What do you think?
Rate this book
First Brush on the Canvas
14 stellar stories & inspiring quotes on writing. Source of insipration for aspiring writers & for all those who wish to re kindle their love for reading short stoies.
Blurb :
Graham, Daniel, their friendship, life and death.
Vampires, guardians' adventures at night. Coffee, love and a new couple. Imli and her mother in a complex web of darkness. A small town girl confused about virginity. Michael Jaikishen and his writing endeavours. Child adoption by a gay couple. Mahabharat - a modern tale in an epic form. The spine-chilling tale of Tina and Uncle Joe. A juicy love story by our guest author Sujata Parashar. These and many other unputdownable stories in this book.
First Brush on the Canvas is an anthology comprising selected stories from Melonade (2014), a nationwide writing marathon organized by Writersmelon dot com.
Blurb :
Graham, Daniel, their friendship, life and death.
Vampires, guardians' adventures at night. Coffee, love and a new couple. Imli and her mother in a complex web of darkness. A small town girl confused about virginity. Michael Jaikishen and his writing endeavours. Child adoption by a gay couple. Mahabharat - a modern tale in an epic form. The spine-chilling tale of Tina and Uncle Joe. A juicy love story by our guest author Sujata Parashar. These and many other unputdownable stories in this book.
First Brush on the Canvas is an anthology comprising selected stories from Melonade (2014), a nationwide writing marathon organized by Writersmelon dot com.
160 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2015
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 30, 2016
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Some books have covers. And some books have exquisite pieces of art covering the contents. Some books have simple, plain covers that might not give any indication of the great content inside. And then there are books that give the exact hint about the nature and style of story(ies) they might contain. These books are also complemented by simply beautiful covers and a nice title that would intrigue and interest the reader.
First Brush on The Canvas is a collection of 14 stories from 3 major genres - romance, comedy and thriller. The stories are the winning entries from Melonade, a nationwide writing competition conducted by Writersmelon. The foreword and the reminder about why the first of anything is always a special memory attracted me.
REVIEW:
The 14 stories of this anthology, divided into 3 major genres each have a distinct, unique flavour.
Romance:
My second favorite section of the book. Three out of five stories in this genre made their mark in my mind.
Special Mention
The pieces:
For being a story that had a nice non twist. The ending reflected the reality of life in a subtle manner.
Popping the Cherry:
The last paragraph became the saving grace of the story which dealt with confused teens caving in to peer pressure.
Comedy:
The set of three stories that has two of my favorites. Kudos to the authors for mingling darkness with humour.
Special Mention:
Godliness:
I read and reread the last line more than five times before the intended meaning finally sunk in. Veering on the edge of the psychotic, the last line of the story made me jump out of my skin. Though I do think this does not belong in the comedy genre, the story as a standalone without gender classifications succeeded in making me take note of it.
Writer's Block:
Good story about a different concept and made me reflect more than I normally would have. The overall effect was to make me wonder how things will most often not go as planned and might still give the desired result. No mention about the result being good or bad.
Thriller:
By the time I read the genre name, a sense of anticipation stole over me. I began reading the book much more eagerly, expecting a lot. But something fell flat, and the last five stories left me feeling wanting and incomplete.
Special Mention:
Tina:
My most (and only) favorite story of this genre. The story is one of the best, as far as thrillers go, and I was very surprised by what extent Tina would go to keep Uncle Joe with her. The story held me in place from the first line and I averted my eyes only after I had finished reading the last line. Brilliantly crafted and though it has a few flaws, sent a chill down my spine. And that was the intended purpose of this genre, wasn't it?
Overall comments:
Anthologies are difficult to craft because each story had to hold the reader's interest and impress them. Even if written by the same author, the collection of short stories might not all be great. Some might fail to meet the reader's expectation and sometimes even the author's ideas. Novels have it better in a way because they follow a single or sometimes two or three storylines which merge together and therefore making the reader concentrate on them. They also have a continuity and much larger canvas to make the character sketch and get the reader engrossed into the book. But short stories have to do all of these within a short span of time, the only saving grace being the permission to have an abstract ending.
The language and construction of the stories are above par and it shows that they are the chosen ones among the entries of a competition. But some of the stories fail to make much of an impression. The plots and the writing are unique and refreshing. The anthology is good enough as a travel companion if you are on the look out for casual stories that reflect the ordinary, extraordinary and sometimes the bizzare. The genre classifications are not perfect, with each tale veering slightly from the genre it is supposed to belong to. Overall, a good anthology that shows promise.
VERDICT:
A book that shows the talents of many promising authors!
RATING: 3.5/5
Some books have covers. And some books have exquisite pieces of art covering the contents. Some books have simple, plain covers that might not give any indication of the great content inside. And then there are books that give the exact hint about the nature and style of story(ies) they might contain. These books are also complemented by simply beautiful covers and a nice title that would intrigue and interest the reader.
