Margazhi Rasikas Short Story Contest

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Dec 2012, 09:33

Dear rasikas,
I propose we run a short story context during this Margazhi Vizha in Rasikas.Org.
Rules of the Contest:
1. Each entry should be pure fiction, not a review of a concert or critique of anyone.
2. It should be be not more than 400 words.
3. It should be in English, however common words from Tamil etc. may be thrown in for flavour.
4. Entries close on 15 Jan. 2013.

I leave it to the mderators to decide if this is OK. I am not thinking of any prizes etc. to avoid one-upmanship and bickering about winners like we heard about the Super Singer Junior 3.

What say? My entry is taking shape in my head as I write this, I will post it once mods. bless this.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Dec 2012, 10:23

A small amendment. 400 words are too few. Make it 800.

kittappa · Post by **kittappa** » 11 Dec 2012, 11:11

Excellent idea Rsachi, but 800 words is itself too short for fiction. Why not make it say, 2000. Are you envisaging fiction related to CM?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Dec 2012, 11:17

Yes.
But a short story has to be short...To be read and relished in one go, with minimum page- downs.
I defer to others on the length though.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Dec 2012, 11:41

To give you an idea of length, Harimau's Kim-chi post is 1111 words and 6368 characters. Of course Harimau is a special character

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 11 Dec 2012, 11:59

Rsachi wrote:Of course Harimau is a special character

What... like a ligature? ]

(Oh, yes, I suppose so: ligatures are one of those things that make the difference between real typesetting and what people do with word processors.)

kittappa · Post by **kittappa** » 11 Dec 2012, 12:26

In an A4 paper 2000 words itself will be only about 4 or 5 pages. 800 words will be only two pages.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 11 Dec 2012, 12:56

Good that there are no prizes . Otherwise I would have to draw your attention to this classic by O Henry .
For its unforgettable ending .
Anyway the story can be used to count the words to arrive at a benchmark number - 5912
God bless Ol' Henry

http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl- ... sphinx.htm

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Dec 2012, 13:58

Varsha-ji,
I have loved O.Henry for a long time! Thanks for a lovely story! Have to take a break from the read as I have a meeting...
Brilliant story-teller, but poor O.Henry spent a big part of his life in prison.....

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 11 Dec 2012, 17:11

Yes .
His sins may have been scarlet , but his books were red

Have a great meeting and come back to read

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Dec 2012, 17:44

Varsha-Ji,
Thank you. You have a happy turn of phrase indeed.
Let me share a story I've heard (NOT my entry here, but just a starter like yours):
Mullah Nasruddin and his two chums are on a pilgrimage to Haj. One day, having wandered off course and tired and almost penniless, they reach by nightfall a village. They smell a great Halwai's shop nearby, and pool up all their pennies- it's just enough to buy a pot of great Halwa. As it is just enough for one hungry man, they decide to sleep off under a tree, and make a deal that the guy who gets the best dream should next morning partake of it.
Rubbing their eyes as they wake up in the early light, they start telling about their dreams.
The first friend says, 'oh what a glorious dream I had! Prophet spoke to me and said I am the blessed pilgrim and shall surely reach heaven. No one could ever have a better dream, so, come on, let me eat the Halwa!' The second friend says, ' wait, you haven't heard about my dream. I met Allah himself, and He asked me to go and sit beside Him! Surely my dream was the best, let me eat the Halwa.' Mullah then spoke slowly. 'well friends, I confess neither the Prophet nor God visited me in my dream. Just as you two dozed off, my inner conscience spoke up, and said, "Mullah, don't be a fool. Just go eat the Halwa". And that's what I did.'

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 13 Dec 2012, 21:32

I didn't see any response from the moderators. Should we go ahead?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 14 Dec 2012, 00:19

Rsachi: yes please go ahead. ( You do not really need any approval from the Mods anyway ). Speaking for myself, yes it is a great idea. Even I, who is at the bottom of the barrel on these matters, would like to write one if I am motivated by the works of all of you ( time permitting ). I encourage all our members to start writing. Rsachi, to get the ball rolling, why don't you post the first part of the story you are writing ( if that makes sense ) as a motivation for others.

Thanks for the initiative.

( if the methodology of determining the ranking of stories requires a discussion ( voting etc. ), we can have that as we go on. I myself do not know what software facilities this forum software offers that can be useful for that purpose. Otherwise, we can look at external sources for voting and keeping the tally etc. Other opinions/options welcome )

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 14 Dec 2012, 08:00

Ok, I shall post the first part later today..

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 14 Dec 2012, 23:39

Entry #1....sneak preview

The full story will be posted soon....

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Dec 2012, 03:22

Finish it soon! The end is coming.
Narada has no say and is not concerned either since he is a chiranjeevi....
Did he go to NGS, then he may end it sooner - another prank by the wise old man

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Dec 2012, 04:41

Well put, CML.
I shall upload the full story as soon as India's fourth 'Test' of surviving English onslaught will be over.

smala · Post by **smala** » 16 Dec 2012, 06:41

rsachi, 3000 is considered minimum standard in short story contests. (some go up to 5000). Anything less that 3000 impedes the flow and style and will make for a choppy story telling. Also why Margazhi? Does it need to have a celestial spiritual flavor?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Dec 2012, 17:26

Smala, you're right...I think we should settle for 4000 words or less. The technical definition of a short story is 10000 words or less. But given everybody us busy these days and people can rock the world with 140 character tweets, I had initially in mind more like Reader's Digest pieces.. Like a 'micro story'.

