NOT about great headlines, formatting, or one-line sentences — the ones not talked about. — Steven Spielberg once asked Jackie Chan — how do you do such wonderful stunts? “Simple — I Roll, Action, Jump, Hospital,” Jackie replied! The usual grounded and funny Jackie Chan answer. Well, what he meant was the routine is so ingrained in him that it comes naturally. And as writers…

Some stripping, some effing, & some nudity — I know the headline borders clickbait, but, trust me, it's not. Tantalizing? Hmm…Guilty! Well, many people think to become better at something, they need to do a lot of things — learn, practice the trade for a long time, adopt many strategies, etc. But as a writer, I am telling…

NOT the run-of-the-mill — write daily, focus on your headline, accept rejections, blah blah — When I began my writing, it was a random act. I would write just about anything. Almost journaling. A couple of months into it, I knew I was going all wrong. It was just like scribbling something here and there. I was lacking volume and growth. …

And stop yourself from calling quits — I never had any proper writing experience, apart from the occasional ones I did as assignments and some intermittent diary entries. Yet, the moment I started writing as a writer, I fell in love with the process. As I continued writing, I was enjoying it more and more. It was…

Because a smiling reader never leaves your side — I realized the power of humor that day — on a 2-hour train journey with my uncle. Indian trains are nothing short of social media platforms…well, it was…before the era of mobiles owned our boredom. So many connections were made on those rumbling beasts of steel. From jobs to marriages…

Using the economy of language for impactful communication, aka, less is more — If I ask you to write two essays on pigeons — one 500-word and another 100-word, which one will take you longer? Logically, it’s a 500-word essay. But, it’s the other. I have the experience to back my claim. When I write on a topic, my drafts are 3 times…

It’s strange how some answers lie right in front of us to be discovered — If you are a reader, you want to know how you have been working for me (what the hell!!)… And if you are a writer, you surely want to know this (can’t blame you). Well, I don’t like working too hard. It’s in my Indian genes. We are (in)famous for…

Ways to spruce up the same work & keep your readers loyal to you — If I could make one writing wish, it would be that every reader who starts my story is compelled to read it from beginning to end. Arrested, till fully digested. Well, it is just that — a wish. You, me, and every person who has set on the path to…

I asked some writer friends about their regrets; they spilled some interesting beans and golden nuggets — Regret Iyer — that’s the name of a man. Well, to start with, his parents named him Sathyanarayana Iyer. Aspiring to be a writer, Mr. Iyer approached several publications and newspapers to get his work published. But he got rejected. It was after getting many regret letters — 375, to…