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English writer and humourist Susan Lillian "Sue" Townsend gifted the world a delicious form of wit and a unique perspective that continues to make readers laugh fondly, even today.
English writer and humourist Susan Lillian “Sue” Townsend gifted the world a delicious form of wit and a unique perspective that continues to make readers laugh fondly, even today.
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 – Oct’ 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.
Sharing here the 5 chosen entries, updated each day as they are published.
Maragoo’s World, by Bhavani: Sometimes, the worlds in our heads are way better than reality. Here’s a glimpse into one such world.
The Listener, by Anita Murthy: We’re talking all the time, but are we really listening? Here’s a beautiful glimpse into people and conversations.
But It Did Not End There, by Nikita Jhanglani: Recovering from heartbreak is a roller coaster ride, perhaps with more twists than love itself. This story captures the ride perfectly.
A day, An Eternity, by Prachi Soman : Most of us turn to a higher force for solace, for a patient ear, for a solution. Here’s a look at the receiving end of our prayers and whining!
My Work Will Go On, by Ujwala Shenoy Karmarkar : As long as there are people, the complaining will go on. Here’s why nothing will help those who complain, except their own efforts.
Please send in your stories by October 26th 2014, Sunday, 3 p.m IST. The 5 best stories will be published on Women’s Web the next day on, i.e. one each from October 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.
Susan Lillian “Sue” Townsend wore many hats – novelist, playwright, journalist, screenwriter, passionate socialist, and comic writer – but her best known work remains the Adrian Mole diaries, where she saw the world through a teenager’s eyes. She wrote in secret for 20 years while working in varied roles, as a factory worker, a petrol shop assistant, a receptionist, and a youth worker.
Sue’s life was plagued with both hardship and illness, but she went on to create one of the world’s most beloved fictional teenagers in the form of Adrian Mole, who will live on in the hearts of readers for his wit, wisdom, and self-proclaimed intelligence. Her writing combined humour, socio-political commentary, and a perspective of reality that was inimitable. Sue Townsend continues to be remembered as one of the few comic writers whose view of the world was life-affirming, generous, and made readers laugh out loud.
“There’s only one thing more boring than listening to other people’s dreams, and that’s listening to their problems.” – the writing cue for October, from Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4. Make sure to get your entry in on or before October 26th 2014, Sunday, 3 p.m IST
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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