ABRUPT ENDINGS

Creative Writing

Short Fiction

THE ABRUPT ENDING

By

VIKRAM KARVE

I started writing short fiction in the early 1990s when I lived in the hills of Girinagar, a beautiful verdant green forest in the back of beyond below the mighty Sinhagad Fort and overlooking the placid blue waters of the Khadakvasla lake near Pune. 

From Monday to Friday, during the daytime, I would be busy with my work, but every morning and evening I took long walks thinking interesting thoughts and by Friday the plot for my next story would be ready in my mind.  

Yes, I did all my creative writing on weekends. 

I would write a short story every weekend in long hand, which my darling wife would then type on her portable typewriter during the week. 

Then I would then send by snail-mail (by registered post) my “double-spaced neatly typed story” to magazines like Citadel, a magazine published monthly from Pune for which I was a regular fiction writer, or the Indian Express for its Thursday literary magazine called Citizen, or other magazines that carried fiction.  

In order to be able to get the solitude to write on weekends, on every Saturday morning I would drop my wife and kids at the bus stop and they would be off to spend the weekend in Pune with their grannies. 

Then, in my glorious solitude, I would to start writing. 

I love writing, so once I start writing I transcend into a state of timelessness, and suddenly I would hear the shrill ring of the phone and I would realize that my two days of creative bliss were over and it was already Sunday evening and my wife was calling to tell me she was starting from Pune and would be reaching Khadakvasla bus stop in an hour. 

Panic would set in. Now, I had just one hour left to finish my story. (I had to complete the story I was writing otherwise it would spill over to the next weekend, and I did not want to breach my self-imposed one story a week target). 

Therefore, I had no choice but to finish off the story with an abrupt ending – coup de grace!  

Maybe this developed into a habit and old habits die hard, but I will have to change my style and I will try my best to see that my stories have more unhurried, relaxed, satisfying, happy endings that leave a pleasant smooth aftertaste. 

So, it’s back to the basics for me – let me re-read two of my favourite Anton Chekhov stories with classic endings:  Ninochka and The Lady with the Pet Dog. 

VIKRAM KARVE 

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
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Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.