Hello, members of the elite WB group, 

Greetings. 

We are in midweek,  following the middle of May. With the torrid weather engulfing us, with the sun heating the atmosphere, it is usual to be dull and out of sorts. Yet we need to spring into action, without any let-up, for life to flow along and for living to propel.

A healthy and engaging way is to Write. You might wonder why I'm harping on it and suggesting to the members of the group that are defacto writers.

Being a member of the group is one thing and forming the habit of writing is another. 

Doesn't it appeal to you to think, imagine, conceptualise and then concretise them to writing? Don't we all think about something or the other, on a recurrent basis? About issues and concerns, all and sundry? The Right to Freedom of Thought and Expression is Constitutional, nay our birthright. As human beings, we need to think about various aspects of an issue, before we form a concrete opinion. If our views are totalitarian, it is a state that is celebratory. Mature thinking is called for, sane thinking is needed.

We can write for a purpose and we need not have a purpose to write for. We can write freely, as a freelancer. Yet if some purpose is served by our writing, it is no small mercy.

Writers are born but they can be made too. With guidance and good practice sustainably, writers get moulded and shaped. Writing becomes a part and parcel of the persona of a person. It becomes the person's USP, the niche. Writing introduces the person to the world, it becomes his/her visiting card. As with all other life skills, writing becomes one too.

Well, writers are not shaped overnight, though. There is no one-size-fits-all arrangement in writing. Although the core principles of writing need to be conformed to, writing styles can vary. Each writer can adopt his/her style. One can be adept at writing a blog, technical writing, narrative writing, memoirs, philosophy, humour, travelogue, playwright, newspapers, magazines, tabloids, and so on. 

As compared to other hobbies and pastimes, writing might appear to be a thankless pursuit, a painstaking one, at that. Concerted efforts get put in, but results do not surface immediately. Writing might elicit a sneer or a disparaging comment from those close by. Eventually, writing will have its day, with accolades pouring in. A sense of fulfilment and gratification envelops the writer.

Writing can turn out to be lucrative too, with people having amassed wealth from it. Instances are aplenty where people earn royalties, long after the book is published and has become a bestseller in e-commerce domains and on the internet.

Like all other pursuits, writing has its ethics and moral standards. Writing needs to be unoffensive, non-malicious and should not generate heat, in place of light. As far as possible, writing should not involve an infringement of the Copyright Act, without the permission and consent of the original writers/from the original resources. It should not be plagiarised. Excerpts, quotes and adaptations are allowed, after duly acknowledging the authors and the sources from where they've been lifted.

Writing casts a deep influence on readers, leaving a deep impact on their minds. It is a double-edged tool and has to be used judiciously, as it can catapult a reader to celestial heights or drag him/her to bestial depths.

So, inspired to be a writer? I hope so. Do let me know how you feel about writing.

Until I bang on to you next, 

Yours, a kindler to the spark of writing, 

Ravi Ramkrishna

 

A note on body......

By this time, most of you'd have gone through your morning routines, having sprung up from the bed early, with your walks and workouts (hopefully this might be an inseparable part of your morning regimen) following the morning bodily ablutions. 

Yes, it is the BODY that is in question. It is due to it that we are SOMEBODY/ANYBODY, else we would be reduced to being NOBODY, which becomes our final and our ultimate state, at the end of our earthly sojourn. "Dust thou art, to dust thou, shall return", wrote the poet Thomas Gray in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard".

So long as we have our body intact, which is Nature's precious gift to us, it becomes incumbent upon us to ensure its proper upkeep, so that it not only serves us but is of great utility to others. "The body should be concerned with working for the welfare and well-being of all" is the English translation of a well-known Sanskrit saying. 

There are many ways in which we can maintain our body, ranging from adopting a wholesome diet (there is no dearth of advisories from dieticians both established and self-styled ones that stalk the domain of the Social Media, across fitness centers mushrooming in lanes and bylanes of cities), supplemented and supported by rigorous workouts in gymnasiums, and Yoga, in its manifold forms

(Power Yoga, traditional Yoga prescribed by Patanjali's Yogasutras, Corporate Yoga). "Bend the Body, Mend the Senses and End the Mind", is the dream objective of many. 

