For the Proud Writer in You

As a writer, I am proud that I can share my innermost feelings and thoughts with the world at large without any fear or remorse.

As a result, I have grown tremendously and overcome all my inhibitions.

I have written a collection of short stories which now adorns book shelves, libraries, online stores and countless memories.

I am proud that before I die, I have been able to expose the deepest recesses of my soul to those around me which has given me so much of character and integrity.

And when I am no more, my stories will still be read.

As a writer, I am proud that I have lived.

Ideas for Writing

First thing first,

Start having experiences.

Travel - by train, bullock cart or on foot.

Go to new and faraway places, do things, meet people and interact.

And while all this is happening, do that one thing that is so essential to turn you into a writer: OBSERVE.

Remember, your writing is a combination of your observation, imagination and expression.

And it all starts with having intense, first hand experiences of life. Nothing second hand or vicarious is going to help.

Drink from the source of life itself, make an attempt to absorb the richness and varied colors of life in their entirety.

Create the context before you become the creator.

Rest will follow.

You can read more on this topic at

Your Story Your Style!

Now, once you come across a good idea, you would find that it has the following characteristics:

-Sounds interesting and relevant

-Ignites your passion to convert it into a story

-Has sufficient depth to offer conflict, move to a point of high tension and thereafter present some kind of a resolution

Remember a story cannot function on a flat idea as there is a need to sustain the reader’s interest throughout.

The experiences you have gone through, the thoughts you nurture and the feelings that mark your inner sky - this is the stuff good writing is made of.

And the reason is when you write from your own experience, your writing comes to acquire that most important literary characteristic - authenticity.

And in turn, the reader finds your stories credible.

Your writing can take a leaf from other’s experiences also but it is always better to switch your own light first, especially the budding writers.

While ideas themselves may be derived from the life that you and I live, it is the treatment given by a writer that turns them into unusual stories.

So, the point I am trying to make is that since life is repetitious in nature, the themes available are going to be the same - love, hatred, power, ambition. But what sets a story apart is the touch that a writer decides to give it.

For example, your decision to write a story in first person may give it a kind of twist that writing it in third person may never evoke.

Some other inspirations can be:

-Try writing a story on an Anti-Hero. We are so used to reading stuff about traditional heroes who are never wrong and have a larger than life image that writing about an antihero in itself is a novelty as he is someone who fights against the established norms of society and struggles to regain his self-respect. Mario Puzo’s Godfather is an excellent example.

-Try out an Anti-Plot story. Traditional structures involve a well-defined beginning, middle and end. But what if you start from the middle or have an open ending which invites the reader to bring his own interpretation without being preachy or moralistic? Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot is one such instance where two characters wait on a country road for a man called Godot who never arrives.

I have written in detail about these facets at

What is Experimental Fiction?

To be Relevant as a Writer

As long as we can write believable and authentic fiction, we should continue to do so.

Some of you may think that fiction at times crosses its limits, and sounds completely bizarre and incredible.

But that happens due to the writer’s disconnection with the world around him.

He should either write what he has experienced himself or use his powerful imagination to pen down something not directly experienced by him.

Today’s world is technologically advanced and boasts of fantastic feats be it a voyage to Mars or the internet of things.

But what a writer does is to add a human angle to an otherwise dry existence based on a heartless technology that on one hand churns weapons of mass destruction but on the other hand, has the capability to save precious human lives be it by fighting against a deadly disease like cancer or a timely heart transplant.

Without being preachy or moralistic, a writer emphasizes on the inherent goodness in all of us and makes a sincere effort to present the reality as it is.

In a crazy world which is materialistic and money oriented, relationships are fast disintegrating and man often feels lonely and left out even in midst of a crowd as he comes face to face with a deep void inside himself.

A writer steps in at this critical juncture to help him understand and fill this void and in the process, gives hope to our society and the world at large.

In fact, his job was never as important and urgent as now.

In addition, I believe that as an artist you remain relevant as long as you reflect the truth around you.

It’s important for a writer to mirror the world he inhabits - if the reality surrounding him is changing and acquiring a different color, his perception should also change and embrace this shift.

If he continues to persist with his dogmas and rigid views, he will soon cease to be relevant.

But if he constantly challenges himself to do the new, welcome the change and not be afraid to experiment, he would continue to be relevant and interesting.