Writer's block
By Ssolitary Sniper

Almost every writer has to, at one stage or another, go through the painful process of being short of ideas, not knowing what to write and yet feeling the urge to write something. I will not make claims of being a writer in the grand sense of the word, but I still do write at times, for reasons other than class assignments, and I do type out my writings, thus using my keyboard for some reason other than email and chatting on msn. Thus, I also dare add that over the last few weeks, I myself have been suffering from a bad case of writer's block. That, accompanied with my exams, made sure that I had been missing from the pages of RS for a period much longer than I would like to be. However, now at least one of the problems has been solved - I am free to write once again. But the other does not really seem to have any plans of going away anytime soon - I still have a dearth of ideas on what to write. Using my weakness as my weapon, I thus contemplated the idea of writing on what it feels like to be a writer (ahem) suffering from writer's block.
There is one thing I have to say - there is nothing more painful than being a writer who gets pain when you are short of ideas. When you write just for fun, putting up with writer's block is easy - you can tell yourself this is just a phase, pretty soon you will be back on the track, have ideas to write on and hopefully your typing speed won't be fast enough to put up with the rate at which the ideas keep pouring in. I can tell you this for not so long ago that is exactly what I was - a guy who wrote just for the fun of it. But when you are working for a paper, writer's block is more than just that - it is something of a hybrid between being short of ideas and being unemployed, for when you are not writing, you are not getting paid. That only makes it worst at times.
Like I mentioned earlier, over the last few weeks I also had my exams to tend to and the thought of not getting printed was not really one of the most important issues on my mind. However, as soon as the exams ended and I got an opportunity to once again spend time with all my friends, one question that I had to answer over and over again was, "how come we don't see your write-ups anymore?" In a way it did create some pressure, but frankly it was also good to know that such a large number of friends kept track of my writings being printed. Thus I started to ponder on how to make a comeback, how to answer the queries of all my friends, how to see my name in print again and above all, how to make sure I get a decent amount at the end of the month. While all this was still at the back of my mind, I went along with my mother to the market, to buy some decoration piece as gift for one of my aunts. There I saw something I will remember for as long as I continue writing - paper cuttings used as dust covers for the tables and chairs in a store. On one of these tables I saw a page of the Rising Stars, with an article by me. Ah, the feeling at that very moment. I had heard numerous stories of people finding their writings used as packets for "singaras" or some stuff like that. But to see a paper with my name on it being used as dust cover, I really don't know how to express my feelings. I came back home, with the clear intent of getting back into writing something, anything, feeling as though my writing something will be some form of retribution against all those heartless people who turned our beloved (ahem ahem) RS into dust covers. I though and thought for two days, and came up with this utterly meaningless piece. I am sorry you had to read such stuff. Previously, whenever I had a case of block, I would just write a book review. This time though, thanks to my exams (urrrghh!!!), I did not even get the chance to read any books, so not even a book review was possible. Thus all I could manage is this excerpt on all that has been going through my mind while thinking of what to write. I apologize to all my fans (ya, like I ever had any) for being absent for such a long time, and I promise to get back in full gear as soon as possible. Till then, keep your eyes on the pages of RS and do all you can to make sure RS is not used as dust cover by heartless capitalists.

Fear creates genius
By Gokhra

I was sitting beside an open window in an empty classroom. I was waiting for the next class to begin. An important quiz was coming up and I was wondering how I could simulate the symptoms of high fever. I studied for the test but it was one of those days when you want to crawl under the bed and remain there. The book was open but my mind was elsewhere. I stared out the window hoping something interesting or disastrous to happen. The cars in the street were whizzing by without hitting each other. Not a single pedestrian was being run over. No one was being even slightly mutilated. People were walking along neatly jumping over the open manholes with the ease of a ballet dancer. No one was disappearing with a splash. It's amazing when you have such important matters on your mind, well, your mind wanders. Matters like exams and similar impending doom require you to employ your grey mater. But incredibly your mind focuses on other things and you view the world in a different light. No longer is anything grey. In fact grey clouds seem to have an alluring beauty. You begin looking for the proverbial silver lining. The more you think of the exam the more you notice details. You can spend long minutes wondering such profound matters such as why do dogs wag their tails. I noticed a stray mutt nearby and it was displaying horizontal tail movements. It made me wonder whether such an act was involuntary. People say they wag their tails when they are pleased. I've noticed dogs always wag their tails even when you shout at them. It proves either they are on drugs or they are brain dead. No one can be happy all the time. It's doubtless that the great scientist must have come up with all their theories in such a manner while waiting got give an exam they have not studied for. Newton must have been under that apple tree prepping for an upcoming exam. Apples fall on peoples head all the time. In fact all sorts of things fall including bird droppings and coconuts (the later according to a Bangla proverb). But instead of rubbing his sore head he started contemplating why it fell on his head. And thus gravity was discovered. So it is really y not the apple that we should thank but the exams Newton did not study for. Were it not for that gravity would not have been discovered ad we would have been floating mindlessly without any notion of what holds things down. Studies have shown that fear releases chemicals that make the body react in unusual ways. Adrenalin makes your heart pump faster and release all other kinds of chemicals that act like the fuel for the cars in Fast and The Furious. You hear more, feel more. Blood is rushing all over the place and any moment you might jump up and tear off all you clothes and run naked down the streets shouting 'Eureka'. This goes to explain what happened to Archimedes. He was preparing an answer as to why the majesty's gold crown did not weigh right and instead understood the theory of floating. A wandering mind coupled with fear made him see things differently. To counteract this rush of adrenalin the body releases endorphins. These are pain relievers and help to bring about calmness. That's when the person looks doped and has a goofy grin from having discovered something. Although in most cases such discoveries are pointless. I for example realized that dogs wag their tails because they are too dumb to understand abuse. For me the adrenalin was starting to rush. By now things were starting to look desperate. If this continued any longer I would actually have to take the quiz. To make matters worse I noticed my course faculty getting out of his car. Should I continue reading? I tired but then I notice that birds are such wonderful creatures. They are often beautiful. Their shape is a work of art. The one I was looking at had a mesmerizing design on its beak. It was black with orange and yellow highlights. I am not a bird person but for some reason I felt drawn towards this specie. Probably the impending doom effect. I noticed the bird had a strange hopping style. The teacher was walking downstairs and somehow I got the feeling the bird was watching him. It hopped along the same angle he was walking below. The bird flicked its head toward me in the twitchy way they usually do and I understood what it was about to do. Loud cursing followed. Then the teacher got back in the car and drove away. I was waiting for something interesting to happen and the wait was worth it. The quiz was delayed and endorphins started rushing my system. My heart rate slowed down and a glassy doped look came over my eyes. Birds needing to 'go' seem to have an affinity for people walking underneath. My bird (yes, my affection was overwhelming) seemed to aim at the teacher. Maybe the word birdbrain is undeserved. Birds are actually quite smart. What an amazing discovery. The bird looked at me once more and held my stare. Was that a smile? But birds don't smile. I started recalling Hitchcock's movie. Maybe birds are too smart. A shiver ran down my spine and I felt chicken. Mirth turned to apprehension and slowly overtaken by fear. I looked away. I packed my books hurriedly and walked off with a copy held above my head. There goes the adrenalin again. Let's not discover anything else today.