Read this article from Pyschology Today to find out when teens should be introduced to different things in life using books.
I always thought revision is something fun. Never had issues revising over and over again. And then this project happened.
Did multiple requested revisions and sent it off and now I have to start rewriting from scratch again. After 9 months.
I'm almost at the point of despair. What am I supposed to do now? Revision is different from rewrite from scratch. I need to get back into the topic and immerse again. Especially because it is non-fiction.
I can't ignore it for long. I've put it away for more than 3 weeks now and it is hanging above my head like a noose. I have to do something about it this weekend.
I think I need the right flow to get it right this time. Scratch and write again won't work when there are 64 spreads to work on.
Oh my angel of revision, show me some guidance..... give me some hints and courage....
I found this book in a flea market in Berlin. Loved the illustrations and wanted to read the book. Unfortunately it was in Deutsche. So I googled and I still can't find an English translation.
Can anyone help?
http://www.amazon.de/Wichtelhausen-Ein-M%C3%A4rchen-Erich-Heinemann/dp/3872863339
Reading is Fundamental is an organisation based in Washington, that promotes literacy.
Visit their website to find out more about reading activities, parent support for reading, literacy games and more.
They even to do booklists on various topics.
Visit http://www.rif.org/ today.
iPAD launches in America and soon to be available in the UK.
Yet another revolution in digital media content. Will this fare better than the current digital reading devices? Will they be able to replace the physical act of turning a page, holding on to a book, folding a magazine or a broadsheet and reading it the way you want?
Will these digital devices ever replace the solid spine of a book that is displayed on my shelves? How much fun would it be to have one digital device that contains 1000 books and having 1000 books arranged by author on the shelves?
The joy of going to bookshops is all about browsing, smell of paper, feel of different textures, the jacket flap and the hardbound etc. Do I want to give up all of that?
Copyright and wrong - Why the rules on copyright need to return to their roots
In this article in this week's issue - Economist is looking at both sides of the argument of having longer copyright protection (or not).
It does mention that the current laws are favourable to publishers and not to creators. And it also talks about enforcing copyright effectively.
However, what's practical and what's not? And if you want to bequeath your legacy, looks like it is becoming tougher to do that.
Read to find out more. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15868004
I wrote a picture book two years ago and revised it patiently. After attending this year's SCBWI conference in NY and putting it through the Writer's Intensive, I had a breakthrough. I rewrote it and polished it and I can really see that it was ready to go out.
So I sent it to few agents in London. I got back a lovely email from an agent saying "She loved the picture book".
Voila! I thought the door to my agent's heart is slowly opening now. She offered to read more of my stuff. Well, that's where the bolts came on again.
The good thing is - if I have one more like the picture book I have now, she has offered to read again.
For every forward step, there are about 10 side steps. Well, life is tough.
You may have seen or heard a lot about new diseases appearing and infecting thousands of people. But did you know that you can do your part to stop the spreading in your home and school?
This handy book shows you how to make your body more active and healthy. From the food you eat to the kind of exercises you adopt, this book shows you how good hygiene habits can go a long way towards keeping the world around you cleaner and infection-free.
Believe it or not, you can protect yourself and others from catching a virus and falling sick by washing your hands before meals and covering your mouth when you cough. They may sound trivial, but every single step ensures that harmful germs do not spread. Let’s all adopt a healthier diet and lifestyle today, to combat the diseases of tomorrow!
On the day my book was expected in the bookstores, I got a card from my publisher with wishes from everyone in the editorial team.
It was very thoughtful and it was nice to know they had me in their thoughts on that special day.
Visit your nearest Waterstones or Borders to buy my chapter book. For all the people who spend hours on the Internet, you can buy it off Amazon or the bookstore websites too.
Samantha Bell illustrated this book and I'm glad she did.
In Samantha's words - "The little boy in the illustrations is my youngest son, Luke (he just turned 6). I think he made a good model!"
Yup he is a great model.
You can find out more about Samantha at http://www.samantha-bell.com/
The concept of life cycle is illustrated by the text that brings the reader back to where he started. The repetitive text guides the reader to follow the text and repeat. 
"As I Watch" is a book for young children, who are learning to observe. I was just re-discovering Nature after having spent an year in England and I somehow wanted to communicate that. That was the time I was experimenting with circular texts as well.
This topic has been done before many times. But I felt I had the right hook and the right words. It took a lot of editing and rewriting - even though the word count was less than 100.
The amazing thing was this was accepted by an independent publisher in the US very quickly. It was going to come out as an e-book. But today I go to Amazon and there I see it as a hardcover. Wow!
I must admit the illustrations were so beautiful, I was longing to hold the book in my hands.
Now I think I can. But isn't it strange, I haven't seen the book yet?
