Read Online The Bestseller She Wrote by Ravi Subramanian - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ravi Subramanian
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job loss. Losing one’s job is tragic. In the plot you have turned the guy into a hero. You have shown how he fights his way out of a job loss and turns an adversity in his favour.’
‘But isn’t that what one is supposed to do?’
‘Sweetheart,’ he began to explain with a drag. She loved the way he called her sweetheart, though she tried not to show it. But the blood rushed to her cheeks, which was something she couldn’t hide.
He continued, ‘That’s not the way it works when you write a book. Rags to riches works for non-fiction books and true stories—at times even for films. But for fiction, in India specifically, tragedy rules. Reading about someone else’s woes and crying bucketfuls is a national pastime. Unrelated people dying for no fault of theirs, tears, sob stories . . . These are all formulae for success. And after writing about all this, if you give the story a twist and a happy ending, you will end up a winner. It’s about the journey. As long as the journey is tragic and the ending happy, you will end up with a bestseller.’
‘Tragic journey . . . happy ending,’ she rolled her eyes. ‘Is that possible?’
‘That’s where creativity comes in,’ Aditya spoke patronizingly, a pro explaining the rules to a rookie.
‘Got it,’ she said. Shreya was not sure if she completely understood what Aditya was saying, but was confident that she would figure it out.
‘Let me tell you one last thing which comes to mind. You are better than most of the people whose work I have seen. The clarity of thought that reflects in this synopsis is amazingly brilliant. You have it in you to make it big.’
‘Really? You think I will be able to become a big author, an author like you?’
‘Hehe . . . I am not a benchmark. I have a long way to go.’
‘But for me you are a role model. I want to learn from you. Will you help me, Aditya?’
‘Of course I will. Whatever I can do, I will do. You have it in you to make it big. And to top it all you are extremely good-looking,’ Aditya said, making Shreya blush again. ‘You start with an advantage. Glamorous, sexy authors tend to sell more. You will be the darling of the media. A pretty author gets away with a lot.’
‘Now I know you are pulling my leg. Let me disappear from here before you make more fun of me,’ she said and left the room.
Aditya stood there holding the synopsis in his hand, wondering what had come over him.
He opened his laptop. Time to get back to work.
18
A DITYA WAS UP till late that night. He had a deadline to meet and was awfully behind schedule. He had no option but to sit up till late and finish the book.
His phone beeped from the other room.
Maya was sleeping. He tiptoed into the room and picked up the phone. The screen announced that it was an SMS from Shreya. Maya saw him sneaking out and mumbled, ‘What happened?’
‘Nothing, some stupid SMS,’ he walked out of the room, back to his story. He flicked the SMS open on his screen.
Since when had he become an expert on recommending books? He was just a writer who had no time to read. Family, work and writing took away all his time.
<:) Read the new James Patterson.>
He responded with a smiley and went back to his writing.
Within a couple of minutes she SMS’d again.
Aditya knew that Sunaina was her hostel buddy and soulmate.
‘But isn’t that what one is supposed to do?’
‘Sweetheart,’ he began to explain with a drag. She loved the way he called her sweetheart, though she tried not to show it. But the blood rushed to her cheeks, which was something she couldn’t hide.
He continued, ‘That’s not the way it works when you write a book. Rags to riches works for non-fiction books and true stories—at times even for films. But for fiction, in India specifically, tragedy rules. Reading about someone else’s woes and crying bucketfuls is a national pastime. Unrelated people dying for no fault of theirs, tears, sob stories . . . These are all formulae for success. And after writing about all this, if you give the story a twist and a happy ending, you will end up a winner. It’s about the journey. As long as the journey is tragic and the ending happy, you will end up with a bestseller.’
‘Tragic journey . . . happy ending,’ she rolled her eyes. ‘Is that possible?’
‘That’s where creativity comes in,’ Aditya spoke patronizingly, a pro explaining the rules to a rookie.
‘Got it,’ she said. Shreya was not sure if she completely understood what Aditya was saying, but was confident that she would figure it out.
‘Let me tell you one last thing which comes to mind. You are better than most of the people whose work I have seen. The clarity of thought that reflects in this synopsis is amazingly brilliant. You have it in you to make it big.’
‘Really? You think I will be able to become a big author, an author like you?’
‘Hehe . . . I am not a benchmark. I have a long way to go.’
‘But for me you are a role model. I want to learn from you. Will you help me, Aditya?’
‘Of course I will. Whatever I can do, I will do. You have it in you to make it big. And to top it all you are extremely good-looking,’ Aditya said, making Shreya blush again. ‘You start with an advantage. Glamorous, sexy authors tend to sell more. You will be the darling of the media. A pretty author gets away with a lot.’
‘Now I know you are pulling my leg. Let me disappear from here before you make more fun of me,’ she said and left the room.
Aditya stood there holding the synopsis in his hand, wondering what had come over him.
He opened his laptop. Time to get back to work.
18
A DITYA WAS UP till late that night. He had a deadline to meet and was awfully behind schedule. He had no option but to sit up till late and finish the book.
His phone beeped from the other room.
Maya was sleeping. He tiptoed into the room and picked up the phone. The screen announced that it was an SMS from Shreya. Maya saw him sneaking out and mumbled, ‘What happened?’
‘Nothing, some stupid SMS,’ he walked out of the room, back to his story. He flicked the SMS open on his screen.
Since when had he become an expert on recommending books? He was just a writer who had no time to read. Family, work and writing took away all his time.
<:) Read the new James Patterson.>
He responded with a smiley and went back to his writing.
Within a couple of minutes she SMS’d again.
Aditya knew that Sunaina was her hostel buddy and soulmate.
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