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Of Writing and Reading: Ravinder Singh Visits Miranda House

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On Monday, 29th August 2019, a book discussion with the bestselling writer Ravinder Singh was organised by the English Literary Society of Miranda House.

The English Literary Society of Miranda House celebrated the presence of Ravinder Singh, the bestselling romance writer for their first event of the session 2019-20. The writer talked about his latest book: “The Belated Bachelor Party”, in a book discussion which was attended by a great number of students of Miranda House.

The author, most famous for his book I Too Had a Love Story, began the event by introducing himself and his works. He then went on to narrate the real-life incidents that took place, and which inspired him to write The Belated Bachelor Party. From friends that made little sense, to a Europe trip that went wrong in more ways than one, he kept the audience engaged with his little anecdotes. He revealed that the story is about him and his three other friends who went on a Europe trip for their Bachelor’s Party long after their marriage. By saying this, he also justified the title of the book.

“Since I’ve been writing romance for such a long time, I wanted to challenge myself. So, I decided to write a book that makes people laugh, after writing ones that made them cry,” said the author, explaining why he decided to write this book in the genre of humour.

He went on to talk about friendship and advised the audience to hold on to the friends that they have in life, and also said that the only kinds of relationships that we choose in life are: a lover and friends. He said, “Romance is a subset of the larger set called friendship.”

He further added that the book is about friendship and the special bond you have with people you have chosen yourself to let into your life. 

After he finished talking about the books, he took in questions from the audience as well. The audience, eager to participate, asked insightful questions such as- how he dealt with the ups and downs of being a primarily semi-autobiographical writer, and how he integrated social issues in his writing.

On being questioned about the agenda of addressing social issues through his books, he clarified that his book, Your Dreams Are Mine Now, addresses the issue of youth politics and in his another book, Will You Still Love Me talks about road safety.

He further addressed a major issue about the lack of readers in the Indian society. He mentioned that currently there are only a handful of authors in India who work as full-time writers and make a good living out of writing. The problem behind this was, he explained, that the people of our country do not read. Reading is a great task for us and book stores are getting shut. People are going from bad to worse. He made a comparison between India and UK and said that in the UK, people read 10 times more than us.

According to him, “Reading a book is like watching a story getting unfolded in front of your eyes. You live a thousand lives when you read a thousand books.”

The writer further addressed the problems in the publishing market and told the students to focus on their creativity and try the options of self-publishing. He advised the students to try to build up an online audience and then try to approach big publishing houses.  

The event was a complete success buzzing with humour, candor, and a lot of life tips.

 Feature Image Credits: The Literary Society, Miranda House via Instagram

Priya Chauhan

[email protected]

Satviki Sanjay

[email protected]

 

 

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DUB Speak

Summers and Self-Care

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Make this summer the most unforgettable one by knowing yourself more, and doing what you love. Here is a checklist that you can’t miss to make your summers unforgettable.

The longer days in summers mean more time to take care of the wonderful you. Make use of these summers to do everything that your busy schedule doesn’t allow you otherwise. Take out time for yourselves, try to know more about your own self and practice self-care. Going on beaches and pools is something that you’ve been doing for years; so try doing something new this time. Slow down and unwind. Here are a few tips for nurturing yourself this summer.

  • Take a Break From Technology:

Summer is a time when everything seems to slow down and thus, it can be a good time to take a break from constant use of technology. Try meeting people in person instead of texting them on WhatsApp. Take a day off from Instagram, Facebook, and all other social media platforms and give yourself a chance to reconnect with yourself and your loved ones.

  • Write:

If you do not already own a journal, then go buy one and pen down your thoughts, ideas, and feelings in it. Write down everything about your life. Journaling relieves you from stress. If you are new to journaling, then start with a gratitude journal in which you can write down about three things you are grateful about, followed by writing the emotional acts and feelings experienced by you throughout the day.

