7 Ways of Becoming a Meaningful Writer…
I keep aspiring to be a more productive in my writing and in the process be a more meaningful writer. This aspiration of mine, keeps me in a constant state of searching and researching. It keeps me busy thinking, thinking critically and it keeps me fairly engaged in spotting what all topics I should be writing and how I should be improvising my writing.
“Writing style.”
“Writing structure.”
The more I think, the more I put my mind to real task of hard thinking, there is a derived stress and there is an equal amount of pressure of demand to produce creative stuff within a given timeline and with perfection.
“Writing is never easy.”
Ask a writer and the answer would be unanimous.
By nature writing is tough and by making the mind stressful I only make the task tougher.
Freedom of Mind
First thing I do is to free my mind and give the mind the space to wander around without any stipulation and strictures. It is the freedom of mind that is quintessential to the production of creative writing, writing that is both productive and also profound.
Reading the patterns, I decided never to set unrealistic target, though it may be against the premise of extending your potential by setting higher targets. I never try to over-estimate my potential, not that I underestimate it. I have never put myself on production line and set the machine to produce to meet the unrealistic sales targets. I have realized by doing that I am only making my mind as a machine not treating the mind that is needed for good writing.
Writing is not a mechanical process.
It is a creative process and there is fundamental difference between both the processes and the difference is in the mechanics of creativity.
Writing not for Perfection
Next thing I have learnt is that perfection in writing and formation of new ideas cannot go together. Formation of idea needs good amount of deep and wide thinking. This aspect took some time for me to understand, appreciate the subtle difference and to realize this critical distinction makes a real difference in my journey as a writer.
I kept making mistakes of striving for perfection every time I sat down to write.
“I was wrong.”
I was never able to come close to perfection in writing.
This was indeed de-motivating and constantly dragging me down. Though there is another powerful dictum which states that “practice makes us perfect” but that is quite different from getting trapped in the zone of perfection.
Perfection cannot be achieved unless we keep writing. But if we keep practicing we cannot have the space to think.
There is a dilemma.
As a writer we are delicately floating in this arena of dilemma.
Procrastination & Practice
Perfection like procrastination is an enemy to good writing.
The more we postpone our programme of writing for perfection the more we go away from writing meaningful stuff, perfection cannot be achieved unless we keep writing and writing more whether the writing is good or not good enough to read.
“There is this paradox we get into when we write.”
It is good to be in a state of contrast and in keep contesting the idea as this makes writing get nurtured and nourished. Writing needs constant practice and writing needs periodical break and writing needs a balance between the both the break and the make.
“To make good writing to happen we need to take break.”
As a writer we keep striving for perfection but it the procrastination that keeps coming on the way.
As a writer we keep entering into this zone of procrastination. We should develop our own ways to liberate from that zone of depletion and destruction.
Reading for Writing
I have learnt that writing cannot be meaningful else I keep reading. Reading as much possible and reading almost everything possible.
Just not reading few things here and there but reading many things and reading widely and reading multiple genres and reading what I have never read, reading both good writing and bad writing.
Reading subjects I had no clue.
Reading topics I am pretty familiar.
I always see the difference in my outputs when I write after good reading and when I write after a lull in reading sessions.
Reading for me is the primary instrument to create the music in my writing. I read classics to understand the essence of durability of writing. I read the contemporaries to understand the trend and taste of new generation. I read the industry research reports to understand the science behind the business and management. I read the newspaper and periodicals to understand the views and opinions that is being discussed on daily basis.
I read the blogs and I try to read the minds of readers which I haven’t able to do so and I constantly look for materials which can creatively feed my mind and quench my curiosity of what goes inside the mind of a reader.
A mystery worth exploring…the reader’s mind.
I being a reader I have put myself as the guinea pig for the experiment I keep undertaking.
Focus in Writing
I have learnt that writing needs to be in a focused area though the thoughts keep encompassing diversity. Writing is multi-faceted, writing is just not writing, writing has different personality and writing has different colors, writing has both depth and diversity, writing can be critical and also writing can be creative.
“Writing can be serious.”
“Writing can be funny.”
There is technical writing.
There is academic writing.
Writing can cover anything and everything but as writer we cannot keep exploring and experimenting every possible area.Initially true, but later we need to fix the direction our compass.
I realized that I need to channelize my thoughts and close my writing on my specific area of interest, that is on creative writing, creativity and story telling, digital technology and the phenomena of blogging that encompasses everything and provides a lifestyle that is different and keep defining my life and living around the idea of blogging.
This itself has broaden my focus. I’m trying to use a different lens to get the right focus.
Passion not Obsession
I have realized that writing is a passion and I should refrain from making it an obsession.
There is a distinct difference between being passionate and being obsessive.
It is just not the connotation but the force it carries behind it, passion is good for writing and obsession affects writing.
