For me, K is for Konkani. In case you are foxed, never having the word before, let me say that it is a language spoken in a few parts of India and happens to my mother tongue. While jobs and career opportunities have taken Konkani folk to all parts of the country, and indeed the globe, it is largely restricted to the States of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Kerala. They say that Konkani is more akin to Sanskrit than any other language spoken today.
Author: Prem Rao
Author, Blogger, Book Reviewer, Coach, and Podcaster
Today, for me H is for “He Sees Everything” which is the name of my anthology of short stories, the full title of which is “He Sees Everything & Other Short Stories.” This was my first attempt at self-publishing and is available on Smashwords, Kobo etc.
Continue reading “H for “He Sees Everything”: #A to Z Challenge”
For me today, G is for Generals because of my deep interest in military history. I am often asked how I developed such an interest despite never having served in the defence services. It’s not that I came from a family with a military background either though my grandfather went to Mesopotamia (as it was then known) during the First World War as a doctor with the old IMS in the British Indian Army. His son became a doctor like him and maintained the tradition, this time serving in the jungles of Burma during the Second World War. His brother served for many years in the Indian Navy being one of the earliest fliers in the Fleet Air Arm.
As a writer, for me F is for Fiction. You know as well as I do as to what is fiction and what is not. What impresses me most about fiction, both as a reader as well as a writer, is how the writer crafts a story using his/her imagination. There are all kinds of stories. Fast-paced thrillers, melodramatic romances, and of course humorous ones like those written by one whom I consider to be the finest writer of the English language, Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse. To each his own. There are different genres which could appeal to you. About. com has this article which could help you to choose a particular genre.
E is for Escapes as I remember “Escapes from Prisoner of War camps” when I think of the letter “E” today. As a kid, I read as many books about the Second World War as I could. I particularly loved Paul Brickhill’s “Reach For The Sky” the story of Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, the legless fighter hero of the Royal Air Force. I was totally impressed that even after he was shot down over France and taken prisoner by the Germans, he continued to harass them in ways he could as he believed it was the duty of every POW to do his best to escape. Bader couldn’t do much because of his disability in the actual digging of tunnels but he was vociferous in what was called “goon baiting.”
The first thing that came to my mind when I reached D was “D for Dialogues” but then I noticed I had used this in the 2011 A to Z Challenge. Having decided not to use the same theme for even one of the alphabets, I needed to think of something else. So this year, I am going with D for Diary as I have been writing diaries ever since I can remember.
When you write fiction, your story hinges on the characters you create. So for me today, C is for Characters. You could have a splendid plot and storyline but they fall flat if they are not carried off by your characters. To me much of the pleasure of writing a novel comes from creating and developing characters. They are at first vague ideas in your mind. Man or woman, young or old, they assume shape in your mind as you think more about the story. It’s amazing how attached you get to your characters. By the time you are through with your novel it feels as if you know them personally. You know every intimate detail about them. And it’s natural to do so, because you were the one who created them.
