Tag: books - Mala Naidoo's Book World

Research and Fiction

Historical fiction either reveres, subverts, or shames the past through citing actual places, creating imagined characters and perhaps recreating a historical figure.

Historical fiction is the unequal blending of the real and the imaginary

Time is fluid in historical fiction, moving between the past and present depending on how the plot unfolds. Is it a character in the present time speaking, recalling a time past, or is the character narrating an experience having lived in a past era?

The cautionary reminder is in ensuring the imaginative aspect of the story is respectful of the truths of the time, while preserving the overarching fictional plot/characterisation and quality of the writing. Culture, values, and social issues researched lend an authentic historical flavour to the fiction crafted. Transporting the reader to a time past enhances the storytelling without rewriting a history textbook.

Find that sweet spot between what is fact and fiction to elevate the fiction on culture, values, and social mores.

Including actual historical figures is the writer’s choice in relation to whether they will be a speaking character in the fictional tale, or a few cursory references would suffice.

Research should not overpower fiction. History has been written and read many times over—add the imagined juice for an entertaining read that prompts speculation on whether the fictional aspects could have possibly occurred.

Memorable characters, a believable setting, an intriguing plot, and a dash of history is a good measure for a satisfying read.

Ultimately, knowing who the intended audience is for a particular work of fiction is just as important as the message it creates.

Honour the history researched to enhance the setting and add lustre to the fictional plot without repeating what has already been documented. Recreate rather than rewrite. The risk of overly recounting a history is losing the fiction to non-fiction. The decision ultimately rests with the author. Readers of fiction will be the primary audience.

In honouring the history, notions of sensitivity to time, place, and people should be observed. However, shaming a dark history is the fictional storyteller’s prerogative.

There are no clearly defined genre parameters when the power of the story is honoured in its ability to move and entertain which is paramount in fiction.

The truth that all historical writing, even the most honest, is unconsciously subjective, since every age is bound, despite itself, to make the dead perform whatever tricks it finds necessary for its own peace of mind. Carl Becker, American historian (1873-1945)

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. Bishop Desmond Tutu.

History is the study of all the world’s crime. Voltaire, French writer, and philosopher (1694-1778)

Fiction is the truth inside the lie. Stephen King

Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities: Truth isn’t. Mark Twain.

Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Trust the Process

When you begin writing a story that has whispered for a period, and then hauls you in—you have no idea how far you will go, or how many stories you will create in your lifetime. The process must be trusted and aided by dedicating time and space to allow the story to emerge.

Anything and everything is possible when you trust the calling first, then the process.

You may begin with a plan, an outline, and flesh out characters, but soon the story magically grows with you the writer, as the vessel, guided by a force you cannot quite describe. Some call it a ‘voice’ others call it a compulsion, or their divine muse that lays out the game plan drawn from the seed of imagination. The writer as a scribe leaves each writing session either exhilarated or surprised that a character has chosen to embolden their voice.

Once this arises, all thinking dwells on the place and society you are creating. The heart’s longing cannot be denied. The brain might test resilience, and negative emotions might slip in, depending on who is invited into your inner circle. Those external voices of doom and gloom, which might be your own if you allow it, kill inspiration. Shut them all out—regardless of who they are or what they have to say. It is YOUR story. Own it. Let the editors and ARC readers speak later in the publication process. Writing your raw story is your lone venture.

The heart’s longing cannot be denied.

You are never truly alone. Your main character will step up to lead you by the hand, and your secondary characters will vie for your attention, urging you to consider their point of view.

When many voices clamber for recognition, step back and surrender to a higher consciousness. Meditate for guidance on the next step. Clarity allows the selection of a voice that will be meaningful for readers now and years down the track.
Once the writer’s imagination and emotions blend with skilful writing, a great story is born.

The process is magical once you have plunged into the waters of creativity!

As Ray Bradbury said in, Zen in the Art of Writing, ‘…but one thing always remains the same: the fever, the ardour, the delight. Because I wanted to, I did.’

Allow the process to unfold, and above all, trust it. One idea at a time, one story at a time builds your body of work.

Happy writing, happy publishing, and happy reading.

Please share your thoughts in the comment box below to help a fellow aspiring writer.

Author Spotlight: Mel Goven

As creatives, news about a debut author from the land of one’s birth is received with great joy. The creative landscape is a connected, supportive space that celebrates newcomers to the publishing fold.

Meet Mel Goven, South African debut author of the crime novel, Unfinished, launched in July, 2022 on Amazon. Please join me in welcoming Mel Goven to the blog this month.

Get to know South African Author : Mel Goven

1. Biography : Mel Goven

I hail from Johannesburg and have quite a demanding day job as a teacher in a primary school.

Unfinished is my first novel although I have written many short stories which have gained a place in short story competitions in local magazines and writing groups.

My short story, Scorned, a crime mystery, was placed 3^rd in Woman and Home, in 2014. Love Knots, another short story, was shortlisted in the annual short story competition run by The Writer’s Group. One of my favourite short stories, Lucky, featured on a few writing blogs and had quite a successful run in 2016. All these stories can be read on my blog site.

I have also published newspaper feature articles and opinion pieces during my stint as editor for the local newspapers: The Randburg Sun, Fourways Review and the Northcliff Melville Times.

My features were around education challenges in South Africa. Some of which were: Preparing for Future Career Opportunities, Effective use of Technology in the Classroom, Private versus Public Schools.

