Hi, Everyone! Three-quarters of the way through
writing Keshu’s story, I realized that I had (most fortunately for my novel) an
aptitude to give body to characters.
Now, to some this may sound like blowing my own trumpet.
To them I say: if one doesn’t have the ability to recognize one’s strength, it
is difficult, if not impossible, to succeed!
Anyway, two characters in particular (besides Keshu)
stood out in my mind: Rajaram Damle, an incidental character of whom I grew
quite fond and Damu, who developed to be very
endearing.
Rajaram presented no problem, on the other hand Damu
had me cutting circles at yet another crossroad in my novel’s path. It wasn’t
necessary for my plot that Damu die, his escape was enough. But the way his
character developed, the attachment the reader was likely to develop toward him,
made his death essential for my
novel.
Otherwise, I would have had to go off on
a tangent, to show what Damu was up to after Keshu’s arrest. He would have to
have a role through the rest of the novel, too—the reader would have expected
it. That would never do. Savarkar and
Keshu had to be the focus of the novel.
And so, Damu had to go. I hated to do it. I even
grieved, believe it or not. But the decision was taken (after a week or so of
dithering). Damu’s death scene was a very
difficult one to write.
You must all be wondering why I am blathering on and
on about what is essentially a prequel to the Burning for Freedom. But for me the journey began there.
Happily for you all, in the next post I shall take a
big leap and write re Savarkar’s
breakdown and recovery—a very difficult and challenging chapter in Burning for Freedom.
Until then,
Anurupa
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