WORKBOOK

Anita
Nair
TEACHES CREATIVE WRITING
ABOUT
ANITA NAIR

Born in Kerala, India, Anita Nair is an Indian author who created a

name for herself by rejecting established norms in Indian
English literature. In her early days she worked as the creative
director of an advertising firm in Bangalore when she wrote her
first book, Satyr of the Subway which was a collection of short
stories published by Har-Anand Press. Her fame grew as a result
of these short stories, and she was granted a fellowship from
the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. That event transformed
her life, and she went on to become a full-time author.

The second book she wrote was published by Penguin India and
was also the very first book by an Indian novelist to be
published by Picador USA. She is known and adored for the kind
of work she puts out there and therefore, her books have been
published in 31 languages across the globe. Books written by
Anita Nair are passionately woven threads of human nature and
values, with a feminist perspective. She is an inspiration for her
readers and is highly respected for her writings.

Anita Nair | 1
WHAT’S INSIDE?
This workbook contains everything you learned in the unluclass and more! It provides you with a lot of
knowledge and helps you apply the lessons in real life. The workbook has chapters for all the topics
covered in the unluclass. Furthermore, this workbook is easily printable for comfortable use.

TOOLS

The workbook has assignments and exercises that are

highly recommended for a better learning experience.
The assignments and exercises entail different real and
reel life experiences. All you require is an internet
connection and a pen to complete these assignments.
No, you don’t need a notebook, there are sections in the
workbook after every chapter where you can write
notes.

COMMUNITY

The workbook allows you to work on assignments

which are shareable. We encourage the exchange of
assignments, notes and experience with other
students. Share them here, your instructor might look
at the message and provide some valuable feedback!

Anita Nair | 2
HAPPY
LEARNING

If there is no
sense of
resolution to
write a book, the
book is never
going to happen

Anita Nair | 3
PROLOGUE

WHY WRITE?

Anita Nair | 4
 WHY WRITE?

Becoming an author is a huge responsibility, but it also comes with a lot

of joy in observing your audience reading and enjoying the book.
PROLOGUE
“It’s not about where my
book is sold or how many
awards it has won, it’s
about people actually
reading them”

Anita Nair emphasises on how writing is an art that CAN be taught. While
people might believe that creative skills come from within, there is also a
process to each skill and if one can learn how to put that process
together and work towards the end goal with genuine passion, they can
excel at anything.

Learning something like creative writing consumes the learner

completely. One has to take time out to stop and introspect, fight their
inner demons and to actually work on each piece with all their heart. This
helps a writer in defining the end goals and what it is that they actually
want to be. There are multiple aspects to creative writing, you can write
anything starting from poems, plays, novels, movies to essays, songs,
speeches, etc. but first, you have to define your style, your niche and the
path you want to follow.

Choosing to be a writer is not easy. Becoming a writer requires a lot of

strength. There will be times when people will test you, when your art will
test you, when your mind will test you, but you have to stand your
ground and stay strong.

Anita Nair | 5
WHY WRITE?

NOTES

Anita Nair | 6
 01

LESSON 1

HOW IT ALL BEGAN?

Anita Nair | 7
 LESSON 1
LESSON 1

HOW IT ALL BEGAN?

In this lesson, Anita Nair takes us through her journey as a writer.

Starting from her childhood, she talks about everything she had to
face and overcome before she could actually do what she wanted to do.

“I needed to push
boundaries”
The system doesn’t allow us much freedom to choose these untethered
paths. For the longest time, even schools which we see as the temples of
all things knowledge, have tagged subjects like creative writing as ‘extra
curricular’ activities. While things have changed for good today, we still
wait to see the creative revolution. Today a kid who writes poetry, stories,
essays, etc. is well appreciated but is encouraged to take up subjects that
are considered “Serious” according to the system.

A writer’s fight starts from the very day when they realise that their love
for writing is irrevocable. Just like Anita, each writer needs to fuel their
inner fire and stand their ground tall and firm. Before a writer is famous,
they have to face harsh realities of the world like taking care of finances. If
you are not an established writer yet, you need to make do with a job on
the side, like Anita did. A job doesn’t allow one the time to practice their
art. You need to make time, make your days longer somehow to let your
art evolve into something beautiful.

Anita Nair | 8
 LESSON 1
LESSON 1

HOW IT ALL BEGAN?

The problems don’t end after you get famous. Where financial issues
end, societal issues pop up, writers are questioned on their ways, on
their pieces, their tone and much more. This is where you have to play
smart and pick your battles wisely.

We also have a lot to learn from Anita’s childhood anecdotes about the
poem she wrote. Sometimes, as a writer you might face self-doubt
when your work is criticised by another. You need to take that criticism
constructively and work on it. Now this might sound preachy, but there
will be people who will try to just pull your work apart for the sake of it,
and to fight this, you need the ability to understand the difference
between constructive and destructive feedback. Choose the feedback
you want to take, that improves your work. Learn the difference. No
one will ever teach you this because there is no set method to it. Follow
your instinct and have faith in yourself as a writer.

Anita Nair | 9
LESSON 1

NOTES

Anita Nair | 10
 02

LESSON 2

KNOWING WHEN
THE PENNY DROPS

Anita Nair | 11
 LESSON 2
LESSON 2

KNOWING
WHEN THE
PENNY DROPS

“Everything has to
be shown to the
reader and not told.”
What was that one moment when you realised you were meant
to be a writer? Well, if you don’t have an answer to that, then this
lesson will especially help you find one; and if you do, then share
it with us in the writer’s community!

Anita tells us that it took her sometime to get into the groove as
a writer and for the penny to drop, she spent three months
exploring, observing and introspecting in Manhattan. As
humans, we are all born storytellers, but we need to find that
inner voice that builds those stories. This voice can only be found
through self introspection. There must be a lot of questions in
your mind right now, but let’s answer this one first, “How does
one indulge in the thought of becoming a writer?”