Developing a product is one thing and running a business around the product is another thing, as developer of product and founder of company, we at certain stage, forget to keep these two aspects apart. In the process we loose the ability to take dispassionate decisions from the product we created and the need to protect the company in eventuality of separating the product from the business model. It appears little complex but in simple terms it is all about the detachment.
Similarly, writing for a project or setting a writing target and enjoying the journey of writing should be treated as two different aspects, rather than getting obsessed with the outcomes and results from the process of writing. This has a direct bearing on the creativity of our writing.
If we make writing a mechanical process to meet the writing targets, then the very essence of writing losses it charm.
The passion shouldn’t get wedged between the obsession of meeting the targets and getting the money.
Place & Space
Finally, it is the place where I write and space that I need, when I am writing makes all the difference in my writing outputs.
I have tried to make writing independent of the place and space.
I’m yet to succeed.
As a constant business traveler. I’ve to keep my space in different places I keep visiting.
I don’t have an option, if I don’t, I will loose way and time for writing.
This is what I was constantly told to be a productive writer .
“Keep writing.”
I keep trying and I have realized that I’ve an attachment and I have a mystical relationship when I’m in the place where I write and the space I’ve designed for when I write.
I have created the creative corner in my house and I have my set of gadgets and I have my array of books.
I have the bright lighting and I have the light music.
And the rest is WRITING..
Nihar Pradhan
Creative Writer
image_credit_inspireportal.com

Like most of us I too felt trapped in the 9-5 job and close to about 40 years of it.. Money requirement aside,I simply wanted to explore the world and reach out to people who I can share my ideas with.. not on a call or a video,,as I cannot sequentially remember to connect and speak,…just do what I like… a sketch here, a painting there, and sometimes doing nothing at all…with my mind absorbing all scenic beauty sitting on the white curved beaches along the greens and browns of earth with eagles and seagulls over the sea,that I have seen in my Naval Life.But writing never occurred to me that I could partner with to console my self and communicate my inner feelings..thanks Nihar, it does look like you have given me another way to enjoy life..without any burden or pressure of office or others.. I will now keep Writing..
This is such a wonderful platform, it breaks all barriers and there is nothing called as age, gender, location as any more as constraints. This space is the best equalizer. Life is just not about work and living for others, it for also living for own self and it also playing with one’s passion and having time for engaging with beauty of nature and bounty of knowledge around. The meaningful engagement comes with creative activities like writing to painting and even learning from things that we never do so earlier in our life. This blogging platform acts a magic wand and takes you across the world and you meet so many fascinating people with such diverse interest and wide knowledge, it makes you think twice how less we know about people and lifestyle around the world. Here with this tool, just by sitting in home with the laptop to palmtop we can explore the whole world and expand your horizon of thinking.
I’m sure you will enjoy here and you will hear different voices from different part of world, and writing, sharing and exchanging ideas, thoughts and developing newer perspective makes us a better person and makes our living more enriching…looking forward to hearing more about writing and you will discover a whole new world.
Thanks so much for staying by and sharing such a lovely perspective.
Deftly put.
Shot and sweet…love the thought you left by.
amazing write up…writing process well explained! anything which is driven by creative forces cannot be forced or pushed. It’s driven by your own “systems”!
Wonderfully put it, indeed creative forces cannot be forced…Writing is mystical engagement with self, the more we venture into that space, the more we realize how little we know about ourselves and the world around us…
Creating a ecosystem around us and making it work to foster and nurture our creativity and artistic dimension of our life and living.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing nice little perspective.
take care!!!
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I loved this post. Writing is a serious business, it is not everybody’s cup of tea (while it can be through hard work).
It is a mix of many factors as you have aptly enumerated…finally, practice brings us close to perfection!
At the outset Alok thanks so much for staying by…Indeed writing is serious stuff but we need to have fun while engaging with creative activity like writing…
Writing and more writing, reading and more reading, then when we do take the break to get the creative juice refilled, we need the travel you do and the nature you explore and it makes all the difference…
Happy Travelling and Happy Blogging.
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Writing process perfectly expressed, Nihar 🙂 Writing must be primarily induced by creativity, the other important factors, we can improve them with practice. 🙂
Yes Maniparna…the heart of the matter in writing lies in the essence of creativity. And creativity is elusive and to search and discover creativity we need to change our nature, the nature to be more exploratory, little more contemplative, little more reflective and the urge to engage and share knowledge and ideas…sharing is a wonderful source of igniting and nurturing our creativity…
Once we tap the sources for creativity, we can then make writing to grow with more reading and more writing…the habit and the practice…
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Hi Nihar,
What a wonderful way to discuss creative writing! Freedom of mind and time are two essential requirements for a writer. It is only in those free hours, when we don’t have the worries and thoughts of fulfilling our responsibilities that we can direct our contemplations towards creativity…the longer the time, the better and prolific you can be.
