https://tinabasu.com
being real, not perfect
  • About
  • Parenting
    • Mommy & Parenting
    • For New Moms
  • Lifestyle
    • Life & Style
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
  • Beauty
  • Let’s Collaborate
  • Parenting

  • Lifestyle

  • Beauty

Fiction & Writing#FridayFotoFiction100 Word Fiction

5 Tips for Writing Flash Fiction – #FridayFotoFiction Week 4

by tinabasu November 25, 2016
written by tinabasu

friday-foto-fiction-5-tips-for-writing-flash-fiction

Are you enjoying our #FridayFotoFiction challenge? Isn’t it fun and challenging to let your imagination run loose when you see a photo? What I like to see how diverse the human mind is. A broken house can make you think about poverty, earthquake, something super natural or even something lucky. And all that in 100 words! It’s not easy to tell a story in those 100 words.  But flash fiction is good, it is challenging.  So I thought why not share some tips about flash fictions. I have written a ton of flash fiction in this blog. Check the Fiction & Writing section on the menu for 100 Word Fictions, 5 Sentence Fictions, 55 Fictions and many more.

5 Tips to Write Flash Fiction

1.Limit Characters to Maximum of Two :

When you are writing a flash fiction you don’t have scope for too many dialogues or too many scenes. It’s hard to keep track of too many things happening in a few lines. Lesser the better!

2. Pick up small ideas/ incidents:

Since you are writing within a word limit of 100 words pick up one idea or one incident. It can be an emotion, it can be something fun, something sad. E.g For my last post I wrote about abuse and coming out of it. I didn’t get into the details of what kind of abuse, or described abuse, or how that happened and all that. Short and simple.

3. Start with an action:

Get the attention of your readers in the first sentence with an action. You don’t have to describe a lot. “Tell” what’s required, don’t “show” anything.

4. Reduce Adjectives and Adverbs :

Too many adjectives, too many adverbs add to the clutter of words. Better use the words to tell the story than describing the starry, bright, crystal clear, romantic night!

5. Save the Twist for the end:

I like to add twists in the stories. It can take your story to a different level completely. Check this for example.

Week 4 #FridayFotoFiction Prompt

With all these writing tips in mind let’s start a new week of #FridayFotoFiction and here’s the prompt.

friday-foto-fiction-photo-prompt-fiction-challenge-100-word-challenge

Image Credit – Timur Saglambilek

The Dotted Lines – #FridayFotoFiction Week 4

One more country, one more meeting, one more signature and yet another merger.

Dad will be happy.

Seated at an upscale Manhattan restaurant, Varun Arora the new CEO of Arora Industries had a successful business expansion. His industrialist dad felt proud of himself, for molding the son into a successful business tycoon, finally.

There’s a smile on everyone’s face here, dining and chatting, yet I feel alone. Like no one’s around. This isn’t the life I wanted. I did want to hold the Cross pen, but to write, not to sign on the dotted lines. Only if dad understood that!

Word Count – 100

#FridayFotoFiction Week 3 Winner

Last week we had received 12 beautiful entries. I was slacking a little in the reading part because of the flu and caught up with reading only today but Mayuri made sure she read everyone’s post. We both decided unanimously on one winner and that is Rohan *drumrolls*. And here is his winning post.

cycc3thuaaalget

nvysg1nr

Congratulations Rohan. We’ll DM you about the prize.

How to participate in #FridayFotoFiction

  1. Every Friday we’ll give you a photo prompt
  2. Follow @twinklingtina & @Mayuri6 on twitter and wait for the prompt
  3. Write a 100 Word story on the photo prompt
  4. Use the badge at the end of your posts
  5. Link up with Tina or Mayuri
  6. Read, comment, share on host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party Pro Tip – Networking and commenting is good for your blog’s health and ranks.
  7. Use #FridayFotoFiction in your post and share in social media using the same hashtag.
  8. Every week we will have one featured blogger who is the best reflection of this community spirit

Grab the Badge

 

Tina Basu
So people wait no more. Write a 100 word fiction on the photo prompt and link up here. Happy Writing!