Well, it’s not like you’ll sit one day, meditate, and get all the
answers. While meditation helps, this is more of a 24/7 process.
You need to delve deeper into your conscience and find out who
you want to be. If the answer is a writer, then what kind of
writer? This process will involve daily observation of your
surrounding environment, exploring new environments and
noting how you feel about them.

Anita Nair | 12
 LESSON 2
LESSON 2

KNOWING
WHEN THE
PENNY DROPS

Sometimes noticing irrelevant things about yourself can guide

you down the right path. For example, can you turn any situation
into a funny situation in your head? Or maybe into a really dark
scenario? Do you think in English, Hindi, or both? What
environments are you most familiar with? What words do you
use in your daily life and while thinking?

These questions eventually develop into your writing style, your

characters, and your final piece. For instance, Anita Nair
mentions she found love in the English language; Ergo, she writes
in English. Her parents decided to relocate from their ancestral
village in Kerala, an environment she was most familiar with. This
change really affected her as a writer and turned into an
astounding piece of work.

Anita Nair | 13
 LESSON 2
LESSON 2

ASSIGNMENT
Get into the groove. Take out an hour one day and introspect.
Why do you want to write? What motivates you to follow your
passion? Can you religiously sit and write every day, or is it just a
whim? Answer honestly and be fair to yourself.

This activity should help you figure out what you really want out
of creative writing. Once you’ve decided, move on to the next
steps. Ask the deeper questions, the detailed ones that are
mentioned in the chapter. There is no list of questions here,
because each question has to be personal, tailored by you,
according to your personality.

Anita Nair | 14
LESSON 2

NOTES

Anita Nair | 15
 03

LESSON 3

DISCOVERING
YOUR GENRE

Anita Nair | 16
 LESSON 3
LESSON 3

DISCOVERING
YOUR GENRE

“The writer should

feel a strong bond
towards the genre
they want to write.”
Once you figure out the kind of writer you are or want to be, finding
your genre is the next step. It might seem easy now since you know
your type, but in reality we’ve just narrowed down the options so
far.

Finding the genre that fits you can be intimidating at first. You
need to familiarise yourself with different classifications like
poems, stories, fiction, etc. Then, to make this process smooth,
make a list! Actually two lists, one that states all the genres you like
and another that states the ones that you don’t.
Chances are that if you don’t like a particular genre, you won’t be
very efficient at writing it either. Figure out which ones are your
favourite and check out some of the top selling authors in that
genre. Observe the kind of words and phrases they use, the buildup
they create, the way they reveal the different elements of a story.
This will help you understand if you like that particular genre. Now
that you have figured out which genre you like, it’s time to do some
research. You can experiment with your own style, you can make up
your own genres, mix it up a little to find your unique style.
Combining genres successfully can also mean that you target
multiple sets of audiences and widen the reach for your book.

Anita Nair | 17
LESSON 3

NOTES

Anita Nair | 18
 04

LESSON 4

WRITING FOR
CHILDREN

Anita Nair | 19
 LESSON 4
LESSON 4

WRITING FOR
CHILDREN

“Children are very

demanding readers,
you have to capture
their attention in the
first fifteen words.”
Writing for children can be very rewarding, they start as your
readers during their childhood and become your loyal
companions forever. Every story they read leaves an impression
on them which means it is your responsibility as a writer to put
together pieces that really guide the children towards the right
path and shape their thinking.

A writer must keep a few things in mind when writing for

children...

They have a very short attention span which means that one
needs to capture their attention in the first few lines of the first
chapter. It doesn't end there you also have to keep that focus
throughout the book or the essay, how do you do that? Well, at
the end of each chapter you can leave a tiny cliffhanger and
continue the next chapter with another interesting angle. You
also have to use words that resonate with the kids. For example
above we used the word ‘tiny' to describe a cliffhanger.

Anita Nair | 20
 LESSON 4
LESSON 4

WRITING FOR
CHILDREN

It is not the right adjective for the word ‘cliffhanger’ but it seems
to fit and can be engaging for a kid. Remember that words have
shapes that can really affect your reader’s perception. And
especially when it comes to kids they really tend to visualise
each and every aspect of the story.

Now coming to the narrative and the tonality, kids really like
characters and a narrator who is like a partner to them, who they
can relate to, confide in, and be friends with. Like Anita mentions
in the video lesson, they don't like to be talked down to; kids
prefer a companion and not a parent when they are reading.
You can take some popular TV show examples like Dora the
Explorer, Blues Clues, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, etc. All these
shows portray the main character as the friend of the viewer i.e
the child. They even go to the extent of breaking the fourth wall
and talking to the children viewing the show.
Lastly, always remember when you are writing for children, write
from your heart.

Anita Nair | 21
 LESSON 4
LESSON 4

ASSIGNMENT
This one’s pretty simple, write a short story for children! Let your
imagination run wild like a kid playing in a maze for the first time.

Anita Nair | 22
LESSON 4

NOTES

Anita Nair | 23
 05

LESSON 5

WHERE DO IDEAS
COME FROM?

Anita Nair | 24
 LESSON 5
LESSON 5

WHERE DO IDEAS
COME FROM?

"Ideas are like air, they

are all around you”

Ideas can be triggered by literally anything around you or inside

your head. A random situation down the street can trigger an
idea, a picture in your phone can trigger an idea, a dialogue that
you heard in a film can trigger an idea, the possibilities are
endless.

Ideas are these random fragments of one's thought process

which come from different things we observe, explore or even
just look at or hear. Something as insignificant as a smell can
trigger memories which then translate into different ideas. All
our five senses contribute to this idea bank in our heads. In fact,
even our sixth sense plays an important role in generating new
ideas.