  • Click and Capture:

Summers and photography tend to go hand-in-hand. If you love to capture nature, then go out early morning and capture the sunrise. Click pictures of the pretty flowers that bloom in this month of happiness. Try to get the perfect shot of the sunset. Take your friends out and click good pictures of them to make their Instagram profile a little more colourful.

  • Sketch, Draw, and Paint:

Art is something that provides our mind with peace. Creating and enjoying art has a lot of health benefits as well. It reduces stress and calms down your mind. Painting is a wonderful way of practicing self-care as it lets us know a lot about ourselves. The colours we use and the designs we make reflect the choices that we make in life. To make art is to make choices and making choices necessitates ourselves to pay attention to which elements please us and which do not please us.

  • Binge Watch:

Catch up on all the movies and TV shows that you’ve missed because of your exams, and watch the ones you love all over again. Binge watching shows is a non-isolating way to practice self-care, so make a list of all the shows you need to watch this summer, fall in love with those characters and make them a part of your life.

  • Read More and More:

Reading is an escape for many people, it lets you explore the world without really leaving your room. It provides you with an opportunity to unplug from the world, run away from all the real-life problems for some time and learn something new. If you are not a movie person and someone who doesn’t like noise, then reading is the best way to practice self-care for you. Being involved in a book provides time to our body and mind to relax, rest and get ready for whatever comes next.

  • Travel and Explore:

Take out some time for a vacation or a staycation. Go out and explore new places, meet new people and learn to see things from a different dimension. Taking a break from everyday life and travelling will give you time to think about yourself and it will make you aware of what you really want in life.

  • Redo Your Room 

Your bedroom can be transformed into a self-care sanctuary by making a few changes. Start with decorating your room with everything you like and give it a new, pleasing look with decent lighting. Imagine an ideal relaxation scenario and convert your bedroom into the same. Remove all the things that prevent your mind from unwinding and make it a work-free zone in order to make it a happy place.

  • Meditate:

Meditate, spend time alone and introspect. Meditation helps us both physically and emotionally. It connects us to our inner self and helps improve and mental and spiritual well-being. It is the perfect practice of sustainable self-care as it is an investment in not just your own personal well-being but also the well-being of others. Once in a while, it is necessary to slow down to focus on yourself. Taking time to channel your inner peace will give you the energy to enjoy the rest of your day.

 

There is no better time to start taking care of yourself than right now. So start right away by doing one small thing for yourself. Have a relaxing, refreshing and fun summer!

 

Image Credits: Social Worker

 

Priya Chauhan

[email protected]

 

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Arts & Culture

Stereotypes about College Societies

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Most of us are quick to judgments, especially when it comes to certain inner circles. Let’s see some stereotypes about college societies, and unveil their truth value.

When we newly join the University of Delhi, societies are something every student looks forward to be a part of. We all have that one society we aspire to be a part of, because of the love for the activity or the people or because of the name that it has. But what are certain misconceptions about the DU societies?

Fashion Society-

Fashion societies are one of the most sought-after societies in DU, but they are often seen as individuals who are completely involved in fashion and all aspiring to be the next Gigi Hadid. While there is nothing wrong to aspire about making it big in the fashion industry, not all students want the same. “I joined the fashion society because I have always been interested in modelling and make-up. I never got an opportunity to actually do something in either of them when I was in school and I was lucky enough to find it in college,” says Jhanvi Jolly, a student of Sociology in DU. It could simply be an interest or a hobby. The members comprise of make-up artists, bloggers, designers, and many more talented individuals who spend hours working on their coordination, music, and outfits to bedazzle everyone with their performance.

Debating Society-

People often perceive these members as born debaters, with excellent general awareness, and get intimidated by them. As someone who never debated in school and had below-average general knowledge, I think it is safe to say that those ideas are certainly not true. But it is no doubt that once you join the Debating Society, these are skills you develop and learn. You put in rigorous effort and hours of dedication to learn the techniques and tricks. Awareness does bring certain confidence and the ability to see the several nuances in what people say, and that ultimately reflects in your personality. The persona of these people intimidates one to shy from even going and auditioning for this society, but these are merely false perceptions, and almost every debater will tell you how they felt the same.