Having always been drawn to the romance genre, I imagined I would write romance novels, which I haven’t completely taken off the table yet. However, I found my voice in thrilling crime mysteries.

I have two more novels in the pipeline and have realised that with each new world I create, I am finding myself as a writer. I don’t like conforming to a specific trope and while I admire the writing styles of my favourite authors, I don’t think I am in the same league and so choose to write my way.

I have been blessed with four incredible children of whom I am super proud. In formally starting my writing career at this stage in my life, I hope to inspire them that dreams come true at any age, no matter what challenges and obstacles arise.

2.When did your passion for writing emerge?

I love reading. I believe you must be an avid reader to be a good writer. When I was a child, I would beg my parents to take me to the library.

I visited many libraries in the area I grew up in: from the little mobile libraries that would go around the community on Tuesdays and Thursdays; to the community libraries that were finally built when the demand increased, and then to the Durban City Hall library when I was old enough to travel to the city on my own.

I started writing after I read Anne of Green Gables. I felt such a deep connection to the main character, Anne. Although she was a lifetime removed from my world in terms of the era, race, and circumstances, she felt what I felt; messed up like I did; was the odd duckling — just like me.Anyway, the community library did not have the sequel to Anne of Green Gables and so I decided to continue the story in my imagination. Eventually, I wrote it at the back of a Maths book (I did not like Maths very much). That was how I began writing.

Every time I finished reading a book, and if I felt that I wanted more from it, I would continue the story to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion.

3. What inspired you to write your debut novel, Unfinished?

In 2012, I became fascinated by a story I heard from a patient in a doctor’s surgery. The patient had undergone a heart transplant a few months before and she had been excited to meet the family of her donor.

I found myself researching it and was surprised to find that some heart recipients experienced major personality changes which are sometimes connected to their donor. The idea of the heart, which we consider the seat and symbol of emotion, sparked a story and this epic drama unfolded.

Unfinished is set in Hout Bay, Cape Town, because the first human heart transplant occurred successfully at the nearby Groote Schuur Hospital. But, it is more than just a story about a heart transplant. It revivifies an unsolved murder committed almost 40-years before the story begins; those affected by that crime and how their lives have interwoven until a heart transplant finally exposes the truth. I wanted my characters to come to life on the page, and each one needed to have a voice, so I opted to write in each main character’s POV.

4. Who are your favourite authors?

I have so many. I have great respect for the classics, so Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Emily Bronte, L.M. Alcott, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and of course, L.M. Montgomery.

Contemporary authors: I would say, Khaled Hosseini, Kazuo Ishiguro and Eleanor Catton. But there are so many others. I have never restricted my reading to specific genres. I read all, except perhaps horror. Although I did spend a few sleepless nights reading Stephen King’s, The Dream Catcher.

I suppose I could say I have favourite books rather than authors. At present I am enjoying Barbara Kingsolver’s, The Lacuna. And, A Madness of Sunshine, by New Zealand author, Nalini Singh, and The Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah.

Oh, dear! There are so many more books I still have on my to-be-read list. My guilty pleasure is that I also enjoy a Harlequin romance novel now and again.

5. What advice would you offer to aspiring writers?

Write about what you experience. Write that story you wished could have had a different ending. Write about your dreams. Whatever takes seed in your imagination, write about it.

Grab your copy of Unfinished at these Amazon Book Links

Paperback

Kindle edition

Join Mel Goven on social media:

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I extend my gratitude to Mel Goven for sharing her author journey and wonderful advice to aspiring authors. Unfinished has certainly grabbed my attention!

Happy Reading, Happy Writing.

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Story-Telling… greater the art of ending

Writing is fun, art, a visceral experience.

A story crafted from bone to flesh takes many months, or years of vested time where emotional attachment is difficult to relinquish.

There comes a time in every delightful story where the writer cedes the pen (for a while before the editing clean-up).

Knowing where to start is as important as knowing when to stop.

Writing sequels, trilogies and series is a long-term relationship between the writer and manuscript. Characters become real when they consume sleeping and waking thoughts. A character wanting a bigger space on the pages of a story holds the writer to ransom.

Endings must be free of padding or info-dumping that feed the writer’s attachment to the tale, people or place, serving no express purpose to the story. Readers will thank the writer for avoiding the stuffing.

The original plan for the story veers off when a character wanting to be acknowledged calls out the loudest. Such a character is allowed a voice that directs the action on a different path. This is a natural part of the process, but rogue characters must be reeled in and put under a microscope to assess their primary role—is the character essential to the plot, does the character add an exciting plot twist or are they unnecessary?

A benevolent muse is the one to thank for all that arrive to prod the writer. If the voice/story/scene are ignored, they find a way into somebody else’s story. Lady Muse is a perpetual huntress.

Heed the call we must!

Writing is joyful, hard work. It takes committed diligence to keep going until the story is over. It will only ever be over when the writer is convinced it is time to stop. Soliciting advice from a trusted other, The Reader, is a good way to ensure that it is indeed the right point to type in ‘The End’.

Well-written stories will entertain audiences long after the writer’s time has passed.

When it feels right to end it — do it! If it is deemed not right later down the editing track — change it or add in a few subtle changes. To ignore that gnawing feeling that something is not right, but not worth the trouble to rectify it, is a mistake that comes back to haunt the writer.

Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art of ending ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, educator, linguist.

Structure in a story is important, but the creative does not adhere to structure alone at the sacrifice of something unique that has the potential to hold the reader’s attention.

