 A. Language and Grammar:

1 Check for spelling errors.

2 Look for grammatical mistakes.

3 Ensure subject-verb agreement and proper verb tenses.

4 Review your use of commas, periods, semicolons, colons, and other punctuation marks.

5 Verify that proper nouns and the beginning of sentences are capitalized, and ensure consistent capitalization throughout the document.

6 Look out for words that sound the same but have different meanings (e.g., "there," "their," "they're").

7 Confirm that you've used the right word in context (e.g., "its" vs. "it's," "your" vs. "you're").

8 Check for run-on sentences and sentence fragments, and ensure sentences are clear and concise.

9 Ensure smooth transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

10 Ensure that only the first letter of each word in titles is capitalized unless the title is a known or accepted title.

B. Document Formatting:

1 Verify consistency in formatting, style, and tone.

2 Check for consistent font, size, and line spacing if applicable.

3 Confirm that quotes and citations are correctly formatted and attributed.

4 Check the consistency and accuracy of numbers, including dates and measurements.

5 Ensure that acronyms and abbreviations are defined and used consistently.

6 Verify the proper use of bullet points and numbered lists.

7 Check that all hyperlinks are working, relevant, and correctly formatted.

8 Ensure that tables and figures are labeled and formatted correctly.

9 Confirm that references are accurate and properly formatted (if applicable).

10 Review the use of special characters and symbols for accuracy.

11 Check for consistent spacing between words and paragraphs.

C. Document Structure:

1 Check that chapter titles in the index and chapters themselves are in sync.

2 Ensure that British English is used consistently throughout the document.

3 Ensure that page numbers are correct and sequential (for printed documents).

4 Verify that fonts and styles (e.g., italics, bold) are used consistently and appropriately.

5 Read through the document to ensure it flows logically and cohesively.

6 Read the document aloud to catch errors that you might overlook when reading silently.

7 Consider the intended audience and purpose of the document and make sure it aligns with those expectations.

8 If possible, have someone else review your document for a fresh perspective.

9 Perform a final review to ensure that all changes have been implemented correctly.

Writer Block

 The biggest dead ends I see writers hitting:

Dead End #1: Endless Drafting. You write and rewrite and then rewrite some more, but you never reach "the end."

Dead End #2: Misguided Feedback. You ask your friends and family for feedback on your writing and are crushed when they don’t love it.

Dead End #3: Publishing Wrong Turns. You miss the very specific publishing directions you need to follow to navigate the publishing industry.

Any of those sound familiar?

Here’s the thing: it’s not your fault if you’ve ever gotten stuck along the way to publishing your book.

It’s not your fault, but it is your responsibility to learn how to overcome these obstacles and finish your book.

Happy Publishing!

Thanks to Sreerag for letting me do. 

This is my game, this is my story, I am going to rock it. 

https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-kdp-sales-rank-calculator/#mainbg-wrapper

ABSR for your category should not be high. Category is store specific. 

If you are hit by Writers Block:

Keep writing, am writing, amazing words are comming out of me.