Dramatics Society-

DramSoc kids are usually stereotyped as loud and thundering all the time. It is believed that this society is just a stepping stone for a possible gateway for becoming an actor, or to do theatre in the future. While a few might truly have these ambitions, it is unfair to put everyone in these brackets. For some, this activity is a passion but not a profession; it is the energy and the passion that drives them to put in extraordinary amounts of effort for this interest.

Dance Society-

Popular perception trivialises the amount of efforts put in by Dance Societies. Often seen as students unnecessarily investing too much time as “it is just dancing” or, on the contrary, believing it is too demanding, this society has people intimidated or averted. The former is very much a lie as the standard of performances by DU students has reached a new high, this society requires to tremendous amounts of effort in the choreography, training, rehearsals, outfits, and to finally perform it with complete zest. The latter stands true for every major society and should not prevent one from pursuing their passion.

Writing Society-

This is one of the underdogs of societies, and it sadly is not given the same awe as others, but this underrated response is not something it deserves. Writing society is often seen as a place where introverted and highly philosophical people go, who can only express themselves through writing. Contrary to this belief, all kinds of people join the writing society- shy or outgoing- they are silent workers who do not get a ramp or a stage to perform but, through words typed on a laptop or written on a sheet, win several competitions and contribute to college magazines.

Quiz Society-

Common ideas about these people are that these are nerds or UPSC aspirants, who mug up information and lack in social skills. While this society focuses on growth of a student in terms of his or her awareness, these people are no different than you and me, except what gives them thrills is working out an answer through hints provided. It is a fun hobby and can feel very rewarding.

Image Credits: DU Beat

Shivani Dadhwal

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DUB Speak

Ways to Deal with the Gory Moments of a Writer’s Block

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Writer’s block is as scary and frustrating as it sounds. When you are unable to pen down your thoughts, millions of questions arise in your head and the self- doubt starts taking a toll. No moment can be more petrifying and dispiriting than the one in which you realise that you have exhausted all your creativity. Suddenly, you find yourself empathising with Coleridge’s poetic paralysis in Dejection: An Ode.

Fortunately, the writer’s block can be easily removed with time and practice. One just has to be patient and give the techniques a little time to work their charm. Here are a few exercises that go a long way in removing a writer’s block.

  • Take a little time off– Taking time off can give you new perspective, which gets lost somewhere when you are constantly writing. Sometimes while overexerting, we lose the flow as to what we wanted to write about in the first place. Therefore, it is extremely important that we give ourselves the chance to rejuvenate.
  • Change the scenery– Inspiration is a must when we write. Without inspiration, one becomes really weary of writing. It is true that a lot of the times inspiration strikes from within. However, many-a-times it becomes important that we go out and seek inspiration somewhere else. Something as small as changing your mundane surroundings and going to a new place for a while can ignite the extinguished spark within you.
  • Read books– Re-visit your favourite books or buy the books from your reading list that you still have not crossed off. Someone else’s words might spark a brand new idea. This might be exactly the inspiration that you were seeking and before you know it, you are back to writing again.
  • Write about a personal moment- There are these moments that we do not share with anyone else –they are very intimate. Open your personal diary and start writing about that moment. The passion and emotion attached to that time might help you get your creative juices flowing again
  • Talk to different writers– every writer goes through a block. If the above steps do not help at all, then the best recourse is to ask other writers what they do to overcome these roadblocks. You might discover a brilliant exercise which might help you get past your block.

Here is to hoping that dejection of not being able to write does not last long the next time you face a writer’s block. Hopefully, this cruel spell breaks as soon as possible and fairy dust sprinkles on your creative juices making it glow everlastingly.

 

Feature Image Credits: Pinterest

Anukriti Mishra

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DUB Speak

How Blogs are Underutilised Mediums of Expression

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Blogs have to struggle to get recognition in today’s world of visual graphics, and therefore remain unexplored and underutilised.

