30 Day Writing Challenge, Day 1

The other day I was telling my friend, how my writing has become more of a reality show script than what I wanted. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and try out one of the writing challenges. Because I want to write fiction. I saw a couple of challenges and this 30 Day Writing Challenge stood out the most.

So that is what I will be doing for this month.

Day 1 —Select a book at random in the room.  Find a novel or short story, copy down the last sentence and use this line as the first line of your new story.

The book I chose was The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson, mainly because it was on my side table. 

She was going to need it, or she would die.

He thought about all the things that had gone wrong in his calm and serene life.

Three days ago, he was sitting in Germany, Skyping with his kids back home and telling them that he had gotten the i-pod and the American Girl doll, that they wanted. He had asked about her, but she was busy making dinner. So obviously, he did not persist and talked to the rest of his family and than went to sleep.

And now here he was, sitting on the cold hospital bench, hands clenching his throbbing forehead, being told that it was over. Unless some miracle happened.

She was going to need everyone's prayers.

Their story was very simple. They had met through family friends and had instantly liked each other. He had introduced her to his parents, thinking that they would reject her but they had liked her more than him. After that it was a matter of months.

They had gotten engaged among family and friends, all the time being told how lucky they were to marry the one they loved.

After an year came Mehndi, Baraat and the reception. Again they were looked upon as a very fortunate couple.

And now, ten years later, they had two beautiful kids, a well decorated house and an incredible partner.

They had everything.

Until that damned driver, who had shattered their perfect mirror of a life in 5 minutes and a single turn.

Now she lay in that spotless white bed, hooked up to a million machines, tubes going in and out of her, after giving up on him and their life together.

He sat there, cold and helpless, waiting for his worst fears to be confirmed and the tears to flow, wondering how his luck had changed in ten years.

...SAP...

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J.Mass

From Goodread's:
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined

Author: Sarah J.Mass
Published: 2012
Pages: 404
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
My Rating: 3.5/5

Assassin + Girl + Crown Prince + Ballrooms + Competitions + Blackmail + Sneaky Past + Corrupt King = One Kick Ass Story

The first half of the story was way more awesome than I expected. I am all for action and I love when the main heroin is strong and has a distinct personality of her own. And when she also happens to be the most famous and feared Assassin of Adarlan i.e. the ruling kingdom, what more could you ask for. I fell in love with her character, her strength and most of all her wit. The way she was able to laugh despite enduring what people couldn't have imagined. Celaena is one beloved heroin. She can kill a man in the time it takes you to drink your juice, loves pretty dresses and favourite hobby happens to be reading books.

I loved the two main guys as well. Prince Dorian is the son of the ruling corrupt king and you would think that he would be his exact replica, that is what he assumes as well. But he turns out to be someone else. Someone who cares about his people. The other guy, Captain of the Guard, Chaol (weird name), has left his rightful position for a better task. The two guys are friends yet the contrast between them is so startling. Chaol being the wise one and Dorian being the fool prince. One thing that really got me confused was the love triangle or lack there off of one. I mean, if you want to put a love triangle in a book. Just do it. One second it is there, the next its not.

When my expectations reached the sky, I literally, fell out of the sky. Because magic and some weird nonsense named Wyrdmarks came between me and my love for the story. Magic and things that just do not make sense to me are such a huge turn off for me. I felt so bad like someone had performed open heart surgery on me. All of that creature leashing from the other side, blah, blah, blah, and the Wyrdmarks protecting her was utter nonsense.

I don't know if I will read finish the series. I wish that the story did not include all that magic nonsense. It would have been such a die hard book. This is one book that I feel sorry for.

...SAP...

A Tale Of Chevron

I have one word for you. 

Chevron. 

If you ever have an idea. Think about it. Five years from now if you will regret doing it, than do not do it. In my case its five minutes.

So the story starts with my obsession with everything and anything of chevron print. This leads to the idea of my painting a chevron wall. Yes, my mom regrets handing me a paint brush in 10th grade.

If you think about it, its a pretty good idea. But not when you are kind of notorious for leaving things undone in the middle. And making a mess of things. The word mess is taunting me right now because it can see the storeroom my room has become these days. But I tell you. Not my fault. Okay. Maybe it is. Whatever.

But for now, lets continue with the chevron story. So the paints came. The colour was wrong. And the can was too big for just one wall. Arguments were made. No one liked the colour. Someone thought it was stupid to paint in the first place. 

I started out with the determination of Bob the Builder, taking measurements and marking the whole wall with tape. The paper tape finished half way and than scotch tape had to be used. Our stool was with someone else so I used a table. I had bought a huge meter scale but because we think we are such cool people and are in Games of Thrones. So apparently, it was being used as a sword. And ofcourse, it broke. 

Somehow the taping got done. Two lines of the chevron were painted. And voila ! This happened. 

Calls were made. Huzaifa brought over Petrol. We hurriedly cleaned everything. We made stupid what if if we light you up jokes while taking the paint off of our hands. 

After wasting the whole day and feeling like a complete disaster, amma came to my rescue and finished the paint job. Than we pulled the tape off, took a shower, put our feet on the table, relaxed and saw our handy work.

Bob the Builder would have been proud. 

No, despite many tries, I managed not to fall off the table. 

And yes, I spilled the canister of paint. 

......