I use the word writer in the title to signify someone who writes, and then gets read by a substantial number of readers. One might look at some of the bigger names in the field, and assume that writing is a short cut to name, fame and money. Many believe in this fallacy, take the plunge, and realise later – often, when it’s too late – that they have made a mistake.
There is, however, good news. If you want to be a writer, things have never been as easy as they are today. When I was a kid, I remember reading a book about writing. It listed out a set of things that were a prerequisite before one could set out on the journey of becoming a writer. Some of these things were:
A Typewriter
Reams of paper
Envelopes
Stamps
Pens, and pencils, etc.
All these things were too expensive to be bought with the pocket money I received, after, of course, I had bought my marbles, chewing gums, and the usual stuff that kids bought back then. So, I decided that writing was not for me, and quietly went about the business of growing up.
The writing nag however isn’t that easy to overcome. So, years later, when I had the money to buy the wherewithal for writing, I started again. The Internet was still not around, and I lovingly started sending pieces to editors of weeklies and dailies – just as the writing books had prescribed.
I didn’t send out many of those either. It was torture to wait for the response of the editors, which would mostly never come, and when it did come, it was usually an apology note. Once again the writer inside me was gagged and bound and thrown into a corner.
Then, the age of the computer and the Internet dawned upon us. I bought my first computer because I needed one in my chosen course of study, and my first Internet connection was a result of my need to email and chat with my friends.
One fine day – and I don’t mean that as a figure of speech – I was sitting on my computer and had a sudden urge to write. I had heard about blogging, and I thought to myself, “Why not?”
Soon, I had written a cute – or what I thought was cute – story about an innocent child and his antics, and posted it on to my blog. Seeing my words online, for anyone to read, was a nice feeling, and the comments were the icing on the cake.
Since then, I have written continuously and have been able to get a few readers to read what I write, and have also managed to get some of them to like what I write.
I can’t help but wish that computers should have been around when I was a kid. I also feel that if you want to be a writer, things have never been as easy as they are now. What think you?
Image: hisks from sxc.hu
agree to the tee..good one!!
So true! Before I had a computer–yes there was such a time in the distant, distant past, my writings never quite managed to amount to much more than a few notebooks and scarps of paper in a box.
The joy of leisurely typing out a story on my computer at home for the very first time is unforgettable. That led to writing my first full length novel… which precipitated a series of minor events that led to me sharing my work online.
If I hadn’t been able to do all of these things, I certainly wouldn’t have progressed to the point I’ve reached. it’s doubtful whether I would have even kept up with writing fiction, to be quite honest.
The accessories, the computer, the writing table, bookmarks, the notepad are all incidental to the actual art of writing. No supercmputer can help a chetan bhagat to write like a Orhan pamuk.
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uhm.. I don’t know what to say about this. but for the last paragraph sounds like I’m agree with ya. but internet is a ton of writing and in the reality, news paper or other printed media still have a lead in targeting issue.. so keep da spirit on writing and sending him to the editors. cause is more fun when your target reader read it. ^^ cheers
I agree with Vineet above. Technology has made certain mechanistic parts of the process much, much easier. The art of writing, though, is still a magical mix of skills and intuition and inspiration, a mix that takes a lot of hard work to achieve.