Anyone and everyone can come up with ideas.But the ability to

figure out which idea to pick and which idea to drop is what
separates a good writer from the crowd.
This instinct to pick the right ideas comes from experience. As
you grow as a writer you will understand which ideas work and
where they work. As a writer one needs to master this filtration
process.

Anita Nair | 25
 LESSON 5
LESSON 5

WHERE DO IDEAS
COME FROM?

Assuming that you've got that one-line idea and you’ve decided
that you want to go forward with it. The best next step is to let it
sit in your head and take root. Like Anita says, the idea needs to
grow its legs and develop into something that has potential to
turn into the piece that you intend to write.

Coming up with an idea is relatively easier than sustaining it. You

now need to decide if it can be developed into a short story or a
novel or is it something that will come out beautifully as a poem.
To make sure your idea sees the light, Anita suggests that you
plan in advance and write at least 400 words every day. This will
help you achieve your goals with discipline, in a set timeline and
without facing any writer’s block.

Anita Nair | 26
 LESSON 5
LESSON 5

ASSIGNMENT
Get a notebook, write down each and every idea that occurs to
you in that notebook. Next to each idea write the potential
category of the idea, is it worth a short story, poem, or a novel?

With time filter the ideas that you find yourself thinking about
most of the time.

Anita Nair | 27
LESSON 5

NOTES

Anita Nair | 28
 06

LESSON 6

THE PLOT

Anita Nair | 29
 LESSON 6
LESSON 6

THE PLOT

“Ask yourself, what is

this story about? ”
A plot is the backbone of your book. It sets the tone, decides the
genre, and establishes the base for the story. The plot is a short
writeup that defines what the book is about. People often
confuse a plot with a synopsis. So let’s define what it actually
entails: A plot is essentially one or two lines that answer the
‘What’ in story writing, while the theme answers the ‘Why’ and
the characters answer ‘Who’, the setting answers ‘Where’, the
timeline answers ‘When’ and the actions/dialogues answer
‘How’.
In order to define the one line plot, you first need an outline of
the story i.e. the synopsis . Put the pen to paper and start
planning and outlining your story. Where does it start, who does
it start with, what happens next, etc. When you have the basic
outline ready, write the action and consequence based crux of
the story in one line.
An example of a plot would be, “The prince is murdered and then
the King dies of the guilt of killing his son.” However, “The prince
is murdered and the king dies” isn’t technically a plot since it is
just a pair of two actions and no consequence or connection is
established between them.

Anita Nair | 30
LESSON 6

NOTES

Anita Nair | 31
 07

LESSON 7

THE STRUCTURE

Anita Nair | 32
 LESSON 7
LESSON 7

THE STRUCTURE

“The structure is a
map to navigate
your way through
the story ”
Structure helps you envision the story before you write it. It
is the outline of the book, story, play or whatever it is that
you want to write.

So what comes first, the structure or the plot?

There are no such rules in a creative process, sometimes your
idea might come with information that can help you develop
the story immediately; at other times it might just be a one-
liner that gets triggered by a situation. So it is completely on
you as a writer what you write first but you should make sure
that you write both eventually.

As a writer you need to understand that the structure

provides a map for the rest of the piece that you're going to
write. It is essential for you to plan out the book in order to
avoid any distractions or worse, a writer’s block. With the
right structure you can figure out the timeline, the setting,
the narrative, and the loopholes in the story. So what do you
need to write a proper structure?

Anita Nair | 33
 LESSON 7
LESSON 7

THE STRUCTURE

A proper structure requires the basic essence of the story — the

main idea, to take root. Once you have your main idea in place you
can go ahead and plan a structure. You can either plan it chapter
wise or just write a short synopsis.

“The secret to a
good structure is to
keep it flexible ”
Your structure must include a beginning, a middle and an end. The
story doesn’t actually have to start from the beginning of the
events but it has to have a beginning of sorts. For this you need to
understand the different types of structures that famous writers
have developed over time.

For example, you can start in the middle of a scene without any
explanations and then later explain the chain of events that led to
that particular scene. This is called ‘In Medias Res’, Latin for ‘in the
middle of something’. This structure doesn’t require you to start
from the start; you can start from an invigorating scene without
sharing any background for the story or the characters. In this
scenario you will have to develop and explain the characters and
the scene later.

Anita Nair | 34
 LESSON 7
LESSON 7

THE STRUCTURE

Let’s cover the basics of a good structure here:

The classic structure starts with a beginning

where the protagonist is living a normal life but

01 they have certain aspirations and desires to

fulfill. The story then goes on to talk about
those desires and goals.

Soon enough we see a challenge in the life of

the protagonist. This is a sudden change or a

02 call to action in the (s)hero’s life that changes

things completely and puts them on a path
they never thought they would take.

This need to get what they want leads to the

build up of the story and rising action where we

03 see the (s)hero struggling through different

challenges, facing issues, overcoming obstacles
just to reach the final goal.

Anita Nair | 35
 LESSON 7
LESSON 7

THE STRUCTURE

Some writers choose to show the protagonist

04 fail at this point in the story. Some skip this part

and move on to the resolution.

The resolution can be anything that concludes

the story. Maybe the protagonist got what they

05
wanted, maybe they didn’t, maybe they
realised that they never wanted it! It doesn’t
have to provide a closure; it can be left open for
interpretation.

This part also involves tying all the loose

threads from the story. It is not just a resolution
of the main narrative, it also has to answer
questions about the other characters and their
storylines.

