Problems of writing

“How do people write?” was a question that bothered me for many years. Whenever I read a new or old book, the question came to my mind. Once I asked a leading writer how he wrote.

“I simply take pen and paper and start writing.” But I was not convinced. Then I asked a budding writer how she wrote. “First I browse the Internet to get a kickstart and then write my own piece.”

What about a person who has no access to websites or a well-equipped library? How does he get ideas to write? What is more, in order to write something on your own, is it really necessary to have crutches like websites or books written by others? These questions remained unanswered for many decades. However, I grew more and more curious to find out how others wrote prose and poetry.

People are so different, I thought, that they must be having different methods of writing. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, musician and botanist was one of the most eloquent writers of the age of enlightenment.

As a philosopher he put forward the view that science, art and social institutions have corrupted mankind. He believed that the primitive state is morally superior to the civilized state. What is strange is that Rousseau could not compose with pen in hand.

For William Wordsworth (1770-1850), the most influential romantic poet of England, who created a new tradition in poetry, God was everywhere manifest in the harmony of nature.

He did his writings while walking, riding or in bed. However, some writers cannot do what he did. For instance, the English poet Robert Southey (1774-1843) could only write at his desk. Although he was appointed poet laureate in 1813, he was a better prose writer.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the undisputed king of English letters, “never blotted a line” when he started writing. While Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for comedy and tragedy among the Latins, Shakespeare is considered the most excellent in both kinds for the stage.

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), the Scottish novelist and poet seems to have gone a step further than Shakespeare by tossing his first drafts unread to the printer! He is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in English Romanticism.

Then comes the volume of their writing. No writer can give a satisfactory answer to this question: How many words can you write in a minute? The answer may depend on how fast you can think and write.

It is said that Anthony Trollope (1815-1882), the English novelist who presented a sharply observed picture of the Victorian society, could produce 250 words every quarter of an hour. He had done this by keeping a watch on his desk.

Hillaire Belloc (1870-1953), the popular and prolific English writer, is reported to have written 20,000 words in a day. A devout Roman Catholic, Belloc’s religious and political convictions strongly coloured his writings.

However, Honore de Balzak (1799-1850) could turn out 60,000 words in ten days. He was a French writer of realist novels that are considered among the greatest in world literature. He has written 95 novels and numerous short stories and plays. His brilliant portrayal of characters have enriched literature.

Some writers, unmindful of the volume, keep on polishing their writings, sometimes even after the publication of their books. For instance, Montaigne (1553-1592), the French writer who introduced the essay as a literary form, was never satisfied with his first draft. Therefore, he kept on polishing it. As a thinker, Montaigne opposed all forms of opinions which had no rational basis.

Like Montaigne, Edward FitzGerald (1808-1883), the English poet, also kept on polishing his work until he was satisfied. He is best known for his translation of the “Rubaiyat” written by the Persian poet Omar Khayyam. Meanwhile, Edward Moore (1873-1958), the British philosopher, too used to polish his writing many times. Moore is remembered for his famous work “Principia Ethica” (1903) and “Ethics” (1912).

Sometimes, we hear of unbelievable practices of writers. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the Irish-born writer, had spent the morning putting in a comma and the afternoon in taking it out again! Wilde, being an eccentric young man, became the central figure in one of the most sensational court cases of the century. He had a close friendship with young Lord Alfred Douglas and was convicted of sodomy. As a result, Wilde had to serve a two-year prison sentence.

Thus, the methods of writing can vary from writer to writer. But the majority of writers seem to follow one particular method i.e., writing the first draft and then polishing it. However, many writers do not try to polish their draft immediately. They come to it a day or two later or at least a few hours later to have a fresh look at their won writing. This helps them to self-edit their own copy.

Then comes the question: How do writers get their ideas? Is it simply by inspiration or some other means? This is a fairly difficult question to answer. However, some writers have the knack of writing on many subjects. Others have to struggle with the subject before writing about it. Once Charles Dickens was asked how he got “Mr. Pickwick”. He was unable to give a satisfactory reply but simply said that he thought of him.

Meanwhile, some writers tend to believe that they are inspired by God. Greek poets attributed their inspiration to Muse. But modern writers attribute their inspiration to the “Unconscious”.

Whether you are a writer or not, you get a myriad of ideas all the time. Non-writers forget them easily. However, writers give thought to their ideas and try to develop them into essays, short stories, poems or novels.

It is no longer a secret that some writers produce their best creations under the influence of liquor. Even the ancient Persians first got drunk to think of important matters. Some journalists too produce better stories when they are drunk!

Imagination works wonders with almost all writers. Dryden used to get “a confused mass of thoughts, tumbling over one another in the dark.” Johnson had his “lucky moments of animated imagination.” He believed that witty ideas came to him quite unexpectedly. Heinrik Ibsen used to put his characters “out to grass” thinking that they would fatten.

Imaginative writers never run short of ideas. However, they must be ready to catch their fleeting ideas and record them in a notebook. It is like catching birds and caging them. Those who know the value of this practice always keep a notebook and pen handy even when they travel. When new ideas are readily available, the writer’s task is made easy. Bentham, it is said, had a green curtain beside him. He used to write his stray notions on scraps of paper and pin them on the green curtain. They looked like butterflies!

How much should we write? What matters is quality and not quantity. If you keep on writing one book after the other, you simply become a hack writer. It is always better to write one good book rather than writing 100 useless ones.

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