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||The recipe..

I recently took a short trip and I love how such trips give me the solace to think about all the things that bring me peace. So one day I randomly started to think about how there are some writers you instantly feel connected to. Its like one moment you're reading and within a few pages you go "Whoa! That's so me!" or "Hey I know how that feels. Poor guy." Sometimes you don't even have words and you just sit there admiring the beauty of the words in front of you. This made me want to write a list - one that enlists all the important ingredients that go into the making of a writer who is popular among his/her readers for all the right reasons.

1. Experience
I remember when I was thirteen and the first chapter of my science book had a line that said everything is made up of at least 8% truth. (No, it's not crap I just came up with, trust me!) I have no idea why this has stuck with me for so long considering all of the important stuff from that very book never did. Now if you're thinking what has that got to do with.. anything, really? Well, I'm just trying to say there's a little bit of truth in every piece of non-fiction too.

2. Pain
You could say this is pretty much the first point itself. Just that someone who has experienced pain can describe it better. S/he can even describe joy and happiness and all the positives in life better because they are more acquainted with what all of it is really worth. It always takes some pain to make an incredible artist. When life gives you lemons, use lemonade as your personal shade of ink.

3. Observation
In my very first interview I was asked about my 'unusual' hobbies and I mentioned people watching. While I'm pretty sure the interviewer thought I was a creep, (No, really, I'm not!) its an actually amusing hobby. People say I never make eye contact while having a conversation and my eyes tend to flicker every which way (Again, NOT in a creepy way). I'm just too used to observing everyone around me. It's something I learned back in school from someone I used to idolise and keep on a pedestal. The best writers are often the most subtle observers.

4. Grammar
I might be a little biased here but a little bit of grammar perfectionism never hurt anyone. I personally go a little "Aw! But you were doing so well." every time I read something almost amazing and then bump into a grammatical error. Sorry for being a grammar snob but that's just who I am.

5. Solace
Loneliness is a writer's best friend. Learn to turn it into solace and you've got a buddy for life. It never betrays you, is always by your side when you need it and saves you from the company of stupid people.


Comments

  1. Kislaya SrivastavaOctober 5, 2014 at 11:27 AM

    I had been waiting for it! And you have responded perfectly. This, is a writer's rule book.

    ReplyDelete

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