Extraterrestrial Life: Fact or Fiction?

Scientists are said to believe that there are likely to be around 100 million planets in the Milky Way that harbor exactly the right conditions for life. * Are you going: “What sci-fi book is this from?” It is not fiction. It is a fact! Let me begin at the beginning… Have you heard about [...]

Read Full Post »

Quoatable Quotes

Here’s some sage advice (and gripes and commiserations) from writers who have been there and done that. All of them made me go “Exactly! That is so true!” or “That’s how it should be!” when I first came upon them; so I thought I’d pass them along… Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.  [...]

Read Full Post »

First Day of School

Today is the first day of the new school year here. Just the thought of it brings to my mind a montage of recollections, from when I was a child myself to the present, when I’m a parent… First day of school is: Sadness that the season of ‘lazing about with no routine’ is past. [...]

Read Full Post »

Light and Peace: The View from My Window

I’m on vacation right now; here are some things I either wake up to or keep company with late at night where I’m staying… And, no, I’m not sitting in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wilderness. Actually, it’s smack-dab in the middle of a big city. Herds of deer come and graze close to [...]

Read Full Post »

Literary Vs. Commercial

According to Wikipedia, the term literary fiction came into existence around 1960, to distinguish serious fiction from the many types of genre or popular fiction (these latter are categorized as commercial fiction). Literary fiction is more character-driven while commercial fiction is plot-driven. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the former does not have any plot (or [...]

Read Full Post »

Dinosaurs, Water and You

Did you know that even though 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water (including that frozen in the polar ice caps and buried underneath the Earth’s surface), a mere 3% of it is fresh water, and hence suitable for drinking? Also, have you ever heard this? The puddle of water you splashed through as [...]

Read Full Post »

Faith, Effort and Results

Recently, I’ve had the good fortune to be exposed to some honest determination and old-fashioned faith in human effort. Let me explain. A few weeks ago I spent a Sunday at a convention held by the state’s Music Teachers’ Association. For the whole day I and six hundred other listeners kept company with children – [...]

Read Full Post »

First Draft Vs. Revision

It takes all kinds to make this world. If everyone liked the same things and hated similar flavors, then where’s the fun? Right? Until recently I thought that all writers felt the same way towards first drafts and revisions. That is, until I came across an article – titled Dueling with Words – by author [...]

Read Full Post »