Anita Nair | 36
 LESSON 7
LESSON 7

ASSIGNMENT
Read up on the following structures and exchange notes with
fellow learners on the community:

Three Act Structure

The Hero's Journey
Seven-Point Story Structure
Freytag's Pyramid
Fichtean Curve
Save the Cat Beat Sheet
Dan Harmon's Story Circle

Anita Nair | 37
LESSON 7

NOTES

Anita Nair | 38
 08

LESSON 8

DEVELOPING
CHARACTERS

Anita Nair | 39
 LESSON 8
LESSON 8

DEVELOPING
CHARACTERS

“Any piece of
imagination
becomes credible
& real when it's
grounded in
observed reality”
There sure are set techniques that you can use to develop the
characters in your story but first, let’s talk about the creative bit.
Each writer draws from what they’ve seen, heard or read before.
They observe and pick up big and small cues from their
surroundings to develop stories, characters and even timelines.
You cannot write about a character unless you can picture them
completely in your head. You have to imagine what they look like,
do they have a long nose or a short one? Do they like talking to
people or not? What would be their personality type? Are they
eccentric? Are they affected by any atypical features like OCD,
BPD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Asperger’s, etc.?

More often than not, the characters are defined by such

personas that you create.

Anita Nair | 40
 LESSON 8
LESSON 8

DEVELOPING
CHARACTERS
Let’s take the archetype of a serial killer as an example:

When writers choose to create serial killers, they establish that

they have the psychopathy disorder (that is one of the reasons
why all serial killers appear the same in books/movies/series.)
There are certain traits and quirks that come with that particular
disorder that are adapted into the character’s behaviour profile.

For instance, psychopathy is often marked by OCD, so the serial

killers are shown to be very particular about everything they do,
and hence hard to catch, because they do not leave any clues
behind. They lack empathy which makes them commit all the
cold blooded murders in stories.

Another thing that you’d notice is that in most of the stories the
serial killer gets caught at the end. That is not just a cliché, it also
has a thought behind it…

Psychopaths are known to be self absorbed narcissists, they

want to be appreciated and for the world to know what they do,
so they boast, they find a way to make their stories known, to
make their ways popular and then make a mistake.
So, you see how from just one disorder attached to the
character, one can define not just a character profile, but also a
basic storyline.

Another great example of developing a character using

psychology would be Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock suffers from
Asperger’s syndrome which makes him sensitive to the things
that n-typical Dr. Watson doesn’t bother noticing. But at the
same time, Dr. Watson being neurotypical can give direction and
make sense of Sherlock’s outrageous deductions, ideas and
whims. Dr. Watson is a foil character who balances out
Sherlock’s unique personality.

Anita Nair | 41
 LESSON 8
LESSON 8

ASSIGNMENT
Research and answer the following questions:

Who is a protagonist?
Who is an antagonist?
What is a foil character and why are they important? Tell us who
your favorite foil character is in the writer’s community!

Anita Nair | 42
LESSON 8

NOTES

Anita Nair | 43
 09

LESSON 9

GIVING YOUR
CHARACTERS
A VOICE

Anita Nair | 44
 LESSON 9
LESSON 9

GIVING YOUR
CHARACTERS
A VOICE

“The secret of writing

good dialogue is
knowing who your
character is”
Now that we know the basics of creating a character profile, we
need to understand how to give them a voice.
Before you start with dialogue writing, you have to make sure you
have your character profiles ready. Every dialogue is based on
the character’s personality and time and again, you will have to
go back to the character profile to actually remind yourself of
the true essence of your character.
When you write a dialogue, you need to keep your character’s
background, their behaviour and other traits that define them in
your mind. This is to make sure that the characters sound like
themselves.

Anita Nair | 45
 LESSON 9
LESSON 9

GIVING YOUR
CHARACTERS
A VOICE

Let’s take the example of the serial killer from the previous lesson…

We cannot make the killer sound super cheery or dumb unless

he is pretending to be someone else in order to trap another
character.

The character traits mentioned in the example tell us that the

killer is most probably witty and sounds self-centred.

The fact that he is a psychopath tells us that he can be

charming and convincing when he wants something.

We can count on this character’s dialogues to be calm in

stressful situations since psychopaths do not feel anxious.

Practicing the aforementioned method, you can make sure that

your characters sound distinct and like “themselves”. Finally to
check your dialogues, read them out loud. Most of us can tell if
there is something wrong with the speech when we hear it. This
tactic can help you figure out if your punchlines have the right
timing, or if the dialogues are too long or too short. Once you read
them out loud you’ll also be able to point out if the dialogue makes
the character sound out of character.

Anita Nair | 46
 LESSON 4
LESSON 9

ASSIGNMENT
Pick three of your favorite characters from three different novels
or stories. Now pretend that they are friends and they have to
plan a trip to Europe together.

What role in the planning does each character assume?

How does each character plan and show their excitement?

Write a dialogue focused scene with the situation and these

three characters in mind. Use a unique choice of words, tone and
body language for each character.

Anita Nair | 47
LESSON 9

NOTES

Anita Nair | 48
 10

LESSON 10

CREATING THE
ATMOSPHERE &
SETTING FOR YOUR
CHARACTERS

Anita Nair | 49
 LESSON 10
LESSON 10

CREATING THE
ATMOSPHERE &
SETTING FOR YOUR
CHARACTERS

“Sometimes
setting produces
characters”
The setting of the story established the physical environment and
the time the story is based in. Thinking of it as just ‘minor details’
is the biggest mistake one can make as a writer.
The setting of the story has to make perfect sense with the
narrative and the characters. If the piece you are writing is based
in the 70s, you cannot put cellphones into the setting unless it
helps the concept of your book.
Say you’ve picked the 70s as the time period, there were no
cellphones in the 70s, so if a character randomly starts using
them it will make no sense to the audience. But if the character
using the cellphone is a time traveller, it might just make some
sense, even though there is still a loophole here - how is s/he using
a cell phone without cell towers? Could you point out this
loophole before we mentioned it? Tell us in the writers community!

Anita Nair | 50
 LESSON 10
LESSON 10

CREATING THE
ATMOSPHERE &
SETTING FOR YOUR
CHARACTERS

There are three different areas you need to establish within each
setting. Let’s see what these three areas should entail. We’ll take
the popular book and TV series ‘Game Of Thrones’ as an
example to get a better understanding of what these different
settings look like:

01 Temporal Setting: This is the time period or the era that

your story takes place in. When it comes to Game of
Thrones, the books and the show are both based in a
fantasy version of the 16th & 17th century.

