SHE - Episode 15

Most Gracious ILites,

I will have to wait for this Sunday to give individual reply to those of you who have commented.

But as I was reading and rereading the drafts of SHE, I had a flash for my next serial, (if I start one.) Of course it will be subject to the permission of my bosses and moderators.

And you know I have already decided on the name. Yes it will be HE.

First it will be fully about a man as SHE is about a woman. Second unlike SHE who went on search of her identity it will be about a man who was thrown out of his comfortable life, reduced to the lowest levels of poverty and distress, and ultimately finds his love and identity. The twists are shocking yet revealing. We will be going into the deepest depths of human mind and see how the scenery is there at that place.

A woman is responsible for his downfall. And a woman is responsible for his coming up.

Now I want to know how do you like the plot.

 

Thanks Malathi!

I think, Malathi, you are in a hurry. I bet you read 14 and 15 in just five minutes flat
Yes, there are lots of turns. There is no need to feel sad for Shalini. She is going to come out of it in flying colours. Till then let's wait and see.
I would request you to read the episodes once again in leisure and post your comments.
thanks,

 

Dear TDU,

Looks like you are a better story teller than me. The only unfortunate thing is that I have finished writing all the remaining episodes of SHE. Otherwise I would have definitely considered taking the story on the lines suggested by you. Looks very alluring.

To you and all the ILites, I have just 3 more episodes to finish. With SHE 18 an exhausted and a relaxe Varalotti (or as you say, Vaara Looti) will complete this Herculean task.

Thanks for the participation and the prediction, TDU.
regards

 

Hi, Storyteller 2!

Looks like IL today is swarming with story tellers. Maybe it is high time that I suggest the organisers to have a competition on guessing how will SHE go hereafter.

But honestly, Kripa, your suggestion seems to tempting that I have half mind to scrap whatever I have written and substitute your story line.

But like the climax scene of Parasakthi, where the dialogues were written first and the screenplay later (usually it happens the other way round) I had finished writing the dialogues for SHE 18. Then I built up a storyline which can accommodate all the dialogues.

May be instead of writing another serial (I had alrealy outlined by wish to write a HE) I should write at least a couple of alternative SHEs for our ILites. Let's see.

regards,

 

Hi Monsi,
I am happy you liked the episode. There were many ILites who pmmed me saying, what has Shyl's story do in the search of Shalini's identity?
As we all know it is the stories, especially about others, that define our identity and direct our search of it.
Did not our Mahathma started his search of his identity after reading Harischandra's story?
The Marattha King Shivaji's identity as a warrrior par excellence was defined by the stories of valour told by his mother .

But as to what Shal is going to do, please don't ask me. Just keep your fingers crossed.

Another small disappointment for you is that the next episode will be released only Friday morning. I am travelling out of Madurai on Wednesday and Thursday and coming back to the base only on Friday morning. So there is no other way, than to wait for Friday.

(But Monsi, even Friday is one day early and not one day late. If you doubt this statement, just read the title of this sub-forum.)

thanks, Monsi, for your views.

regards,

 

Dear Kamla,

SHE sure is turning into a novel with lots of twists and turns. Many characters who bring in their own shocking little stories to lend more color to the already colorful SHE !

One thing I learnt from our home-grown epics Ramayana and Mahabaratha is the power and intensity of the side stories. When Pandavas are camping in the forest, abandoned by their cousins, several sages visit them. And each tells a story of some other king, hero, a god or a man. Of what use is that story in building up the main story line? Not much. But we are able to relate to that story and feel that these stories, like the contrasting colour frame of a good painting, define the main story better.

I noticed one thing. You are trying to make it an 'Indian' story ! I feel that this is an intentional effort by you. You give names and hues to the characters and just as my mind tries to place them in one geographical area of India, they turn out to be false as the situations and aura speaks of another region of India ) Am yet to see a very Punjabi sounding Shylender stemming from the very Tamil soil of Coimbatore!! I like it, I think this is being Indian.

In those days the names were geographical. Not any more. Now the modern trend is naming children in Tamil families is strange sounding sanskrit names. Thus we have Akshitha in the heart of Virudhunagar (a small town close to my native Varalotti) we have Anirudh's in sivakasi, we have a Niranjan Kumar born of Annamalai Nadar in Thiruthangal and Ashwin born of Murgesan, and Aparna, Ashwin's sister.

So, at this point, I am at loss to see where Shalini's life is leading her to. I lack the insight of TDU! Although his suggestions bring a smile to my face!!
To be honest TDU's suggestion brought a bigger smile to my face, as I have already finished this novel. Please see an earlier reply where I have explained how I wrote the climax episode. As to the future of the story, let's just wait.

As you have not delved into the shocking themes such as surrogate motherhood etc etc, my suspicion is that Shalini might explore those venues to satisfy her need for motherhood. Well, now, anything is possible!
I am not so sure. My specialisation is not to deliver what is most expected of me. So...

As already mentioned, the story is flying and the style is impeccable. Keep it up.
Thanks, thanks and thanks. This line means a lot to me. Like any other writer I too am hungry for praises and have taken them all in one gulp. Thanks again.


L, Kamla
L, sridhar

 

Hi Maya,

I know that you had not seen the new episode, for otherwise you would have immediately commented. That's why I left a message for you.

We normally tend to think that Shylender's story diverts our attention from Shal's search for her identity. Actually it accentuates Shalini's search and her life's journey.

We are normally influenced by as much we hear from our friends, as what happens to us first hand.

So in the next episode we are going to see more of Shylender's story and know for sure whether he proposed or not, and if so, whether Shalini accepted or not.

About your guesses, I cannot better Kamlas remarks on this, "It brought a smile on my face."

Let's just keep our fingers crossed and be waiting, Maya till of course next Friday, when I will be posting the next episode.


regards,

 

Dear TDU,
Very happy to know about your lineage. I am not presumptuous enough to give hints on how to write, to you. But I have been following Sinclairs Rule. He was asked to address a conference of aspiring writers.
The writers were ready with note pads to take down the hints to be given by the famous writer.
Sinclair mounted the podium and asked, "How many of you want to write?" All the hands in the audience went up. Then he told them,"Then what prevents you from writing? Go home and start to write."
They wanted hints to which the writer said, "I can give you three practical hints that worked in my case. They are 1) Write 2) Write and 3) Write."
I was counting the rejections I first received from vikatan. It was fifty plus before they deigned to accept my very first story, Aasaiyil Oru Kaditham. (The English Translation Love Letter is published in this forum as a part of a contest). When I met the Editor-in-charge after the publication of the story he told me, "You are lying, sridhar, this cannot be your first story. I can see some maturity there."
That's about the best compliment I have had for my writing.

Go ahead and write TDU. Don't bother about views and FBs. In those days my first serial drew much smaller number of views and FBs. Though they are important, we are not writing for the sake of getting FBs or views. So just go on writing. Best of luck.
regards,