A primer for fiction writers

Book review with a difference

Title: The Story of Story: Why People Read Stories

Author: Ravish Mani

Foramt: PDF E-book

I want to get personal with this review precisely because this is a book with a difference. First of all, this book was written in a period of two days on a mobile phone. The author was getting another book ready for submission to the Blogchatter E-Book Carnival. But two days before the submission deadline, a lightning struck his house damaging his laptop along with other appliances. The lockdown aggravated the problem. Ravish Mani is not one to give up, however. He has a clear vision and sheer grit. Picking up his smartphone, he started: I wanted to talk about how to make your readers forget the sense of time, even the state of their being, & have blissful satisfaction when they get absorbed in your story.

The first thing I admire about Ravish is that unassailable spirit. The next is his idealism which is reflected in what he calls “Uncopyright” according to which anyone can “copy, distribute, or exploit any content of this book”. Ravish goes on to say that “morality cannot be forced. It comes from within. For being moral, introspection is needed. No law can make you morally right. It can only instil fear of punishment in you.” He asserts his faith in magnanimity which will beget the same virtue. [I reviewed Ravish Mani’s book published last year in this same Carnival which had a similar copyright statement.]

This book is about story writing. It is a good guidebook for those who wish to understand the nitty-gritty of fiction writing. It initiates you into the fundamental elements of a story: conflict (plot), characters, meaning (theme), and denouement (resolution of conflict arousing empathy). Ravish looks at each of these very systematically within the little space he is wielding. For example, how do you show the real character of a person? Character is not revealed by the day-to-day activities of anyone. Character is revealed in times of crises. How one responds to a crisis reveals one’s character. Ravish takes examples from popular movies to illustrate the point.

I have no doubt that the book would have been a great resource for budding writers if only the lightning had not struck down Ravish’s original manuscript. Even as it is, the book is a significant beacon for beginners, a quick manual. It is much needed too, if you ask me. Platforms such as blogs have made almost everyone a writer today. Even those who haven’t read a single classical work turn out bestsellers nowadays. Aspirations are great. Writing is a noble profession. But standards do matter for every serious reader. People like Ravish help to sustain standards.

It should also be mentioned that Ravish is a story consultant and manuscript analyst who provides his services to writers who need them. Those who wish to avail of his services may contact him. A lot of books published these days will do much better with some professional editing.