Yes, writing can never be mechanical; there is no switch that we can flip and tell our thoughts to flow in a particular way. There are those frustrating moments when some reflections get stuck, refusing to move ahead. I usually drop them for a few days. Sometimes I never return to an unfinished piece as the inspiration gets wedged in between new musings.
No writer can claim to be perfect; so it is futile to even give any importance to this part of writing. However, there is always the possibility of embellishing our style. When we keep our expectations low, there is a greater chance of enhancing our skills and that can only be done by the best ways you have elaborated upon.
Thank you for another thought-provoking article. Keep writing and inspiring. 🙂
You have so nicely etched out the essence of articulation “contemplation towards creativity”, we need those free hours and we need that freedom of thought. I agree there are those frustrating moments where writing seems impossible, and the very next moment with one small change, everything around changes for an inspiring writing, these bouts of ups and downs in writing is no less than a Disneyland Roller-coaster ride…
Style is such a critical facet of writing, even some time the style drives the idea rather than vice versa, style is something we have developed or fallen in love with, many times it taken over us without a conscious knowledge of the same. It is reflection of our personality and our voice…Expectation is such a paradox, when we keep low, we do better and when we keep high, many times we fall flat…aspiring high is a good way to keep us striving and at the same marinating a low expectation and low profile keeps us in check…
I think we can go on exploring so many new facets on writing is that every time we analyse we have some new on table for discussion, it is perhaps the diversity and depth that is hidden in the web of writing that makes us glued and keeps us on the hunt…
Thanks so much for your critical insights and such wonderful analysis…
Have a lovely evening ahead.
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Wishing you every success in your writing endeavors Nihar. Although my writing is only for short blog posts I have found that just writing and not trying to make it perfect has made a big difference in allowing for freedom of thought and flowing of ideas. Like taking off the straight jacket of perfection.
Thanks Sue. Writing cannot evolve unless we write we experience and what we do and how we do, your adventure and travel are the nuggets of wonderful writing…it is not always academic in nature, writing is about experience and about expression of our passion and it could anything…
I can resonate your thought how writing has made a difference to our engagement with life…
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I write to feel time:)
Indeed writing is a wonderful way to get meaningfully engaged…thanks for staying by.
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Hi Nihar, you have perfectly encapsulated all the points in this write up. Writing can never be a mechanical process yet with practice one can get into the habit of writing more or less regularly. Blogging demands that we post at regular intervals, however this can lead to the passion for writing to border around obsession. So deciding upon the break that we need in between making interesting stuff is also crucial…and finally place plays a very important role in the creation process. Though I conceive ideas at any place but words flow out mostly when I am at my writing desk. 🙂
Yes Somali, there is dilemma between writing and blogging. There is a thin line between writing and blogging and with every passing day, I feel it is blurring…is writing going to merge with the technology of blogging. Sometime it is confusing are we writing or are we blogging, writing for passion or blogging for schedule and adherence to blogging frequency. Are we making it mechanical? Something back of the mind is constantly bothering us how much to write and how much enjoying the process of writing…it needs the break and by being hooked to timeline we making us to be a forced writer rather than a writer enjoying the freedom to engaging with his thoughts and allow the ideas to gradually fructify…
Yes, we keep getting the ideas at different places and it is only when sit at our desk it starts taking the shape…
Thanks so much Somali for igniting a new perspective.
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The essence of blogging and the bounty of rewards that it brings along is so very well captured in this post Nihar and I feel enriched with such a brilliant portrayal of ideas that so effortlessly flows out of your mind … the rich experience envisaged here is indeed like manna from heaven…beautiful!
At the outset thanks so much Sunita for such praise and wonderful words of appreciation…I am truly humbled.
We all feel the same as writer and it is a feeling so nice when we connect and relate the diverse thoughts…writing is magical self discovery process and we get immersed and it creates a path to connect with our soul…
Blogging as a technology platform has given wings to the fire of imagination that was getting stifled within the boundaries of conventional writing…indeed it is a liberation mind and thoughts…
Have a lovely week ahead…
Always a pleasure to read your comments.
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Such a great post on writing, Nihar. I like how you compared the phrase ‘practise is perfect’ and the fact that none of us are perfect. How ironic. One on hand, grammar follows a convention yet each story doesn’t need to have the same ending. How funny is that with writing. It is so true that some of us treat our mines like a machine. While this may encourage us to work until we actually get work and writing done, on the other hand it may drive us to exhaustion. With art, it’s important to step back every now and then to appreciate what we have around us and get inspired again.
Also love how you fleshed out passion versus obsession. There is a fine line between the two. I think that when what we do stops being fun, it is time to stop and take a breather. Passion, it’s something that has to come from the heart for us to create art 😀
I fully agree with you Mabel, when we do something beyond our limit and that we don’t care, we stress ourselves and when we do something beyond our limit and that we care we call it our passion and we fall in love doing that and doing beyond what is perceived we are capable of.
