NeoBluePanther

Writing, Among Other Things

Category: Writing (Page 6 of 19)

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.

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The Arthur Conan Doyle Fallacy!

December 25, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Most people today know who Arthur Conan Doyle was, even if they have not read any of his works. In Sherlock Holmes, he created one of the most celebrated fictional detectives of all time. Sherlock Holmes had become so famous that when, in 1893, A C Doyle killed the character of Sherlock Holmes, the Strand Magazine – which printed the Sherlock Holmes stories – lost thousands of subscribers.

One may, therefore, wonder, why did A C Doyle kill Sherlock Holmes –  the character that won him a place in the hearts of millions of people across the boundaries of space and time.

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Are Rules for Fools?

December 13, 2010 / / 1 Comment

Look around you, and you are sure to find people who are breaking rules all the time, and, what is more, they are getting away with it. They are not just getting away with it, but are even appreciated for breaking the rules. Doesn’t that make you want to break some rules too?

When we see so many successful people around us happily breaking rules, we begin to think that rules are for fools, don’t we?

Writing is no different. Many famous authors are known for flirting with the rules; they live their writing lives on the brink – bending one rule, and breaking another. Not surprisingly, we think, “ If he could break the rule and get away with it, why can’t I?”

A few years back, I used to think on the same lines. I thought that the writing rules did not apply to me. All I had to do was convey my meaning. But rules, as much as we would like to believe otherwise, are not for fools.

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Write, to be Read!

December 4, 2010 / / 3 Comments

When I started writing, I strongly believed that I was writing only for myself. I thought that it did not matter if anyone read what I wrote – as long as I continued to write. Naturally, for a long time, I was the only one reading what I wrote. But, I didn’t care.

Then, one day, I was in conversation with another writer who asked me a simple question: If I was writing only for myself, why was I even writing?

What he meant was that writing is essentially a way to communicate – a way to make others see what you see, and how you see it. If you are going to be the only one to read what you have written, then you need not write at all.

I realised, then, that I wanted to write because I wanted to be READ… and when I said, I did not care if anyone was reading what I wrote, I was wrong.

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Do You Believe in Yourself?

November 24, 2010 / / 7 Comments

Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right. – Henry Ford.

One thing without which it is impossible to achieve anything is a belief that the thing can be done. If you start with the premise that what you are about to do is something you can’t do, the possibility that you will be able to do the thing is quite low, if not zero.

For most people, belief in one’s ability springs from the things they have done in the past. But if you are aiming to do something that you have never done in the past, it is hard to believe that you will be able to do the thing. Without this belief, the chances of achieving your goals dwindle.

It thus becomes a vicious circle, which needs to be broken.

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