I am currently reading Eating Wasps by Anita Nair. Here’s a quote that caught my eye, specially as a writer.
“Ghosts and writers are more alike than you think. We can be what you want us to be. We can hear your thoughts even if you don’t tell us. We can read the silences and shape your stories as if they happened to us. And I was both: a ghost and a writer.
Eating Wasps by Anita Nair
I firmly believe that observation is the most important tool of a writer. Do you agree? Do you see the stories behind people, even strangers? You might not know the stories but do you shape them in your imagination?
When you’re travelling in a bus or a train do you watch the man standing with an impassive face and understand the turmoil of his mind? Do you look at the vivacious group of giggling teenagers and smile at their naive thoughts? Do you watch a couple sitting together and know the relationship they share?
Do you weave stories about the people you see around you?
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If you stumble upon a quote, a line (or two) or even a passage from a book that leaps out at you demanding to be shared join in with #BookBytes.
Here’s what you have to do:
- Share it on your blog and link back to this latest post.
- Put in the logo (above) so it’s easy to spot.
- Leave the link to your blogpost in the comments so I can drop by too.
- Book Bytes goes live every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. Do join in.
Beat About The Book 
I do it all the time! And, I enjoy it…it feels as if I am such a brilliant mind reader! 🙂
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It’s a great way to occupy oneself on long journeys. Ha ha.. you may not be a mind-reader but you can certainly be something close to it.
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Adding to your points, I find myself thinking of the backstories of the people sitting in a hotel lobby or restaurants. I wonder what kind of work do they do in their lives. I observe people more than the food I eat.
Okay, I would like to know if the protagonist of Eating Wasps is the ghost of a writer. This will certainly be interesting.
I am joining you with my #BookBytes post this week. This one is special since I asked D to pick up his favourite lines from the book.
Link is https://thebespectacledmother.com/2019/07/16/rights-of-boys-girls-bookbytes-7/
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First, I must to thank you for sharing those fantastic quotes. Dhruv is the best.
The protagonist of the quote in my post is a writer turned into a ghost. It really is an interesting book – just the kind I associate with Anita Nair.
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I do this all the time. Every time I travel by the metro, I observe people standing, sitting, giggling, frowning and imagine what they must be going through. Character traits in writing come from our view of people and our imagined experiences. It’s a fascinating concept!
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Most writers would do this. In fact one doesn’t even need to be a writer – just someone with a knack for imagination.
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Also with the knack for not looking at their phones when traveling by public transport 😛 I find it downright amusing. 😉
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Don’t get me started on that. I was once watching an interview of Steven Spielberg and he said that because people stare so much at their phones they’ve lost the ability to imagine things. He also is a self-confessed people-watcher.
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How so very sad, right? I tell you, as much as I love technology for bringing us bloggers together I can’t help but think about what we’ve sacrificed at the altar of convenience. Sigh.
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I love to watch people. Sometimes I go into an imagination that I forget the fact that I am still staring at them. 🙂 I love the idea of ghosts and writers.
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Ha ha.. that can land you in some trouble.
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This is a great initiative Tulika . Will define join in – will spur me on to read if nothing else. I’ve been quiet for a while now and have to get back on track
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It would be wonderful to have you join us. I find BookBytes fun and easy.
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Hell yeah! That’s how I get most of my stories or the topics I write about! People always are the best subjects.
How come I had never come across #BookBytes before? I have so many lines, passages, quotes to share!
I’ll make it to August 6th I hope.
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Do join in Soumya. There are so many thought-provoking quotes we read all the time. It’ll be good to hear from you too. I’ll give you a headsup if you wish.
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I love people watching and trying to figure out what their stories might be. Having said that, I’m probably not as observant about their quirks etc…I tend to daydream about possibilities instead. That’s a great quote by the way. I think I bought that book when I was in India last year. Must read it soon
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That’s such a great way to pass time, isn’t it. The stories of our imagination are often way more colourful than the real ones.
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