I don't remember from when I started to think of stories in my mind. The first one I remember is probably from when I was around five years old. It was a story about a violet fairy. I don't remember anything else, but I think it was that time when I really loved fairies. I also loved to think of how a little fairy can choose one color and get everything in that color. Then there was a phase when I loved to imagine stories about my stuffed animals. All of them are still a huge favorite of mine. I simply LOVE them! They lived somewhere far off in little toy towns (heavily inspired by Enid Blyton's Noddy) and I still remember where they studied, what language they spoke, the name of their town, who was whose sibling, everything in details. My mom just told me yesterday that she found a card given to me on my seventh birthday by all my stuffed animal buddies.
From around fifth grade, I became a book worm and started to read a LOT! People who love to write are those ones who invariably love to read. It is the love of reading that slowly sends us on the track of trying our hand at creating something new. In my pre-teen years I was also slowly getting exposed to science fictions, adventure stories, and my all time favorite detective stories. That is when I got a little bold and started to write adventure stories. Sometimes those would be in the outer space, whereas at others it maybe in the ocean or on a deserted island. My problem is that my mind is way ahead of my hand, that is I can think of many ideas, but then I can't really string them together as a story. Either I put too much details, or I jump from one incident to another without a proper pace. The same thing continued in my early teenage when I fell under the influence of Saradindu Bandopadhyay and his historical fictions. They are the most romantic stories I have ever read (probably the most romantic ones in the history of Bengali language) and when the heart starts to blossom in early teenage, my dreams were full of Arjunbarma, Chitrak, Bigrahapala, those brave princes and the bold and beautiful princesses - Vidyunmala, Sumitra, and the like. Even today I am still under that spell. I read some of my old half written stories while I was in Calcutta earlier this year, and I found that all the historical stories I ever attempted (all unfinished) were so heavily influenced by Saradindu that it probably falls under the category of plagiarism. In my defense, I would use Apu's idea from Pather Panchali and say that who has ever been able to light a torch by sticking it in the ashes? You need fire to light a fire. Saradindu definitely has imbibed in me an urge to create. How I would do that, I have no clue though!
There is another person who has showed us that you need to be responsible and thorough when you are writing. That person is Satyajit Ray. I spend so much time thinking about details, that I have lost my mood for writing often. Firstly, the names of the characters need to be figured out. Unless that is done, I can't think of how the characters would be. Then, where they live have to be thought and imagined. If they work, or study, then their ages must be calculated properly. Details about their jobs, or ranks have to be researched. I can't just call someone a Commander-in-chief without knowing what ranks his battalion has. I can't write a conversation between two law students if I don't know anything about the subject. Characters have to look real, and incidents have to be correct. It isn't easy. The most difficult sort of story is a detective one. It has to make sense, the clarification must sort all the points, and it must be realistic. For example, if a person murders someone, there has to be a pressing reason for it. You can't just say something vague like "oh that's because she hated him." You need to reveal enough details for the reader to be interested in the plot, but not give away the main things which would make the detective come and use his/her mind. With science fiction and detective stories, you have to be very detail oriented and clear all the points of the story. I have read some really bad detective stories and bad science fictions too, which have showed me what not to do.
I write for myself. I have probably given people six stories to read in total, and they are not the same people. I am my most severe critic, so if I like something then that is probably the best I have created to my potential. But, so far there has been no story that I've written which I like. When I read them again, I definitely feel like editing them. Either there are too much details, or the conversations sound unreal. There is also a problem about language. Should I write in Bengali, or in English? There is one story I am writing now which is set in early twentieth century Bengal. That one can be easily written in Bengali. But for most of my stories there are conversations in mixed languages, and then it becomes difficult to choose the main language for the story.