It is very easy to catch a random stranger drooling over a YouTube video but rarely any engrossed in reading a blog. Blogs are short, on-the-go and compact reads that you can access on your mobile phone. They are accessible internationally and therefore reachable all around the world.

Unlike publication, you do not need sponsorship, struggle, fan following or any backing to reach the entire world anymore. But how many of us actually use this cost efficient opportunity? Furthermore, blogs are the best ways of self expression as they are personalised spaces you can create and use as per your own liking without any third party involvement or clause.

It is like an interactive book with newer innovations. One can add songs in the background of the blog to be played while reading; create tabs as different zones on the blog itself and avail an array of features to make their blog more creative. The writer as well as the reader grows on their journey as the blog progresses.

However, they have always been underutilised by the readers as well as the bloggers. It is very difficult for a blogger to become acknowledged without tying up their blog with another medium of expression like a YouTube channel or book publication. It is almost like the blogs are not independent mediums anymore. One of the major reasons for this is the distraction and consequent laziness of the readers. You will see perfectly crafted blogs without traffic and meaningless videos trending on YouTube simply because they are videos.

In today’s fast moving world, nobody has time for long term commitments with a blog. It is easier to be a passively engaged viewer with a video or laugh away the stress with memes. Reaffirming that, Shivani Gautam, the blog owner of ‘The Abode of the Uninspired and the Lost’ says, “The problem is when you don’t have viewership. It drives bloggers crazy and it is one hard thing to get. They don’t have any motivation to write further, they start doubting their worth.” Without the support and traffic to motivate the writers, the blogs do not go on and end up as just one among the huge heap of abandoned blogs on the Internet. This is why painstaking mediums like blogs remain unexplored.

 

Feature Image Credits: Elegant Themes 

Khyati Sanger

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Uncategorized

Major creative writing platforms started by DU students

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Thinkopolitan

Over the years varsity students have come together to celebrate free writing on the internet for the space it offers. Living the tradition, many platforms have sprung up in various colleges in the recent past. These platforms are essentially transforming the way in which writing as an art form operates. Here are some of the creative writing platforms that started at Delhi University and are now running successfully at a national level:

1.) An Inception

An Inception
An Inception

This platform is a brainchild of a bunch of students from Motilal Nehru College and aims at covering all the creative writing forms at one platform. It has sections on health, poetry, short stories, campus news and lifestyle with the poetry and short stories sections being the most consistent ones. The facebook page of the website has regular updates and anecdotes too.

2.) Thinkopolitan

This platform was started together by some students of Hindu College and IP University. It celebrates free writing and responsible expression. Major sections on the website include literature, poetry, short stories, politics, photography and cartoons. The website is also associated with Youth ki Awaaz, a major online platform in the country. What’s distinctive about this platform is its ability to include photography among other creative fields. The authors at this platform hail from across the country.

3.) Born of a Million thoughts

Born of a Million Thoughts
Born of a Million Thoughts

Started by a student of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, BOMT is the newest of all the platforms at the varsity but is growing at a fast pace. This platform is fairly diverse and has content ranging from interviews of eminent personalities to personal accounts of students. It also has sections on poetry, fashion, entertainment and food. Moreover, you are most likely to find a BOMT correspondent at every major festival in the city.

Image Credits: Facebook pages of BOMT, An Inception and Thinkopolitan

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Lady Shri Ram College for Women

LSR student brings laurels with writing skills, wins DSC prize

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Shyamolie Singh, a second year student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women recently won an essay competition in the capital, organized so as to ‘’initiate a dialogue about South Asian Writing’’ in the new generation by the DSC prize, a highly acclaimed international prize for South Asian Literature. Singh’s entry titled ‘Changing Identities in contemporary South Asian Literature’ is said to be a beautiful piece, seconded by Bhavna Singal’s entry – a student of Gargi College. Four Delhi University colleges sent entries by literature students for the competition – Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Hindu College, Jesus and Mary College and Gargi College.

