Negative thinking is not good for your health or for the health of those around you, but negative thinking can be a great hub of ideas for writers who are looking for ideas.
Why?
Negative thinking means some kind of conflict, some kind of disturbance in the normal course of things. What is a comet was heading towards Earth right now? What if there is a girl in a white frock standing behind my chair this instant? What if a full convoy of commandos are coming to pick me up and take me to an unspecified location? These are all great what if scenarios. If you put some x,y,z character in a strange fix, a physical dilemma or even a moral one and then find a way out which the reader could not think of, you have a winner on your hands.
This is the way stories are written. When you, a writer, put your characters in hot water, you are putting your readers in hot water too, and then when you take the characters out of hot water because of some Deus-ex-machinia, then the readers also feel relieved. This is the reason why people watch horror/disaster movies. Because they want a positive resolution. They want the fake voice of hope in their hearts to be true. That's fiction, but it's good fiction and it sells. And what sells and puts food on your table and pays the bills, no matter how shitty the product, must be good.
Right? I hope so.
Now let me deal with this girl in white standing behind my chair.
Comments are open for discussion.
How do you come up with ideas?
Are positive resolutions to stories the only way to go?
Anything else you'd like to discuss?
N
Sep 14, 2010
Sep 5, 2010
When I am not writing stories....
...I am writing poems :)
Updated the Poetry blog today, with three new poems. More might come.
Do check it out.
www.fubarpoems.blogspot.com
Thanks!
N
Updated the Poetry blog today, with three new poems. More might come.
Do check it out.
www.fubarpoems.blogspot.com
Thanks!
N
Sep 2, 2010
NON Story Post -- All Is Not Well
International readers, the few of you, recently released Indian movie 3 Idiots was about the education system of the engineering in India. The movie popularized the phrase "All Izz Well"(sic) among the youth who, according to the movie, can stay calm by saying this phrase when all shit is getting shot to hell and back on the back of a rabid T-Rex.
All is well?
Really?
Since when the fuck has all been well? When the fuck will be well?
How long will it take us to realize that we're all in a state of constant degradation and we are slowly spiralling towards the end we are all supposed to meet. This fact scares me and disturbs me to a great degree. To think of a world where none of you will be there to read my stories. It shakes my faith in humanity and you tell me ALL IS WELL? FUCK THAT, i say.
All is NOT well good sir, 'even the Monalisa is falling apart' (Fight Club)
Through all the destruction of the soul and mind, we are hanging on to dirty filthy words like hope, love, kindness and empathy. There is nothing like that in the world. If you don't start cutting people, its only because people are cutting you. Right now. Yes.
Are you the one doing the damage to the universe or getting damaged by the universe?
Do you really, with all your heart and soul, believe in power of Love and Goodness? Don't answer this to me, answer this to yourself.
We're living in interesting times, ladies and gents, this is a WARZONE.
Show no mercy, because you shall receive none.
All is well?
Really?
Since when the fuck has all been well? When the fuck will be well?
How long will it take us to realize that we're all in a state of constant degradation and we are slowly spiralling towards the end we are all supposed to meet. This fact scares me and disturbs me to a great degree. To think of a world where none of you will be there to read my stories. It shakes my faith in humanity and you tell me ALL IS WELL? FUCK THAT, i say.
All is NOT well good sir, 'even the Monalisa is falling apart' (Fight Club)
Through all the destruction of the soul and mind, we are hanging on to dirty filthy words like hope, love, kindness and empathy. There is nothing like that in the world. If you don't start cutting people, its only because people are cutting you. Right now. Yes.
Are you the one doing the damage to the universe or getting damaged by the universe?
Do you really, with all your heart and soul, believe in power of Love and Goodness? Don't answer this to me, answer this to yourself.
We're living in interesting times, ladies and gents, this is a WARZONE.
Show no mercy, because you shall receive none.
Aug 28, 2010
Non Story Post
I like the fact that i can post whatever the fuck i want to on my blog. That's the whole point of blogging no? I mean, it's not really a popularity competition. Uh...nevermind.
August has been a tough month on me. And it's not over yet. I asked for things again and again and i was told no. Maybe i didn't ask hard enough or maybe I didn't deserve those things, but anyway, August is almost over now. I'm glad for that. I might be quitting the job, i've been doing work for the past three years, and it's certainly not fun. I mean, i didn't even have my exam results when I was on the job and i got my graduation result after my first salary, which was peanuts. The salary was peanuts, not the result.