Being an ENFJ, I value human relationships a lot. That reflects in my stories. In most cases, the main protagonists are women with strong personalities. They may be love stories, or not, but those characters are very confident in their own abilities and in their lives, even in the face of difficulties. I am also very much mood driven. I started writing a story while I was in Calcutta, but after coming back to Seattle, I just can't think along the same lines, so that story is sitting unfinished. A certain thought would come and hang around for a few days. If I don't write it down fast, I'd lose it. I get to imagine the scenes like watching a movie, and I see them right in front of my eyes, then I write them down. Now, I am focusing more on being disciplined and finishing what I have started to write, unlike what I did in my teens.
We have a very little part of our general human lives that are in our control, but when we are writing stories, then we can plan and do everything that we like. We can live a million lives through our characters, we can experience joys and sorrows spanning over space and time. Writing gives us immense power and empowers us with the joy of Creation.
From around fifth grade, I became a book worm and started to read a LOT! People who love to write are those ones who invariably love to read. It is the love of reading that slowly sends us on the track of trying our hand at creating something new. In my pre-teen years I was also slowly getting exposed to science fictions, adventure stories, and my all time favorite detective stories. That is when I got a little bold and started to write adventure stories. Sometimes those would be in the outer space, whereas at others it maybe in the ocean or on a deserted island. My problem is that my mind is way ahead of my hand, that is I can think of many ideas, but then I can't really string them together as a story. Either I put too much details, or I jump from one incident to another without a proper pace. The same thing continued in my early teenage when I fell under the influence of Saradindu Bandopadhyay and his historical fictions. They are the most romantic stories I have ever read (probably the most romantic ones in the history of Bengali language) and when the heart starts to blossom in early teenage, my dreams were full of Arjunbarma, Chitrak, Bigrahapala, those brave princes and the bold and beautiful princesses - Vidyunmala, Sumitra, and the like. Even today I am still under that spell. I read some of my old half written stories while I was in Calcutta earlier this year, and I found that all the historical stories I ever attempted (all unfinished) were so heavily influenced by Saradindu that it probably falls under the category of plagiarism. In my defense, I would use Apu's idea from Pather Panchali and say that who has ever been able to light a torch by sticking it in the ashes? You need fire to light a fire. Saradindu definitely has imbibed in me an urge to create. How I would do that, I have no clue though!
There is another person who has showed us that you need to be responsible and thorough when you are writing. That person is Satyajit Ray. I spend so much time thinking about details, that I have lost my mood for writing often. Firstly, the names of the characters need to be figured out. Unless that is done, I can't think of how the characters would be. Then, where they live have to be thought and imagined. If they work, or study, then their ages must be calculated properly. Details about their jobs, or ranks have to be researched. I can't just call someone a Commander-in-chief without knowing what ranks his battalion has. I can't write a conversation between two law students if I don't know anything about the subject. Characters have to look real, and incidents have to be correct. It isn't easy. The most difficult sort of story is a detective one. It has to make sense, the clarification must sort all the points, and it must be realistic. For example, if a person murders someone, there has to be a pressing reason for it. You can't just say something vague like "oh that's because she hated him." You need to reveal enough details for the reader to be interested in the plot, but not give away the main things which would make the detective come and use his/her mind. With science fiction and detective stories, you have to be very detail oriented and clear all the points of the story. I have read some really bad detective stories and bad science fictions too, which have showed me what not to do.
I write for myself. I have probably given people six stories to read in total, and they are not the same people. I am my most severe critic, so if I like something then that is probably the best I have created to my potential. But, so far there has been no story that I've written which I like. When I read them again, I definitely feel like editing them. Either there are too much details, or the conversations sound unreal. There is also a problem about language. Should I write in Bengali, or in English? There is one story I am writing now which is set in early twentieth century Bengal. That one can be easily written in Bengali. But for most of my stories there are conversations in mixed languages, and then it becomes difficult to choose the main language for the story.
We have a very little part of our general human lives that are in our control, but when we are writing stories, then we can plan and do everything that we like. We can live a million lives through our characters, we can experience joys and sorrows spanning over space and time. Writing gives us immense power and empowers us with the joy of Creation.
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