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American poet and novelist Sylvia Plath, acclaimed for her deeply personal poetry and novel continues to inspire a new generation of writers.
Each month, we ask our readers to get inspired by an iconic woman writer and get their own thinking caps on. We hope that this inspires you to read more of these writers, and also get your own writing hat on. The 5 best entries on the writing cue get published here.
Step 1. Read the writing cue (mentioned down below) and get inspired.
Step 2. Write your own story/narrative/piece based on the cue. You could use it as the opening line, the closing sentence, or somewhere in between! You could even choose not to use it anywhere in your story – just write a story using the cue as a prompt. (And ‘story’ can be fictional – or not – as you wish).
Step 3. Send your work to us. Please email it to [email protected] with ‘Muse of the month – August’ in the subject line, and your story as a word/txt attachment. Do include the name we should use if we publish it, and a brief introduction to yourself (2-3 lines) in the mail.
Please note: Given the number of entries received, we won’t be able to respond to each, but every single entry is being read through very carefully and is much appreciated.
Here are the shortlisted entries, added on each day as we publish them.
I am, I am, I am, by Srinidhi Raghavan: Who am I? I am many things, and all things possible, says this lovely poem on the self.
The Black Sea, by Vijayalakshmi Harish: When the black sea of depression threatens to overwhelm you, can you remember who you truly are?
Finding Myself, by Pooja Sharma Rao: Don’t forget who you are, even if everyone else fails to recognize you, says this beautiful story.
The One, by Aparna Joshi: What happens when the past, present, and future dance together? This intricately woven story will make you wonder.
The Exorcism, by Ujwala Shenoy Karmarkar: Within us lies immense strength to vanquish the demons of our past, says this wonderful story of triumph.
Please send in your stories by August 26th 2014, Tuesday, 3 p.m IST. The 5 best stories will be published on Women’s Web the next day on, i.e. one each from August 27th to 31st.
Keep it between 250 and 800 words. (Please keep this in mind; in past editions, we have had to disqualify some good entries purely due to word count issues).
Please avoid typing the story as inline text. Send it as an attachment only.
The 5 best entries will each win a Flipkart voucher worth Rs. 250.
A gifted poet who drew on her writing skills and craft as well as a tumultuous inner life for material, Sylvia Plath’s poetry manages to be hard-hitting and layered at the same time. The reader is left with an instant and strong impact of the poem’s mood and sense, and yet continues reading it again to construe many more meanings.
Plath’s single novel, The Bell Jar won much critical acclaim for its witty, sharp portrayal of a young woman facing depression, and struggling to find her place in the world.
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.“ – the writing cue for August, from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. Make sure to get your entry in on or before August 26th 2014, Tuesday, 3 p.m IST
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
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