Muse Of The Month October 2014: Inspiration From Sue Townsend

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.

What you need to do 

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.

Shortlisted entries

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.

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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.

Deadlines

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.

Rules

• The material should be previously unpublished elsewhere. (Copyright stays with you and you’re free to subsequently publish it elsewhere).

• 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.

Prizes

The 5 best entries will each win a Flipkart voucher worth Rs. 250.

Muse of the month (October 2014)

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.

Cue for October 2014

“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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