Recently, I
visited the Tata lit fest. There were a bunch of accomplished writers who spoke
on a topic that aroused a lot of curiosity in me. “When the ink runs dry!” We experience that don’t we? When there
ain’t no inspiration to write about and nothing more to share…we keep staring
at the blank document. Ask me! It is the most awful feeling a writer can have!
But, something even more awful and frustrating is when the ink, literally runs
dry!
When you are
looking for a paper to scribble your amazing idea, that beautiful poem, and you
don’t find it! And what if your pen’s ink dries up! What do you do?
We writers
prefer jotting down the ideas that we get for our next venture quickly, so that
it doesn’t slip our mind. We write it
down on a sheet of paper. Quickly! Just a few words or sentences that may later
remind us to write about it…but then there are times, when we aren’t able to.
Even the phone battery runs out so
you have no choice but to press it hard on your mind, and then wait for the
time to come…the time when you have your resources in place and can pen down or
rather type what you had felt. But until that moment comes, when you have the
laptop in front of you, and finally you can write, there is a phase of
helplessness, and frustration. If you don’t have anything to write, it’s
bearable to wait for ideas and inspirations to come to you…but when there are
emotions and feelings vigorously trying to get out on paper, and you aren’t
able to write is the point when you feel hopeless.
You feel as
if you have a laptop but absolutely no electricity at home to make it work…that
feeling cannot be compensated…that is one such sensation that makes you feel
lonely! I had it quite a few time…especially when I am out or writing on
paper…I try with at least five to six pens before I actually get one that lasts
for 30 seconds...
And by the
time I get my pen, or the laptop I have lost the inspiration. I have actually
lost the essence of what I wanted to write. It’s like having billions but not
having a single desire….it’s like having lots of chefs and food but no hunger…it’s
a feeling I seldom get, as I earlier said, but when I get it, it is painful!
All I can
say, while I convince you and myself, is that ideas come and go…if a story is
supposed to be told, it will be…if an idea has to be shown to the people out
there, it will be.
So, my friend, there’s not much to
actually worry when the ink, literally runs dry! Nevertheless, from Paulo
Coelho, this will sound like words of wisdom, but from me you would want to
know why you should go forth and continue reading my post.
1) If it has to be told, it will be: That’s what I said, and that’s what I believe. Sometimes,
it is hard to convince my own self! Sometimes I need to give sermons and
pep-talks to myself: “Come on bro cheer
up! It was just an idea…” “Hey you,
sulking over a story about an old circus joker???” “That was just one of those billion muses you got!” and then the
other side of me says, “Something so
interesting has gone!”
It’s up to me which side I listen to…if I go by the first side’s advice,
I move on with something else, something new, something different…I wait for
that thing to come back to me, which may be never…but I don’t stop hoping…and
definitely not blogging…but if I go by the second one’s instruction, I regret
for having forgotten the master piece that could translate the lives of
millions…Really???
Curse myself and strain my memory to recollect what that thing was!!! I forget
for a short span of time that before a writer, blogger, or anything else I am a
human being, who ought to live his life to the fullest.
It is worthwhile to
translate life experiences into books, articles or posts; nevertheless I find
it a futile process to continuously focus on writing, or for that matter on any
“ONE” thing!!! Although, getting an idea or thought process on paper is a skill
that many have and many crave for, I need to remember that there doesn’t exist
just one thing in this world that we are supposed to give all our time and
energy to…but it’s always my choice…
2) I love to write and express myself…I
feel that blogging, especially has benefitted me to show the world what I have
and what I am! It helps me create and maintain an identity. But when I feel
that this is the time I need to write something, I do not want to create an
idea. I prefer getting those new topics from around me…I prefer stumbling upon
something to write about rather than writing about something I gave tonnes of
thought about!
It ruins the essence and I feel dishonest. To myself! If I am given a
topic to write about, I feel that I am in a better situation. But if I have to
build something on my own-from the foundation, without a format, I seem to not
go beyond a paragraph or so! Sometimes, even the subject of
matter that I am given to write about seem to not hold my fancy…there I feel
the Indispire on IndiBlogger is really helpful for those who are stuck and not
getting ideas.
3) One thing that I feel, is if I get
something to write about from my surroundings, I sometimes hope that the ink
runs dry... oft, it so happens that I type a word or so that can remind me
later of the subject. But the problem that occurs is that when I do so, I tend
to lose the core and how I had actually related that idea. In other words, I
actually forget what I had meant to write about.
I remember the key points, major topic of
discussion but what I lose is the soul of what I had wanted to write. That in
turn fills me with even more disappointment, regret and pain that is contrary
to that feeling I get when I complete writing a post. That feeling of
accomplishment when you get after completing something is replaced by a sensation
of incompletion!!! So, I try and write a bit. The beginning...This lets me know
whether this thing is going to go ahead and if I can finish the entire
article!!!
4) Unfortunately, I can’t recommend you
any sites where you get ink for your dry pen!!!
Please let me know how
you cope with the feeling I discussed…I am sure as writers you might be getting
these. Not just writing but if you develop games, write scripts or do something
that requires you to innovate continuously! The comment box is all yours…
honestly written by: Shahen Pardiwala
thank you Dad (Nozzer Pardiwala) for the amazing photograph!)
©Shahen Pardiwala. All Rights Reserved.
.jpg "Aspi Patel")