02 Environmental Setting: This answers the question

‘where?’ And tells us about the geographical area the
story is based in. In Game of Thrones, George RR Martin
uses a very large geographical area which plays an
extremely crucial role in the story. One would miss out
on a lot of great details if they read the books without
studying the map of the seven kingdoms first. This is
why the book has a map right at the beginning for the
reader to study and refer to later.

Anita Nair | 51
 LESSON 10
LESSON 10

CREATING THE
ATMOSPHERE &
SETTING FOR YOUR
CHARACTERS

Cont. The bigger environment setting is further broken

down into several other environments and each one
of them has a unique identity. Let’s call them ‘Sub
environments’.
The maps from Game of Thrones got so much
attention from the audience, that now people take
them as pieces of art. There is a lot of fan fiction
around these maps. Fans have also created Journey
Maps for each character.
Similarly some stories use a relatively small setting,
maybe a small town or sometimes just a house.

03 Individual Setting: Individual settings are specific

settings which are smaller and closer to the subject.
For example the subject's room. In GoT each sub
environmental setting has its own individual setting.
For instance, Winterfell has a castle within which we
have Bran Stark’s room, the throne room and the
crypts of Winterfell.

Anita Nair | 52
 LESSON 10
LESSON 10

ASSIGNMENT
A. Temporal challenge:
Imagine you’re writing a book on time travel and you want to give a
cellphone to your protagonist in the 70s, how will you convince the
audience that it’s not a research mistake? Come up with a creative
twisted explanation for the audience reading your book!

B. Environmental challenge:
Draw a rough map of your next setting. Don’t worry about the size, it
doesn't matter if it’s a kingdom or just the interior of a small house.
Share it with the writer’s community to get inputs from your fellow
classmates and to judge the sentiment around the setting.

Anita Nair | 53
LESSON 10

NOTES

Anita Nair | 54
 11

LESSON 11

THE PERFECT
CLIMAX

Anita Nair | 55
 LESSON 11
LESSON 11

THE PERFECT
CLIMAX

“Every story is born

from a conflict and
the conflict has to be
resolved one way or
another. ”
As a writer you have a lot of options to choose from when it comes
to ending a book. As you get closer to finishing the book you
probably will start thinking about the ending and have multiple
routes in mind. Each ending might make sense and sound really
convincing, but you need to make up your mind about which one
you are going to go with. Start with answering these questions, do
you want to leave the audience hanging? Or do you want to give
them a satisfying resolution to the story?

Anita Nair | 56
 LESSON 1
LESSON 11

THE PERFECT
CLIMAX

Let’s see what happens in each scenario and what are the pros and
cons:

Resolved ending/Closure:
When it comes to ending the story on a satisfying note, a writer
needs to tie-up all loose ends. Remember all the Chekov’s guns
(Chekov’s gun is a literary device. A Chekov gun states that if you
show or tell the reader something which is very significant, as a
writer, you’ll have to explain it at some point in the story.) you left
unfired and cold? Time to fire them. If you’ve made promises to the
reader by showing something relevant in the story and leaving it out
until the end, resolve it.

This is the time to tie all the loose threads from the story and to
bring the protagonist to their final destination depending on the
structure you pick for the book.

This type of ending is best for stories or books that do not have a
scope for a sequel. They also suit certain genres like romance novels
where readers need their happily ever after or on horror where
readers want to know that the protagonist is safe in order to sleep
peacefully.

Anita Nair | 57
 LESSON 1
LESSON 11

THE PERFECT
CLIMAX

Open ending/unresolved ending:

This is when the writer leaves the ending open to the reader’s
interpretation. The writer puts faith in the reader to get to their own
conclusion and figure out what might happen at the end. Such
endings if not written properly can leave some readers unhappy but
if they are indeed perfect, nothing like it!
This type of ending can use cliffhangers to leave the reader
wondering, and wanting more. They let your stories breathe and
leave space for a sequel.

Sometimes leaving a certain character’s journey unresolved, or

leaving hints about their unexplained background towards the end
can create a good base for a sequel or a prequel. Some good
examples of such stories would be:

Star wars: The characters in Star Wars were written with such depth
that eventually they got their own stories with each episode. Every
character had a mysterious past and future.
Doctor Who: A series of books that eventually became a show and
has now been going on for 58 years just because of the premise of
the show. The characters are written in such a way that the
production can change actors anytime without losing integrity of
the show. The change in actors in fact becomes a major milestone in
the history of the show. Each actor change makes for a powerful
plot twist. The writing of the story is so strong that it has four spin
offs based on distinct characters and story arcs.
Others: Similarly, we have Lord of the Rings which gave birth to ‘The
Hobbit’, Harry Potter with seven volumes, The Hitchhiker's Guide to
the Galaxy with five volumes.

Anita Nair | 58
 LESSON 1
LESSON 11

ASSIGNMENT
Read the short story The Lady, or the Tiger? By Frank R. Stockton and
share your interpretation of the ending in the writers community.

Anita Nair | 59
LESSON 11

NOTES

Anita Nair | 60
 12

LESSON 12

HOW TO TACKLE
‘WRITER’S BLOCK’

Anita Nair | 61
 LESSON 12
LESSON 12

HOW TO TACKLE
‘WRITER’S BLOCK’

No writer has control over writer’s block, but the experts seldom
face it. It is their practice and their techniques that help them
overcome writer’s block before it hits them. In the video lesson
Anita shares her unique ways to overcome writer’s block.

A well structured book or story as we discussed in our earlier

lessons, provides you with a road map for the journey ahead.
Which means that every time the writer hits a roadblock they
can simply go back to the structure and follow the map.

