NeoBluePanther

Writing, Among Other Things

Category: Blogging (Page 2 of 16)

Observe, Don’t Imitate!

December 8, 2011 / / 0 Comments
“Observe, don’t Imitate!”

I came across this quote by John M. Ford yesterday. Something about the quote appealed to me, and the quote stayed stuck in my mind for the rest of the day. The only way, I thought, I could get it out of my mind was by writing a post about it. So, here goes.

I think most of us, when we read something good, imbibe some of the elements of the writer’s style. It is a natural process and, sometimes, we do it even without realising. We copy what we like, mainly because we want what we write to be liked too. This is why it is often said that if we want to write good stuff, we have to read great stuff.

However, blind imitation is for apes.

Why you should not worry about being Unique?

August 17, 2011 / / 9 Comments

A few years back, I was narrating a story I was working on to a friend. After patiently listening to my story, he suddenly sat up straight, and asked, “Have you copied it from somewhere? It sounds like something I have read before.”

You think that you have come up with a great story, and your friend accuses you of Plagiarism. There are very few things in life, let me tell you, that can irritate you more than such an accusation.

I, naturally, asked my friend about the part of my story that sounded copied.

“All of it,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Then he continued to tell me how my story was a copy of the so many stories he had read before.

Continue reading

Learning better, to Teach better!

August 2, 2011 / / 0 Comments

A blog is a place where one writes, for others to read.

Now, why one would want to be read is a question whose answer may vary from one writer to another, but, whatever one’s reason for wanting to be read may be, there is another question that needs to be asked by every writer:

“Why should someone want to read what you write?”

If we look at blogs, it is easy to see that some of our favourite blogs are those which educate us, in addition to entertaining us. In today’s world, there are more than enough sources of entertainment, but the sources of education are few and far between. Most blogs that are popular today are a great source of knowledge for people who want to educate themselves about the subject the blogger writes about.

Continue reading

Writing – Hobby, or Profession?

May 4, 2011 / / 2 Comments

In a scene from a movie, a character asks his friend about what he did for a living. The friend replies, “I write.”

“That is alright, but what do you do to earn your bread and butter?” asks the first character again.

“I Write!” replies the exasperated friend.

The scene was meant to raise a few laughs, and it did so successfully.

On a serious note, however, the scene represents the truth for thousands of people who write. A large section of people who write are not sure whether it is a hobby for them, or is it something that they want to do for a living. This confusion is the biggest reason for writer’s block, and writer’s burnout.

Continue reading

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 NeoBluePanther

Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