Shyamolie has been awarded a certificate of merit and an all expense paid trip to the Jaipur Literature Festival, which is where she will be honoured on the 18th of January this year. The inspiration for her piece, she believes, came from being exposed to some path breaking South Asian literature over the years, and raising questions of identity in college, outside and in the media. She says, ‘’I think I was reading Shyam Selvaduari’s The Hungry Ghosts at that time, and I ended up quoting it in the essay itself because it talks about violence, myth and sexuality – a lot of identity intersection …probably influenced the direction of my piece.’’

After making the college proud with this literary honour, Shyamolie wishes to continue her tryst with literature at the masters’ level and join the Civil Services thereafter.

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Offbeat

Offbeat careers: Get Published! It’s Easy!

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People say getting published is a long frustrating dream. Maybe it was once, but in today’s world, with all the new technologies and innovations, it isn’t as scary as it used to be. If one goes step by step and climbs the ladder gradually, it is actually very simple. The foremost point is of course, writing a best seller.

One can start with a simple blog or keep a journal. That way, writing prose or poetry becomes a habit which eventually leads up to the desire of getting published. Bloggers have an edge over the diary writers for they can get opinions from others too. Now days, microblogging on social media sites like Twitter has become a trend too.

Moving on from free expression and no bars, getting published is quite a different scene. Impressing a certain publisher seems quite a task. Freelancing for various online magazines like 21 Fools or Campus Diaries can help one earn some decent amount of money and also get an idea of what the audience today likes to read. These sites are different from news sites or content writing sites which do not give any freedom of expression to the writer.

Apart from these today-written-tomorrow-published techniques, actual writers dream of making it big in the world. They dream of the Man Booker Prize or the like. Even for well-written manuscripts there is a world of struggle out there. One can again start from smaller avenues like approaching magazines like Readers’ Digest or Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Short stories generally find  place here.

Certain publishers like Power or Zorba present packages as low as Rs 8000 for self-publishing. They print 20 copies of your book but without any editing. Editing and more sophisticated layouts require more investment by the writer. It may be a risk but then 50 Shades was a self-publication. And it turned out to be a best seller so the investment does pay off at times. Or if one likes the feel of having his or her name on a book cover in the bookstore nearby, it’s a good idea to go for such deals.

Other budding publishers like Rupa or Srishti publish selected works and sell your book for as low as Rs 100. Many Indian authors have established their names through these previously unknown publishers. Ravinder Singh, author of I Too Had a Love Story is one such example. Even though it is difficult to make a living out of self-publishing, there is no limit to the marketing creativity. One can ask bloggers to review the book or set up YouTube or Facebook pages.

“Usually when authors approach us with their books, we want to read a synopsis and a few chapters. Every publishing house has a few pet subjects on which they publish books.”

One of the world’s leading publishers is Penguin and they accept sample chapters by mail. If they like your work, they talk business. They respond within their concerted three months limit. Pothi.com prints even one book at a reasonable cost thus reducing or eliminating the need to invest in bulk printing and storage of copies.

So just sit down, get that pen and paper (laptop) ready and begin writing! Once the manuscript seems good to you, it can easily find a place in the wide world of books out there.

Email your work to:

Penguin: [email protected]

Srishti: [email protected]

Grapevine: [email protected]

Power: [email protected]

Image credit: freedigitalphotos.net

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Campus Central

College societies to question, express and click

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The Quiz circuit quizUnlike common perception, winning a quiz competition is more about how much you can analyse and deduce than how much you can memorise. Societies around the university will second to this opinion. Quiz culture in the University is not many years old and has a small but dedicated team of enthusiasts. “It’s a group of like minded people participating in quizzes together and learning together as everyone brings something to the society,” defines Abhaas Mohan, founder of Conquiztador, the Quizzing society of Sri Venkateswara College. As for the auditions, societies have their separate method of evaluation. “Every person has their own interests, therefore we cannot expect them to be good at everything. we have a written test which has questions from every field. Then based on overall score and sectional score on our personal we take people in, There are also people who join us after the auditions,” says Abhaas. For Quest- the Quiz society of SGGSCC, it’s all about testing while having fun. “We have fun and interesting questions, where we can entertain them as well as test their aptitude and decide if they are good enough for quizzing or not,” says Utkarsh. As for preparing for a quiz competition, everyone agrees it’s about what you read, the movies you watch and the number of quiz competitions you attend as it gives you a fair idea on the way questions are based and what to expect.

