A lot of people I meet want to be writers. When I tell them that I write for IUeMag (and have a series of books I’m working on), most of them sigh and wish they could write as well as I can (their words, not mine); some of them ask me if the magazine has any opportunities for budding writers; and a handful of them act on writing articles that will pass through the editorial board’s check.

I thoroughly understand their interest or passion for writing, considering that I share that passion of theirs. Today I address all my fellow folks who share an interest in writing, whether be it blogs or articles or books through this article; it is those folks I call upon. It is not that an avid reader shouldn’t read any further, you most definitely can- but be sure to pass this article on to those around you, who have that desire to write- either for themselves, or to publish.

Writing. Where do I begin?

It is a route that helps you discover yourself -it reveals things about you that you didn’t know yourself in the first place. Don’t ask me HOW, just write and you will see. If you want your readers to shed tears of joy while they read your article, you have to cry those tears first, while you write your article. If you want your readers to be overwhelmed, you should allow yourself to feel overwhelmed first -when you are writing that piece. It could be a paragraph, a story or just a single line of stark truth that will be the undoing of your readers, but for that; you have to first be undone, there is really no other way.

There comes a point where every writer has to reveal something about himself/herself (even Jo of the eponymous Harry Potter series accepts that Ron and Hermione don’t make a great couple but she brought them due to a personal reason), and as long as privacy is not being taken away, it shouldn’t be shied away from. Every story will inevitably have the personal stamp of the author’s personality traits -some unknowingly having crept in, some consciously added, and some consciously removed. And that is really the beauty of it, every story that you write, every paragraph that you modify is a clear reflection of certain traits!

A reader may not see you for you, but with time, you begin to see who you are more clearly. This is perhaps the biggest gift you can give to yourself, for writing is something that you can do in the comfort of your homes, unlike other arduous means of finding yourself  - like climbing the Himalayas, or going on long retreats and suchlike, which will demand more out of you than writing ever will. But wait! I definitely don’t mean writing is easy. If you think it will never demand anything of you, and it will present to you a reflection in the mirror, you couldn’t be more wrong. It certainly demands certain things; chief among them is the ability to be true to yourself. So the next time you feel like writing, get the pen and paper (or laptop), and get HONEST.  Thesaurus may help you beautify your language a bit, but the words that you use first are the best set of words to use in any writing piece. The story you want to tell the whole world is only and only with YOU. Don’t look yonder, look within!