November 25, 2016 4 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Thankful Thursdays

Thanksgiving Special #ThankfulThursdays

by tinabasu November 24, 2016
written by tinabasu

Hello Thursday and happy Thanksgiving Day. Are you celebrating Thanksgiving today? Are you planning to have a hearty meal today? Did you thank anyone today – for their kindness, for their friendship or just for being there? If you have not already then let’s do that now!

This brings us to Week 4 of #ThankfulThursdays – a month of practicing gratitude, remembering to say thank you to anything or anyone that has left a mark in your life.

Here’s the Prompt for this Week

picture_20161123_192519337

I always say repeatedly that Experiences teach much more than anything else. I am actually quite happy that I have seen the good and bad of life (in whichever way it came through). Meeting weird people is also good. I have a habit of observing people closely. Over the years I have imbibed the good from people. I have also taught myself to learn from the bad. In a way I am thankful for all the good and the bad.

thanksgiving-picture-quotes-4-568x568

Source – Quotesgram

The recent demonetization in the country has put everyone in a tizzy. People are going crazy thinking about how to manage their transactions without cash. There’s cash crunch in the ATMs. But we should also realize that all the bank employees in every bank – private or public sector – are going out of their way to help in the moment of crisis. We all realize demonetization is a revolutionary step and will help the country eventually.

I am thankful to the banks that are setting up counters at housing complexes to ease the currency exchange. We exchanged all our old cash without even visiting a bank or standing in a queue.

I asked my house helps if I could pay them by cheque since I have not visited an ATM yet and got any cash. I am going cashless ever since the demonetization. And the best part was they readily agreed. Similarly my milk man asked me to transfer money in his daughter’s account and came back with his bank details. Everyone has been gracious enough to extend their helping hand and I am thankful to everyone.

I have made some wonderful friends over last few months who are positive and always ready help you out. I am thankful to across everyone who has left an impact on me.

2016-11-17-21-30-03Last week we had a fun prompt for #ThankfulThursdays about one life event. We read wonderful anecdotes and stories from your life.

The beautiful Geethica Mehra made sure her poem on life had us enchanted. Thus the winner for #ThankfulThursdays Week 3 is Geethica from Spectrum of Life.

Geethica is a poet at heart and skilled in creative writing. Look at her pinned tweet currently – it’s a beautiful poem woman.

Here is her winning post. Congratulations Geethica, we’ll DM you about the prize.

picture_20161123_194645932

Another person who gave us a reason for double delight is Zainab from Slim Expectations. Love to the bundles of joy!

Thank you everyone for participating in #ThankfulThursdays. We love this community love and that everyone is spreading so much love and gratitude.

How to Participate in #ThankfulThursdays?

  1. Follow @twinklingtina and @misra_amrita on Twitter
  2. Prompts will be announced every Wed 20:00 hrs IST
  3. Write the post and Link Up with Tina or Amrita
  4. Read, comment, share on host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party Pro Tip – Networking and commenting is good for your blog’s health and ranks.
  5. Use #ThankfulThursdays in your post and share in social media using the same hashtag.
  6. Every week we will have one featured blogger who is the best reflection of this community spirit

Grab the Badge

Tina Basu

So wait no more. Be Thankful, Write a Post, Link Up Here. We’ll visit everyone

Also linking the post to the Gratitude Circle by Vidya Sury because it’s Thanksgiving people.

November 24, 2016 12 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
mommy-talk-mom-and-baby-quotes
Life, Musing & AnecdotesMommy & ParentingParenting

Motherhood and All That Jazz – Bluey Chronicles

by tinabasu November 23, 2016
written by tinabasu

mommy-talk-mom-and-baby-quotes

When motherhood was knocking on my door I knew one thing for sure, I wanted to be a hands on mom, I wanted to be a friend to my baby, I wanted to be there for my baby. I didn’t want to miss any moment from his childhood. And thus was the decision to quit giving my time and energy to a company and investing the same time and energy to my little bundle of joy.

Did I do anything Wrong?

Absolutely no! And I absolutely detest when people show me sympathy that I am not on a job. I have not said bye to my career. My baby has not stopped me from anything. In fact, he is the reason that I am working even harder – where I even get to spend time with him.

I have allowed myself the precious moments in life which I will not miss for anything else. I saw it when he first smiled. I saw it when he first rolled over on his tummy at one and a half month, I was there to help him to sit up. Bluey was lazy in sitting up and I bribed him to sit up by placing his bottles or teethers near his feet. And he did try to reach them and eventually he sat up.

Is there anything big in that?

Yes. I enjoy being with my child. I know at the back of mind that I don’t have a looming tension about his safety, about his well-being. I know, I don’t have to trust someone else for feeding him or bathing him. I know in heart I am doing everything right for him. This is the age when he needs me most.

mothers-day-quote

Image Source – Huggies

And in return I get to experience an overload of cuteness. His antics, with almost everything that is within his reach.

His First Crawl:

I remember the first time he started crawling – I didn’t even realize he had crawled behind me and followed me to the kitchen! May be that’s where his love for kitchen had started!

His First Steps:

Bluey is going to be 16 months this 28th and has started taking his first independent footsteps – which I have been waiting for some time now. I like how he never gives up even if he wobbles and falls down. He has also discovered this trick of maintaining his balance with objects in his hands. One day he walked some 8-10 steps holding two of my bangles in his both hands. Some other day I saw him walk up to the desk holding his pair of socks in each hand. So he is learning in all ways, I guess.

The Bluey Tunes:

I have tried my best to make him call me mom, ma, mum, mommy and almost every possible way of making him say M. But I have massively failed in that. Instead he says ‘baba’, ‘dada’, dadda, dodo dede and almost everything possible in language! Yes everything except anything remotely similar to the sound of M! And I have to live with it.

The other day he was listening to some rhymes and I was humming beside him the same tune. He started mimicking the tune in his baby language! And now makes long baby tunes! I guess he’s bored of the two syllable words. Now he is into aa-a-a-a-tada-raa-a-a in some sort of a tune.

But the moment I try to record his talking and tuning he poses for a photo stopping everything else! He still is not accustomed with video I guess.

My Way of Parenting

I was also sure about how I want to parent my child. I took up huge fight with my family right from his naming, to not putting the kala tika and nazar utarna stuff! Even now, I want to make him a good boy – a good human being first and then anything else. I pray I am successful in it, and in future I can feel proud of him being a good man.

baby-and-mom

Linking this post to #MondayMommyMoments hosted by Deepa and Menaka

Also linking it to #MommyTalks by Nabanita.

Kreativemommy.com
November 23, 2016 8 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
friday-foto-fiction2
Fiction & Writing#FridayFotoFiction100 Word Fiction

Uncharted Roads – 100 Word Fiction #FridayFotoFiction Week 3

by tinabasu November 17, 2016
written by tinabasu

I told you some time back why writing Fiction was good for you. I have been trying to get you all to write something challenging. The photo prompt idea is to challenge you to think and weave something based on the trigger. It is to let your imagination run wild.

Last week we saw many interesting entries. And we loved reading all the entries. We promised we’ll pick a featured blogger who will be the best reflection of the community spirit and week 2 winner is Preethi from Preethivenugopala.com and here is her winning post.

preethi-indian-author

winner-announcement

Preethi is a Civil Engineer turned Literature enthusiast turned author. She loves reading and is an avid blogger. Here’s wishing Preethi a very happy writing and blogging journey.

A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it to be God.
– Sidney Sheldon

That brings us to Week 3 of #FridayFotoFiction where we give you a photo prompt and you surprise us with your creative writing within 100 words. Yes it is a 100 word challenge – keep that in mind. 98 – 105 is okay – not more than that please?

#FridayFotoFiction Week3 Prompt

fridayfotofiction-prompt-photo-week-3

Image Credit – Fotolia

Uncharted Roads – #FridayFotoFiction Week 3

It happened last night, yet again.

Last time he had promised it won’t happen again.

Every single time he had promised. Yet he never kept them.

Tears have dried up now, no one bothers about them.

But I have made a promise last night – a promise to myself, which I will always keep.

I will not take this anymore.

I will not let the life growing inside me go through all the abuse.

It’s time to think about myself and the life inside me.

It is time to take the uncharted roads for a new life, my happier new life.

Word Count 100

How to participate in #FridayFotoFiction

  1. Every Friday we’ll give you a photo prompt
  2. Follow @twinklingtina & @Mayuri6 on twitter and wait for the prompt
  3. Write a 100 Word story on the photo prompt
  4. Use the badge at the end of your posts
  5. Link up with Tina or Mayuri
  6. Read, comment, share on host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party Pro Tip – Networking and commenting is good for your blog’s health and ranks.
  7. Use #FridayFotoFiction in your post and share in social media using the same hashtag.
  8. Every week we will have one featured blogger who is the best reflection of this community spirit

Grab the Badge

 

Tina Basu
So people wait no more. Write a 100 word fiction on the photo prompt and link up here. Happy Writing!

November 17, 2016 11 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Thankful Thursdays

Take Charge of your Life – #ThankfulThursdays Week 3

by tinabasu November 17, 2016
written by tinabasu

Hola friends. Welcome to another week of gratitude, another week of #ThankfulThursdays – the weekly Thankful Blog Hop that I host with Amrita. Last week we saw pretty interesting link ups on the prompt and had a great time reading through all of them. And we obviously have winners! Everyone loves winning, don’t we?

The winner of #ThankfulThursdays Week 1 is Aseem from Transition of Thoughts and here is his winning post. He is a consultant, an avid traveler having traveled across 20 countries and wants to visit all on the world map. I tell you that is a wonderful list to have Aseem.

uek00u6r

And we have a first runner up in Manisha of Zarahatkeblog.

picture_20161116_202253850

Congratulations Winners! We’ll DM you for Prizes.

This Weeks Prompt

That brings us to our Week 3 prompt and here it is.

Hola friends. Welcome to another week of gratitude, another week of #ThankfulThursdays - the weekly Thankful Blog Hop that I host with Amrita. Last week we saw pretty interesting link ups on the prompt and had a great time reading through all of them. And we obviously have winners! Everyone loves winning, don’t we? The winner of #ThankfulThursdays Week 1 is Aseem from Transition of Thoughts and here is his winning post. And we have a first runner up in Manisha of Zarahatkeblog. Congratulations Winners! We’ll DM you for Prizes. This Weeks Prompt That brings us to our Week 3 prompt and here it is. Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson Life in itself is beautiful, isn’t it? Have you ever thanked life for making you what you are today? Or have you thought of life as your teacher – perhaps the best teacher. I consider my experiences to be the best teacher. Everything that has happened in life – good or bad- has had a lesson in it. I consider these lessons much more enriching than anything else. Being an only child, I have grown up in a protective environment and the list of things that I ‘wasn’t allowed to do’ was longer than what I ‘was allowed to do’. So there were almost no movies, no sleepovers, no visiting friends (like really) but there was a lot of extracurricular stuffs that I used to do. The car was always with me to take me to various places. I used to accompany my parents for various parties, clubs but yes it was all under their nose. For the longest time I knew I had to learn to live – like living on my own, bracing the hardships of life, facing the challenges that were to come on my path. That’s when I decided to move away from my city and do everything on my own. I needed that. I went to Delhi and Bangalore for the post graduate exams on my own. Selected Bangalore over Delhi for safety reasons! (Yes I wasn’t too impressed with Delhi, in the first place). Came down to Bangalore, went through the admission process on my own and handled a lot of cash. For the first time I had taken out so much cash from an ATM. Bangalore was a new city for me. But I knew at heart there is no stopping me. It is when I started living on my own that I saw life from close quarters. I picked up several life skills which I was not even bothered about before. This meant, managing a home, managing finances, not running back to people for advice instead I turned a good listener to my friends. I started doing freeelance work for some extra pocket money. Today I am thankful that my parents trusted me with handling my own life in my way. I also made myself strong enough to realize nothing can put me down in life – whatever that is. I will hold my ground and stand by myself. Life does teach you a lot – doesn’t it? It is good to take the charge of your life in your hands and not wait for someone else to make you happy. Do what makes you happy.

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life in itself is beautiful, isn’t it? Have you ever thanked life for making you what you are today? Or have you thought of life as your teacher – perhaps the best teacher. I consider my experiences to be the best teacher. Everything that has happened in life – good or bad- has had a lesson in it. I consider these lessons much more enriching than anything else.

Being an only child, I have grown up in a protective environment and the list of things that I ‘wasn’t allowed to do’ was longer than what I ‘was allowed to do’. So there were almost no movies, no sleepovers, no visiting friends (like really) but there was a lot of extracurricular stuffs that I used to do. The car was always with me to take me to various places. I used to accompany my parents for various parties, clubs but yes it was all under their nose.

sad-quotes-and-sayings-about-life-and-love2

Source – Good Morning Quotes

For the longest time I knew I had to learn to live – like living on my own, bracing the hardships of life, facing the challenges that were to come on my path. That’s when I decided to move away from my city and do everything on my own. I needed that. I went to Delhi and Bangalore for the post graduate exams on my own. Selected Bangalore over Delhi for safety reasons! (Yes I wasn’t too impressed with Delhi, in the first place). Came down to Bangalore, went through the admission process on my own and handled a lot of cash. For the first time I had taken out so much cash from an ATM.  Bangalore was a new city for me. But I knew at heart there is no stopping me.

It is when I started living on my own that I saw life from close quarters. I picked up several life skills which I was not even bothered about before.

This meant, managing a home, managing finances, not running back to people for advice instead I turned a good listener to my friends. I started doing freeelance work for some extra pocket money. Today I am thankful that my parents trusted me with handling my own life in my way. I also made myself strong enough to realize nothing can put me down in life – whatever that is. I will hold my ground and stand by myself. Life does teach you a lot – doesn’t it?

174b948bff650374e694ab2504e4dcec

It is good to take the charge of your life in your hands and not wait for someone else to make you happy. Do what makes you happy.

How to Participate in #ThankfulThursdays?

  1. Follow @twinklingtina and @misra_amrita on Twitter
  2. Prompts will be announced every Wed 20:00 hrs IST
  3. Write the post and Link Up with Tina or Amrita
  4. Read, comment, share on host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party Pro Tip – Networking and commenting is good for your blog’s health and ranks.
  5. Use #ThankfulThursdays in your post and share in social media using the same hashtag.
  6. Every week we will have one featured blogger who is the best reflection of this community spirit

Grab the Badge

Tina Basu

So wait no more. Be Thankful, Write a Post, Link Up Here. We’ll visit everyone

 



November 17, 2016 6 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
mommy-son-moment-tina-basu
Life, Musing & AnecdotesMommy & ParentingParenting

#MommyTalks – Moments with my Blueberry – #PatronusBuddies Week 3

by tinabasu November 16, 2016
written by tinabasu

mommy-son-moment-tina-basu

Being a mom was always on the cards. For the longest time I knew in heart whenever I become a mom – I’ll try to be a good mom. But the question is who is a good mom? Or how do you determine if you are a good mom or not? Okay secretly let me reveal you – whenever I got scolded at, by my mom in teen years or even later – till some years back for that matter – I always told myself, I will be a good mom , I will not scold my baby!