“Frankly, there is nothing like preparing for a quiz. There might be moments where you think you know everything, but you actually know nothing,” relays Utkarsh.
Lookout for
  • Landmark Quiz- if you win this you are apparently a legend in the field.
  • Cannot Place? – a quiz conducted by the Delhi NCR Quizzing Fraternity
  • Karnataka Quizzing Association
  • World Quizzing Championship
  • Competitions organized by various colleges in Delhi University.
creative writingWrite a little Writing is one of the most immaculate form of human expression. For an activity of such kind, it is imperative that there be a society which brings together individuals with a special gift in the play of words and help them enhance their qualities. Almost all colleges of the University have a Creative writing society, which regularly hold workshops and sessions and also competitions. Auditions, usually involve submission of original pieces be it prose, poetry and then the shortlisted go through an impromptu writing session. Look out for:
  • National Novel writing month
  • SRCC- Zephyr fest
  • LSR- Expressions
Catch the Photo bug With the availability of camera’s which are smarter than it’s users, highly professional online editing tools and a captive audience, it’s not hard to declare oneself as an amateur photographer and why not, photography is all about how you perceive things around you and if that only includes your self reflection in the mirror, so be it. But then there are these and they are individuals who take it to another level, who strengthen their foundation and learn from their peers.
photography206“I have been into photography, so the next logical step was to be a part of a society where you meet other photographers and get to go to photo walks and learn from professionals,” says Jayati Bhola, a member of the Fine Arts and Photography society of Kirori Mal College.
Giving an overview of the auditions she explains,”We have ECA trials, with grading systems in which 20 or 30 marks are for certificates, then some marks for portfolio and then on spot. We give random themes to people and a limited time in which they have to submit their photographs.” Things in St. Stephens are done a little differently though,”Technically, everyone who wants to be a part of the society, is a part of the society. but the working committee is decided on our own. We notice their work for 6 months and if we think they can contribute well, they become a part of the executive council,” says Satender Singh, President of Stephen’s Photography Society, which also might be the only society to have it’s own dark room. Like all societies, this society also receives funds from the college but they are nominal and a lot of expenditure is self incurred. “We get sponsors for our fest. Also, our team is in charge of the college calender and so we get the calender printed and get some profit out of it, but that money is not much,” explains Satender. Look out for
  • Various competitions by colleges in the University.
  • Online competitions.
  • Nikon School workshops
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Events

The secrets of good writing

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A creative writing workshop was recently held at the Oxford book store, Statesman House  on August 18th for students and teachers of Delhi University.  The workshop  called” Secrets of Good Writing’ was conducted by celebrated author Jaishree Mishra and witnessed enthusiastic participation from both North and South Campus colleges. Author of four books, including the best seller Ancient Promises, Mishra also spoke about her latest novel, ‘Secret and Lies”. Attended by the chief editor of Harper Collins India, the workshop primarily focused on the nuances of story writing, but questions pertaining to the field of publishing were also entertained.

Mishra spoke extensively about various writing techniques, genres of creative writing, and how to reach out to the intended audience . She also discussed at length the problems of this profession, right from tackling writer’ block to the difficulty in getting published. Calling resilience a virtue in the writing profession, she advised that prospective writers should consider getting day jobs to keep themselves afloat, since it’s largely impossible to live on an author’s income alone. This, she said would also serve in accumulating a range of interesting experiences, a prerequisite to any writer’s resume. Useful insights about the tone of narration, voice, characterization detailing and plot structure were also given.

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