First Brush on The Canvas is a collection of 14 stories from 3 major genres - romance, comedy and thriller. The stories are the winning entries from Melonade, a nationwide writing competition conducted by Writersmelon. The foreword and the reminder about why the first of anything is always a special memory attracted me.
REVIEW:
The 14 stories of this anthology, divided into 3 major genres each have a distinct, unique flavour.
Romance:
My second favorite section of the book. Three out of five stories in this genre made their mark in my mind.
Special Mention
The pieces:
For being a story that had a nice non twist. The ending reflected the reality of life in a subtle manner.
Popping the Cherry:
The last paragraph became the saving grace of the story which dealt with confused teens caving in to peer pressure.
Comedy:
The set of three stories that has two of my favorites. Kudos to the authors for mingling darkness with humour.
Special Mention:
Godliness:
I read and reread the last line more than five times before the intended meaning finally sunk in. Veering on the edge of the psychotic, the last line of the story made me jump out of my skin. Though I do think this does not belong in the comedy genre, the story as a standalone without gender classifications succeeded in making me take note of it.
Writer's Block:
Good story about a different concept and made me reflect more than I normally would have. The overall effect was to make me wonder how things will most often not go as planned and might still give the desired result. No mention about the result being good or bad.
Thriller:
By the time I read the genre name, a sense of anticipation stole over me. I began reading the book much more eagerly, expecting a lot. But something fell flat, and the last five stories left me feeling wanting and incomplete.
Special Mention:
Tina:
My most (and only) favorite story of this genre. The story is one of the best, as far as thrillers go, and I was very surprised by what extent Tina would go to keep Uncle Joe with her. The story held me in place from the first line and I averted my eyes only after I had finished reading the last line. Brilliantly crafted and though it has a few flaws, sent a chill down my spine. And that was the intended purpose of this genre, wasn't it?
Overall comments:
Anthologies are difficult to craft because each story had to hold the reader's interest and impress them. Even if written by the same author, the collection of short stories might not all be great. Some might fail to meet the reader's expectation and sometimes even the author's ideas. Novels have it better in a way because they follow a single or sometimes two or three storylines which merge together and therefore making the reader concentrate on them. They also have a continuity and much larger canvas to make the character sketch and get the reader engrossed into the book. But short stories have to do all of these within a short span of time, the only saving grace being the permission to have an abstract ending.
The language and construction of the stories are above par and it shows that they are the chosen ones among the entries of a competition. But some of the stories fail to make much of an impression. The plots and the writing are unique and refreshing. The anthology is good enough as a travel companion if you are on the look out for casual stories that reflect the ordinary, extraordinary and sometimes the bizzare. The genre classifications are not perfect, with each tale veering slightly from the genre it is supposed to belong to. Overall, a good anthology that shows promise.
VERDICT:
A book that shows the talents of many promising authors!
RATING: 3.5/5
December 15, 2015
This book is a collection of stories of 3 genres - Love, comedy and Horror. These are handpicked stories edited by Priyanka Roy Banerjee from nationwide short story competition organized by writersmelon.com. So, I expected them to be the best of a lot and it didn't disappoint me at all. I didn't enjoy stories from comedy section. All other stories are fantastic.
I loved the quotes before each story. Some which I liked,
There is only one tip for good writing - the subject or the story should have a soul of its own. And it should be satisfying for the reader, not only emotionally, but intellectually as well. - Deepak Kripal
A novel would have one character, or many, depending on your story. But whenever a character is introduced, that person must come alive on your pages. - Madhuri Iyer
There was a time when success really meant getting what I wanted - name, fame, money. Now success is simply the ability to live each day fully, facing whatever comes your way, without brooding over the past or without agonizing over the future in worry, and being happy in the moment. - AVIS Viswanathan
Some of the stories that liked:
Popping the Cherry by Amit Nangia
A funky teenage story of a small town girl who is confused with the concept of virginity. I liked the way story is narrated and the unexpected twist given by the author at the end.
Watermelon: Cut and dried by Sujata Parashar
This is a guest story for this book by prolific writer Sujata. I liked the characterization very well. The author builds up the character of protagonist Kanak very well and we will be in sync with what she thinks and can relate to her character. The flow of the story is smooth and interesting.
Tina by Diptee Raut
A thriller with a twist at the end. The narration is interesting and the way the author planned the climax is good.
Lepidoptera by Stuti Chandra
What can I say about this story? dark or mysterious? Enjoyed reading this. It's on the edge thriller.