Now when I think about that I laugh at myself, my mum is quite cool. Now since I have seen a lot of life I know my parents are much cooler than a lot of strict set of parents. And disciplining your child – specially in teens – is required.

But I am trying to parent Bluey little differently – reducing all these scolding yelling as much as possible – okay, I confess I lose my cool often and yell at him at times – he is super super restless and I have no idea how to make him sit for 2 minutes without You Tube! In spite of all that I have tons of happy moments with him.

While Bluey was a little Blueberry

This series of happy moments started when I was carrying him. Did you know I had quite an eventful pregnancy? Eventful in the sense – I didn’t have any symptom of pregnancy at all! There was no headache, nausea, no vomiting and I lost weight in the first few months! The only symptom that I had was I was hungry! I was hungry like a shark and only ate throughout the nine months. The little one made sure I kept eating and satisfying him. I have never had so much food in my life! The first flutters of life inside me were magical. It was like finally believing someone is inside and VERY restless.

15174985-vector-illustration-of-pregnant-woman-stock-vector-mother

source – 123rf

When Bluey First Smiled

The first time your baby smiles you forget every other problem in life – sleepless nights, diaper changing, feeding and all that comes by default with motherhood. A baby smiles first at 6-8 weeks of his age. Bluey has been doing all this smiley faces since he was not even 4 weeks. He used to smile in his sleep and those used to light me up.

mommy-son-moment-tina-basu2

When I go through the photos on my phone or the icloud I find tons of photos and videos I had taken with my tiny boy. Sleeping, yawning, staring, grinning, smiling or being surprised to see a new toy. Those bring back all the memories of the times when he was tiny and round.

Bluey’s assault on my Kitchen

For my next mommy post I should write – Why not to waste money on toys for babies! Bluey till date has not played with a single toy that we have got for him. His favourite place was and still remains the kitchen and the utensils. It drives me mad to see him pull down everything in the kitchen but somewhere inside I am also happy that he learnt arranging things by shape and size on his own without me teaching him anything at all. He is very inquisitive and places correct lids on casseroles according to color!

mommy-son-moment-tina-basu3

Baby Steps

Just a few days back I was elated that he finally has started taking baby steps and trying to walk without any support. I didn’t get him a baby walker for the longest time because the doctor had advised so. But when he was 13 months and still walking holding the sofa and table I decided to get a walker. He currently runs when we place him in the walker. But a few days back he decided to give us a glimpse of his shaky wobbly baby steps without support and it is such a joy to watch him wobble, fall, get up, try again.

I am sure I am going to make many more memories and many more moments with my bundle of joy. And I hope he keeps the vortex of energy intact. Love you my little Blueberry.

Linking this post to #MondayMommyMoments by  Deepa and Menaka. Also linking it to #MondayMusings at Everyday Gyan. Joining Mel Ford’s Microblog Mondays and Mac Glanville’s  linky #mg

Kreativemommy.com
mondaymusings-1microblog_mondays1 part-flower-final

#PatronusBuddies calling everyone out to add your post links here.

November 16, 2016 7 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts

About Me

About Me

Welcome! I’m Tina Basu, a parenting author and lifestyle blogger dedicated to making family life simpler, healthier, and more creative. Dive in for practical parenting guides, self-care routines, and fun DIY inspiration. Let's make everyday life beautiful - click my photo to learn more!

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
english moral stories for kids

Archives

Tina Basu

Explore

Work With Me

Connect

Writer, mother, and creative professional working across content, design, and SEO. This space brings together thoughtful living and meaningful work.

Parenting

Lifestyle

Beauty

Latest Posts

About Me

Content Writing

Content Creation

Branding & Graphic Design 

SEO Consulting

 

Contact Me

Work With Me 

Instagram 
Email

https://tinabasu.com
  • About
  • Parenting
    • Mommy & Parenting
    • For New Moms
  • Lifestyle
    • Life & Style
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
  • Beauty
  • Let’s Collaborate