I write about anything from stories to sorcery, to journalism, to healthcare, to critical analysis, to poetry, to mysticism, and more.
Today, I want to write on writings. So let me start with this explication that literary forums are not battlefields where one can pitch lunatics by proxy against his opponents. Writers are not Wranglers.
And there is no word like old and young in literary connotation; a writer is a writer. In literature words carry the cultural and emotional association, so instead of old and young, we use seniors and juniors, and instead of physical vigour and stamina, a writer is gauged by experience and maturity. There is no bar for a stupid to write, that is perhaps, the reason writings lack the good sense these days?
It seems most of our writers want now to portray themselves vocabulary nuts. They just confuse the reader using “big words”. That all manifests frustration of a writer. Good writing is simple if not simplistic. Using byzantine complexity in the writing is deemed failure of a writer. A critic has beautifully placed it that: “Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. So think what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible.”
Writers are watchers but many of them play a progressive role in the reform of society. Great writers vividly portray the picture of society through their works and pinpoint subtly the ills of it. Kashmir produced some great writers who influenced not only the generation of their times but their writings inspire the generation of today as well.
It is a big tragedy that if anyone gives an injection to our child we make it sure that the man giving it is professionally qualified, trained and licensed but the people administering injections to the veins of the nation through their writings/pens are not verified whether they are competent to do it or not! That’s necessary in order to safeguard the interests of the nation.
A writer or journalist should be reasonably aware of his role and responsibilities. He is needed to not have only communication skills but a commitment to serve the public interests and should know his obligations. Everything is not envisaged in the law so a writer or a journalist should also be conscious of ethical responsibilities. Writing should be balanced with responsibility and it should not promote, violence, racism, immodesty and immorality in the society. A writer and a journalist should also be conscious of the implications of his reporting and stories. But ironically, that’s not happening.
There are writers who are least bothered about the fallout of the word they circulate, while there are journalists who even refuse to give any space to a genuine reporting because they have subordinated the media to their own vested interests in spite of big claims to be impartial and represent the voice of people. Generally, a report of a genuine cause or case by journalists is diluted by countering it with the opinion of default.
Everyone is capable of producing good writing provided he or she knows how to write and what to write taking the niceties and delicacies of writing into account. English is not our native language but a learned one, so there remains a possibility of errors, flaws and mistakes.
In writing, both content and usage of words matter. Rich content is valued. It should be thoughtful and profound. Words too matter, and it is the style that makes your writing the best. Best writers anticipate the inquisitiveness of reader thus serves them with requisite answers. Such attempts make sense of writing. That is why the experts of this art say that good writer are natural sceptics regarding their work.
Among the people who are fond of short stories more are interested in symbolism because they derive pleasure in looking for hidden meaning in a story. Such stories offer them a delight. That is the best short where a writer is capable to weave it in multi-layers and leave it the reader to discover something new each time; that makes a story thrilling.
It needs more craft and skill to weave a story in symbolism and meaningful ambiguity. Ambiguity is not obscurity. There is a lot of difference between ambiguity and obscurity. Ambiguity gives dimensions and shades to a story while obscurity generates confusion. A critic should be well versed to distinguish between ambiguity and obscurity, symbolism and allegory. Symbolism is the broad category and allegory is limited. In literature, symbols have a wide range of meanings and interpretations while an allegory is more specific and limited.
Conflict is the bedrock on which rests the edifice of a short story. But to create a conflict, it needs a great craft to make it a ‘rising conflict’. ‘Static conflict’ or ‘jumping conflict’ jeopardises the character and nature of a story. Beating around the bush with unnecessarily descriptive phrases and long dialogues make a story uninteresting. Instead, a writer should offer a wonderful articulacy in his work, and an imaginative piece to read that sticks with the reader long after he finishes it!
There are people among the literary circles who take some else’s work or ideas and present them as their own. In literature, it is termed plagiarism. Critics place this practice or “stealing” in four types:
Direct Plagiarism
Self Plagiarism
Mosaic Plagiarism
Accidental Plagiarism
Plagiarism is deemed a serious academic offence. Anyone involved in such a practice jeopardizes the academic culture. But coincidence is not plagiarism.
I have written a short story titled “Conflict Between The Creator And The Created”. Actually, it was my Kashmiri Radio play which was long back broadcast from Radio Kashmir, Srinagar (Produced by Nisar Nasim Sahib). When my son read this story, he told me of his faint idea he could recollect that a TV play resembled the same theme he watched in his childhood, although to a very little extent. I know the theme of my story is purely my own. It is my imagination and I’m its creator. So I told my son, that was not plagiarism, just a coincidence.
It is possible that by coincidence two persons write on the same theme without knowing it. However, treatments and style will be definitely quite different because everyone has his own distinction. The world is filled with astonishing coincidences that defy explanation. My son told me that readers might think you’ve deliberately taken the idea of someone else’s story, inviting ridicule, it doesn’t matter that you have never even heard of a similar story, no one else knows that. I don’t plagiarize. It hurts my pride to copy off of someone else’s work. So what I write is mine.
Yes, at times (though very rarely) I ‘pick up’ some word or even a sentence from somebody’s work and with some amendment/amendments put it in my write-up. After all, no one has a copyright of ‘word stock’?
I would love if anyone writes about the difference between plagiarism, copyright, coincidence and pilferage? I am curious to know.
More often, writers are posed a question as to why do they write?
In this behalf, every writer gives his own explanation. Everyone has his own idea or justification on this account. Some are of the view that they leave their stories for future generations to read while some say they like to communicate what they do think and what did they realise? Many writers hold the opinion that they write to share their thoughts, educate and influence others. In most of the cases, writers feel it are their emotions, feelings, thoughts which compel them to express. Some writers, who are fond of writing on ethical and reformatory subjects, claim writing a chance for them to improve lives and relationships. But there is a generally accepted opinion and agreement of almost all the writers that writing is a great outlet of expression. Ideas force them to pen their feelings and keep them nagging until they get them down. Many writers even link their survival with their writing and assert they could not survive if they do not write and the fondness of this art is inherent in them and intrinsic to their identity.
There are many more factors, elements and circumstances which makes a writer to write. Different people write for different considerations. There are writers who write just for money and livelihood. There are writers who write because of pleasure and passion. Curiosity and fame, too, contribute to the writing. Some writers say they write to entertain people and claim if their writing entertains a reader their obligation as a writer is discharged. In a nutshell, writing is an expression so a writer writes to express himself or herself.
Nazir Jahangir is a freelance writer and columnist
