The Calendar and Other Tools

— Posted inBrowser, Privacy, Productivity, Software, Technology, Writing — 2 min read

Since I choose to add tasks to my calendar, it becomes easy to monitor my progress each new day. In fact having a calendar or a to do list can definitely help a writer in planning ahead with his/her day or week. To cut the long story short, there are certain tools that I use for my daily writing. I would like to take the liberty of sharing the same with my readers. Consider this to be a random post at the end of a rather productive day 🙂

The first is of course a Calendar. Nowadays I use Vivaldi’s inbuilt calendar to keep a tab on my commitments. It is a rather well built calendar that I can tweak around in order to suit my daily schedule.

Secondly, I prefer to save my manuscript both in my mailbox (or boxes) as well as in Microsoft’s cloud drive. I do not trust Google very much. Therefore I tend to avoid all its services and apps. I generally use Vivaldi’s email as well as email accounts attached to Outlook and Laposte.

In the third place, I prefer to save notes on the go in the One Note app that I have in my phone. I generally trust Microsoft more than other companies when it comes to storing my data.

Fourthly, I could never do without the MS Office in my phone. Quite often when I am not near my laptop, I can directly work on my phone and jot down any random idea. Also, I can edit my manuscript on the go.

Finally, when it comes to using a browser, then Vivaldi takes the cake.I was an avid Opera user once upon a time, but switched my loyalty to Vivaldi this year. Also, with regard to a search engine, I either use Startpage or Duck Duck Go. Privacy matters when you are a writer. I dislike trackers and I absolutely hate my data being sold or auctioned elsewhere on the Dark Net.

So much for now. Simply a little blog post at the end of a rather busy day. Au revoir !

person using laptop

The Internal Monologue

— Posted inPersonal, Privacy, Writing — 1 min read

For writers indulging in an internal monologue is possibly the next most natural thing to breathing. There are times when we are misunderstood for the same. These days I tend to lapse into silence more often than not. It is fine if I am at home with my husband (he is the most understanding guy in the world ), but it becomes difficult if I happen to be in the company of others (even my mom). Thus, for the next few days and acting upon the advice of my husband, I’ve decided to remain at home till I resume work. These few days are going to be cardinal not only for the proof reading of my first novel, but also for framing the body of the second one. All this silence and a rather laid back life is what I have been craving for all these days. Let’s hope I manage to fulfill my commitments by the end of this month. Till then let silence and the internal monologue prevail.

Au revoir ! ( Although I know quite a few languages which include English, Bengali, and Hindi, I am keen on learning French as a second language).

man standing in front of the window

The Last Lap

— Posted inPersonal, Productivity, Writing — 1 min read

With the holidays almost over (seven days to go before I collide once more with the real world), I am at the last lap of my work with regarding to proof reading and other related matters. And I hope to make the most of these few days. Writing requires the utmost concentration and I envy all those writers who are able to accomplish the same amidst chaos and cacophony. That is a super power I shall never be able to master. However, having said that, I am meandering along my own sweet pace without a care in the world. The weather is quite conducive towards writing these days (Autumn mornings tend to awaken the optimist in me), and with cups of coffee and no outside distractions whatsoever it is important that I give my heart and soul to writing.

Till I scribble again. Wishing all my readers a lovely Autumn/Fall 🙂 Enjoy the bright colours and the mellow evenings.

closeup photography of red leaf plant

Busy as a Bee

— Posted inLiterature, Personal, Productivity, Writing — 2 min read

Work is keeping me busy. By work I mean REAL WORK. Not the charade of work that writers are often compelled to hide beneath. Struggling writers are often foxed into believing that they are not really writers. That writing is merely a hobby that they follow and that they are actually something else…maybe a teacher or a shopkeeper or a librarian or a janitor. Anything but a writer. And this belief is a threat to their primary existence. Because they know nothing better than to write. No other profession sits as pretty on their shoulders as writing does. The mere thought of punching in 500 words per day keeps them going.

Hence, to cut the long story short, I am indeed as busy as a bee these days. And thankfully with my real work. Writing. Not with the charade of a work that I do. This month should be productive. Even if I cannot carry my laptop everywhere, I should be able to do the needful with OneNote or MS Office on my phone. All said and done, I do not intend to waste even one precious day to doing nothing at all. Wish me luck folks ! And do not worry of the posts are irregular. I will probably be happily typing something in some quaint corner of this world.

honeybee perching on yellow flower

Productivity

— Posted inProductivity, Writing — 1 min read

With the onset of the autumn break, I have now found new luxury in passing my days via the written word. I wake up each morning, and after indulging in a meagre breakfast (I dare not eat much for fear of killing the immense energy that I harbour each morning), I sit down to type in my laptop. Switching off phones and cutting out other impediments to productivity has helped me immensely. Productivity is the key to a happy and fulfilling life. I seem to have finally stumbled upon this age-old secret. Since I have become more productive, I feel a lot more happier and a lot less stressed. In fact daily stressful matters do not affect me anymore. I am safely cushioned in my own little world of plots and characters that run through my mind during the course of the day. I hope to achieve more during the curse of the next few days, since I’ve been proof reading my first novel for my agent. Keeping fingers crossed !

