The Work Behind the Writing

A mini-me back in the day putting lead to paper

I always fancied the thought of being a writer. It seemed so...so..what's the word..intellectual. English was always my favourite subject and pretty much the only class I looked forward to during school years. While reading books, I not only enjoyed the stories and tickling my imagination but also took in the writing styles of the authors. I went quite mainstream in choosing my Bachelor's degree and studied Business Administration. Why didn't I study literature instead? No idea! I used to write for myself mostly. But then came Facebook and Facebook Notes where I started publishing my ramblings on. My friends said I penned well. With a full time job coming into the picture, the writing mostly took a back seat. Only once in a while would I find time and get the creative itch to write. But the embers of wanting to write professionally still glowed. A random browse through my Twitter timeline led me to applying for a freelance food writing project with a website. They took a look at some of my writing pieces and got me on board. Thereafter for almost six months, I realized behind all that neatly published work is a hell of hard work. I did around ten or so articles for the website in that time frame and I cannot begin to tell you how much toil went into it (not to mention the calories since remember it was 'food-writing'!). My attempt will be to take you behind the scenes, very briefly to convey what a mammoth task each article proved to be!

My first assignment was to cover dining destinations in Koregaon Park, Pune. I had around 700-800 words to play with but through research I drew up a list of over 20 places I could visit to sample the food and also, photograph it. I arrived in the city late Friday night and awoke the next morning nervous and wondering how my day would unfurl. I went helter skelter and visited at least 10 restaurants/cafes back-to-back, eating, clicking and taking notes along the way! Not to forget, I had a budget to work with. Working out how I was to split the amount among dishes in so many restaurants was a logistical nightmare. Phew! Got back that evening, skipped dinner (obviously) and immediately got to rummaging my notes and drafted up my article. Once done, I realized I overshot my word limit by a gazillion word. Trimming down the fat around the article took probably longer than writing it all did. After reading the draft once, twice, thrice and reading it all over again, I finally sent it to the editor. I can't even remember what time I slept. The next week involved notes being exchanged between the editor and me on how I can better the write up, until finally I got the word 'Approved!'. This is how it turned out: http://know.burrp.com/food-dining/the-pune-gobbler/37699

More coming up in my 'The Work Behind the Writing' post. Stay tuned :)

INSIDE THE GO CHEESE FACTORY

Last weekend, I got a unique opportunity to visit Gowardhan Cheese Factory in Manchar district, a good two hour drive from Pune city. The owning home-grown company Parag Milk Foods brand portfolio includes Gowardhan and GO boasting of a range of dairy products that have been retailed across Mumbai and Pune over the last decade. I first started using their yoghurt when the local kirana store ran out of my usual preference of Amul , Danone and Britannia . One spoon of it and I instantly found it so fresh, light and 'unprocessed'. I have always loved cheese but now I even prefer it over chocolate. So when I was scheduled to visit the GO factory, it bore semblance to winning the golden ticket and entering glistening gates to its factory much like the popular Roald Dahl 's Charlie . Except that it was not all that dramatic!

An Immersive Stay at Andaz Amsterdam

I have stayed at some great hotels, but none were like the Andaz Amsterdam . None of them. No hotel has impressed me as much as this Hyatt brand of hotel has. It's so good, it warrants an entire blog post. And here is why - right from the word check-in, you're really made to feel like you've stepped into a little slice of Amsterdam . The hotel is located on one of the hottest streets in Amsterdam called Prinsengracht, a street along the city's most prestigious canal. A lot of the city's attractions are a short walk away. The hotel is designed by the famous Dutch designer Marcel Wanders . So no wonder hints of this vibrant old city of Amsterdam peek out from the interiors to induct you into Dutch culture. The lobby was stunning - with its prominently blue interiors, there was a touch of quirk everywhere. From the very high ceiling is suspended an enormous artsy lighting-cum-chandelier installation. Above each reception desk there are huge white bell-shap

Restaurant Review | Where Else Cafe & Bar

Where Else promises to be unique in Viman Nagar, a neighbourhood already brimming with so many eateries. Four young friends came together to put their love for food and travel experiences in a melting pot called ‘Where Else’. This new café and bar is the brainchild of sibling duo Ardesh and Daisy Rustomjee and best friend duo Amritha Shrikumar and Sweta Jobanputra. These Viman Nagar residents have been firsthand witnesses to the rise of new eateries in their locality. With ‘Where Else’ they aim to fill in the void of a place that offers all-day breakfast and good quality indulgent food. We drove to the outlet in its first week of opening to find out if ‘Where Else’ is the place to be.

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