Should the ending resolve all issues?

Are all life’s issues resolved?

Fiction entertains but should mirror life to connect with readers on the universality of our fundamental humanity.

Walking in the shoes of the reader is a good way to access whether a story crafted over a length of time, the writer’s blood on the page, has value for the reader.

A story begins with action or change, and everything follows on from there, and it may end with change, the character’s growth or downfall, but ultimately it must guarantee reader satisfaction. If not, then a sequel or epilogue might do the trick, or leave it open to interpretation, but keep the element of surprise.

Tie up loose ends without deliberating over them

Would you write the ending first? This might be a sure-fire way to lead the scenes throughout the process of the first draft.

Please share the endings of some of your favourite books in the comment box below.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Stay Safe!

Haiku Matters

Brevity is not only the soul of wit, but the lifeblood of today. Now— the immediate, matters in a world where nothing is constant.

Attention span flits in the blink of a second.

Words matter, live and linger…

The upswing in the unquenchable thirst for poetry is a gratifying return to the appreciation of the poetic word and form. Poetry propels one on a light year’s journey into measureless realms. It delights and moves the human spirit with the evocative and provocative choice of words, themes, shape and style.

Haiku is short, so brief that every word tells a story to leave its inscription on memory.

For the writer, (for me) haiku is inspiration, a deep but quick inhale and a rapid expulsion of observations and emotions. The effect is cathartic but unforgettable.

The on-tap, sharp and visual that bombard our senses every day, growing an ever-increasing need for quick satisfaction—that adrenalin rush akin to a gym workout.

The economy of life’s necessities gives haiku breath in a world juggling too many balls, where survival is a luxury.

Haiku, originally a seventeen syllable (5-7-5) three-line structure poem was predominately about nature—weather, animals, plants, and changing seasons. Traditionally the Japanese form was the opening of a longer poem, serving as a haiku introduction to the composition.

Variations to the original 5-7-5 syllables are widely used by poets in the modern world to capture values, love, life’s challenges, and varying themes beyond the natural world.

Simple, intense and direct…

As a fiction writer, poetry fuels my imagination. In both my poetry collections, Random Heart Poetry: Light and Shade and Random Heart Poetry: Visions and Voices, haiku has a respected space on the page.

on the precipice

have you attained the true spice

ikigai of life

Try your hand at haiku writing today, feel the inner benefit, take the inspiration into your day and share it with others.

Happy Writing and Reading this festive season, but above all, keep safe.

Join me on FB and Instagram to share our haiku stories.

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May The Trilogy Be With You!

Writing a trilogy is not how I began writing, Souls of Her Daughters. The ending brought on an extension to the lives of Grace and Patience, and as the muse requested two more tales were born ending in the grand finale of, What Change May Come. The second book, Chosen Lives, picks up from Patience’s mission shrouded in mystery, and suspense when the aircraft she travels in disappears, followed by time tense revelations and heart-stopping fulfilling thriller magic!

enthrals with mystery and suspense ~ engaging and addictive ~ exhilarating… oozes with deep passion ~

~ Goodreads

The present trilogy in the making was planned. Book 1 of The Bardo Trilogy, Aurora Days, was released in April 2020 and Book 2 is scheduled for an October/November release. Book 3 will follow in the first quarter of 2021. And poetry beckons, egging me on with each publication. Hence Viola is also a closet poet! Stories crafted will always borrow some aspects from the writer’s world.

entrances and entertains… epic tale of courage, love and peril ~ Goodreads

Lessons learned in writing a trilogy are keeping a tight track on characters, places, time, and events. While for the most part, I am a panster, I do plan on Scrivener and shift and rearrange as each idea emerges. The glory of Scrivener is a necessary asset in a writer’s toolkit!

Sometimes the protagonist’s trajectory takes on a different path than originally envisioned. This is the power of independent creative choices — a freedom to chop or sustain at will.

Creative freedom is the stuff dreams are made of!

The Bardo Trilogy revolves around a family mystery in the life of PI Viola Bardo, schoolteacher extraordinaire with music in her heart and justice in her soul. Family relationships are a keen part of both my trilogies as are hidden secrets that connect to my thriller edge.

Changing locations is a wonderful way to revisit places I’ve been to in grounding the story.

While all this is in the making, a new venture beckons as an epic once-off or standalone novel on a family saga. The title came to mind first and pieces are emerging on that idea. Currently, I run two journals, something I have not done with my backlist publications. It has been largely one book at a time.

I am allowing the creative spirit to bite whichever way it wants so while the second book in The Bardo Trilogy is given priority, I am jotting down ideas as they appear on a new vision. I have taken on board Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice in ‘Big Magic’ — if you don’t pick up the stories coming to you, someone else will.

The muse will nudge the writer with her private messages when a story must be told.

The new venture beckoning will shift and change with time and no deadline is on the horizon for that yet. But it will be created as it comes.

I don’t intend on leaving Viola Bardo in the wings because she has many more revelations for the reader.

Keeping track of all that the divine muse dispenses is the best way forward.

May the Muse be With you!

Happy Writing! Happy Reading!

What’s your favourite trilogy read?

2020 and Beyond – Voices in Literature

Diverse voices exist in literature but are under-represented by trade publishers.

All hail the dawn of self-publishing!

The tragedy of George Floyd’s death in the United States has sparked a resurgence for the recognition of black writers. Read the rumble in the UK here on what the newly found Black Writer’s Guild has initiated.

