On Writing with Ruchi Singh: Get Ready to be 'Bewitched'

Today on 'On Writing', we have Amazon bestselling author, Ruchi Singh. Winner of TOI WriteIndia story contest, Ruchi Singh is a novelist who writes in two genres; romance and romantic thriller. She has a degree in Electronics Engineering and works as IT Quality Consultant. All her novels have been #1bestsellers on Amazon.

Today we will talk about her latest Novel 'Bewitched' which is already creating waves on Amazon.

Welcome to On-Writing, Ruchi!

 When did you first get the idea for your latest book ‘Bewitched?

RS: During Covid lockdown, I chanced upon the mythology tale of Menaka and thought what if similar events unfolded in contemporary times? Of course, the circumstances and motivations would defer, but the underlying theme was about two dramatically opposite characters coming together and taking responsibility for their actions.

Did you spend agonizing hours deciding on the names of your protagonists?

RS: Yes. I can’t start writing fluently unless the name is right. It has to suit the character’s personality in the plot. For my female protagonist in Bewitched, I already had a name, but for the hero I needed something which did justice to his larger-than-life background, hence I picked up Rudra, which is another name of Lord Shiva.

What was your writing process like for this book? Did you write every day? 

RS: With the lockdown imposed, I had plenty of time at hand without the social commitments, so wrote almost daily and since this story was clear in my head the writing was faster.

What is special about ‘Bewitched’? 

RS: ‘Bewitched’ is special for me for two reasons; this is the first time I was attempting to integrate mythology and contemporary genres, drawing parallelism between the two threads. Secondly, I was able to finish the first draft within three months of conception, which is a record of sorts for me and quite a morale-booster.

Who is your favorite character in the book and why?

RS: Apart from the two main ones, I liked Mansi a lot, she is gutsy and fearless.

How long did it take to finish writing ‘Bewitched’? 

RS: This was one story which, just flew on from my mind onto the pages. This is the first time I have been able to write the draft of a full-length novel in three months’ time, give or take a couple of weeks. Of course editing and further polishing took another month, but this got finalized super fast.

Please share a passage or quote from ‘Bewitched’ for our readers.

Far away on earth mankind suffered another kind of manthan. How to attain what devas had? I could hear it—the struggle. Everywhere, there was chaos created by desires and ambitions. I looked at Brahma watching the events unfolding. ‘When will it all end?’ I asked.

‘Never,’ he said.

‘Will they go to any extent to get what they want?’

‘Depends on the pull of the want. The manifestation of desire gives the energy to acquire its object.’

‘I don’t like the word “acquire”.’

‘Ignore the semantics,’ he said with an enigmatic smile.

‘Why did you create desire? Isn’t that the root cause of all problems?’

‘Yes, but it is the seed of all innovation and development too.’

In the current scenario of the global pandemic, what do you think is the role of a good story? 

RS: With the lockdown and social distancing, people have time at hand. More and more people have taken to watching and reading. In current circumstances, I think a good story, with happily-ever-after, spreads positivity and optimism, lifting boredom and loneliness.

You have used mythology in your latest book. What exactly made you remember the story of Vishwamitra and Menaka?

RS: I read almost all the genres, and growing up reading Amar Chitra Katha series, mythology was my first love, so when Kindle threw up a book about Menaka Vishwamitra on my screen, I couldn’t help but pick it up. And then there was no turning back.

What are the three things readers can look forward to in this book?

1. The plot of the story. Based on my research from various sources, I have tweaked the mythology saga a bit for Vishwamitra. I think readers would love that.

2. As I studied the motivations of characters, I realized that both Gods and humans are governed by the same emotions. I’m sure this is something that will be of interest to the readers.

3. Dialogues and strong and interesting characters, especially the heroine.

CLICK HERE TO BUY BEWITCHED FROM AMAZON

Book Spotlight on 10 literary works by B S Murthy

BS Murthy

BS Murthy is an Indian novelist, playwright, short story, non-fiction 'n articles writer, translator, a 'little' thinker and a budding philosopher in ‘Addendum to Evolution: Origins of the World by Eastern Speculative Philosophy’ that was originally published in The Examined Life On-Line Philosophy Journal, Vol. 05 Issue 18, Summer 2004.

