Time for Prompts!

       When I first started blogging, I had no idea about writing for prompts. I just used to scribble down things that came to my mind. But when I did get to know about writing for prompts, blogging became a lot more interesting. I learnt to write fiction posts and poems! All thanks to the wonderful prompts. So today I would like to share with you people a few prompts that I love.

1. 3 Word Wednesday: Every Wednesday, they give you three words and their meanings too. All you have to do is write a post including these three words. It can be anything - fiction, non-fiction, haiku or poetry. This is the first prompt site that I came across.

2. Write Tribe: The one most of us know and love to be a part of. An excellent platform for improving your writing skills and interact with other bloggers. The tips provided are just awesome.

3. Five Sentence Fiction: Just five sentence is what you need to write. You will be amazed by the wide range of posts that are linked here based on the same word. If you are looking for a quick write, go for this.

4. Poetry Jam: If you are someone who loves to write poems, then hop over to this site. You will be provided a word every week on which you have to write a poem.

5. Write Over Weekend: These weekend prompts by BlogAdda used to be my favorite and I wrote every week without miss. But it's been so many days since I wrote for it. Maybe I will write sometime soon.

6. 30 Letter Series: I love the 30 letter series weekly challenge Nibha is hosting. Even in this electronic era, the idea of writing letters is something that excites me a lot.

       So these are some of the prompts that I like to write for. Is there any good prompt site that I have missed? Do let me know :)

PS: Linking this post to Write Tribe's Link Posts - Rediscovering Your Blogging Groove - Day 4.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Trouble has a new name - Book Review

Title: Trouble has a new name

Author: Adite Banerjie

Publisher: Harlequin India Pvt. Ltd.

ISBN: 978-93-5106-513-5

Number of Pages: 187

Price: 150 [INR]

Genre: Romance

Blurb on the Book:

Will you pretend to be my fiance for the next few days?

Recently single model Rayna Dutt does not feel like flying to her friend's big fat Indian wedding. But she does - and when a mix-up with room allocation forces her to share a luxury villa on Emarald Isle with the gorgeous owner of the hotel Neel Arora, best man at the wedding, things begin to look up.

Until Rayna's ex turns up with a new girl on his arm!

Hitting the panic button, Rayna searches for a solution. Surely Neel wouldn't mind being her fake fiance...? In an instant the attraction theyshare is at fever-pitch, but when scandal comes calling Rayna soon finds herself in more trouble than she can handle!

My Review:

I was a fan of Adite's writing after I read her first book - The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal. So I naturally had great expectations from this book and I must say Adite didn't disappoint me.

The story begins with Rayna flying to Andaman Islands to attend her best friend's wedding despite her not so happy personal life. She didn't want to ditch Milee on her big day. And so on the way to the Islands, Rayna meets Neel, towards whom she feels an instant attraction. 

The story progresses with Rayna and Neel fighting this pull they feel towards each other while they try to maintain the facade of their fake relationship. The gossips of Agra group, Rayna's ex Sid attending the marriage with his new girl friend, the shoot on the Islands are all bits that spice up the story. Amidst all this, will Rayna and Neel ever realize their love for each other or will they just part ways after Milee's marriage? Read the book and find out. 

Adite has set up a perfect ambience for a romantic story - The exquisite Island, the Indian wedding, celebrities, the relatives, the media people and amidst all this are two people who love each other. I loved Adite's narration and her attention to details. She loves Bollywood a lot and her stories reflect this love.

All in all, the book makes a very good read. If you love Bollywood or if you love romantic stories, then I would suggest you go for this book.

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

PS: Linking this post to Write Tribe's Write a Review - Rediscovering Your Blogging Groove - Day 3

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

How to handle Stress?

       Stress has become a integral part of our life these days. People of every age group go through stress. Stress isn't a totally bad thing considering how some people can perform better under stress. But too much of anything is bad. Likewise too much of stress can lead to disaster. It fuels anger and in the heat of anger, we end up hurting our dear ones. Stress is the one to blame for this. 