It is shocking to note that black writers are offered a lower advance to that of their white contemporaries, and editors ask for white or racist characters to be added to books.

As an author of colour, in Australia, I faced the dilemma of whether I should create a neutral non-black pen name to get publishing recognition. But my writing mission is, In our angst and joy, we are ONE under the sky of humanity, which does not support using a pen name and so authenticity prevailed.

My apartheid past in South Africa had stolen the right to feel comfortable in my skin or to dare to speak out against racism. Hence my debut novel Across Time and Space and the sequel Vindication Across Time, present the bald face of racism as a universal disease through my eyes. My third novel, Souls of Her Daughters exposes injustice on multiple levels.

Fear makes one believe that a name that hints at race would be bypassed by publishers and readers. Listen to the words of author Michael La Ronn who articulates the issues black writer’s face in writing and publishing. Note what he says about gaslighting

Racism – Inequality – Injustice – Prejudice – by any name must be caught and called in the books we read, movies we watch and conversations we have

The Zulu word Ubuntu refers to the human spirit as it should be:

I am because we are
humanity towards others
the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity

In writing multicultural stories as I do – the spirit of Ubuntu prevails.

What will you be reading and watching in the renaissance of Black Lives Matter in literature?

I recommend watching the movie In My Country on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa and Rabbit-Proof Fence on Australia’s Stolen Generation.

From the Uncle Tom’s Cabin and beyond, voices have raised the alarm but sadly the call to end racism fell on deaf ears. Now it must be made history, an unforgotten one to remind us that prejudice is heinous and should be obliterated from the stage of life. Diverse voices that are in the main ignored, share why the human condition needs a radical shake-up.

Feel the angst, walk a mile in the shoes of the racially downtrodden – only then will you know the corrosive impact of racism.

The wound of prejudice cuts deep to the soul leaving indelible scars.

But you pick your head up, as you do, to face another day no longer silent especially to subtle bias…

In the wake of the change in 2020 and beyond, walk a mile through these suggestions to know and feel that in our diversity the common factor is that we are emotional beings with the capacity to rectify prejudice by the stories we tell and read.

Here are ten suggestions where diverse voices rip out your heart to sensitise your soul.

Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela
. My Place -Sally Morgan
Talking to My Country – Stan Grant
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
The Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead
Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Cry the Beloved Country – Alan Paton
The Power of One – Bryce Courtney
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence – Derald Wing Sue

May you write and read stories that share histories to sensitise our souls to dismantle racial bias.

Mothers Mirrored in Fiction

Mother’s Day this year has a different ring to the freedom of yesteryear.

The nation waited to hear if we would be allowed to visit our mothers on this special day of the year. Something we took for granted… our mothers would always be there to listen, comfort, cook an amazing meal, take care of grandchildren, advise on matters of the heart, and chastise bad behaviour.

Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child ~ Gautama Buddha

The hype leading to Mother’s Day has been a buzz from infancy. 2020 has been still but some retail stores have opened for a dash purchase of a gift and a card to celebrate our mothers to tell them we love them. We fervently add that we want our mothers to be safe and well during this global health crisis. Some among us ache to see our mothers, some have passed on, and others are in social isolation — it has been two months of just telephone conversations and if possible, FaceTime, Zoom and Skype chats. The aching emptiness of the missed mama/nana hug is still not a possibility. A joyous expression of love is now a cause for global anxiety as we fear the unknown, the lethal. The comforting hug now a possible cause of harm.

Mothers occupy a universal, sacred place in our hearts. A mother’s unconditional love goes with her children from the cradle to the grave. Cultures revere mothers with a divinity deserving of profound respect and care. This value should undoubtedly be universal. The hearth of family and home is a mother.

Paradise lies at the feet of your mother~ Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

In paying tribute to all mothers today I also refer to the fictional mothers in, Souls of Her Daughters, and two follow-up novels in the trilogy (each reads as a stand-alone novel too) Chosen Lives, and, What Change May Come.

Mothers Varuna and Elsie present as the yin-yang of motherhood. Mama Varuna is Grace’s bold and strong mother who has weathered hardship with loss and societal criticism. Patience’s mother, Mama Elsie is a mild-mannered mother who faces racism and hardship in apartheid South Africa. Both mothers raise their daughters as one family united in their cultural difference and struggles. The highs and lows of the lives of mothers and daughters captured in the daily lives of Grace and Patience are what makes Mother’s Day a constant expression of love.

To all mothers, and future mothers, you are the pillars of family and society and should be celebrated daily.

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.’ ~ Proverbs 31:26

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Stay safe and well as restrictions ease in New South Wales and around the world.

Happy reading, happy writing.

Writing and Publishing During a Global Crisis

Every corner of the world has been hit by Covid19 — life for millions has come to a grinding halt. Businesses have shut down left, right and centre. Bookstores have closed their doors. Libraries are no longer a sanctuary as silent voices are in lockdown.

The question tossed around is: do we go ahead with the launch of a new book?

My heart says yes but my mind says, should I? Then a voice whispers an answer: yes, launch it online, reach people who need to move out of the mental space of the current crisis we all face. We need the sanctity of books. Bookshops continue to take orders online if a digital book is not a preference.