Born on 27 Aug 1948 and schooled in letter-writing, by 1983, he started articulating his managerial ideas, in thirty-odd published articles. However, in Oct 1994, he began penning Benign Flame: Saga of Love with the ‘novel art' and continued his fictional endeavors in ‘plot and character’ driven novels, Jewel-less Crown: Saga of Life and Crossing the Mirage: Passing through youth. 

Then entering the arena  of non-fiction with a ‘novel’ narrative in Puppets of Faith: Theory of Communal Strife, possibly a new genre, he ventured into the zone of translations for versifying  the Sanskrit epics, Vyasa’s Bhagvad-Gita (Treatise of self-help) and Valmiki’s  Sundara Kãnda (Hanuman’s Odyssey) in contemporary English idiom. 

Later, ascending Onto the Stage with Slight Souls and other stage and radio plays, he returned to fictional form with Glaring Shadow - A stream-of-consciousness novel and Prey on the Prowl - A Crime Novel to finally reach the short story horizon with Stories Varied - A Book of Short Stories. 

While his fiction had emanated from his conviction that for it to impact readers, it should be the soulful rendering of characters rooted in their native soil but not the hotchpotch of local and alien caricatures sketched on a hybrid canvas, all his body of work was born out of his passion for writing, matched only by his love for language, which is in the public domain in umpteen ebook sites https://g.co/kgs/q6fp5o

Some of his published articles on management issues, general insurance topics, literary matters, and political affairs in The Hindu, The Economic Times, The Financial Express. The Purchase, The Insurance Times, Triveni , Boloji.com are  at https://independent.academia.edu/BulusuSMurthy 

He, a graduate mechanical engineer from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, India, is a Hyderabad-based Insurance Surveyor and Loss Assessor since 1986. 

He takes a keen interest in politics of the day, has an ear for Carnatic and Hindustani classical music and had been a passionate Bridge player. 

 He is married, to a housewife, has two sons, the elder one a PhD in Finance and the younger a Master in Engineering. 

1_ Benign Flame:Saga of Love

Roopa marries Sathyam, hoping that he would help her become a doctor but as he fails her, feeling let down, she insensibly seeks lesbian solace in her friend Sandhya’s embrace. Soon, in a dramatic sequence of events, Tara, a suave call girl, tries to rope Roopa into her calling; Roopa herself loses her heart to Sandhya's beau Raja Rao, and Prasad, her husband’s friend falls for her. And as Prasad begins to induce Sathyam to be seduced by whores to worm his way into her affections, Roopa finds herself in a dilemma. But as fate puts Raja Rao into Roopa’s arms in such a way as to lend novelty to fiction, this ‘novel’ nuances man-woman chemistry on one hand, and portrays woman-woman empathy on the other.

Who said the novel is dead; 'Benign Flame' raises the bar as vouched by -

The plot is quite effective and it’s a refreshing surprise to discover that the story will not trace a fall into disaster for Roopa, given that many writers might have habitually followed that course with a wife who strays into extramarital affairs - Spencer Critchley, Literary Critic, U.S.A.

The author has convinced the readers that love is something far beyond the marriage tie and the fulfillment of love can be attained without marriage bondage. The author has achieved a minor revolution without any paraphernalia of revolution in the fourth part of the novel – The Quest, India.

The author makes free use of – not interior monologue as such, but – interior dialogue
of the character with the self, almost resembling the dramatic monologue of Browning. Roopa, Sandhya, Raja Rao and Prasad to a considerable extent and Tara and Sathyam to a limited degree indulge in rationalization, trying to analyse their drives and impulses – The Journal of Indian Writing in English.

Overall, Benign Flame is a unique attempt at exploring adult relationships and sexuality in the contemporary middle-class. All the characters come alive with their cravings and failings, their love and their lust. Benign Flame blurs the lines and emphasizes that life is not all black and white - it encompasses the full spectrum of living. - Indian Book Chronicle. 

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2_ Crossing the Mirage - Passing through Youth

If passing through youth was like crossing the mirage of life for Chandra and Nithya, it proved to be chasing the mirage of love for Sathya and Prema though for plain Vasavi, Chandra's pitiable sibling, it was the end of the road.

As life brings Chandra, who suffers from an inferiority complex for his perceived ugliness, and Nithya, who was bogged down being jilted by Vasu, together, they script their fate of fulfillment.