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 16 Dec 2012, 19:24

Rsachi you finish your story then perhaps, I'll upload my incomplete short story in parts. This is fiction and yet is based on real life characters who lived more than a century and couple of centuries ago. Yes, The Trinity, and Dhanammal's grandmother etc., feature in this story.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Dec 2012, 21:21

Oh, sure. Hopefully tonight!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Dec 2012, 22:49

Folks, here is my story. Please click on the photo to access the PDF file in my Dropbox.

Thanks!
Sachi R

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Dec 2012, 00:20

Better hurry up and board the incomplete space ship for any other planet!
We know what Brahma's recommendation is going to be which will be endorsed unanimously by the CM Trinity!
Siva must be recharging his Third Eye battery

There is only time left for a last cup of Degree Coffee at Gnanambal....

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 17 Dec 2012, 01:20

Sachi: Good. I like the Shiva, the sulking padded up batsman

My imagery of that is so vivid. I wonder why. May be I have actually seen Shivaji, father of Ganesh somewhere.

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 17 Dec 2012, 04:07

Rsachi - can't access dropbox due to network restrictions. Can you just post as plain text here?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Dec 2012, 04:55

Mohan, sorry, but it's best read as PDF. Anyway I am sharing again via Skydrive.
Kindly confirm you can access it.
Thx

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 17 Dec 2012, 06:09

no can't access that either. nevermind I managed to open on my phone and email it on!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Dec 2012, 12:06

Oscar Wilde, bless his soul(?), would have said today:
Anything that is enjoyable is either illegal, or immoral, or sweet, or firewalled.

Here is a link: http://archive.org/details/EndOfTheWorldVizha_378

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 17 Dec 2012, 20:16

The only field to remain 100% maledominated is Khanjira play so far

Latha Ramachar, the daughter of the veteran H.P.Ramachar plays the khanjira.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Dec 2012, 21:30

There you go!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Dec 2012, 21:58

सच्चिदानन्दं शिवं करोति शांतं।
भूलॊक निग्रहं वारयति।
किमर्थं?
ञानांबाळ‌ coffee निमित्तं॥

(Saccianandan does calm Siva
Forfends the distruction of the earth
How so?
For the coffee from GnAnAmbAL}

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Dec 2012, 22:26

Coffee पानकं किल रसदायकं
कलिभयहारकं कविजनतोषकं

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Dec 2012, 23:28

धन्यॊहं धन्योहं इति वदति सरस्वति।
स्वलीला आस्वादित किञ्चित्‌ स्मयतॆ रंगनाथं ॥
(Happy happy am I says Saraswati
Gently smiles Lord of the stage (Sutradaari) at his own leela)

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 18 Dec 2012, 03:30

Well...translations?

smala · Post by **smala** » 19 Dec 2012, 22:22

Rsachi, pardon me for busting in here...but this meets your month celebration requirement, is A Marghazhi story

...a photo story maybe, one that Rasikas will enjoy for sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGkfOQX ... r_embedded

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 19 Dec 2012, 22:39

Smala, a fine amateur attempt by the crew to attract us away from a heavy tani avartanam to poli and morkazhi!

By the way do you know that Bangalore, where I live, has LOTS of restaurants serving delightful cuisine including 100 varieties of dosas and a dozen varieties of holige? I shall be happy to host you when you come down from Bay area!

smala · Post by **smala** » 19 Dec 2012, 22:48

happy to take you up on the offer.. thanks!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 19 Dec 2012, 23:10

smala
மார்கழி போஜனம் மிகமிக ப்ரமாதம்
நல்ல கச்சேரிக்கு பிறகு இதுவே எனக்கு போதும்
க்ருஷ்ணா sweetsu பாரு
மிக பொருத்தமாய் கறி மோரு
பிடி கொழுக்கட்டை ஜோறு
இதுவே எனக்கு சோறு
கார அப்பம் firstu
இஷ்டம் போல வெட்டு...
ஹ ஹஹ்ஹ ஹஹஹ ஹா..

smala · Post by **smala** » 19 Dec 2012, 23:14

CML

Ponbhairavi · Post by **Ponbhairavi** » 28 Dec 2012, 09:02

Click below for story A story of your choice as inspired from the Story Telling Machine of R.Queneau

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwvhLR ... 3p1Ukgzdmc

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 28 Dec 2012, 09:58

Wow, fine story, Ponbhairavi,
Full of suspense
The jarring disconnects typical of a modern blockbuster movie
And a happy ending.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 28 Dec 2012, 10:33

Wonderful like a vikramadityan story each segment narrated by a 'padhumai'.
The ending leaves us in suspense, but the Amritavarshini makes us forget the puzzle

Ponbhairavi · Post by **Ponbhairavi** » 28 Dec 2012, 11:28

Many thanks Rsachi and CML, I wanted to explore this technique which is probably new to tamil and which was introduced to french literature in 1965 by R.Queneau of the OULIPO movement In fact Queneau uses a chart with 21 squares( like the paramapadam with snakes and ladders tables.)

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 28 Dec 2012, 20:52

Thanks Ponbhairavi:
It is innovative and entertaining. Instead of a linear flow the story flows like our thoughts on a nonlinear continuum.I think of the parallel Universe concept in Quantum Physics. Do attempt some more so we can familiarize ourself with the 'technique'!