So much for now. Till I scribble again….

Away from the Cacophony

— Posted inPersonal, Writing — 2 min read

We are lucky to live somewhere close to nature and silence. It is rare to find apartments in a big, bustling city that are in the lap of nature. Being amidst this quietness helps me to shape my thoughts. Every evening after work I try to organize my thoughts as well as what the day had to offer. Sometimes the results are positive, and at other times quite morbid. However, I plod on through each day carrying the hope in my heart, that amidst this hustle and bustle I will be able to carve a niche of impeccable quietude somewhere during the course of each day.

Quite a few plots have been hovering around the periphery of my mind, but one in particular has captivated my attention. I propose to jot it down on paper as soon as possible. Of course the basic blueprint or the bare skeleton. Nothing ostentatious. Nothing too baroque at present. Let me use a couple of productivity tools to shape my plot, and then maybe I will get down to writing it. By tools I mean a good voice to text app (I am till hunting for one), an online notebook like OneNote or Evernote or Samsung Notes, and maybe an efficient online diary/organizer to help me plan my future deadlines.

Keeping fingers crossed and hoping for the very best ! At least our home and the nature around the same is something that makes me want to wake up to new mornings filled with new promises. All this and more…away from the cacophony.

selective focus photo of green vine

The Ambling Autumn

— Posted inLiterature, Personal, Privacy, Productivity, Writing — 1 min read

It is almost Autumn. or as some would like to refer to, Fall. The air is crisper and the nights more mellowed. This is the festive season over here in India. However, I prefer to remain secluded with my books, writing and other paraphernalia. Writing this journal also makes me more calm and composed than usual. I usually attempt to devote sometime to writing every day and some time to journalling whenever time permits. Also reading through newsletters from the Foreign Affairs and Current History Journals help since they provide additional reading material. Whenever I am not writing I try to devote my time to reading. This may include reading from reputed literary magazines to books and/or articles of importance. Thus letting this ambling autumn and her undulating waves of seclusion bring out the best in me both mentally as well as physically.

Till next time. Signing off from here….Au revoir !

tilt shift photography of maple leaves

Reclaiming Back Our Lives

— Posted inPrivacy, Technology — 1 min read

Since I have quit Facebook, I am seriously away from all the information overflow. I refer to newspapers for my daily news (since we do not own a TV….my husband and I being seriously bored by that contraption), and phone calls and text messages for communication. Sometimes my husband shows me interesting things that others have posted from his Facebook account or reads out comments that others have written, but thy seldom leave me as enthralled as I was earlier. The pattern of incessant scrolling is over. I am more at peace and more grounded than ever. Also this gives me the opportunity to look inwards and appreciate reality for what it is. I spend more quality time with my husband and other family members. I am less on the phone. And whenever I need to blog or write, there is a definite time that I have relegated to the same.

I advise all my readers to reclaim their lives back as it once was before the virtual world stole everything away from us…even our identities as individuals.

two person holding red mugs

The Disappearing Email

— Posted inSoftware, Technology — 2 min read

Before I quit Facebook, I emailed a few important contacts of mine (they included both relatives and friends). I assumed like the good old times that they would check their emails and reply back in due course. However, apart from a single gentleman who is well into his 80s, the rest are yet to contact me. I must presume that people do not email each other these days. I still remember that the very first email that I had was on Yahoo. I still use my Yahoo email, although I had dabbled with Gmail for sometime till I was overwhelmed by the Spam and Phishing on that particular site. Nowadays I keep Google only for work. My primary mode of communication are other secure email accounts. Having said that, it is a pity that email is gradually disappearing from our daily lives. With everyone more accustomed to texting and the social media, emails are relegated only to the workplace.

I can understand why Dr. Cal Newport states that the social media has rapidly changed our way of communication and has thereby fashioned each one of us into tiny islands…cut off from each other…in a non communicative mode….

I remain an avid follower of the email culture as well as the blogging culture. Perhaps being old school, still makes me more communicative than my fellow countrymen/women. The Disappearing Email culture is indeed an extremely important facet that must be pondered upon.

smartphone screen showing facebook application