      Though we can't avoid stress completely, there are things we can do to minimize the effects of this stress. Here are a few things that I do when I am stressed:

• Listen to music. Music is a remedy for everything. It is a magic that works wonders. Listening to something soothing will always calm you down.
• Look outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. The greenery, the little bird on the window sill or the dew drops, all these little things can divert your mind.
• Close your eyes and take deep breathes. It is said that when we take deep breathes, more oxygen is supplied to brain and this can help us relax.
• Talk to your favorite person, maybe a friend or your parents or your partner. Talk to anyone whose company you love. Talking to them can make you forget your worries and lift your mood like anything.
• Do something you love. It maybe writing or painting or even dancing. These things can break your stress and make you happy.
• Take a break! Whatever is stressing you, take a break from it and enjoy life's pleasures. Maybe go for a movie or take a nap. You will feel refreshed and ready to face the challenge again by next day.
• And if you have the patience, go for Yoga. It really helps a lot in improving our lifestyle and reducing stress.

      These are the few things that I do to handle stress at times. What are your ways of handling stress?

PS: Linking this post to Write Tribe's Answer A Question - Rediscovering your Blogging Groove - Day 2

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Different Types of Lecturers

       I had once written a post about the Different Types of Students in a Class. While there are so many types of students, there are also different types of lecturers that you come across in your college life. Some inspire you, some motivate you while some make you want to scream at the top of your voice! Trust me, I have seen the latter too! So here is a list of different types of lecturers you are sure to find in almost every college

1. The Role Model: 

      There is at least one lecturer like this that you come across in your life time. They inspire you to achieve something great in your life. Their teaching is secondary but the motivation they give, it is something that has the potential to change your life style. 

2. The Wise One:

      This is someone who is very knowledgeable. There is at least one wise lecturer in the whole college to whom every one else looks up to. They are the ultimate problem solvers for students and teachers alike. In case of any difficulty or complication, you know whom to contact. They are like the life line of the college.

3. The Morose One:

       Or popularly called 'Khadoos' by students these days. These are the kind of lecturers whom you definitely should avoid clashing with. They possess the supreme ability of turning your happiest day into a gloomy one. Just few minutes of talking with them can leave your spirits deflated for the rest of the day. They will leave you wanting to scream at everyone who talk to you that day. Compassion is something that is missing in their dictionary!

4. The Crush Worthy One:

      There are few lecturers whom students just love. No matter how they teach, students are always present in their classes. Students attend their class just to look at them for an hour without any disturbance. Such is their charm. Yes, there are some crush worthy lecturers like this.

5. Uneasy Person:

       They are the lecturers who know a lot but fail to express. They get tensed when they have to face a class room full of students and end up stammering and giving the impression that they know nothing. But if you ever contact them personally to get doubts solved, you will find that they know a lot.

6. Cocksure Person:

       They are the exact opposite of uneasy persons. They know little but they act like they know everything. Whatever they say becomes final; no doubts or questions what-so-ever are entertained. Asking a doubt to them in front of whole class is assured to get you a very lengthy assignment.

7. Cordial Person:

       There is always that lecturer who is very sweet towards students. Speaking to them will make you happy. They are like friends to students and they understand students' problems well. They are usually the junior lecturers who have just finished their degree and have entered the teaching profession.

8. Nosy Person: 

       Any gossip in the campus, these lecturers will be the first to know. Not only do they keep close eye on every details of students, but they find great pleasure in spreading this knowledge with other lecturers.

9. The Drilling Machine:

        There is always a lecturer whose class every student despise. Even the clock seems to be on hibernation during their class! Sleep is inevitable but you have no other option than to sit there and fight sleep because these are most commonly the Morose Ones! You just can't afford to be noted by them!

10. Irregular One:

       These are students' favorite lecturers. Students don't have to bunk their classes because they themselves are irregular and rarely engage classes. 

       These are some kind of lecturers that we commonly find. But in the end, no matter which category they belong to, they are our lecturers and we get to learn something from them. Maybe curricular or maybe some important lesson for life, they all teach us something. It is just our choice whether we will learn it or ignore it.

       Do you have any more types to add to this list? Let me know ;)

PS: To my lecturers who read this (in case!), this is purely a fictional post and any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental!! :D I am not to blame for the coincidence.

Linking this post to Write Tribe's Write a List - Rediscovering Your Blogging Groove - Day 1.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)