And as poetic justice would have it, Sathya, who caused Prema's heart burn, himself was led down the garden path by Kala, doing a Sathya on Sathya.

Just not that, life has in store just deserts for Vasu owing to Nithya's retribution as he tries to stalk her. Besides, after many a fictional twist and turn, the way the story ends, challenges the perception that fact is stranger than fiction.

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3_ Glaring Shadow - A stream of consciousness novel

In a stream of consciousness mode, ‘Glaring Shadow’ is the self-account of the life and times of a man, who liquidates his immense wealth only to consign it to the flames. The agony and ecstasy of his life as he makes it big in our materialistic world and the way he loses his soul in the bargain, only to regain it when tragedy strikes him makes one ponder over the meaning of success in life. This philosophical ‘novel of a memoir’ is a compelling read that is conducive to contemplate about the nature and scope of human relationships.

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4_ Jewel-less Crown: Saga of Life

It's perilous penning this blurb. It's fine when a man is modest about his work. It even affords him the aura of an invisible crown!

But what about his work?

Were it an art or craft, it is there for all to see. What of the literary work of an unheralded author? Well, lauding the same might raise one's eyebrows. Failing to praise wouldn't make a 'jewel-less crown' either!

Why not see, if this is the great Indian novel.

This is the story of the rise and fall of an ambitious man, the decline, and the decay of his conniving wife, the trials, and tribulations of their wayward son as well as the grit and gall of a spirited woman, who enters into his life.

This depiction of their life and times not only pictures the facets of ambition and achievement, intrigue and betrayal, compulsion and compromise and sleaze and scandal, trial and sentence, but also portrays the possibilities of repentance and resolution, love and empathy coupled with compassion and contribution, leading to the spirituality of materialism, and that makes it the saga of our times.
The story of a lifetime, truly.

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5_ Prey on the Prowl - A Crime Novel

Who could have poisoned Ranjit the realtor, Shakeel the Inspector, Pravar the criminal and Natya his accomplice?

Well, the needle of suspicion tilted towards Pravar that was till he perished with his mate, but then who was the one? 

Could it be Radha under the scanner for her role in the death of her husband Madhu and his mistress Mala, Pravar's sister? Or was it Ranjit's spouse Kavya, who owing to Stockholm Syndrome, takes to Pravar her kidnapper.

As these deaths by poisoning puzzle Dhruva, Radha, who worms her way into his life, avers that Kavya had the motive and the means to kill her spouse, her paramour and his wife beside the cop.

However, Dhruva begins to look around for the culprit reckoning that when the ill-motives of the natural suspects to commit a murder are an open secret, someone with a hidden agenda might be tempted to use that as a camouflage for his subterfuge.

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6_ Stories Varied – A Book of Short Stories

This collection of Indian short stories deals with women's dilemmas in the Indian social milieu accompanied by unique denouements.

While 'Ilaa's Ire' contrasts woman's lot of the day with her eminence in the Vedic Age, '201' Qualms" depicts her predicament, torn between personal loyalty and citizen's responsibility.

As "?" addresses woman's marital stress in an alien land, 'Cupid's Clue' is about her acting on rebound in her native place.

Even as 'Autumn Love' lets woman discover the marital void in her life, 'A Touchy Affair' makes her amenable to her man's other woman.

Just as 'Love's How's That' inflames woman's old flame, 'A Hearty Turn' brings her innate lesbian leanings to the fore.

If 'Love Jihad' bridges lovers' religious divide with a secular plank, 'Tenth Nook' creates her marital gulf on the materialistic ground.

While 'Eleventh Hour' is about woman's lust for love, 'Twelfth Tale' underscores her zest for power.

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7_Onto the Stage – Slighted Souls and other stage and radio plays

A compendium of the author’s stage and radio plays: "Slighted Souls" is a poignant love story set in rural Telangana, beset with feudal exploitation of the downtrodden dalits. Besides forcing the dalits to toil in the fields as bonded labor without impunity, the land owning doras had no qualms in reducing the womenfolk of this ilk as sex slaves in the gadis.

"Men at work on Women at work" is a tragic-comic episode depicting the fallout of sexual harassment at the workplace in the Indian urban setting with its traditional cultural underpinnings.

"Castle of Despair", built on the slippery ground of man's innate urge for one-upmanship, portrays its facade of falsity on the grand stage of human tragedy.

