Wow, what a face! This one is a perfect fit.

I have been writing my novel for a loooong time now, since the past 4 years. And I'm still on the second chapter. Don't get me wrong though, I was almost in the final quarter of the novel before I decided that the whole story was crap and tore the damn thing up. It wasn't anything new, or i the least bit interesting. I am re-writing the whole book now, with a completely new snappy storyline.

I keep looking at photos - of celebrities, movie stars, sports personalities, and also normal, everyday people like me and you. It has become somewhat of an obsession - Why? No, I'm not a voyeur. Because I eventually take inspiration for the physical characteristics of my Novel's characters from the people in those photos. That said, I was looking for such an inspiration for one of my principal characters when I came across this:

All rights for the above photos belong to Ms.Sharanya Rao.
You can view Ms.Sharanya Rao's photography on her flickr photostream,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/enamor/

I couldn't believe it, this woman was perfect for my character, Ramya. In fact, the woman in the above photos is a better fit than I ever imagined. Ramya, the character in question is a headstrong, confident woman in the murky waters of Indian Politics, yet a relative newcomer. She has a very innocent face and demeanor, but possesses a razor sharp, cunning mind and isn't averse to use people and situations to her advantage in whatever way she sees fit. And yeah, she has a not-so-pleasant past (this makes a character much more interesting, don't you think? Ah! the things you can subject the character to...).

yours truly, RA