My journey as a writer
has been quite long, starting with short stories and features for several years
before I plunged into writing my books. I have learnt several things in this
journey which I would like to share with you all.
1. Writing has taught me patience. Patience is not one of my better
known virtues. The time it takes to write a book: from the idea to the
completed manuscript, revised and polished, until it shines, is long. Sometimes it
takes ages to write that crucial scene or arrive at the resolution.
2. Writing has taught me to respect people with split personalities
as my personality undergoes a drastic change at different stages of my
writing. When I am writing the first draft, I am quite stressed and irritable
with the smallest disturbances. When I rewrite, I am pretty upset with myself,
and when I edit, I am relaxed and cheerful.
3.
Writing has made me value other writer’s efforts. I never dismiss
a book as crap or run a writer down, as I am aware of the effort someone else
must have invested in that story. The book may have bored me to tears, disappointed
me, but it still required a tremendous effort from someone else to bring it to
that stage.
4.
Writing has made me appreciate the little free time I get. For
us writers, our work doesn’t end with just writing a publishable book, it
starts with that. Once we have jumped onto the publishing bandwagon, we have to
actively market our books. At that point we realize that the day could have
done with a few more hours.
5.
Writing has made me realize that if I were to wait for a visit
from my muse, I would probably write just a book or two in my lifetime. It’s made
me realize that whether my muse joins me or not I have to keep writing.
6.
Writing has been responsible for me developing a thick skin. An
editor/agent/reader/publisher may not have reacted favourably to my work, but
that doesn’t necessarily mean that I am a bad writer, or, that I have to drown
myself in self-pity. For every single person out there who doesn’t like my
work, there is another person who loves it. Not every book we write will win universal
appeal.
7.
Writing has taught me a lot about spirituality. We writers
get familiar with every aspect of spirituality: from surrender to working
without any expectation. We don’t even know whether our books will get
published. Do we know the fate of our manuscripts when we send it on its
publishing journey? Do we know whether a character we have worked on for years
will be loved or dismissed by readers? Each cheque we receive is a
pleasant surprise.
What has your writing journey taught you? Please share with us, we
all would love to know.
P.S. I am reposting one of my older posts as the week slipped past swiftly and I had no topic in mind.
P.S. I am reposting one of my older posts as the week slipped past swiftly and I had no topic in mind.