This is my collection of writings for the three hundred and sixty five day writing challenge - where one has to write something daily, every day, for one whole year, based on the prompts provided - as part of an exercise to improve creative writing...
"Construct a poem or story using a news headline for your first line."
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Gold prices fall today, silver rates drop
That was the headline of the first article when I typed "News Today" in the Google search bar. Now if you, as a reader, presume it to be a new worthy item, I am sure we would be right in thinking it is a major fall. The actual numbers, gold rates declined by Rs 210 to Rs 32,400 which in percentile terms is a paltry 0.64397% and that merits an entire article as to how the drop is linked to a lacklustre trade. Then the article went on to discuss as to how gold advanced in the international market on account of the mid-term US elections delivering a split congress.
This brings me to my favourite rant - what exactly is news in current times? Have you noticed that almost all events are presented in filmy fashion (sometimes they resemble the serials on Indian Television, down to the triple camera shots and the multiple flashes of lightning and thunder) and the anchors actually scream their heads off (I think they are firm believers of the fallacy that if you scream a lie long enough it becomes the truth - though I seem to be slowly accepting it - I mean most people do believe the news).
I rarely watch the news - it is depressing and the state of affairs remind me of an Irving Wallace novel - The Almighty. The book is not very great but has promise - as the blurb on Amazon reads
"Edward Armstead has lived much of his life in the shadow of his famous media lord father. When his father dies, he leaves a will that makes it nearly impossible for Edward to keep the thign he wants most - The New York Record - his father's flagship newspaper. Edward's determination to exceed his father drives him to embark on two obssesive quiests - to make the New York Reporter the number one nerwspaper in the city - and the the world - and to make his father's young mistress his own.
In a swiftly paced and prescient story reaching out of Manhattan into the inner circles of power in England, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Isarael, a growing wave of violence gives the publisher sensational headlines, exclusive to the Record, that turn Armstead into a media legend almost overnight.
As Weston begins to believe his own hype, considering himself media's 'Almighty', a young, prize-winning investigative reporter on his staff, Victoria Weston, begins to suspect that someone is manipulating front-page news. As she follows her investigation through France and back to Manhattan, she begins to suspect the terrible truth.
This novel brings Rupert Murdoch and the current string of media scandals immediately to mind. A sobering tale of power, corruption, and madness at the highest levels from a master craftsman of the written word."
Maybe I am cynical and skeptical but the news does not give me any positive vibes, somehow lies, crime and negativity sells though it makes me wonder, 'agreed money cannot buy happiness but do we have to spend it on sorrow and despair?"
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Word count - 518 - I have taken a literary licence, and wrote about news stories and stories about newspapers, cannot think up of a story or poem, maybe will do some other time.
And a very happy Diwali to all my readers:
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