The radio play, "Love on Hold", lends voice to the felt anxieties of a man and a woman as their old flame gets rekindled and the dilemmas of possession faced by the couple in a conservative cultural background.

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8_Puppets of Faith: Theory of Communal Strife

This thought-provoking work, besides dissecting the anatomy of Islam, steeped in the Quran, seeks to depict the psyche of the Musalmans, shaped by the proclivities of their prophet, vicissitudes of his life and the attitudes of his detractors, which the mechanism of their umma perpetuates. More to the point, aided by “I’m Ok – You’re Ok”, the path-breaking work of Thomas A. Harris and Roland E Miller’s “Muslim Friends–Their Faith and Feeling”, this book, for the first time ever, psycho-analyzes the imperatives of the Muslim upbringing, which has the potential to turn a faithful and a renegade alike into a fidayeen.

Also, apart from delving into the ironies of the faiths that affected the fate of the peoples, eclipsed the cultures of communes, altered the course of history and afflict the politics of the day, this book examines how the sanaatana 'Hindu' dharma came to survive in India, in spite of the combined onslaught of Islam and the Christianity on Hinduism for over a millennium. This book is for those who wish to be aware of the follies of their faith and the foibles of others to lighten the burden of dogma and reduce the baggage of prejudice postulated in its thirty-four well-structured chapters.

Possibly in a new genre, this free ebook is a book for our times.

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9_ Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-help

Bhagavad-Gita is the most beautiful, perhaps the only true philosophical song existing in any known tongue’ so opined William von Humboldt.

In this modern rendition, the beauty of the Sanskrit slokas is reflected in the rhythmic flow of the English verses of poetic proportions in modern idiom even as the attendant philosophy of the song that is the Gita is captured in contemporary idiom for easy comprehension.

The general consensus is that the in vogue Gita of 700 slokas has many an interpolation in it, but no meaningful attempt has ever been made to delve into the nature and extent, not to speak of the effect of these on the Hindu society at large. The methodical codification of interpolations carried out here puts the true character of Gita in proper perspective. Identified here are hundred and ten slokas of deviant nature and or of partisan character, the source of so much misunderstanding about this book extraordinary, in certain sections of the Hindu fold. In the long run, exposing and expunging these mischievous insertions is bound to bring in new readers from these quarters to this over two millennia old classic besides altering the misconceptions of the existing adherents.

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10_ Sundara Kãnda: Hanuman's Odyssey 

While Mahabharata's Bhagvad-Gita is taken as a philosophical guide, Ramayana's Sundara Kãnda is sought for spiritual solace; many believe that reading it or hearing it recited would remove all hurdles and usher in good tidings! Miracles apart, it's in the nature of this great epic to inculcate fortitude and generate hope in man for it’s a depiction of how Hanuman goes about his errand against all odds. Besides, it portrays how Seetha, on the verge of self-immolation, overcomes despair to see life in a new light? With rhythm of its verse and the flow of the narrative this sloka to sloka transcreation of the canto beautiful of Valmiki's adi kavya - the foremost poetical composition in the world, Hanuman's Odyssey that paves the way for Rama to rescue his kidnapped wife is bound to charm the readers and listeners alike.  Interestingly, as the following verse illustrates, it was the forerunner of the magic realism of our times – “Gripped she then him by shadow / Cast which Hanuman coast to coast, Recalled he in dismay then / What Sugreev said at outset / That one fiend had aptitude / To grip its prey by mere shadow.”

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On Writing with Rajesh Konsam

Today on 'On Writing' we have Rajesh Konsam, a young software engineer and writer. A geek at heart, he loves programming and feel-good novels in equal measure. He also enjoys writing poems and occasionally dabbles in dance. Although Rajesh hails from Manipur, he works in Chennai after completing his B.E. in Coimbatore. Bittersweet is Rajesh’s debut novel, and he is working on his next.

Let's welcome Rajesh Konsam...

Website  Facebook Twitter Instagram

Was becoming an author always your dream or was it a particular event or incident that gave birth to the author in you?

I guess the writer in me was dormant all along. I was never the voracious reader to begin with, but I was always creative and expressive as a kid. Despite maintaining a journal like most people do, the thought of completing a novel and then publishing it never occurred to me.

