Mihir Kamat

Tag: article

  • Open your eyes

    Inspiration is everywhere. A coffee cup. A winter ravaged tree. The apple seed you just threw away. Dog poop. A smashed car. The point is, anything and everything in the world around us is inspiring. *feels small*

    Inspiring enough to write a story.

    The biggest complaint some writers have is that they have nothing to write. On a day where there is no inspiration, the feet feel heavy, the eyes drowsy, seat uncomfortable. Clothes seem ill-fitting, your focus dwindles and instead finds shiny things *OOH SHINY!* on Facebook and Twitter and anything and everything that usually fades in the background when you’re ready and buckled in and churning page after page of awe-inspiring awesomeness. On those days you’d rather wish you could simply go back to sleep and hope a new day has a different effect.

    Nothing different is ever going to happen.

    They’re just things you tell yourself to make you feel better. To be inspired, all you need to do is – you guessed it – OPEN YOUR EYES. Go for a walk. Take a shower. Watch a thought-provoking movie or documentary on TV. Avoid the cute pandas and kittens and puppies rolling around in snow or in someones arms or in their own filth. Stare at a painting and let it speak to you. Open the shades and let some sunlight come in. Put in some hours in the gym. But whatever you decide to do, open your eyes and let your surroundings inspire you.

    And write. Just write without thinking. There are some great timed challenges on the web that allow you to write without thinking for about ten minutes, and then process and expand on what you barfed in those ten minutes. You could find some nugget of gold in the mucky pit of vomit, or it could all be trash. But you have a beginning, or a thought pattern, or an obstacle to your way of thinking. All great article starters.

    Remember, writing is all in the mind. No writing is good or bad. It depends on what impression is created on your reader. Creating the impression is more important than simply worrying about being judged.

    This piece began as a ten minute challenge I accepted. I’m not proud of it, and it’s very raw, but it’s what I was thinking in those ten minutes I felt I had nothing to write.

    Now I have cretins to kill in my sleep. *reloads the shotgun*

    *fires away*

  • Know your author – Interview with Smashwords

    Here are a few excerpts from my recently concluded interview with Smashwords. Read the full interview here.

    What is your writing process?

    I don’t follow a rigid writing process, especially since I prefer to write on an ad hoc basis whenever inspiration strikes. I start with a main character, and add characters as and when they make sense to the plot. The main plot itself begins at the end (of what the main character needs to achieve or prevent), and then I begin to build up a story around the main plot to a point that actually makes sense. It’s harder writing it this way but it works since the finished product is extremely focused and does not contain too many flowery details.

    I constantly edit my stories, or chapters, so what my story ends up like is never same (not even close!) as the one I wrote to begin with. I go for at least four editing rounds on each chapter myself, before I get another pair of eyes on the story.

    When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?

    I lead an extremely mundane life outside of writing! I keep a day job that helps pay the bills and prefer to stay in bed or spend time with family when I’m not writing. That being said, writing is probably what keeps me going and helps keep the passion alive.

    Who are your favorite authors?

    I’ve been fascinated by edge-of-your-seat thrillers, and the first name that comes to my mind is Frederick Forsyth. If you look at my personal collection, I own and have read most of the titles the man has written. I’m currently re-reading “The Devil’s Alternative”, which is by far my most favorite novel. In the same genre, I’ve read and enjoyed works of Dan Brown, Will Adams, Scott Mariani and the occasional novel from Matthew Reilly.

    The Harry Potter series, by J K Rowling, is also something I’ve read and re-read, and is specially close to my heart.

    What motivated you to become an indie author?

    The time factor. Since I keep a day job that’s extremely challenging and demanding, I initially aimed to de-stress by writing few words a day, everyday, only to keep my mind fresh. I was able to write for one straight year before the book took form and another few months went by polishing it to make it publish-worthy. I had a good reader base for my blog so I decided I would publish and market the book myself, and in doing so would: 1) Understand the book publishing business and what the function of each process is, and 2) Find out what works and what does not in the self-publishing process and seek professional help in areas that don’t.

    Also, being an Indie author helps me get honest reviews regarding my work that may not have been possible if the book was mass published and marketed (although I could do with the jump in sales!).

    What do your fans mean to you?

    Everything. There are no words to describe what my readers mean to me; you are the reason I get out of bed every day and put pen to paper. I’m extremely thankful to all of you for the support and encouragement and I sincerely hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy bringing it out for you.