Writing Tips by Renu Balkrishnan

There are certain things one must keep in mind in>order to write something that is interesting enough toread, says Balakrishnan.i. Avoid the conventional form of writing. Think outof the box and spice it up so that it is fun to read."All our lives, we have been taught to write in ato-the-point, linear style. This can be boring to readat times," she says. "We must describe events, and not just state them. Show, rather than tell." She goes onto explain that a good description or conversation is always more interesting to read. Describe vividly so that the reader can actually visualise the setting. ii. Avoid using adverbs (a combination of an adjective and a verb). Instead of writing 'he spoke sadly', use dialogue and description to bring out the sadness. For instance, she says, you could write it like this: 'He sighed and looked at her, a wretched look on his>face. His shoulders slumped as he spoke in a weak voice.' iv. Be honest. The most important quality one must have to be a good writer, says Balakrishnan, is honesty. "Write on something that has happened to you, something that you know and care about. Pretence is of no use, and can put the reader off," she says. v. Write on something you know about. vi. Write, write, write... you only get better with practice! Got an interview? Crack it! Read more, write better When Balakrishnan was teaching at Mumbai's Bombay International School, she remembers that her students' literary habits would rarely go beyond Harry Potter and Amar Chitra Katha. In order to expose students to stories set in modern, urban settings that they would identify with, she>started writing stories herself. Having attended a creative writing programme at the New School, New York, her tryst with creative writing continues today, with her imparting the knowledge she gained through that course to others. She refuses to be called someone who teaches creative writing, though. "Creativity is not taught," she says. "All of us have a creative streak." How to improve your communication skills Express yourself Whatever be one's profession, each and every moment a person goes through can be transformed into interesting reading material. Her workshops, she says, are for people from all spheres of life -- professional writers, journalists, doctors, engineers and students! A bibliophile who also reviews books for Elan Magazine, Balakrishnan commends some of the current crop of writers who have begun to write on issues of the society and youth in an engaging style. Giving the example of Chetan Bhagat's One Night @ The Call Center, where various issues about working in BPOs have been tackled through the eyes of six fictional characters, she says weaving a story around contemporary real-life settings makes for great reading. "Not only does it ensure that the reader enjoys the story, it also makes him think," she says. So take pen to paper and conjure up an entire new world -- a world of words. About the workshop The Creative Writing workshop, conducted by Renu Balakrishnan, will be held at Mumbai's Xavier's Institute of Communication. The workshop will comprise of eight sessions of two hours each. The sessions will be held on November 10, November 17,>November 23, December 1, December 8, December 20 and>January 5, 2006. Fees: Rs 3,000 How to register Register and pay at the Xavier Institute of>Communication Address Xavier Institute of Communication>St Xavier's College Mumbai 400 001 Phones: (022) 22621366/ 1639/ 2877 Renu Balakrishnan: (0) 9821734779/ (022) 22151344 e-mail: xic@vsnl.com Web site: www.xaviercomm.org