More Tips On Writing

“In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.”  - Hemingway’s first sentence of  A Farewell to Arms (1929)

We should never lose sight that stories are constructed with words and sentences. Good writing not only conveys an image, advances the story, but also has  elements of poetry and symmetry.  In the above sentence, Hemingway offers us not only the beginning of a story, but  alliteration (late, lived, looked), consonance at the end of words (summer, year river),  and repetition (in a house in a village).  Having been involved in theater and the spoken word for so many years, the selection of words are important to me, not just by what they mean, but also by how they sound and their relation to other words in a sentence.  I try to think of the words to my stories as being spoken.  After all, a finely designed sentence and the texture of words offers another dimension to the reading.  The words take flight.  They are active. The listener will bathe in a cascade of refreshing words.


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I read time and again many authors have the habit of  keeping books that inspire them close at hand while writing their own book. It seems it's an open secret: read books that will jump start the way you want to use words and structure sentences and that will help you move your writing in the direction you want.

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One of the best ways to edit yourself is to read the text aloud, stopping to make notations when something doesn’t sound right. Also, always have a good dictionary and thesaurus on hand, for as Mark Twain said, 'The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.'

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At this time of year people are naturally thinking about gifts for the holidays. FREE shipping in USA for my book, Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest has been extended until the end of the year. 1 Book – $16; 2 Books – $32; 3 Books – ONLY $45; 5 Books ONLY $70] For more info and Tips On Writing check out my site www.Mahabharata-Project.com  where you can find a link to order through Paypal OR you can order directly from me at story108@juno.com

One Step Closer

Without being didactic, my recently published Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest offers an authentic Vaisnava perspective in the understanding of who Krishna is, of dharma, of real leadership qualities, and of the foreboding nature of our age, the Kali-yuga. All this as the story  moves steadily forward, and as the tension builds,  and all in under 280 pages (a comfortable read for a college or even high school course).

My hope is that MahaTEQ  will eventually replace William Buck’s ambiguous rendition that so many professors are accustomed to using. To bring this goal one step closer, I am asking for your help. 

In the last five months, if you googled Mahabharata, my site has jumped from page 15 to page 3. Buck's book is on page ONE. My first step was to write a good piece of literature; the second was to have the book's back cover adorned with quotes by professors, and now the third (but not final stage) is to get more visibility on google. I humbly request that you visit my site -    www.Mahabharata-Project.com    - to help  achieve this next step and bring it up to page one next to Buck.

It's that simple. THANKS!

Mahabharata On the Move

Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest, has received a tremendous response from readers, including great endorsements from professors, some of whom plan to use the book in their classrooms. As you may know, there is much controversy in academia  as to who Sri Krishna is and His role in the Mahabharata.  

In MahaTEQ I bring to bear my life’s work in theater and storytelling and tell the story in a cinematic, fascinating and thought provoking way.Without being didactic, the book offers an authentic Vaisnava perspective in the understanding of who Krishna is, of dharma, of real leadership qualities, and of the foreboding nature of our age, the Kali-yuga. All this as the story moves steadily forward, and in under 280 pages (a comfortable read for a college or even high school course).

My hope is that MahaTEQ  will eventually replace William Buck’s ambiguous rendition that so many professors are accustomed to using and that the book will be used in discussion groups, for dramatic readings, and ultimately as the basis for a film. This is what the Mahabharata Project is about.   

In this respect, I ask the help of the devotees. We are upon the season for gift giving and MahaTEQ would make a great gift for scholars, professors or for those special people you are cultivating. I request that you get copies for  these contacts or  encourage them to order a copy themselves.

I have a sale of MahaTEQ going on now which I am extending until the end of the year.  If you happen to be coming to New Vrindaban the book is only $11 (cover price $16). To read reviews or order copies (Free shipping) through Paypal go to www.Mahabharata-Project.com   OR  contact me directly at story108@juno.com

Thank you.  

Word Is Out

In the last two months since publication the response to my new book, Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest  has taken off. Word is getting around, and  I have even gotten orders from Ireland and Australia (from the world wide storytelling community which I am involved in) where they are paying as much for the shipping as they are for the book itself.  The verdict is that it’s a great read whether you’re familiar with the story or not.

 Sacinandana Swami had this to say -

“Wonderful!  Your storytelling art – which quickly gets to the essence of everything – has opened  the world of Mahabharata to me , for it has opened up the world of the feelings and emotions of Mahabharata.” 

At this time of year people are naturally thinking about gifts for the holidays. This month I am offering FREE shipping in USA for all orders placed in November. [adjusted the prices at my site for November: 1 Book – $16;    2 Books – $32;    3 Books – ONLY $45;  5 Books ONLY $70] For more info check out my site www.Mahabharata-Project.com  where you can order through Paypal OR order directly from me at story108@juno.com

Tips On Writing

In Spark - a book about creativity by Julie Burstein, the painter Chuck Close is quoted: "Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work."

Woody Allen puts it this way: “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

And Neil Gaiman: “You have to write when you’re not inspired. And you have to write the scenes that don’t inspire you. And the weird thing is that six months later, a year later, you’ll look back at them and you can’t remember which scenes you wrote when you were inspired and which scenes you just wrote because they had to be written next.”

It’s so true. Some scenes or characters may not be easy to approach. You hesitate  because you’re afraid that it won’t come out right and you’ll be exposed as a fool.  But you just have to do the work and  start writing. Allow one thought to lead to another and for one sentence to lead to another. The next day much of it looks like crap. But that’s what I like about writing: you get a second chance and a third chance and a forth chance if you want it. But the writer has to take advantage of those new chances. Don’t depend on the muse. Study your craft.

For more On Writing visit my site www.Mahabharata-Project.com