Finally, all parts of the body must function harmoniously so that the individual attains the Utopian state of healthy and holistic living. 

In an unrelated, yet interesting context, I came across a piece, in which parts of the body get used as Verbs, in English Grammar, as part of a vivid description.  I reproduce the same (this might have appeared at other places and might be common knowledge. Still it becomes worthwhile to refresh them through) 

Many parts of the body can be used as verbs, in either a physical or a metaphorical sense. 

You can head a company, but if things go wrong you'll have to shoulder the blame, or face your investors. 

A good leader will back his employees, but if you don't toe the line the management can skin you.

Did you muscle your way into that job? 

You might eye someone suspiciously, or wait for the police to finger a suspect. 

But if you need to get out of town, you can thumb a ride or you can ride with me if you can stomach the thought.

Use strong arm tactic if you want to elbow out someone.

You don't always need to sing along with the radio, but you can sometimes  mouth the words.

The final word: Don't mind reading this insertion. Inhale all that's offered and exhale the discards, without feeling the bouts of indigestion. 

Well, bye EVERYBODY. Will catch up tomorrow. 

Till then, take good care of your BODY. 

Bon homie... 

Ravi Ramakrishna, 

Team, Write Better.

On Brewing....... 

Hope you are in the midst of sipping the Morning Brew. 

Most of you would've been involved in making a Brew, in some way or the other, at some point of time or the other. 

This four-lettered word "Brew" appears to be simple both in diction and delivery, that is in spelling and pronouncing, and might appear to be all too common. That is its magnificent deception. "Brew", a noun and a verb, essentially stands for preparation, concoction, and blending. "What is cooking at your end", is an oft-quoted expression, meaning, " What are you busy at", "What are you engaged in".

To Brew is no child's play. It calls for innate skills and acumen to come out with the right Brew. An imbalance in the ratio and proportion of the ingredients, a slight mismatch of the constituents, is enough to script a horror story. Woe betides the cook and the chef responsible for this. The cook is judged as a crook at the drop of a hat and the chef cannot be deaf to the uncharitable comments and unkind remarks that get passed. 

A high level of a mastermind is then called to play for coming out with an acceptable and a likable Brew. Principles of Management are applied. The "optimal" mix, the correct blend, and the precise combinations become the crux. The unschooled lady (even the gentleman) cannot theorize her/his deft preparation, but can only demonstrate (convincingly) her/his prowess using the sixth sense, which is unmistakable to mean the instincts. Fascinating, isn't it? 

Very soon, the Brew becomes the brand and is vouchsafed for its quality and purity. The Coorg Coffee and the Puerto Rican Coffee are classic examples. Native skills, inborn talents, and sheer self-confidence become prominent. 

At the other end of the horizon, far from the culinary realm, "Brew" has cast its influence down the ages, spanning several eras and eons. Brew takes place in the mind and intellect. Just as Brew, as drinks and consumables is known for its shade and level, scientific discoveries, theories, laws, postulates, axioms, and principles, arise out of a proper Brew. The Brew is affected by the constant churning of the mind, with thoughts, ideas, conceptualizations, and perceptions becoming the raw ingredients. 

Philosophers, thinkers, reformers, trendsetters, and trailblazers, all come out with their appropriate Brew, to leave their indelible marks. 

Brew also works in the darker regions, where conspiracies are hatched, coups are staged to upset the established regime, and plots are engineered to brainwash the public to do something ungodly, like causing riots and unrest. History is replete with machinations and intrigues, with the Brew in its base form. 

The brew is making the mind active, the spirits animated, and the living dynamic. The only requirement would be to watch out for the right Brew, enjoy it to its brim, and share the joys and pleasures with others. After all, coming out with the right Brew is the quintessence of living and dealing. 

Ain't it? 

Statutory Warning:

Too much Brew is injurious to health, both physical and mental! 

Till the next post reaches you, 

Make your own Brew safely and enjoyably. 

Ravi Ramakrishna, 

Team Write Better.

Refreshed and rejuvenated.......