Anyway, the past 3 odd years have been tough on me, and the blog, and my writing has gone through changes, some good some bad, and i am glad to say, everyday i learn something new. Which isn't very comforting, to say the least. I started novels and left them in middle, some 3-4 of them and then there was lot of writing. Found the mecca of distraction called twitter, got addicted, quit it. Had some other bad habits, left them too. Then, slowly my mind rotted because of staying alone. All fucking alone. I was afraid that i'd get used to staying alone and i did. Now, if someone else is near me, i feel they are invading my personal space. I've diaries full of ideas that are yet to be written, guess their time has not come yet. And still, there are so many things i can't talk about on the blog, because this is, somewhat, a public medium. But yeah, all through these years, i've loved writing every single word here. Through loneliness, being broke, hunger, drunkenness and madness, every single fucking word has been worth it.
Now, onwards, to more stories. Because that's what we do.
N
August has been a tough month on me. And it's not over yet. I asked for things again and again and i was told no. Maybe i didn't ask hard enough or maybe I didn't deserve those things, but anyway, August is almost over now. I'm glad for that. I might be quitting the job, i've been doing work for the past three years, and it's certainly not fun. I mean, i didn't even have my exam results when I was on the job and i got my graduation result after my first salary, which was peanuts. The salary was peanuts, not the result.
Anyway, the past 3 odd years have been tough on me, and the blog, and my writing has gone through changes, some good some bad, and i am glad to say, everyday i learn something new. Which isn't very comforting, to say the least. I started novels and left them in middle, some 3-4 of them and then there was lot of writing. Found the mecca of distraction called twitter, got addicted, quit it. Had some other bad habits, left them too. Then, slowly my mind rotted because of staying alone. All fucking alone. I was afraid that i'd get used to staying alone and i did. Now, if someone else is near me, i feel they are invading my personal space. I've diaries full of ideas that are yet to be written, guess their time has not come yet. And still, there are so many things i can't talk about on the blog, because this is, somewhat, a public medium. But yeah, all through these years, i've loved writing every single word here. Through loneliness, being broke, hunger, drunkenness and madness, every single fucking word has been worth it.
Now, onwards, to more stories. Because that's what we do.
N
Aug 26, 2010
How Things Change :: Part 3 of 3
/Now/
Mira stood in waist deep waters, her hand with the flare gun dropped to her side. The approaching light of the hydrofoil looked like an angry demon's eye in the darkness. A smile streaked her bloody teeth. She raised a hand in greeting and felt herself slip into the water. Mack saw her go under the surface and he gunned the boat, the engine screamed under the added pressure. He jumped into the water before the boat had even slowed down, reached Mira, and pulled her to shore. She coughed up water as he laid her down on the sand. Her shoulder was bleeding badly and there was white bone visible under the torn skin.
Mira opened her eyes lazily. "The Electrician is out. Get the fat man." It was misson time, her eyes were glazed with pain but there was a strange focus in them. "What about the Electrician?" he asked.
"I'll handle him."
Mack nodded. "Is there anything you need?" he asked.
"Yeah, help me to the water."
He led her to the water. The boat had floated to the shore and the receeding water had banked the boat into the sand on the shore.
"Go," she said, "we don't have much time."
Mack turned around and started running towards the mansion. Behind him, Mira collected another charge in her hand. Small enough to be useful and large enough to do the work on the boat. She needed the boat's power.
IN THE MANSION
The Electrician moved his shoulder in the socket and grimaced as it slid in with a wet crunch. The pain was amazing, he almost shorted himself with the currents in his own body. He looked at where he had thrown Mira and he saw Mack come running towards him.
"Bloody siblings." he grimaced and prepared another serpent strike in case Mack also wanted a dose same as his sister. But then Mack jumped up on the roof of the mansion and kept running. The Electrician was surprised at this odd behavior when a strike of lightening diverted his attention from Mack. It came from the shore. "Ah Mira"
/On The Roof/
Mack's senses were ablaze with the electricity present in the Mansion. He zeroed in on the source. The Fat Man. He was here and Mack could feel it in his bones. He homed in on the source like a wolf homing on an injured prey. He called forth another lightening strike from the skies and a hole opened up in front of his feet, he didn't stop running and dived straight in.
The Fat Man was sitting in his lazyboy which creaked under his weight. He was looking at a large screen full of monitors that showed all parts of the mansion and one of the cameras showed Mack standing behind his lazy chair. "Welcome, Mack." he said without turning around.
"We have a hit on your name." Mack told him.
"I know that."
Mack was puzzled for a moment, then realization dawned on him. "You ordered the hit."
He heard the smile in the man's voice.