In the face of a global crisis, publishing is vital now more than ever before — it says we are here, later it will speak confirming that we were here, and this is what we did. It is akin to writing historical fiction. The Great Books of the world brought us knowledge of people, cultures, events, aspirations, challenges and celebrations from eras long before our current existence. Without those scribes, the artists of the past, we would be as ignorant of the world as the occupants in Plato’s cave.

Literature is the light into now, the glow of the past and spotlight into our dreams of the future.

Books imprint memory

Writers have the acute ability to sense mood and observe human behaviour down to minuscule details. So, why wait? It is time to pick up the pen of prose or poetry. Each will speak of this time and of our dreams and visions. Leave the messages that say we are indeed one.

In our angst and joy, we are ONE under the sky of humanity

To ignite compassion, we must walk in the shoes of angst, or suffering, to extend love and care to others because we know it—we feel it. Stories elicit compassion and bring meaning more particularly as we sit in self-isolation to protect our loved ones and communities.

Writing and publishing must go on, as must, soft digital launches of news titles and relaunching of backlists. Lower prices, offer free titles, reach the masses by bringing meaning to the lives of those living in fear of what the next news bulletin or press conference will announce. Our uncertainty unites us in our desire for a renewed tomorrow. We inhabit the same house under a global sky.

Now we speak with the same human voice in our sans streets, sans parks, sans beaches… but we should never be reduced to fearing each other.

Keep literature flowing for generations to come—it is within our control, thanks to the digital platforms that serve us.

Keep Writing, Keep Reading.

Stay Safe.

This time will pass. Keeping hope alive through poetry and stories.

From Prose to Poetry

Poetry excites, calms, awakens, regenerates

As a thriller fiction writer, poetry has been a significant aspect of my recreational reading and inspiration for my writing. Poets of the Romantic era notably Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge are among my selection of favourites as has been Yeats, Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson. African poets Mongane Wally Serote and Chinua Achebe, to name a few. All held my attention both as a student and educator. More recently, I turn to the inspiration of Orna Ross, an Irish poet and author. I relish reading poems from a global range of acclaimed published and aspiring poets in the rapidly growing group, How to Write for Success. This attests to the thirst for new voices to be heard and fundamentally the need for poetry in an era of uncertainty where we need to be reminded of beauty and wonder.

In a post titled Poetry Educates Prose I highlighted the benefits of poetry reading and writing to enhance style and succinct writing in prose.

After writing poetry for an audience of one and gradually venturing out to my better half and immediate family circle and a few trusted friends, I took the plunge to put together a collection of my light and shade poems. It has taken a year to sift through, rewrite and refresh and refresh once again, and no doubt that process will continue as skills develop along the way. A collection titled Random Heart Poetry: Light and Shade is the window to my soul

The moon has a significant impact on creativity, and culturally the celebration of auspicious events are determined by the aspect of the moon as per the lunar calendar. Some of my Instagram posts will reveal my fascination with the moon whenever she is in my realm. The cover of Random Heart Poetry captures the essence of Light and Shade through the full moon, representative of the light we seek. The poetry collection reflects upon culture, identity, gender, race, migration, relationships and the wonder of nature.

Random Heart Poetry: Light and Shade is available at Amazon and instore at a few select retailers.

Fiction Changemakers

If stories were never told — history would not exist — change would not occur.

So much that is fictional is drawn from reality.

The horrors that have occurred historically and afresh each day (as the daily news never fails to report) become the fictional realities writers create in imagined worlds. The fiction writer’s world is in tune with current and past societal occurrences. The subconscious mind sifts and imprints that which has emotive associations. From this collaboration of mind and emotions, the writer begins with a particular premise — then something magical happens — the pen takes on a life of its own.

Plotter or panster merge when that magic happens. Hey, presto! Fiction and reality commingle!

For this reason, mindful writing is imperative. It helps guide your book to a niche or a wider audience with a message melded to the entertainment a good book affords.

Every good story has a lesson to teach, an angst or joy to share

Where does the act of creative mindfulness emanate from?

The soul of the writer, his or her angst and joy sensitize the writer to the struggles people undergo — be it a socio-economic matter such as Charles Dickens’ novels that exposed England’s elitism, and Jane Austen’s portraits of gender and social class. These are two writers selected from a host of others of the day.

Today fictional writers create worlds around ‘me too,’ racism and power struggles. Power struggles and injustice are timeless from Fritz Lang’s 1927 German expressionist film Metropolis based on the 1925 novel by Thea von Harbouto, Orwell’s dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four and my current reading of American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins referred to as a ‘high-octane’ story, are a few in the countless number of books that connect readers through discomfit to what it means to struggle and survive.

Political thrillers expose mismanagement, and immorality while entertaining readers with suspense, the drama of high stakes, etc.

If fiction mirrors reality it becomes a record for posterity like all good books. A ‘good book’ depends on which end of the moral spectrum both reader and writer share. If a book angers and soothes, keeps the reader on the edge of their seat by creating desired expectations for the protagonist — it’s a great story penned.

Fiction should make us uncomfortable enough to question where we went wrong, and how can we rectify it

Nothing is political in writing if it showcases reality. The word ‘political’ from my apartheid history conjures thoughts of being labelled as being on the wrong side of the law. Yet a political thriller exposes heinous human behaviour in organizations that we trust to uphold justice.

Fiction is reality dressed up as the world on the pages of a good book, one that dares expose the foibles of troubled societies

Discomfit, guilt and thought

Let’s continue to create fictional realities by rocking the boat of complacency in assuring that the history of the past and history in the making generate discomfort — discomfit elicits thought and one can only hope that positive action will follow to change catastrophes that are within the human scope and rectify atrocious human behaviour.

