Friday, 5. February 2010 - 6:42 am | No comments »
As this everlasting night lapses into silence
Our hearts lit with moonlight, eyes sparkling that light,
We waggle together with this voiceless accent.
Our lips part to talk but stop and tremble;
Like baiting, half-blossomed flower-petals,
Speaking the tongue of the tender night-breeze–
Only we know what we entreat each other
In this everlasting silent night.
Tags: Original Poetry, Poem, Poetry, Writing
Monday, 25. January 2010 - 11:22 am | 1 comment »
I’m back after more than a month. Much water has flowed…okay chuck that! Grrr…what did I want to say? Oh well…I don’t know. I most definitely wanted to say something but it escapes me now… 
Oh yeah! Here goes.
Before we begin, the previous para is a very substandard illustration of a fancy technique of writing fiction: stream of consciousness, where you write down your thoughts as they occur. Now why am I saying this? In my rude guide, I wrote
…you primarily write to achieve technical and subject-matter accuracy and clarity. Your readers and/or reviewers’ primarily concern is whether you’ve achieved that and not so much for that wicked turn of phrase that you’ve introduced in the second para in the Overview of the Megaphone Connector for JDBC (Heading 1)…in other words, writing in this case, is subservient to technology/subject matter.
And now, back to the “much water has flowed” bit I just mentioned. Over the past month, I was witness to a fascinating discussion the details of which I shall spare you. It was a discussion centered around the (lack of) very basics of writing. Which is why I thought it’s time to re-examine the “writing in this case, is subservient to technology/subject matter” statement.
Thursday, 17. December 2009 - 9:53 am | 10 comments »
A brash intro of sorts
Technical Writing is largely a thankless job. Nobody really reads the document that you took six months to write but when they read, the results can sometimes be as devastating as the loss of your job because of all things, they had to look at that sentence on page 243, which contained an erroneous instruction, which in turn screwed their entire HRMS system. Okay, I’m exaggerating but you get the point: you do you’re unnoticed but you don’t and you’re dead. The money might be good but there’s precious little to motivate you to stick to technical writing as a lifelong career.
And so let me offer some sanctimonious advice: don’t take a technical writing job if you don’t enjoy it. If you’re planning a career in technical writing, make sure you do lots of research. If you think you can become a technical writer because you love writing and/or you write well, think again. Or if you do jump in recklessly–which is good in some cases–test the waters for a couple of years, but get out the moment you begin to realize that for a week or slightly longer, you’ve been spending your nights weeping softly into your pillow with the certainty that you’ve to wet your pillow with your tears the following night. And don’t look at your peers in the same company or industry with acid-filled eyes and envious wonderment at how they seem to enjoy it so thoroughly and earn so much (yes!).
Tuesday, 29. September 2009 - 8:18 am | 2 comments »
This was published in the August-September issue of the STC India chapter’s newsletter, Indus. Comments and criticism welcome, as always.
Keeping the Past Alive is Rewarding
Have you ever-even for just one second-paused to actually trace the origins of the words-any word-you use in your writing or speaking life? Try it. It’s fun, instructive, and interesting.
If the previous paragraph has convinced you to trace the origins of words, congratulate me because I now successfully qualify for a membership in the (U.S) Democratic Party. I’ve now become a Democrat. The connection between the previous paragraph and my becoming a Democrat will be clear in a moment. At the time of the American Revolution, the word Democrat had the pejorative meaning that we associate with the word Demagogue today-”a politician, leader or person who panders to emotions and/or prejudice”. In just over 100 years, the word Democrat had shifted so much in meaning that it is now the name of one of the only two American political parties. But look at what has happened to Democrat’s “parent” word, Demagogue. It now means the opposite of what it originally meant: a popular leader.
If the previous paragraph has confused you, re-read it.
Friday, 3. July 2009 - 8:36 am | 2 comments »
Written after a longish hiatus from blogging. Comments & criticism welcome as always.
Rebirth
Inside, the swirling wind swishes continuously
swooshing over my shut stony tomb
not powerful to slide its slab though
stiff enough to arouse the stirrings
of disturbance inside the confined hole.
Dark and bottomless, but I can’t see–
I’m stirring and trying to turn,
I wind my neck tight and kick,
a whiff unbeknown escapes in a gush,
a sudden dazzle greets the eyes I open and quickly close,
a rumble that begins in my belly becomes
a wail, and a shrill shriek—
multiple, painful simultaneous experiences like
gigantic waves that lash helpless pebbles who
gladly die this second in secure knowledge of
their rebirth in the next.
Tags: Original Poetry, Poem, Poetry, Rebirth
Monday, 4. May 2009 - 7:29 pm | 2 comments »
For all you Twitter ignoramuses and/or newcomers, here’s the Definitive Guide to Twitter. It is work in progress and the whole world is invited to contribute.
So ladies and gentlemen, presenting Twexicon.
Monday, 27. April 2009 - 9:29 pm | 1 comment »
Can’t yell out at you now for
Inflamed fights over small beer–
A yell once in months two or eight, or a year or
In smoking afternoons or hazy rings of eventides
In stinking cellars or dizzy stairs–
Verbal brawls wasted and
Now long forgotten
Now recalled in raw hurt.
The yell eternally strangled,
A promise to remain unfulfilled,
A source parched forever,
A call met with inaudible echo,
A wide-hued painting turned stark White–
A life of promise sliced by a fatal incision.
Tags: Death of a Friend, In Memoriam, Original Poetry, Poem, Poetry, Sonnet in Memoriam, Writing
Friday, 3. April 2009 - 3:13 pm | 1 comment »
Kris inspired this post with her musings on doing UX in an Agile environment. Echoing her concerns, here are some lessons I learned working as a writer in that setup. Agile emphasizes on minimal planning and doing things at short intervals or iterations. In a way, every iteration has a specific, measurable goal, which is usually goes like this: complete X by the end of 25 March. If that goal isn’t fully achieved by that date for whatever reason, it is deferred to the next iteration. So, if X was only 75% achieved, 25% is deferred to the next iteration.
Monday, 30. March 2009 - 8:19 am | 1 comment »
I’m not a great admirer of T.S Eliot’s poetry. It doesn’t mean I dislike it. If the much-touted Wasteland supposedly showcases his talent at its pinnacle, I must say it is not quite a talent at all. I like his Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock much better in comparison. Here’s the thing: if the greatness of your work lies in the obscure meaning it putatively conveys, you actually do your readers a disservice. Think about it.
Monday, 23. March 2009 - 8:48 am | 2 comments »
Another poem. Comments and criticism welcome as usual.
Noises on my way to work–
Opposite me, on the outside,
From the side hurtling forth with unexpected rush,
Overtaking me from directions real and imaginary.
Loud sounds around the window or
When I open my door, I welcome more noise to trespass;
Walks all around inside my house,
Its power empowers but itself.
Cymbals bearing the non-Lawerence din
Ring in my head, shiver my being with
Uninvited, violent vibrations, I wonder
What vestige remains of me that I have wasted so much
Of irretrievable Solitude.
Tags: Original Poetry, Poem, Poetry