"It gets boring on the island son." He moved the chair to face Mack, his face was lined with age but his blue eyes were full of excitement. "Come and sit in my lap, let's watch some television." Mack obeyed like a docile puppy and sat onto the man's lap which was not much different than the chair.
The TV screens that were disjointed now became a big tv screen with each tv showing a piece of an image. The images started moving on the screen.
The back of electrician's head appeared on the screen. He was bent over something and muttering to himself. The camera zoomed out and the screen filled up with the image of Mira, her shoulders were bare and one shoulder was swathed in white bandages. The Electrician mumbled apologies as he bandaged her shoulder and she jolted him with little bolts of electricity in his ear.
"What a lovely couple, aren't they, Mack?" the Fat Man asked.
Mack started to suck on his thumb. A fuse in the palette of his mouth shorted and his skull exploded, spraying brains all over the fat man's white suit.
On the TV screen Mira let the Electrician kiss her.
-------------__End__------------------------
This could have ended in 1000 different ways, but i liked this one the best.
Got a few ideas for single post stories now :)
Do let me know in comments how you liked this one.
Mira stood in waist deep waters, her hand with the flare gun dropped to her side. The approaching light of the hydrofoil looked like an angry demon's eye in the darkness. A smile streaked her bloody teeth. She raised a hand in greeting and felt herself slip into the water. Mack saw her go under the surface and he gunned the boat, the engine screamed under the added pressure. He jumped into the water before the boat had even slowed down, reached Mira, and pulled her to shore. She coughed up water as he laid her down on the sand. Her shoulder was bleeding badly and there was white bone visible under the torn skin.
Mira opened her eyes lazily. "The Electrician is out. Get the fat man." It was misson time, her eyes were glazed with pain but there was a strange focus in them. "What about the Electrician?" he asked.
"I'll handle him."
Mack nodded. "Is there anything you need?" he asked.
"Yeah, help me to the water."
He led her to the water. The boat had floated to the shore and the receeding water had banked the boat into the sand on the shore.
"Go," she said, "we don't have much time."
Mack turned around and started running towards the mansion. Behind him, Mira collected another charge in her hand. Small enough to be useful and large enough to do the work on the boat. She needed the boat's power.
IN THE MANSION
The Electrician moved his shoulder in the socket and grimaced as it slid in with a wet crunch. The pain was amazing, he almost shorted himself with the currents in his own body. He looked at where he had thrown Mira and he saw Mack come running towards him.
"Bloody siblings." he grimaced and prepared another serpent strike in case Mack also wanted a dose same as his sister. But then Mack jumped up on the roof of the mansion and kept running. The Electrician was surprised at this odd behavior when a strike of lightening diverted his attention from Mack. It came from the shore. "Ah Mira"
/On The Roof/
Mack's senses were ablaze with the electricity present in the Mansion. He zeroed in on the source. The Fat Man. He was here and Mack could feel it in his bones. He homed in on the source like a wolf homing on an injured prey. He called forth another lightening strike from the skies and a hole opened up in front of his feet, he didn't stop running and dived straight in.
The Fat Man was sitting in his lazyboy which creaked under his weight. He was looking at a large screen full of monitors that showed all parts of the mansion and one of the cameras showed Mack standing behind his lazy chair. "Welcome, Mack." he said without turning around.
"We have a hit on your name." Mack told him.
"I know that."
Mack was puzzled for a moment, then realization dawned on him. "You ordered the hit."
He heard the smile in the man's voice.
"It gets boring on the island son." He moved the chair to face Mack, his face was lined with age but his blue eyes were full of excitement. "Come and sit in my lap, let's watch some television." Mack obeyed like a docile puppy and sat onto the man's lap which was not much different than the chair.
The TV screens that were disjointed now became a big tv screen with each tv showing a piece of an image. The images started moving on the screen.
The back of electrician's head appeared on the screen. He was bent over something and muttering to himself. The camera zoomed out and the screen filled up with the image of Mira, her shoulders were bare and one shoulder was swathed in white bandages. The Electrician mumbled apologies as he bandaged her shoulder and she jolted him with little bolts of electricity in his ear.
"What a lovely couple, aren't they, Mack?" the Fat Man asked.
Mack started to suck on his thumb. A fuse in the palette of his mouth shorted and his skull exploded, spraying brains all over the fat man's white suit.
On the TV screen Mira let the Electrician kiss her.
-------------__End__------------------------
This could have ended in 1000 different ways, but i liked this one the best.
Got a few ideas for single post stories now :)
Do let me know in comments how you liked this one.
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