Apart from planning, a writer must delve deeper into research. If

you have a fictional story in mind, think about the details, look up
related topics on the internet and note down small details which
might help you visualise your writing along the way.

Here are some tips that you can follow in order to avoid writer's
block.

01 Get into the habit of writing everyday without a break

and make a schedule for yourself. This will keep the
momentum going and turn the creative phenomenon of
writing that ‘just happens’ to you, into a daily habit. This
way writing will become a part of your muscle memory
and your brain will automatically switch on when you sit
to write. It will also ensure that you stay consistent and
productive throughout the process.

Anita Nair | 62
 LESSON 12
LESSON 12

HOW TO TACKLE
‘WRITER’S BLOCK’

02 When you are writing, do not worry about the language. While
writing the first draft just write. Do not fuss over the language.
Write the scene in the simplest way that comes to you, do not
worry about things like vocabulary, sentence length,
punctuation, phrasing, etc. Once you are done with a rough
draft, sit for a personal edit. You will notice that you have
moved on from the block now and you can visualise the scene
clearly. This is the time when you should flesh out what you
wrote and then clean it up.

03 Another thing that most writers practice is breaking out of

their routine. To avoid the anxiety and stress related to
writer’s block, you must put the story out of sight for a while.
Then go about your life as usual, write more stories, go for a
walk, exercise, meditate, read. Pick the story up once again
when you feel like it. It could be after a week or a month,
depending upon your level of interest and motivation. Now try
to give it another shot with a fresh perspective.

04 Free writing is something that writers swear by. Sometimes

you get amazing ideas from the process but other times you
might just get a bunch of words put together that make no
sense. Either way, it allows you to widen your thinking process
and get back into the habit of writing. Even if you do not get
any good ideas from free writing it gets you back into the zone
which helps you write.

Anita Nair | 63
 LESSON 12
LESSON 12

HOW TO TACKLE
‘WRITER’S BLOCK’

05 Another way of tackling writer’s block is to think that you

are never going to release this novel and no one will ever
read it. While we know that you will eventually release the
novel or the story that you have written, just assume that
no one is going to ever read it. This helps with the anxiety
attached to the work and clears your mind of all the 'what
if's. It helps get rid of inhibitions and makes some space in
your head to finish what you started.

For some people, writing through the block works well too. They keep
writing despite the fact that nothing worthwhile is coming to them and
their brain suddenly charges up and comes up with new and fresh ideas.
If this isn’t you, then another thing which helps is figuring out the end of
your story first and working backwards.

Anita Nair | 64
LESSON 12

NOTES

Anita Nair | 65
 13

LESSON 13

HOW TO DEAL WITH

CONTROVERSIES
& CENSORSHIP

Anita Nair | 66
 LESSON 13
LESSON 13

HOW TO DEAL WITH

CONTROVERSIES &
CENSORSHIP

Let us consider the fifth point from the last lesson. Most writers
worry about who will read the book and how they will be
perceived as individuals. This eventually leads to self censorship
and results in stories without impact.
In order to stay true to yourself as a writer, you must write what
comes to mind. However, every writer has an in-built sensor
which differentiates the good from the bad. This sensor evolves
with experience which only comes from writing regularly. As a
writer one must have a strong sense of what to keep and what to
filter out.
When it comes to filtering the content, you must understand
that writing is a very powerful tool and can have a major impact
on society. The written word can cause a revolution, it can turn
around someone’s life, or can sometimes hurt the people or the
society around you. So, as a writer it is your responsibility to talk
about the right thing and censor your writing when required.
Apart from society, the pieces that you write can affect you
personally too. A writer can easily get into trouble with the law.
This doesn’t mean that you should hold back on writing.
Simply put, as a writer you have to strike the right balance. You
have to be honest to yourself and to the reader while keeping in
mind the fact that you are not hurting anyone in the process and
doing the right thing.

Anita Nair | 67
 LESSON 13
LESSON 13

HOW TO DEAL WITH

CONTROVERSIES &
CENSORSHIP

Sometimes writers write to simply serve the reader, like Anita

mentions in the corresponding video lesson, writing sex scenes
for the sake of titillating the faceless reader means you are being
dishonest to yourself and to the reader.
But again, it does not mean that you should not write sex scenes,
you just have to keep in mind that they should be relevant to the
story and help it move forward. It’s very easy for a reader to tell if
such scenes have been forced into the story to get their
attention.

Anita Nair | 68
LESSON 13

NOTES

Anita Nair | 69
 14

LESSON 14

PICKING
THE PERFECT
BOOK TITLE

Anita Nair | 70
 LESSON 14
LESSON 14

PICKING
THE PERFECT
BOOK TITLE

Sometimes the title will just come to you and sometimes you
would want to go forward with the working title that you have
been using. But most of the time deciding the title for your piece
can be a very challenging task.
Getting the right title in place can mean everything for the book
and the sales. A lot of times even if the reader hasn't heard of the
book or the author but the title entices them they tend to buy it.
One way is to talk to a few close friends who have read the book
and find out what they prefer but everyone you consult will have
a different opinion on which title you should pick according to
their bias for the book. Take their inputs and try to understand
which explanation really resonates with your thinking process.
The first thing that you need to make sure is that your title suits
your genre. For this you should look at other books in the same
genre and analyse the kind of words and the tone they are using.
You don’t have to look at all the books just studying the best-
sellers would do. They will help you understand what your
audience likes.
Now while you need your book to belong in that genre, you also
want it to stand out amongst the other titles. Your title is the
first marketing tool that you'll use in the process, so make sure
it's eye-catching and unique. Let’s find out how to make the
book title unique.