 

Good morning dear WB members,

Trust this finds you refreshed and rejuvenated, all ready to take on today's challenges and battles. 

Mark the words "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated", appearing in the opening lines. 

Ah, both "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" are words that are pleasing to the ears. They become the essentialities of a happy state, peaceful, at total rest. Nothing becomes more blissful than being in a "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" state. The weary traveler seeks it, the toiling laborer yearns for it, the overburdened housewife hankers after it and the totally bugged IT personnel is hungry for it. 

Yet, the two 'R's, "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" become elusive to most of us. Once acquired, they are held tightly in a firm clasp so that they don't leave us. 

Both "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" are familiar words to us, having learned them in school while befriending English Grammar, a not-so-pleasant experience. We know them to be different forms of speech, such as adjectives and verbs in past tense/past participle forms. We love using them in our routine conversations, talks, and writings. 

But the experience that one undergoes being "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" beggars description. It becomes manifest in the vivacious, energetic, enthusiastic, and buoyant state of an individual. No longer is the traveler tired. He/she becomes ready to resume the journey. The laborer has the strength and the vigor to perform additional tasks, in addition to those allotted. The housewife goes the extra mile to mind the daily chores to the best of her ability, while the IT whiz kid uses his/her ESP (extra sensory power) to decode the algorithm. Such is the power and potency of being "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated".

How does one go about in becoming " Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated"? There are several ways of reaching this state. To start with, "Breaks" are needed, that is, some discontinuity from the work on hand. Temporary shutdowns as we do for computers, result in the state of R & R being attained. For those who can afford both time and money, catering to the urge to be a wanderlust (desire to visit places of tourist value - hill stations, heritage joints, and so on, along with family/select friends, sharing memorable moments, eating together, taking snapshots of picturesque locations) will give the much desired "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" state. For those confined to their places, indulging in their chosen hobbies and pursuits of interest, will make them "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated". Nurturing pets and plants will result in a "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" state. Listening to soulful and soothing music will work effectively in reaching the "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated"' state. It might seem strange, dancing through aerobics and Zumba, the current rage among the millennials, result in the "Kick", which is otherwise being "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated".

However, it is basically the mind that needs to be rested and relaxed, so that the person is both "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated".

And what better way would there be than going to stress-busting exercises, breath-regulation practices, meditation, and other such time-tested and scientifically proven holistic activities. It is the state of the mind which determines the person is tired or otherwise. 

So when the mind is fresh through good sleep, enjoyable visits and travel, engaging hobbies and passtime, mind-healing practices, and becoming grateful and contented, the individual is "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated".

Hope this piece will have made you " Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated". If the answer is in the affirmative, I am flattered. If it is the other way, I am flattered. 

Still, I feel "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated" in reaching out to you. 

Till we meet, 

Stay "Refreshed" and "Rejuvenated".

 Ravi Ramakrishna,

 Team Write Better.

Marathon race.....

As happens in all development activities, we have been joined by a new friend Mr. Ravi  Ramkrishnan who has long experience in writing on a variety of topics. He has a very good grip, and power of expression.

Today onward, his posts will be shared here. These posts were originally posted in a WhatsApp Group sometimes ago, but to make a larger audience reach/read good English, they are being reposted here-

Reposting Date 17th April 2022  

Good Morning, 

Trust you are fresh as mint, after a good night's sleep. 

"Marathon" is not an unfamiliar word. We keep using it, often casually. "It was a Marathon session",  "I have had Marathon preparations", " He speaks in a Marathon manner", and "The batsman played a Marathon inning" are common expressions. 

However, "Marathon" has a historical origin, which is part of the rich Greek history. The "Marathon run" is accredited to the  Greek runner Phidippides, who ran an amazing distance of 26 miles 385 yards nonstop, to convey an important and urgent message from his country to the neighboring one, to seek help, in the event of an invasion. He reached his destination as planned, and had enough strength to convey the message before giving up his life, out of extreme fatigue. A classic example of martyrdom. Since then, in commemoration of this historic run, the Marathon run has become an important event of the Olympics, which again has its origin in Greece. 