My stories cut to the bone on forgotten voices who deserve to be heard.

Here’s to more fictional stories for all our better tomorrows.

Happy Australian long weekend. Happy pleasurable reading hours.

Writer’s Connect: Spotlight: Author Vash Karuppa

Today I turn the spotlight on South African Author Vash Karuppa whose debut novel DESTINY FOR LOVE ARRANGED is a favourite among readers in South Africa and abroad. Her novel captures the cultural significance of life, and the command and necessity of love in a voice that connects the reader to place and culture and the understanding that the heart is not entirely self-directed.

Synopsis: Destiny for Love Arranged:

Destiny for Love Arranged is a contemporary, gripping and angsty, second chance Indian romance that reveals the love of family and friendship bonds during trying times. All protagonists are of South African Indian origin.

The story revolves around Aariyan Ranjan, a highly successful CEO of a Hotel Empire and Varini Iyengar, an Oncologist, both are forced into a temporary marriage of convenience to help them resolve personal dilemmas.

Not because it had anything to do with his heart he thought stoically…, but because it suited his purposes…

While Aariyan is determined to treat their marriage as he would any other business deal, love rarely listens to logic, and what follows is anything but business. On the other hand, Varini soon finds herself gravitating toward and rejoicing in the love she thought lost forever with a hidden hope that their marriage of convenience will end in a union of everlasting love. The story is embedded with cultural anecdotes familiar to any family of Indian origin. It takes their family, friends and a life-threatening situation to show them the love they lost is worth fighting for.

In short, this is a story about family, friendship, and starting over, as Aariyan and Varini embark on a journey toward a second chance at love. You will get to share in their moments as they discover that vulnerability can be their strength and the most perplexing problems can be overcome with the support and resourcefulness of a loving family and faithful friends. This is Book 1 of a trilogy.

About the Author

Vash is a South African author of Indian origin who has been a bookaholic from about the age of five. Her addiction for books grows exponentially daily, so after spending years concentrating on her role as a corporate executive and a short stint as an entrepreneur, she decided to unleash her number one desire i.e. a passion for writing. Whilst books of most genres interest her, it was romance that captured her soul. Her writing portrays the lives and drama of ordinary people who readers can easily relate to. The crux of her stories celebrates the power of true love coupled with the timeless bonds that exist between family and friends while capturing the true essence of diverse cultures.

Vash Karuppa is a member of the Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa (ROSA)

What inspired you to write Destiny for Love Arranged?

For many years I have read articles around the call for diverse romance novels that incorporate multi-cultural aspects into a traditional romance plot. In addition, I’m a hopeless romantic myself and always had a plot in my head around a story that integrates family and friendship bonds (which I have been blessed to have throughout my life) together with a typical romance story.

When I eventually decided to put pen to paper, it all just naturally came together, giving birth to Destiny for Love Arranged. Finally, I am aware there aren’t many novels written which share intricacies of the South Indian culture and I was determined to write about it. Looking at the feedback received thus far from readers, it was well-received.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? How long did it take you to write your novel?

Being a passionate romantic and voracious bookaholic, reading was a drug to which I had an instant addiction, one that only grew with time. While books in all genres interest me, it was romance that I was drawn to. From as early as my pre-teen years, I loved the ‘happily ever after (HEA)’ syndrome hence my love with any book in the romance genre, and later as a teenager with a dream of writing my own HEA story.

Writing a novel has always been part of my bucket list, so, after spending years concentrating on my role as a corporate executive, I eventually unleashed my number one desire and passion for writing with Destiny for Love Arranged

I didn’t really plan on publishing my work though, because I started writing for my own fulfilment. However, when a few of my friends read the script, they encouraged me to consider publication and so it happened….

The hardest part of completing the story was not knowing how to stop. I had so much more to tell but owing to publishing rules on limited word count and reader expectation of the length of books I had to cut out a lot from the original script.

What’s your typical writing day like?

Owing to a “day job”, I tend to confine my writing to nights for at least 2 hours a day in the week and whatever time I can hijack on the weekend.

My best writing is done in a quiet space in my little apartment directly next to a window where I can have the warmth of the sun and sounds of chirping birds to keep me company while writing.

Who is your greatest source of inspiration?

My 92-year-old maternal grandfather has undoubtedly been the inspiration behind my love for writing. He taught me how to read and then introduced me to the word of writing through the books he wrote and is still writing might I add.

What are your future writing plans?

Books 2 and 3 of the Keshavam Industries trilogy is almost complete and will be released between December 2019 and February 2020.

I have a new series planned for the rest of 2020.

Destiny for Love Arranged is on Amazon for your reading pleasure.

You can engage with Vash Karuppa on:

Happy Reading! Happy Writing! Happy Publishing!

Writing Through Adversity

Writing has been well documented as having therapeutic value. Do you keep a personal diary, or a journal to record moments that are significant to you? Would you write a memoir or autobiography? Have you tried poetry writing?

