First Book Progress Logbook

I had always been thinking about turning to writing. I had also been looking for a hobby. So I merge both of them have started taking up writing as my hobby. I have a few stories of my own to tale, so I though how about I write a book ?

In lieu of this I have begun on my first epic saga. It will be fantasy novel. I want to make this a light reading novel, targetted towards general fantasy lovers. The novel will have sound basis of science but I will make certain extrapolations and interpretations which will not be liked by my scientist friends but will be crucial for the story!

(Note: Agents, Editors and Publishers are wlecome to contact me. I will be happy to negotiate one-on-one regarding final publication. You may keep track of progress below.)

I have started this logue to capture the development:

Title: Working Title Locked
Characters: Main Characters created, some secondary ones as well, I will keep adding as the story develops

Overall story line: 80 % build
Book 1 storyline: 76 % build
Later Books - 3 or 4 books in total (depending how broad my world becomes)

Book 1 writing: 
Completion: 12 %
Writing Playlist: Created
General Comments/Updates:
1) April 2016: Started working general skeleton and Characters of the story
2) 4th May 2016: I have moved to Frankfurt and near about areas, so I may focus on my story and push that writing bar higher. Also a change of scene is good for disconnecting from work.
3) 5th May 2016: Added another Main character. I believe this one will be well liked by audience. It will become very important in the latter books in the series. Also wrote sections for a few chapters.
4) 14th May 2016: Returning from holiday and catching up with work took most of the effort. But I wrote a scenes in the past week.
5) 26th May 2016: Added scenes to already existing chapters. Need to get back and do some serious writing.
6) 27th May 2016: Made a breakthrough with an important character cocept. Added some flesh to some chapters.
7) 4th June 2016: Added detailing to scenes of a few chapters.
8) 18th June 2016: Past weeks have been a bit busy, so haven't got much opportunity to right. But added some body to a few chapters and thought of an excellent cliffhanger. Jaap gave an excellent idea I may use as part of this book or in some other in future.
9) 29th July 2016: Moving ahead has been slow as I have started working on a second idea in the meantime. But will return to this one soon. I need to plan some vacation days. :)
10) 8th July: Not much headway on this book. But started a chapter on a less ambitious project that I plan to publish as a series in another platform. Hopefully I will come back to writing this one again soon.

Competition

Competition when healthy, while a great asset, may lead to stifling o growth when left unfettered. An example to explain this would be a study conducted by a big Airplane company where they were investigating ways to disembark all passengers in shortest time possible.  When at first all the passengers were instructed to disembark without any additional instruction, the disembarking process although a bit disorganized went OK, as all passengers were helping each other to work towards a team (virtual) mentality. The next time the passengers were said that the first 10 to disembark first would get an award. This ensured chaos that the whole process became a nightmare. This may be an example where too much personal incentives derails the team performance, and is a caution for managing paradigms based on 'STAR' mentality. Personal goal increases responsibility in people but there must be an equal emphasis on team goals as well.

Truth & Poetry

''Truth is like a beautiful poetry,
And most people hate poetry!!''

From the movie: The Big Short

Invictus

This is one of my favorite poems, written by William Ernest Henley first publishes in 1888.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit From pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Life main kuch bhi ho sakta hai / In life, anything may happen

Lines said by one of the best actors in India, Mr. Naseeruddin Shah, in Anupam Kher's Show Kuch bhi ho sakta hai...

Apney apney raste mil hi jaate hain zindagi main. Un raaston par jo bhi mile use embrace karna chahiye, kyun ki life main kuch bhi ho sakta hai. (In English: Everyone in life finds the way sooner or later. And while on this journey one should embrace whoever you meet, because anything can happen.)

And along these, some lines from me too :)

Kabiliyat, rutba, paisa, mukaam sab chala jaata hai ek din, yaad reh jaati hai to bus niyat aur tehzeeb. (In English: Talent, fame, money and position all will be gone eventually, the only thing that will be remembered are intention and behavior.)

Chota ho ya bada ho, sabse tameez se pesh aao, kya pata kalko tumhaari zindagi isike haath main ho. ( In English: Whether above or below you, behave respectfully to everyone you meet, because who knows maybe your life will be in this persons hand in the future.

Tiranga

Came across these beautiful lines by Gurudas Maan in the 15 Aug episode of Coke Studio Season 4.

Allah waalon, Raam waalon,
apne mazhab ko siyaasat se bacha lo.
Mandir maszid kabhi fursat main bana lena,
Jo nafrat se toote hain, wo ghar to bana lo.
Ek hi rehne do sahidon ka tiranga jhanda,
roj naye jhande main danda fasane waalon.

Happy Independence Day

The following lines are from an excellent video I came across FB acted by Nawazuddin Siddique.

'' Apne apne main ghuse huein hain sab...
par sala phir theek se ghuso na andar tak..
Wahan tak ghuso jahan tak dil hota hai, sapne hote hain...
Jahaan tumhaari life ka foundation hai poora - Tumhaari ZIDD!!

Pahaad kaatna chodo..
sala hum zindagi kaatne main itna busy ho gaye, ki khud pahad ho gaye.
Hum agar jo karna chahein ...
bus dil laga ke utna kar lein to kuch aur karne ki zaroorat nahin hai.

Doctor, Police, Waquil koi bhi ho..
kaam chota ya bada nahin hota, bus sachcha hona chahiye.
Sabko bus apni apni zimmedaari uthani hai ....
aur desh khud ba khud uth jayega. "

Above lines in Hindi/Urdu  roughly translates to the following in English.

"Everyone is only busy working on their own goals...
but why not at least do that much to the best of your abilities ?
Why not do it until your hearts desires, until your dreams,
until the very foundation of you being, which is stubbornness towards achieving your aspirations.

Forget about moving mountains, we have build up so many hurdles by pressurizing ourselves that life itself has become a mountain.
If ever one of us simply does what he/she want to do, to the best of his/her abilities, then nothing more is needed; the country as a whole will also more forward. No job is small or big, less or more important, we only need to take our own responsibilities and the country will take care of itself."