So, if you have a child between 2 and 6 years of age, do buy this book. And if your inner-child wants one, go ahead and buy it anyway.
I used to write a lot. I wrote on the train, in the bedroom and in the kitchen. Nowadays, I am not writing enough. And I can feel the strain in my writing. It is like going back to the gym. If you're out of practice, it hurts when you restart. The lack of form shows. The words are difficult and need a lot more polishing. The flow is thick like glue instead of a stream.
Every serious book on writing suggests writing fresh out of bed for 5 minutes. What's wrong with that? Why am I not following that? Is my life so bound to the clock that I can't do my first 5 minutes? Can I hold my urge to the morning usuals for 5 minutes? Can my craving for coffee wait? Can the office blackberry wait?
I think they all can wait. I need to put down five minutes on paper. Not toilet paper. Pen to paper, five solid minutes everyday. To celebrate this decision, I'm going to start a new notebook, make my alarm go five minutes early and see how long I can keep up.
Can I actually write? Or Am I hacking it?
Why can I be so funny in my head, but not on paper?
Why do my words fall flat like a blooper?
Can I actually write? Or should I be packing it?
As life goes past my days,
Chores are never done,
Things I do sure pays
But it is not a lot of fun.
I want to write a lot
Write what I like
I want to live a lot
Live the way I like.
Features four stories about young Prince Veera, who, along with his friend Suku, helps his father, the king, solve some of the problems he is having with his subjects.
Can I write when I'm stressed, upset or tired? I always thought my brain would be mush by the time I finish my day-job and get home to write. I work 14 hours a day, filled with meetings, long hours on the PC, handling aggressive clients - and then when I come home, can I actually write anything other than a few choice swear words?
I didn't know myself until I tried it this last month. On days when the couch seems like heaven and mindless TV feels like respite, I switched to comfortable futon and a notebook that I like. I switched to writing poetry to free my mind - the technique might not be perfect, the rhythm might be off, the stuff I write might not be publishable ever - but it gave me peace, relaxation and exercised my word muscles. My notebook doesn't look neat and tidy, it's filled with tired scrawls, good handwriting eroded by years of computer use, but the words are mine. The words are about things I want to write. The words don't belong in my day-job, they don't belong to work related stress.
I might go back and revise something I wrote a night before. I might write something new. I could write a stanza or a haiku that mines my mind for a lone thought of imagination that was wedged between excel spreadsheets and hardcore finance. That alone is worthy of the time I spend on writing, even if it is just ten minutes a day.
Walker Books are publishing my chapter book in early 2010. I'm told that the illustrations are underway. The title reads "A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom - Stories from India". A bunch of stories that are humourous, and sly.
This book was fun when writing it. The characters flew from mind to paper with ease and made the stories their own.
The cover illustrated by Uma from India is brilliant. It brings out the story in a fun-way without giving away too much. It represents the colour and active energy of the stories.
I recently showed the cover to some folks in India and they loved it without having to be nice to me.
When there is more news to share, I'll be the first to talk about it. Watch this space.
Summer afternoons have brought me closer to my poetic adventures. I've taken a notebook and a pen to the park, spent couple of hours basking in the sun, writing poems that I want to write. No one will perhaps ever read it, no one will be asked to publish it.
It is kind of calisthenics - not just for my words but also for my soul. It frees up my mind from thinking about work, deadlines, chores and makes me think about the grass that is scratching my knee, the bee that is circling my head, the sun that is glaring at me and the bunch of kids running around chasing a dog.
Life without poetry might be as dull as a home-cooked meal without my very own Indian fried potatoes.
My first UK title is in production now and I am so excited.
I got to see the illustrations for the cover and also got to coin the title of the book.
And needless to say I'm happy to be part of the process, that evolves from the creative collaboration of so many people brought together for a common purpose.
Well, when I allowed to show the cover and talk about the details of the book, I'll bring more to you.
I’m a glowing star,
I’m born to shine.
Throw doubts afar,
This life is mine.
When chores are done
And clocks chime nine
I’ve just now begun
Life sweet as wine.
I work night and day
Straining spine
At night I pray
For morrow be mine.
Friendship is hard
It demands a lot.
It’s the whole nine yards
Spare a thought.
I missed a party
I missed a game.
But when cloud gathers
To hug I came.
My colours are painted
By its coastal palms,
Sugarcane beets
Bright summers
Juicy mangoes.
My music notes are from
Noisy oceans
Rough monsoons
Chatty neighbours
Urban cattle moos.
My emotions are built on
Joint families
Vacation sleepovers
Boy-girl rules
Arranged marriages.
My anger is borne out of
Its unrelenting humility
Callous selfishness
Flexible morals and
Misfit superstitions.
I’m an honest Indian.
Sometimes thankful,
Sometimes ashamed.
Sometimes hopeful,
Mostly proud.