It was on this one day, during a trip to Mysore with my college friends, that the idea behind my debut novel ‘Bittersweet’ germinated in my head. I discussed it with my boys, and they encouraged me to execute it. As an ambitious young man who was standing at a crossroad and still figuring out his life, there were noises in my head, and I just wanted to vent off my feelings somewhere. So, I picked up my pen and paper, typed my heart away and eventually began enjoying it to the fullest.

How important are the names of the characters in your books to you? Do you spend agonizing hours deciding on their names?

I do a lot of research while deciding the names of my characters. 

For starters, my male protagonist is soft at heart despite having rough exteriors.  

Roshan was a meaningful name, and it didn’t sound too contemporary or traditional—just what I wanted.

Secondly, I wanted to bring in a bohemian female lead, and for that, I created ‘Shanaya’. I wanted her to be half-Indian (despite not mentioning that fact explicitly in the book), so I looked up various surnames belonging to people living in Goa. That’s how I named her Shanaya Pinheiro, envisaging her as an Indo-Portuguese girl. It adds to her personality.

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? Is there a favourite place to write?

I write only on the weekends or on national holidays as I zone out on weekdays with a job I equally love. Hence, it’s hard for me to come up with a new book. I do enjoy this slow process and try to remain consistent. I love writing in dimly lit rooms. Just me, my laptop and no one bothering me.

What is different about ‘Bittersweet’? 

I have been told by my readers that the story is very real and relatable.

‘Bittersweet’ is about a group of young millennials, led by Roshan, who struggle to find footholds in the creative industries, as they tackle first jobs, financial independence, second relationships, compromises, loss of identity and fear of failure.

Coming to the romance subplot of the book, I used the love story between Roshan and Shanaya to deepen their relationship. As two creative people looking for their big break, they share a common flair for creativity. The support system they have for each other during predicaments is what most of us yearn for in life.

While still being character-driven, it offers an exciting plot and is even packed with surprises.

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

The protagonist Roshan is my favourite character in the book because he is real, headstrong, unapologetic, flawed and naïve but stands up for himself when he needs to. The kind of thoughts that cross his mind reminds me of the time when I was struggling in life.

I created him at a time when I wasn’t even aware of the publishing industry and poured whatever I had in my mind.

Which do you prefer as a reader? EBook or Paperback?

I have a split personality while choosing books. I prefer reading half of my books on Kindle with the night light turned on because I read at night and I travel a lot. But with my most favourite books, I make sure I own the beautiful hardcover editions and nothing less.

How long did it take to finish writing ‘Bittersweet’? 

It took me two years, as I was straddling between the manuscript and my college projects.

How important do you think is marketing in today’s world for any book?

Marketing is pivotal for the success of any book because for the initial word-of-mouth which many authors rely on, the book must reach its first set of readers. 

Secondly, when people talk about marketing, I think about creativity. It’s important that we spin up unique marketing plans. When everyone else is doing the same thing, how would you make a difference? Quality over quantity, anytime!

Another important thing is that, as authors, our writing should speak for ourselves. Come up with the best book titles, book covers, blurbs and first paragraphs. That’s marketing. 

Lastly, an author should not have any wrong notion about marketing, as it’s proven that it’s beneficial to any author. 

As someone who doesn’t like sharing his photos on social media unless there’s an important event in my life, it was a life-changing decision to come out and promote my book.

Please share a passage or quote from ‘Bittersweet’ for our readers.  

“You acquire taste. You soak them in little by little. A soul that has appreciation for art continuously expands itself to new dimensions. Enjoy the natural learning process. Just because some critics ask you to ‘learn the craft’ you shouldn’t force everything down your throat. Every successful man we know initially started off with the dumbest ideas. And when you feel you’ve learnt to some extent, break free. You will surely find your forte, your unique voice. You’ll do well, young heart. Now, go and flourish.” 

What are the three tips you have for readers of this interview who are aspiring writers?

1) Read a lot. Go out of your comfort zone and read books from different genres. One might teach you how to write a satisfying plot twist, and another might inspire you to write beautiful prose—all of which are important to surviving in the industry. Learn from different authors and aggregate all qualities into your book. 

2) Spend time developing your characters and focus on both the internal growth and the external goal. Characters are the driving forces of your story.

3) Write what you love, not what people insist you to read or write. 

Thank you, Rajesh. Wishing you the very best in all that you do.

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