Writing
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Episode 3: How I Met His Brother (and It’s Not What You Think)
The one who let his brother do the talking A quiet, sunlit apartment. A not-so-quiet surprise inside. Image Credit This one was hard to avoid. The boy was introduced to me by my favourite uncle, the kind of man who called me “child” well into my thirties, and always slipped an extra note into my… Continue reading
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Episode 2: The Boy Who Objected to My Nose Pin
The one who said ‘Oh. Your nose. The arch, the traffic, the twilight. A fork in the road I didn’t take. Image Credit For the longest time, I believed the only thing standing between me and hotness was a nose pin.Not confidence. Not better lighting. Not therapy. Just a little stud on my right nostril.… Continue reading
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Episode 1: The Boy Who Sang
The one who found me emotionally underqualified Dadar station, behind the grill. Like every near-miss, framed but unfinished. Image Credit Yes, he aspired to be a singer.Yes, which was a strange choice of profession for a good Indian boy. But the real surprise was this: my parents were the ones who set me up with him. I’d… Continue reading
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How I Did Not Meet Your Father
A Preface Some stories are love stories.Some are almosts.These are the other kind. This is a recurring series about the people I didn’t end up with, not just because they weren’t right for me, but sometimes because I wasn’t right for them. Too talkative. Too quiet. Too opinionated. Not opinionated enough. Not religious enough. Not thin… Continue reading
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How to Not Write a Novel: The Impostor Chapter
Or, how I quit my job to write a novel I hadn’t started, then quietly returned to that same job three months later [Representative Image generated using AI] In 2012, I did what any delusional person with a vague idea for a novel might do. I walked into my boss’s office and quit my job.… Continue reading
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How to Not Write a Novel: The Author Photo Obsession
Or, how I spent three months curating a literary identity for a book that doesn’t exist [Representative Image generated using AI] You know what’s really important when writing a novel? No, not plot.Not character arcs.Not even finishing the draft. It’s the author photo. Because at some point during your fifth writing spiral and fourth abandoned… Continue reading
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How to Not Write a Novel: Structure Is a Scam
Or, how I confused a literary quote for a plot outline and never recovered [Representative Image generated using AI] When I first started writing the novel (note: it was still called The Novel back then), I did what any self-respecting, under-confident writer does: I collected quotes. Not just any quotes, writer quotes.The kind that sound like truth.The kind… Continue reading
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How to Not Write a Novel: The Short Story Spiral
Or, how I wrote 2,000 words, submitted to 18 journals, and got rejected by 17 (the 18th ghosted me) [Representative Image generated using AI] When you’re not writing your novel but still need to prove to yourself (and a few persistent relatives) that you’re a real writer, there’s one thing left to do: submit a… Continue reading
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How to Not Write a Novel: The Vibe Is the Plot
Or, how I had a playlist, a Pinterest board, and three fake book covers—but no story [Representative Image generated using AI] Let’s be clear: I never said I was writing a structured novel. I said I was writing a novel. That’s different. And by “writing,” I mean I have a Spotify playlist with 47 songs, all chosen… Continue reading
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How to Not Write a Novel: Old Wine, New Bottle
How I Decided to Upcycle My 2008 WIP in the Name of Sustainability (and Shame) [Representative Image generated using AI] Back in 2008, I had a dream.Well, I had a Word doc, a pirated version of Scrivener, and a protagonist who quoted Paulo Coelho unironically, but same difference. It was a different time.Dr. Manmohan Singh… Continue reading
