The Writing Meme

So Shefaly has tagged me to a meme on Writing. She is such a pleasure, so informative, inspiring, vivacious yet terse and her introduction to me was so humbling that after much procrastination I decided that I must write something on things I know nothing about.
I, of course, know nothing of grammar and have been recently told that I think, speak and write emails in extremely contorted ways. That leaves me without a choice. I can just speak of what makes me write.

Good writing comes easily from the heart, from deeply held beliefs and inner faith. We have all been storytellers by birth, probably the reason we mimicked birds, insects and gurgling streams to make music and made noises and words to tell our stories to each other.

Good writing also comes from a wish to be inclusive. Inclusion may come from sensitivity for the reader, openness to listen or mere sharing. Inclusion grows from reading. I am incomplete without you---seems to be at the base.

Good writing is like the perfect recipe for ‘dum-pukht’ (There I go again. I can’t live without thinking of gastronomies!). Too much or too little of spicing or heat spoils any good intention. I think wit is a primary spice in the recipe for writing.

Writing is also about honesty, genuinity (yes, the OED lists that word) and standing up for what the writer thinks is just.

Writing is about subtlety. Tagore had defined short stories with “shesh hoye hoilo na shesh” which loosely translated means something that never ends. A lot of times my word processor just stops because I see the ending is bleak and blunt. The glinting sharpness is the most difficult thing for me and that is what I seek.
“You ought to say what you do not
And say not what you do”……is what I say!

Writing, for me, is also saying what I feel like in the security of my room. It isn’t easy to stand up to an audience, look into their eyes, speak and dodge slippers and rotten eggs! I am lighter and brighter when am writing than when am speaking to my audience.

Writing like anything else is also about practice and habit. Sharpening the saw goes a long way in producing better work.

If you think this is getting too airy then I have some very ‘wordy’ opinion too.

I hate usage of profanity for the sake of an impact.
I hate the new age text message words— I wish I could ban all the ‘u’, ‘gud’, ’luv’, ‘wen’, ’wat’ and what-nots from the world. They distress me, hassle me and make me stop any conversation right then.
I wish most people learnt that we may ‘lose’ the key if we get too drunk but the knot can get loose even in a state of sobriety!
Also, we don’t reply or revert ‘back’ we just ‘re-vert’ if you may!
‘e.g.,’ is exempli gratia—for example and is always followed by a comma. I have thrown documents and trashed emails, at times, which have graciously mentioned ‘for e.g.’

That list is endless and now that you know that am not a kind receiver of messages,I’d rather stick to my comfort zone and stop saying things I know nothing about!

But there is an additional mandate, that of tagging which I have usually never done but let me give it a try....I'd tag the following bloggers onto this Writing Meme

Little Indian because he is no "Big Chief" and, especially, because he warns us that he is not a writer in any form, has never been and will never be. His crusades are alluring.

Niladri because of his child-like enthusiasm, sharpness,knowledge and passion.

Ideasmithy because I can't contain her in words and I truly believe that soon she will bring a revolution in literature, new -age beliefs and styles of expression.

Dreamcatcher because very few write straight from the heart like she does. Wow!