Right said so any art form like writing needs break, needs appreciation and needs an engagement that is not just routine but is meaningful.
As somebody has said that there are just seven type of plot to story and rest other is our own voice which is different which depicts a new facet to those seven flavors. Yes, grammar follows a convention yet each stories are different…
Indeed life itself is a paradox and when it comes to art and writing, it has its own reflection…
We can have an unending debate on writing and our life history and flirtation with the art of form of writing…it is indeed intriguing and inspiring.
Lovely to see you back after a fairly long gap by your standard. Always a pleasure sharing thoughts and exchanging ideas with you.
Have a great week ahead.
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Doing something beyond our limit isn’t only stressful, but in the worse case scenario we might walk away from our passion altogether. We know might be good at it, but because we don’t know how to manage our time, we can’t become meaningful writers and artists.
Voice is something that is unique to each of us, and I reckon that is what carries a good piece of writing and art. When our voice comes through, that’s what usually engages our audience.
Always good to chat on here. Always do it when I am feeling good…hence all the good ideas all round 😀
I fully agree Mabel, though writers and artists are creative people and they generally lack the control on time, but to be successful and achieve bigger heights it is important to be able manage time and have discipline in our working and our activities that we keep engaging.
We all have our own unique voice and we should preserve it and there is an art in nurturing it, it is our unique voice that others like it and fall in love in due course and that is our identify…
Yes, it such a lovely feeling to be able to share and learn so much due our conversations and we are able to do so consistently is mark of quality and the passion we have for the topic we keep discussing.
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Manage time and discipline. You hit the nail on the head there, Nihar. To be a meaningful writer and produce meaningful works of art, we have to be focused and more importantly absorbed in our craft.
Our own voice is often hard to find, but I think that comes with practise. The more we practise our craft, the more we find what we want to say.
Yes Mabel, every art has an angle of craft, and the craftiness comes with practice and dedication. The focus indeed is the essential element in the journey of being a meaningful writer…
We keep hearing the noise outside but don’t recognize the voice within…
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This is a tad late, but still, congratulations on your new abode in the virtual world. It’s good to finally visit your site. It’s even more beautiful now. Looking forward to many more insightful articles to read. 🙂
PS I seem to have posted this comment wrongly on your other blog. Kindly disregard my ramblings there. Haha. 🙂
Mitch, not at all a problem, love to hear from you and thanks so much sharing your as usual lovely perspective and such warm words of appreciation.
Writing has made me think so much and has made my life tad more beautiful, and discussing on writing makes me feel better and with friends like you with such insightful thoughts makes the conversations more exciting…
Have a great week ahead.
take care.
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Your writing dear Nihar in what ever ‘space’ you find within your busy working schedule is always full of meaning. I suppose I am one of those bloggers that really never gives the structure of my writing that much attention.. For many years I found myself speaking in public.. and I guess from standing and giving my thoughts within the spiritual venues I would visit.. I knew to keep my talks to no more than 8 to 10 minutes and make sure the content was interesting with a theme of a beginning middle and end connecting the start of the theme back at the end.. 🙂
I suppose for me I do a little of that within my own writing..
And I am still amazed that writers such as your good self find what I have to say interesting.. 🙂 So your point about exploring and experimenting is still on going for me.. 🙂 as even though I have had a blog since 2007 I fell into it by accident..( although I am a great believer there are no accidents in life lol)
And your advice about it being a Passion and becoming an Obsession.. are spot on.. And yes its for this reason I withdraw often to renew other passions and come back to my writing refreshed.. 🙂 as we have discussed before..
Again I thank you for your most interesting and meaningful post Nihar..
Blessings for a wonderful week
Sue
Yes Sue, I fully endorse you view on the free flow of thoughts and the structure and style becomes little secondary in the expression. Blogging and writing has a bearing on our ability on reading and speaking, there is a rub off effect between these aspects. When we speak in public and come back write, we see so many aspects while engaging in writing. As you have been a speaker, it reflects in the flow of thoughts that you put across in every post of yours.
It is long time and you will be completing a decade and such wonderful achievement in the journey of blogging. One of the key aspects in blogging is consistency which many young generation who taking blogging as a mode of expression and engagement are missing their assumptions and trying to have a flirtation with this platform and that may not fetch the dividends which this platform brings with it…it indeed needs time and space to nurture.
And once we are into it, we don’t realize when our passion becomes an obsession and obsession beyond a point effects our creativity and our ability to think differently and think cogently, we need those smaller breaks to get us on course and get our work in place that connects with others and more importantly we are able to connect with our own self.
Writing is truly an engagement of constant exploration and self-discovery.
take care Sue.
Have a wonderful day ahead.
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