Anita Nair | 71
 LESSON 14
LESSON 14

PICKING
THE PERFECT
BOOK TITLE

To make the title stand out, try to keep the title very specific in
terms of language. For instance if your story is about a fantasy
land with dragons and magic, do not use titles like 'Dragons' or
'The Magic Land'. Chances are that these titles are already taken
and are so generic that your book will not even appear in the
search results. Some good titles for fantasy books based on
dragons would be 'Tooth and Claw', 'Dragon Flight', ' The White
Dragon', etc.
You can choose to go poetic and use something like 'To Kill a
Mockingbird', 'Kafka On The Shore', 'Fountain Head', etc. Such
titles generate intrigue and push the reader to find out what it is
about.
Sometimes the title can be generated using the plot. Write down
the plot line on a paper and try to make it shorter. Remove all the
sticky words from the line, replace phrases with single words
that define them, find poetic synonyms for the common words
that you have used. This process of finding the correct title will
only work for a few pieces but you'll only learn if it works, after
you try it.

Anita Nair | 72
 LESSON 14
LESSON 14

PICKING
THE PERFECT
BOOK TITLE

Another way to go about it would be to list down relevant words

and phrases. You can also include the names of your characters
and things that represent them to help you find a poetic title.
Once you have listed down everything, try different
permutations and combinations or find some synonyms for
those words which might seem more appealing to the reader, try
to find symbology in your writing, see if a character symbolises
something you can use in the title.

There are also a few title generators on the web which can help
kickstart your thinking process. It is highly recommended that
you only use them as thought starters. Generally the titles
generated from those web tools are not exact fits for the book.

Anita Nair | 73
LESSON 14

NOTES

Anita Nair | 74
 15

LESSON 15

HOW TO PRESENT
A MANUSCRIPT

Anita Nair | 75
 LESSON 15
LESSON 15

HOW TO PRESENT
A MANUSCRIPT

Presenting a manuscript to the literary agent or the publisher is

what will get you noticed. It is important that you follow certain
guidelines in order to make sure that the literary agent likes your
book and understands the essence of the book so that they can
pitch it to the right publisher.
Self edit the manuscript before you send it to the agent or the
publisher. The best approach is to take some time away from the
manuscript and come back to it after a few days with a fresh
perspective. Then go through it like a reader to understand the
reader's perspective.
As you read, keep an eye out for spelling mistakes and
grammatical errors. See if the story you are reading makes sense.
Dissect it like a reader would, try to find plot-holes, mistakes,
loose threads, etc.
Check your feelings about each chapter. Is it boring? Is the story
getting dragged? Does it need to be a bit more concise? Or is it
too blunt? Is it lacking explanation, and leaving you, the reader,
confused?

Make a note of each and everything you notice. Do not correct it

now. At this stage you're only supposed to go through it,
experience it as a reader and poke holes.
Check for continuity errors, unnecessary plot points, irrelevant
events, etc.

Anita Nair | 76
 LESSON 15
LESSON 15

HOW TO PRESENT
A MANUSCRIPT

Once you have these changes listed and corrected go through the
book again. Yes, we understand that it sounds like a tedious
process, but it is your work that you’ve put your heart and soul
into, so sharing it with the publisher without making sure it is
perfect would mean not valuing your own effort.
When you go through the book again, look for really long
sentences, grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, punctuation, etc.
Once you’re done with this, it’s time to format it using a good
readable font, font size, and indentation.
This can be one of the most satisfying stages for you as a writer.
Maybe more than even seeing your book published!

Anita Nair | 77
LESSON 15

NOTES

Anita Nair | 78
 16

LESSON 16

PUBLISHING &
EDITING

Anita Nair | 79
 LESSON 16
LESSON 16

PUBLISHING &
EDITING

“Find publishers who

publish the genre you
are writing in”
Before you start, figure out if you want to self publish the book or if
you want to go ahead with a traditional publisher.
There are pros and cons to both. So let’s discuss them one by one.

Self publishing
When it comes to self publishing you have complete creative
control on your art. This is one of the major reasons some writers
choose to self publish their book. You can manage the timelines
according to your preference and self publishing also mean high
royalties and bigger paychecks.

If you can invest your time and money, and if you have thorough
knowledge of the market and good contacts with distributors, self
publishing is highly recommended.

If you lack the above mentioned resources, then self publishing

can prove to be a bumpy ride for you. Self publishing a book means
that you are responsible for the entire process and you have to
bear all the publishing, and printing costs. You will also have to
handle the distribution and marketing of the book. Sometimes,
you might be restricted from some mainstream awards.

Anita Nair | 80
 LESSON 16
LESSON 16

PUBLISHING &
EDITING

Working with a Publisher

Here you have two options:
1. You can go with a boutique press. Working with a boutique
press means you get more access to the publishing team and if
you manage to maintain a good rapport with them you’ll have
more creative control over the book. Small publishers do not
keep too many projects in the pipeline which means your book
can be out relatively quicker. The publisher bears the costs for
publishing and distribution.

2. You can work with a large publisher. With an established

publishing house comes an established team which knows what
they are doing because they have done it more than a few times.
They have great distribution channels and help you find the right
places to showcase your book. There is more credibility &
prestige associated with large publishing houses and it opens a
lot of new doors for the author. And again, the publisher bears
the cost of publishing and distribution.

However, there are cons to traditional publishing too. In both

cases you have less creative control, less royalties, a lot of layers
of approval and back and forth which eventually delays the
release of your book. In the case of small publishing houses, it
also means that you’ll not get as much popularity as you would
with a big publishing house.

Anita Nair | 81
 LESSON 16
LESSON 16

PUBLISHING &
EDITING

You have to weigh your options according to the market you want
to enter and decide which path you want to take.
The next stage is to thoroughly self edit your book as explained in
the previous chapter and to share it with an editor for advice.
Finding the right editor for your book is crucial. It has to be
someone in line with your perspective and on the same page as
you. You might go through some creative disagreements when
working with an editor, but remember that you have been too
close to your work for a long time and the editor is here to provide
a new perspective on the book. Teach yourself to deal with the
criticism, and get past the creative differences through healthy
discussions. If you strongly believe in some ideas put it across in a
polite but firm manner, because after all it is your book.

