I haven't written in a while because I haven't got to the point of thinking about something worthwhile to write about. While I was pondering on this, a friend of mine messaged me saying that my writing inspired her to write. This is by far the biggest compliment I have received. It's a strangely gratifying feeling. She said I was courageous to write so that people could read.
What she said got me thinking about 'good' writing. It's really tricky. There is no guarantee that what you write will be read and appreciated. According to me, an author who can capture ordinary moments and turn them into extraordinary moments just with the interplay of words has captured her/his audience. Many authors have kept me enthralled in their writing- book after book; Vikram Seth, Somerset Maugham, Daphne du Maurier, Pankaj Mishra and many more. I wonder if they had any trepiditions about writing. Or did they have this innate ability to write well. Or did they have the courage and the confidence. It's hard to say. I think that if you write for people, there is a greater chance of disappointment than if you write for yourself. You might end up disappointing yourself but that can be rectified, fortunately or hopefully.
These seemingly profound thoughts aside, I want to leave you people with a paragraph from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. After a few years of not reading, in middle school, this book catapulted me back into the fascinating world of fiction. In Rebecca, there is a description of the protagonist's first drive into Manderly and the sight of the red rhododendrons. After reading this, I thought I was in Manderley.
"There was something bewildering, even shocking about the suddenness of their discovery. The woods had not prepared me for them. They startled me with their crimson faces massed one upon the other in incredible profusion, showing no leaf no twig, nothing but the slaughterous red, luscious and fantastic, unlike any rhododendron plant I had seen before."
This post is dedicated to Catherine and all of you who have the courage to write.
1 comment:
Sharwari, I'm glad I somehow clicked on the link you had on Google chat ID and stumbled upon your blog. I think you're right on - it takes so much courage to write. I'm a real coward myself when it comes to that, actually. It's a real anxiety-provoking thing for me to pen my thoughts down... I've been thinking about why, but I don't think I've quite figured it out. It'll be interesting to talk to about it some time! Good luck with all the readings and keep writing! -Sophie
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