Fiction is an avenue that has therapeutic benefit when writing about angst through fiction or poetry. This has value in reaching readers who might face a similar situation. Receiving a reader’s comment on connecting with a character or situation makes writing move from the realm of fictional entertainment to enhancing life, creating a sense of belonging through the power of story/words that whisper, ‘there are people who go through this, you are not alone, it’s not you…’

Human difficulties like our joys are universal and part of our shared humanity regardless of demography or any divisive label. We learn from each other, we share with each other — altruism is part of our human ‘feel good’ makeup. We feel good or secure in knowing that challenges are not unique. This is where fiction like a memoir/autobiography/biography and poetry has the ability to say, ‘I see you, I hear you, I feel your situation.’

‘In our angst and joy we are one under the sky of humanity’

Oftentimes something heard, something seen, or read triggers the imagination to create a story/poem — these seeds have their origin in human experience. Everything in life has imaginative storytelling potential. Historical fiction is a genre whereby much from history or literature is reimagined to suit a particular context adding timelessness to a story.

Poems and stories, when turned inward, create… growth… healing… self-awareness

Shakespeare’s The Tempest reimagined by Margaret Atwood in her novel, Hag-Seed is an example. Prospero becomes Felix a theatre director in a present-day context — he is grieving the deaths of his wife and daughter and has been backstabbed by an aspirational colleague. His vulnerability is an evocative point of connection with the reader. Professional or workplace strife present timeless human dilemmas, but when tastefully explored as a novel’s premise or ideas, it has the potential to speak to many isolated, lonely individuals — there is no shame in being vulnerable. Shame sits on the shoulders of those who abuse vulnerability. The most endearing people, in reality, are those who have experienced hardship, financially, in grief or loss, abuse or ill-health — having walked in the shoes of many with struggles, wires empathy — as human experience should be if we hope to coexist in peace and harmony.

Fiction can remind us why it is essential to be true to who we are in our expressions of self and in our interactions with each other.

In Souls of Her Daughters, Dr Grace Sharvin who heads a busy medical ER has unimaginable frailties but her strength is in her capacity to reach out to others while fighting her own demons.

Life’s lessons come from the adversarial people met, and they become the basis upon which writers craft their villains. A little bit of this and a little bit of that blended in a cauldron and hey presto! The (im)perfect villain is born! The good people we meet shape perspectives on why adversarial individuals have no place in a shared world.

Timeless heart-warming and gut-wrenching stories on life’s challenges and celebrations.

Literature is a luxury, Fiction is a necessity — GK Chesterton

and

Albert Camus said, Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.

Who can argue with such pearls of truth now?

Life, literature, news of the day, and history portray human experiences that provide inroads to new fictional stories and evocative poetry that connect rather than divide by exposing, celebrating, loving, grieving and understanding what it really means to be human. We all, whether real or fictional are indeed not alone in adversity.

Which novels and poems would you recommend to readers on overcoming adversity? Have you read A Spark of Hope?

Tripartite Character Connection

Quick access and the desire to know more, allow novel/film/ trilogies and series to thrive.
Writing a trilogy is planned either before Book 1 is written or while the first book is being written, but in my case, it emerged as the first book ended. Films such as ‘Mission Impossible,’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ ‘Spider-Man,’— to name a few, and novels: ‘Century Trilogy Series’ by Ken Follet, ‘Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy,’ ‘African Trilogy’ by Chinua Achebe, and ‘Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins — and so many more… have stood the test of time.

Being more of a pantser is probably the reason why Book 2 emerged after Book 1 was completed, thereafter a plan was mapped for each book which morphed along the way as characters spoke about their lives/situations. What is originally envisioned does not really end up as expected — this is my experience. With Souls of Her Daughters, each book that follows may be read as a standalone book or in combination as a trilogy.

In writing Souls of her Daughters, Chosen Lives and What Change May Come two arcs are included through the lives of sisters Grace and Patience, first as sisters, and then as professional women. Felicity Cassano, friend and associate to both sisters is the third arm in the tripartite connection. There is also the suggestion that Andrew Lang, young, handsome intern at City Hospital could be the third connection — ultimately the reader will pick a favourite for a host of reasons — tragic childhood or unrequited love, the emotional hook shapes preference.

Trilogies allow the inclusion of a range of characters to enter and intersect with the main arcs. Book 2, Chosen Lives, sees the entry of Ming, Audra, Masuyo and Zuri. This adds intrigue and colour to the lives of each character in their growth and development through the three books. The beginnings of a love story in Book 1, develops in Book 2, faces challenges in Book 3 adding more drama and intrigue in the rocky life of Grace with her beau Keefe Daly. Patience’s social justice initiative in creating safe houses for women of abuse in Australia sees her traveling to different places and finding commonality of the human spirit in any geographic location. Multicultural representations feature in all my books as an expression of a world where difference is of no consequence, professionally and personally.

Additionally, characters that attract negative attention for their human flaws in Book 1 can transition in Book 2 or Book 3. Such is the situation with Felicity Cassano, the legal eagle with good intentions that go awry in her sharp-tongued impulsive criticism of Grace, a medical practitioner she believes is somewhat faint-hearted.

We are voyagers, discoverers of the not-known… we have no map ~ (from HD – Hilda Doolittle’s – Trilogy- Tribute to the Angels)

Trilogies have value for both readers and writers — readers immerse themselves in the lives of fictional characters by finding limitless connections to their own worlds, and the writer relishes the depth of creative expression in fleshing out lives and situations that leave the reader wanting more.

What are your favourite trilogies? Drop a comment in the box below.

Happy Reading! Happy Creating!

