Storytelling is an art. Like any other art it requires vision, creativity, skill and practice. Storytelling is something that comes naturally, yet you have to develop it and nurture it over time. It’s a trial-and-error process of mastery. Check these resources to help you get started.
The craft of storytelling
Storytelling is also a craft. Good stories are entertaining, educationl, universal, and memorable. Many elements of storytelling such as narrative, language, dialogue, drama, character, conflict and resolution can be learned and mastered. Start working on these elements from here.
Make your writing sing
English is a beautiful and rich language but it is hard to master. It takes more work to express yourself in a plain, easy manner using well-chosen appropriate terms. Learn to work at the sentence level and master the hundreds of literary devices to make your writing sing.
Creativity myths
Do you think you are not creative? So does everybody else, but that is a myth and it has to be broken. Otherwise, the world will miss out on your contribution. Check the link and subscribe to my newsletter to get practical tips to unleash your creativity.
Productivity hacks
Writing is a time consuming activity. You will never have enough free time in your day to devote purely to writing. Yet you will have to find it. I have gathered a number of practical tips to improve productivity and build habits. Check them here.
Marketing for Writers
The world needs more stories, it needs your stories, whether they are fictional or personal. When you combine your stories with the desire to benefit others, you give your audience an extraordinary gift. Learn the ways to show your work and set yourself up as a writer.
Hi, I'm Neera Mahajan.
I took up writing as a hobby to get better at it. Although I loved to read since childhood, writing was something I had never tried my hands on until mid-life. I started scribbling in my diaries and journals, attended writing courses and joined writers’ groups and all this time I didn’t dare call myself a writer because, in my mind, a writer is someone who has something published.
In twenty years of pursuing my hobby I wrote several stories from my life, articles, fictional stories and even the first draft of a novel yet I was too scared to publish anything with my name on it thinking it was not good enough.
Then in mid-2018, I gathered enough courage and started a blog. After the initial dread was over and some of my articles were admired, I started posting regularly churning out atleast two posts a week. I became a better writer in 18 months of blogging than in 20 years of writing.
My humble blog has now morphed into a fully-fledged site where I am sharing all that I learned (and will continue to learn) with you.
Why a whimsical writer?
Because I have changed my mindset from ‘I am going to become a writer even if it kills me’ to ‘I am going to have fun with my writing’. I have realized a little bit of playfulness can take us, the uptight writers, a long way. Need more persuasion, read my article Trickster vs Martyr.
Meet Ms Jolly
Ms. Jolly came out fully-formed from the cartoon drawing course I started in mid-2019. Within weeks she took over my creative process and started dictating how I draw. I think she is my alter ego, who is more daring, wittier, confident, and world-smart than me. She is now the energy behind all my creative work.