Anita Nair | 82
LESSON 16

NOTES

Anita Nair | 83
 17

LESSON 17

LESSONS FROM
THE WORLD OF
ADVERTISING

Anita Nair | 84
 LESSON 17
LESSON 17

LESSONS FROM
THE WORLD OF
ADVERTISING

“Without discipline
no book ever gets
written”
In this lesson, Anita Nair talks about her experience from the world of
advertising that helped her gain momentum as a writer. Let’s take a closer
look at what she had to say:

01 Advertising teaches discipline: In order to become a serious

writer, you need to be disciplined. You have to stick to your
personal and professional deadlines no matter what’s thrown
your way. Discipline is something that differentiates an actual
writer from a wannabe writer.

02 Don’t talk about it yet!: A lot of people like talking about

their short term goals and achievements. As a writer one gets
gratification once they release the book. That sense of
gratification is something that keeps them going. But when a
writer starts sharing their progress and starts talking about
their book more than often, they start getting that
gratification or rather the dopamine from these small wins.
This eventually demotivates them and they hit the writer’s
block sooner than expected.

Anita Nair | 85
 LESSON 17
LESSON 17

LESSONS FROM
THE WORLD OF
ADVERTISING

03 No room for excuses: When it comes to a job, the deadlines are

set. Especially in advertising; if an advertisement has to go out
on a certain date, everyone has to meet the deadline, there is no
escape. As a writer in advertising, you cannot tell your clients or
bosses that you’re facing writer’s block, or that you are not in the
right mood to write. You just simply have to. If a writer practices
the same when it comes to their personal process, it can do
wonders for their growth. You’ll get much more work done than
you ever expected out of yourself.

04 Don’t make noise before you have something to show: Do not

oversell your idea, or even talk about it before you present it.
When you talk about your idea people tend to visualise it using
their imagination. Which means that now you have to match
what they imagined and there is less room left for acceptance.
Now no matter how great your idea might be, because you have
set some unrealistic expectations, it will sound dull to the person
you’re presenting to.

05 Learn to cope with rejection: All advertising professionals

understand how to deal with rejection. With so many people
involved in the decision making process, there are major chances
that your idea will get rejected. As a writer you need to detach
yourself from your work. A lot of artists tend to attach their self
esteem with the work they do, which means when it gets
rejected, it’s not just a book, a story or a poem that’s getting
rejected, it becomes personal for them. But if you get a peek into
the mind of an advertiser, you will find out they perfectly
understand that the rejection has nothing to do with them or
their abilities to come up with ideas. Which is why they tend to
take it much better than anyone else.

Anita Nair | 86
LESSON 17

NOTES

Anita Nair | 87
 18

LESSON 18

CREATING A STAGE

Anita Nair | 88
 LESSON 13
LESSON 18

CREATING A STAGE

“Unfortunately this
is when a writer
becomes an author”
After being invested in the book for such a long time, when a
writer finally gets to hold the published book in their hands, it is
a beautiful feeling. But immediately after the launch period,
silence falls.
For a writer, the process is over. Something they were so close to
and which occupied every second of their day is now gone and
they have to deal with the separation and pick themselves up as
authors at the same time.
An author has to deal with heavier responsibilities. The author is
responsible for promoting the book and to keep the
conversation going. They have to stay in touch with their
audience in order to create preference for themselves as a brand.
To become a best-seller you have to create recall for your name
and for the book that you have worked so hard on. There are
several ways you can stay in touch with your readers and acquire
more readers along the way such as, attending literary events,
getting in touch with your audience through social media LIVEs,
blogs, interviews with the pros, book signings, book reading, etc.
You can also send out some of your books to media and
journalists out there for PR purposes. Each review you get,
doesn’t matter if it is good or bad, adds to your popularity.
You can also create merchandise related to your book, given that
it makes it to the best-sellers list.

Anita Nair | 89
LESSON 18

NOTES

Anita Nair | 90
 19

LESSON 19

CONCLUSION

Anita Nair | 91
LESSON 19

CONCLUSIO
CONCLUSION

As we reach towards the end of this course, there are a lot of

things that you have learnt so far, but there are still a lot of things
you are yet to learn. In the video lesson, Anita Nair shares some
precious tips for aspiring writers. Let’s go through them and
discuss the steps ahead.

- A writer’s brain is always working, and to make sure you never

lose out on anything special, keep a notebook. Write down
anything and everything that you come up with. Any random
ideas, observations, details about your characters, jokes,
dialogues, one liners, etc.
- At the manuscript editing stage, go through this notebook and
see if there is anything that will add to your current draft.
- Be honest in your writing.
- Sure, good marketing can make the reader pick up and buy the
book but if the reader senses the slightest bit of dishonesty in
your writing, they will never finish, let alone buy another book
written by you. In order to attract loyal readers, you have to be
honest and loyal to them as a writer.
- The writer cannot be bigger than the book they are writing. A
good writer can convey what they believe without making it all
about themselves. Your piece of work should leave the reader
with a message, something to think about.

“Leave your reader

with a message in
their heart”
Anita Nair | 92
ANITA NAIR

NOTES

Anita Nair | 93
ANITA NAIR

NOTES

Anita Nair | 94
ANITA NAIR

NOTES

Anita Nair | 95
ANITA NAIR

NOTES

Anita Nair | 96
ANITA NAIR

NOTES

Anita Nair | 97
ANITA NAIR

NOTES

Anita Nair | 98
ANITA NAIR

NOTES

Anita Nair | 99
 Anita
WORKBOOK

Nair
TEACHES CREATIVE WRITING

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, stored in a database and / or
published in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Anita Nair | 100