Book Blurbs

Book blurbs are as important as the cover story of your book. It’s what readers look at to decide if they will take it home to love. Why? Because they cannot walk away from the temptation the blurb triggered. Think of it this way, if you’re a chocoholic, or one who cannot walk past a coffee shop, without going in to pick up a cup of your favourite beverage, because the aroma is overwhelmingly tempting, or the sight and smell of your favourite chocolate bar, is irresistible enough to make you pick up many bars, while you chomp on one on the way home!

It’s not that easy with a book blurb, but the temptation must be created through a strategic choice of keywords, associated with your genre. Tap into the right sensory imagery, tug at emotions, create a connecting interest. Say enough to grab the reader’s interest, to make them want to know more – that should be your blurb goal.

Captivating your potential reader in 200 words, including your intriguing heading, is the sum of the blurb. Second, to the book itself, the blurb is a significant part of the book package. It’s a sales pitch that has to have a timeless ring. Intrigue without giving too much away is the trick. It takes several drafts to perfect the blurb, and it might also mean going back to it after your book has been published, to tweak your choice of language by perhaps escalating how you present tension or to cut back on the number of words used etc, to draw more reader interest and enhance book sales.

Short, Concise, Punchy, Captivating

Often the blurb is left as the final step in creating a book. It’s a vital part of your book package and should be developed along with the writing of the story. A summary point of each chapter should be written to have a storehouse of ideas to draw from. Play around with possible blurbs as you are writing your novel. This morphs as you reach the middle or end of the writing process. The crafting of the blurb becomes less onerous this way.

A few suggestions to consider when constructing a blurb.

Who is my audience?
How will I entertain them?
What emotions do I want to elicit?
What’s at the core of my story – my purpose?
What’s the high point – the point of challenge and intrigue
What does my book offer?
How will I create a sense of place
What will I say about the characters?
Avoid spoilers
Use a hook opening line/question
Use hyperbole to heighten reader interest
Keep your voice/tone authentic
Write a blurb tailored to your genre
Keep it succinct, punchy, captivate the reader
End with a cliff-hanger

A book I recommend reading and drawing skills from in writing a killer blurb, is Bryan Cohen’s, How To Write A Sizzling Synopsis. It’s a step by step guide to a sizzling synopsis.

Write your killer blurb for your next brilliant story!

Please share your thoughts on what grabs you in a killer blurb, in the message box below.

Happy Reading, Happy Creating!

Do You Feel It?

No pain, no gain, no compassion, did the book you read make you feel, did it create a connection? Did you feel the fear, pain, joy, laughter, hope, and love or perhaps just one, maybe two of these emotional triggers through the characters and events in your book?

‘In a dark time, the eye begins to see’ ~ Theodore Roethke

Some of the greatest artistic expressions emanated from the seat of pain, ‘a dark time’. Sylvia Plath’s Ariel comes to mind, her suite of poems on life and pain.

Emotion brings art to life, inviting the beholder to stop, listen, and absorb, to feel the pulse of the writer’s being.

In a dark time, challenges and struggles turn the eye and ear inward. Stop… still yourself from thought and action – listen and connect to your internal landscape. When writing grows from such a place, compassion is born through created events and characters.

Emotion, regardless of whether it’s negative or positive, draws us in, more so when love and understanding emerge through the connection. We are emotional beings. While Descartes said, ‘I think therefore I am’ (Cogito, ergo, sum) – it can be said, ‘I feel, therefore, I connect’ or ‘I feel, therefore, I understand, appreciate…’

Giving in to the emotion-feeling the pain to redefine your world (pixabay image)

Stories should build connections, to validate the reader by bringing characters and their challenges to life. When readers leave a review on the connections the writer’s prose created for them, this provides valuable feedback and acknowledgment.

Here’s an extract from my latest novel, Souls of Her Daughters when the realization of where her life is at, comes crashing down on the protagonist… too much has happened, the past and present collide…

Grace walked around the hospital grounds, confused, lost in thought on the uncertainty of life. Visions of what her mother would have done came to mind. She walked to her car, sat back in the seat and sobbed for all she had lost in her life, and that poor Mrs. Beresford lay dead for the better part of a day, waiting for someone to claim her – Grace understood the pain of loneliness.

Loss and loneliness are sadly, but realistically universal. With the protagonist feeling the emotional weight of both, in a single moment, empathy is elicited and might perhaps connect with the reader, offering solace that we essentially are not alone in what we feel.

Emotional connections whether through song, literary fiction or a life-size painting, draw us in by the intensity of the emotion expressed.

Alternately, there are light-hearted moments in the novel, to lift the weight of the struggles the protagonist and the women around her undergo. The blurb concludes, ‘A timeless tale of every woman’s story…’ Timeless on the struggles and celebrations of life, of women from different cultural contexts and professional backgrounds but nonetheless women with collaborative fighting spirits.

Tapping into the essence of our humanity through any art form, is a way forward, to capture the moment in its rawness, to allow us to walk away from the wars of the world, to look at the pleasure and beauty of life, to let the time of struggle pass. Appreciation and compassion are bred from challenges – how do you know the dark side, if you have not felt it? So too, characters’ lives should represent life through art to make fiction sing with timelessness.

Souls of Her Daughters captures the dark side of life, but the positive emotions swell in the relationship between mothers and daughters. Amidst tears, there is laughter, the reality of the experience of life. I hope you read this tale which will leave you with the message – never deter telling the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

I leave you with this timeless TED message from Susan David, that encapsulates the essence of Souls of Her Daughters, on embracing your emotions in its truth.

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