My Fond Farewell to RTG

by Shobhan Bantwal

Last summer, Judith Ashley and Sarah Raplee, the two lovely and brilliant ladies who facilitate this popular blog, invited me to become a regular contributor. Since they showcase a multitude of genres, they thought my ethnic Indian fiction would be a good fit for this particular forum.

I was delighted to accept their invitation to become a genre-ista for one year. Well, my year is up this month, and it is time for me to bid RTG a fond goodbye.

It has been an honor to share the blog with so many multi-talented and dedicated writers and readers. I have had a wonderful time sharing my thoughts, ideas, advice, and most of all my books with every one of you these past few months. My sincere thanks to Judith and Sarah for offering me this rare opportunity.

Oddly, I have not been writing any new books as of late. I had never imagined that I would reach a point in my life when I actually wanted to quit writing. Nonetheless I made that eccentric decision, despite having a top-rated NYC agent and six successful books published through Kensington Publishing. I consciously opted to leave the publishing race while I was still on top of the game.

Here is the question I am asked frequently: Why was I giving it up when my books had done well in the marketplace and my editor wanted me to keep on writing, and offered me more contracts for the foreseeable future?

The answer is simple: My priorities changed. My writing career has been unusual to begin with. I more or less stumbled into creative writing at the ripe age of fifty. It began as merely a hobby, so I had never really planned on becoming a published author. It was sheer serendipity that led me to more success than I had ever dreamt of.

But after juggling two demanding careers for several years, I recently retired from both, so my travel-weary husband and I could finally spend some quality time together. We also wanted to enjoy our two young grandchildren before they got too busy with school and extracurricular activities.

Now I continue to guest blog and write an occasional article or short story, but for all practical purposes I am a happily-retired fiction writer. And enjoying every minute! Yes, there is indeed life after writing—if that is what one chooses for oneself.

Thanks again to all of you who took the time to read my monthly column during this past year.

You can reach me via my website: www.shobhanbantwal.com or my Facebook page.

Romance in Arranged Marriage - Oxymoron or Possibility?

By Shobhan Bantwal

Despite my 40-year-old arranged marriage and my conservative childhood in small-town India, I’m a hopeless romantic. Surprised? Why else would I write my India-centric stories bubbling with drama, emotion, colorful ethnic characters, rich cultural elements, and most importantly romance?

Contrary to popular belief, most modern Indian arranged marriages are rooted in mutual liking and respect. Most couples have the choice of rejection if they take an instant dislike to each other or have serious doubts about a future together.

While many think a "romantic arranged marriage" is a contradiction, I believe it is possible to have romance in a relationship built on a practical foundation. In fact, when parents of potential brides and grooms research suitable matches for their children, they invariably choose someone with similar family values, and compatible economic, educational, and social backgrounds.

But then again, falling in love and finding one's own soul-mate can be such fun!

Some folks seem to view arranged marriage as a quaint and antiquated custom of two strangers entering blindly into a loveless union forced by their elders. Nonetheless, from personal experience and the examples amongst my family and friends, I can safely say arranged love is the kind that may be slow to ignite, mature, and stabilize, but it is an abiding love that often lasts a lifetime. I call it “arranged love.”

In my humble opinion, romance is not always about roses, champagne, and diamonds, although it does have a special appeal. Sometimes being there for each other in sickness and health, through the ups and downs of life, raising children, and sharing a few laughs is more precious than wine and moonlight.

Besides, isn’t every marriage or long-term relationship a gamble to some degree, no matter which way the partners meet? I have to confess though, that my fiction is vastly different from my personal life. In my stories, the hero and heroine fall in love, experience some wild adventures, and often go against cultural dictates.

My latest book, The Reluctant Matchmaker, is the story of a petite Indian-American woman, Meena, who falls in love with her super-tall boss. Things get complicated when he requests her assistance in finding a suitably tall bride for himself. So is Meena going to help him or find some way to make him fall in love with her?

I would love to hear your thoughts on love and life-long relationships.

You can reach me at my website: www.shobhanbantwal.com or my Facebook page.

Writing in First Person or Third - A Tough Choice?

by Shobhan Bantwal

As authors we sometimes find ourselves torn between writing in first person and third person. I know I have, on a number of occasions. Consequently I have two novels written in first person and four in third person. My latest book, The Reluctant Matchmaker is in first person and has earned good reviews.

Both kinds have their pros and cons, which is why some of us find the decision so hard to make. Here are some of my own thoughts about the negatives and positives of each approach.

First-person stories:

  * I enjoy the more personal and intimate examination and mining of the protagonist's psyche.

   * Every scene is portrayed through the eyes, ears, and emotions of the heroine/hero.

   * Depending on how skillfully an author develops the main character, this "from-the-heart" story-telling could hook the reader from page one.

   * If the character is uncomplicated, the amount of research needed may be minimal since it encompasses only one person's depth of knowledge.

   * Self-examination and self-recrimination can be deeper and even brutally honest. 

   * However, the "I-I, Me-Me, My-My"-filled pages can make the protagonist seem self-centered. Some reviews of my own books have alluded to this unfortunate element.

   * The author loses the opportunity to introduce all the other significant characters' thoughts which can potentially make or break a novel.

Third-person stories:

   * The author has the luxury of delving into more than one character's mind and introducing many points of view.

   * Each character develops multiple facets, adding rich and fascinating layers to the emerging story.

   * The dynamics of complicated relationships and communications can be rendered more effectively, with every character given a reason for their respective words and actions.

   * On the other hand, there is the inherent risk of the author's omniscient voice "telling" too much and not "showing" enough.

   * Also, too many POVs can clutter up the story and/or complicate the plot.

Have you struggled with this first-person versus third-person issue? Tell us about it.

Website: www.shobhanbantwal.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ShobhanBantwal.author

My Super Hero - Average Looks, Big Heart...

by Shobhan Bantwal

author of The Reluctant Matchmaker and other books

Handsome looks, assertive personalities, and bold exploits are typically the stuff romance novel heroes are made of. Even the bad boys are somehow lovable because of their naughty-yet-innately good qualities. So, are men with average looks and subdued dispositions likely to be labeled 'heroes' in romance novels? Most likely not.

However, perhaps because I was born and raised in India, a traditional culture that places more emphasis on practical matters such as family values, job security, and fidelity over appearance and personality, it is no surprise that my favorite fictional hero is Atticus Finch of Harper Lee's old classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.

An "Average Joe" when it comes to physical looks, Atticus is in every other aspect a true hero in my humble opinion. In my own books, my lead male characters are rather nondescript, and yet it is their generosity and caring nature that makes them heroes.

A young widower struggling to raise two young children in a conservative small town in the deep South of the 1930s, Atticus embodies everything that is decent, unbiased, kind, and supremely courageous. As a young Caucasian lawyer defending a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, he is keenly aware of the repercussions of his actions in a race-torn southern town, he nonetheless sticks to his principles. He is a shining role model, an ideal husband and father.

And yet, to the young women of his time, his marital and family status combined with his liberal ideas on racial equality and justice might be the very traits that are unromantic and not quite so sexy.

Nevertheless, Atticus is my ideal hero.

Tell us about your favorite fictional heroes and why you love them so much by posting your comments.

http://www.shobhanbantwal.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ShobhanBantwal.author