All this is common knowledge.

 I seek your attention to the word "Marathon". What thoughts get generated upon coming across the word? What does "Marathon" connote? Do the likes of Usain Bolt, PT Usha, Milkha Singh, represent the understanding of "Marathon"? Or, to go back to " Hare and Tortoise story in the Aesop's Fables, who depicts the "Marathon runner" more precisely, the hare or the tortoise?

Is being "Slow & Steady" more apt as a requirement for the "Marathon" run or being "Speed & Superfast" better suited? 

Some thoughts to ponder over. Whatever might be your thinking, it is certain that running the "Marathon" is not everyone's cup of tea, both physically and metaphorically. 

Yet, those blessed, chosen few who do take part in the "Marathon" run of the worldly existence and life are storehouses of virtues like faith and confidence (both in self and in the higher power), patience, determination, hope, zeal, a strong sense of commitment, perseverance and endurance. The "Never Say Die" spirit is the driving force. The Marathoners are never over-ambitious, nor are people with short-term objectives. Neither are the people who like to cut corners, adopting "smart" techniques to attain their goals, while quality and purity take a back seat, becoming compromised in the process. The Marathoner is not swayed by the cheers and boos of the bystanders and the watchers, nor is he/she affected by the bouquets and the brickbats that get showered. "Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached" is the mantra of the Marathoner. The humble tortoise is an apt personification of the Marathoner, not the overconfident hare. 

So, the bottom line is to be "Steady and Stable in whatever you do, instead of being hurried and harried in the long run. That's how the Marathon should be run. 

Like the post? Totally? To some extent? Too dry and sterile? 

Just let me know. 

Have a fun-filled day and a fabulous week. 

Ravi Ramakrishna, 

Member, Team Write Better.

Stages of becoming a better writer

Stages of becoming better at writing 

Do you want to improve the quality, effectiveness of your writing ? Your SMS, WhatsApp message, e-mail, Facebook posts should attract due attention and should get the required outcome ? It should get you more reputation, money.

From my long stint with writing as a student, researcher, content developer, writer, trainer, I find that the journey of becoming better at writing passes through the following four stages 

1. Listening

2. Speaking

3. Reading 

4. Writing 

Let's take a parallel. No one taught you grammar, vocabulary, usage of your mother tongue or local language, but are so good at it. Why ?

You heard right in your mother's womb, spoke it without caring to be right or wrong, read it in newspapers, hoardings, advertisements etc, started writing and gradually built it to what it is today.

However, in English, we expect to attend few classes, that too  half heartedly and become a better writer. It will never happen that way. 

1. Listening - Listening English news channels like BBC, CNN, Republic TV could be a good beginning. You may even listen to professional talks, presentations, available on YouTube, but listening English, correct English is the first step toward developing what is known as language sense.

2. Speaking - You need not be a world class orator, but certainly you can start speaking small sentences while alone. You may speak to yourself in front of a mirror. The audio in mobile is the best friend in this regard. Take a one page article and read it on a cellphone recorder. You will realise, we read it wrong even though it is in front of us. This will give you confidence. Today, starting from a 2 min audio, I have recorded 90 minute professional talks on video, without a slip of paper in hand and all in one take.

3. Reading - If you read others, others will read you. Even reading hoardings, advertisements, blogs is a nice way to develop good reading habits. I rarely read big, bulky, books. But never miss reading articles, posts, essays etc relevant to what I am writing about. There are countless articles, blog posts, on virtually anything. Start reading, you will suddenly find writing is a natural consequence as you start supporting, condemning, criticizing it.

4. Writing - Here again, begin small. Start replying messages, mails, posts. I have two Sims, so still before posting something serious, I post it to myself first. Read it, edit if needed and then post it. In writing all sensitive mails, I first mail it myself, read it, edit it and then mail. 

Feel free to share your comments, experience, without caring much about its being grammatically perfect with best words in it. 

You may comment here itself or send it to drpnmoghe@gmail.com

Confused in usage - Some and any

Confused in? usage
Some and Any
Following pin will help you understand the difference between using some and any. Make more similar sentences and learn to Write Better