I loved the quotes before each story. Some which I liked,
There is only one tip for good writing - the subject or the story should have a soul of its own. And it should be satisfying for the reader, not only emotionally, but intellectually as well. - Deepak Kripal
A novel would have one character, or many, depending on your story. But whenever a character is introduced, that person must come alive on your pages. - Madhuri Iyer
There was a time when success really meant getting what I wanted - name, fame, money. Now success is simply the ability to live each day fully, facing whatever comes your way, without brooding over the past or without agonizing over the future in worry, and being happy in the moment. - AVIS Viswanathan
Some of the stories that liked:
Popping the Cherry by Amit Nangia
A funky teenage story of a small town girl who is confused with the concept of virginity. I liked the way story is narrated and the unexpected twist given by the author at the end.
Watermelon: Cut and dried by Sujata Parashar
This is a guest story for this book by prolific writer Sujata. I liked the characterization very well. The author builds up the character of protagonist Kanak very well and we will be in sync with what she thinks and can relate to her character. The flow of the story is smooth and interesting.
Tina by Diptee Raut
A thriller with a twist at the end. The narration is interesting and the way the author planned the climax is good.
Lepidoptera by Stuti Chandra
What can I say about this story? dark or mysterious? Enjoyed reading this. It's on the edge thriller.
March 29, 2016
Favorite stories:
• Tina, by Diptee Raut
• The Murder, by Arunav Chaudhary
• Godliness, by Abhishek Mukherjee
• An Adoption, by Uttiya Roy
Points in favor:
+ All stories were interesting
+ Cover art, though it can be more vibrant
+ Editing was quite acceptable
Points against:
- Classification into genres doesn’t work as most stories don’t seem to fit the genre
A one-time read with some good stories.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Vinay Leo R. | Review at A Bookworm's Musing
• Tina, by Diptee Raut
• The Murder, by Arunav Chaudhary
• Godliness, by Abhishek Mukherjee
• An Adoption, by Uttiya Roy
Points in favor:
+ All stories were interesting
+ Cover art, though it can be more vibrant
+ Editing was quite acceptable
Points against:
- Classification into genres doesn’t work as most stories don’t seem to fit the genre
A one-time read with some good stories.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Vinay Leo R. | Review at A Bookworm's Musing
November 15, 2015
Usually I am not impulsive when buying anything and more so from on-line portals. This time, however, I bought a book on-line, impulsively…. First Brush on Canvas by WritersMelon…And honestly I have not regretted buying it!
Outcome of a nationwide contest ‘Melonade’ with stories that were judged by Ashwin Sanghi, Preeti Shenoy and Arnab Ray, this collection of short stories is a first for authors of stories as well as for WritersMelon.
The book has stories divided into sections ‘Romance’, ‘Comedy’ and ‘Thriller’. Of the five stories in romance genre I loved the story of a gay couple and their yearning for a child in ‘An Adoption’ by Uttiya Ray. ‘Popping the cherry’ by Amit Nangia captures the dilemma of ‘how to fit in’ faced by young boys and girls and their willingness to experiment with their physical needs. Shaily Bhargava’s ‘Coffee conversations and you’ brought a smile on my lips because it reminds me of small arguments that me and my husband have even now after fifteen years of marriage.
The Comedy section has three stories and I loved the ‘Godliness’ by Abhishek Mukherjee the most. The ‘Writer’s Block’ by Avishek Basu Mallick is a satire with a twist which came as surprise to me.
The stories in this section were very dark and sinister. The little girl Tina was the most scary. The troubled housewife killing herself in the story ‘Clue and Cue’ was also quite gripping.
In all I loved the stories much.Kudos to the writers.
A take-me-along-while-travelling kind of book and a good read for all type of readers.
Outcome of a nationwide contest ‘Melonade’ with stories that were judged by Ashwin Sanghi, Preeti Shenoy and Arnab Ray, this collection of short stories is a first for authors of stories as well as for WritersMelon.
The book has stories divided into sections ‘Romance’, ‘Comedy’ and ‘Thriller’. Of the five stories in romance genre I loved the story of a gay couple and their yearning for a child in ‘An Adoption’ by Uttiya Ray. ‘Popping the cherry’ by Amit Nangia captures the dilemma of ‘how to fit in’ faced by young boys and girls and their willingness to experiment with their physical needs. Shaily Bhargava’s ‘Coffee conversations and you’ brought a smile on my lips because it reminds me of small arguments that me and my husband have even now after fifteen years of marriage.
The Comedy section has three stories and I loved the ‘Godliness’ by Abhishek Mukherjee the most. The ‘Writer’s Block’ by Avishek Basu Mallick is a satire with a twist which came as surprise to me.
The stories in this section were very dark and sinister. The little girl Tina was the most scary. The troubled housewife killing herself in the story ‘Clue and Cue’ was also quite gripping.
In all I loved the stories much.Kudos to the writers.
A take-me-along-while-travelling kind of book and a good read for all type of readers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews